The developer of Hellblade 2 has explained why it prefers making shorter games, insisting digital distribution has opened the door “to games of all shapes and sizes.”
The review embargo for Hellblade 2 appears to lift on the same date as the launch of the game, just an hour before it's available.
Reviews dont usually spoil its usually the players that get it early spoils it
Like all other games being reviewed before launch day ?
This game will disappoint many players. Ninja Theory’s last game
A well written review normally won't spoil anything though.
Come on, we all know it's usually not a good sign when the review embargo lifts on launch day. Doesn't mean to say the game is going to be bad or anything, but it does often point to a lack of confidence.
@Cacabunga Microsoft will dismantle Ninja Theory, even if the game reviews well, Bc that's how they roll! 😎
That's quite strange and early. They should lift review embargo a week after the game launches
OtterX
Unfortunately true.
I wish they stayed independant and signed with big publishers to develop some great licences like DMC.
I think Heavenly Sword 2 would def be successful if done right. Same way they can be the Bluepoint Games of action games.
Ummm...review embargos have nothing to do with spoilers...if someone gets it early they can still spoil it
If they didn't provide review copies until launch day, I would agree with you, but reviewers got their review codes this week. Since it's only an 8 hour game, that's plenty of time to have a review ready. I'm taking the studio heads word though, based on yesterday's interview.
Reviews on launch day is never a good sign.
If this games fails, goodbye Ninja Theory.
There has been good games where this happened. I think they did it to Arkanes Prey, which was a very good game. But it shows a lack of interest/faith from the publisher.
With Senua I think it's more that Ms could 't care less about a prestige project like this atm. They have pivoted and only want big hitters, so why put money in supporting Senua? Just throw it out there and move on. It's the last part of their old vision for xbox and no longer relevat. A Phil Spencer game.
Sadly. Game will probably be very good, like the first one.
Potentially even if it doesn't fail. HiFi Rush was critically praised by journalists and gamers alike and look what happened to Tango.
Personally, I think the game will flop commercially. It doesn't really have any visible marketing campaign from what I can tell. It's also clearly got a hefty budget and development cycle. I'm sure this doesn't have a AA budget.
Critically... I'm not sure. I think if it's judged as its own product, it'll be fine. 85+ on metacritic, I'm thinking. But the problems I see this game's score running into are comparisons to the original which touched on some fascinating concepts (and thereby set a high bar already) and the time between announcement and release. Quite some time, and this was the game that introduced the Series X. I think if reviewers and gamers remove themselves from those two things, it's a good game. But my sense is that's going to influence perceptions quite a bit.
Would have been a perfect launch title tbh . The way it showcases the power of xbox.
6/10 confirmed.. they are definitely hiding something probably the length and replay value
That's not a good sign.
Review codes have been sent out as of 8 hours ago (according to Tom Henderson on X) so at least they aren't withholding those... But you'd think with confidence they'd want positive reviews to get buzz going online the weekend before release.
... But if they're expecting mid reviews, yeah sure lift that embargo when most people are asleep.
MS might be withholding review codes from more critical reviewers to inflate the launch window Metascore. Just like they did with Starfield.
Yeah, They've been doing that for a while. Picking and choosing publications. At the end of the day if you do that then don't be surprised if that taints reviewers attitude towards your game.
This is the first time I'm starting to think that MS may actually want this game to not do well so they can more easily justify closing the studio down? Am I crazy for suddenly thinking that? I mean, no advertising. Review embargo on launch day? This game and studio goes against what Matt Booty has said they will be focusing on going forward in regards to their business.
I know people were speculating and half joking that Ninja Theory "is next". But this is the first time I get that feeling in my stomach. I'm probably thinking too much into it. Anyway, I hope I'm wrong.
Wouldn't go that far, but they must have spent a fortune on it and I can't imagine it being very profitable. I don't think current day MS would greenlight it.
More appropriately, it makes more sense to believe they really expected the acquisitions of such major publishers to increase game pass subs with high retention. This doesn't seem to be the case though, and Activision cost an extraordinary penny.
At this point, it's just about turning things around quickly.
However, I don't think you're wrong either. It's not about wanting to close them, per se, and that might be the secret metric for success they haven't disclosed: "Did this new game drive Sub growth by a certain percentage?" In that case, even a very well received game could doom a studio if it doesn't generate enough interest or hype in Game Pass. It's very safe to assume that XGP is very clearly aligned to closures. It's become damn near THE metric for Xbox. So when a game isn't played much or generating subs, studio closes. I think this is extremely problematic for Ninja Theory if true. I can't say I know many people playing through their games more than once and I don't see Hell blade 2 driving user retention either.
That's the kinda funny thing about all the concern for the game... It's only like 8 hours... Good or bad a very small portion of my gaming time will be impacted.
If GTA6 got hosed, on the other hand, I'd probably cry lol
Zero marketing and embargo lifts when the game launches?
No confidence from team Xbox.
Microsoft did a similar thing with starfield could be the new ongoing policy no early reviews.
I don't want to jump the gun and say the game is bad or problematic or anything.
But yeah we've all seen this tactic before.
I guess it's worth remembering in the eyes of ninja theory this is a small game it's not going to take 10 plus hours to finish from what they've indicated.
Direct quote from ign
Microsoft-owned developer Ninja Theory will soon release Hellblade 2, which costs $50, is digital-only, and about eight hours long
Not a good sign. The last time they had such a strict embargo was prior to the launch of Redfall. No marketing and no early reviews does raise an eye brow.
I hope this game will be an outlier.
This isn't a sign of low confidence, it's just how they do embargos for all their games now, and more power to em. Xbox tax is real.
If this is "just how they do embargos" now, that's even worse. It shows they're not confident of any of their games, lol.
Positive reviews even days before a game launches, get extra preorders and more Day 1 sales, why have an embargo policy that prevents that?
Unless they're expecting reviews that could make people cancel their preorders or just not buy it
I really hope this game isn't the end of Ninja Theory. Now that MS has shown they don't care about studios success in new or old genres and will close them. I fear we may never get a Heavenly Sword 2.
Well, I guess we will see in a couple of days. I expect mid to low 80's for metacritic.
I hope we are wrong and it's really hood. It is coming to PS5 after all. Please for the love of God don't close the studio down and then continue to sell the game of other platforms like Hifi Rush.
It's surprising it's meant to be a strong release for MS but there is zero marketing behind it's "coming soon" date.
Usually developers that are confident about their game would have reviews out a week or several days before the release date.
Considering it’s digital only and available on GamePass I don’t think this hurts the game in anyway. The people who intend to play are going to do so regardless because it’s free with GP. It would be much different if people were waiting to hear before buying it.
I believe the opposite. I feel no physical release hurts it because some would have bought physically just cause. They killed that though. What a dumb decision(ms)
While rarely a good sign, if the business model is that you want people to sign up to a subscription rather than buy on launch day at full price / pre order; does it really make a difference if people sign up on launch day or a week before? Surely for them being able to say they had a x % spike in subscriptions on launch day is the best way of generating positive buzz and demonstrating the scale of appeal (or not) the game has
That doesn't sound good. Also where is the hype or advertising for this game like at all? I feel like no one is talking about it or aware that it's coming out soon
The game looks incredible! Y'all can say what you want. I will be playing it before I see any reviews.
People are right to be worried. Not just for the game itself but also the team. I think everyone wants it to review good for a few reasons.
Of course people have the right to be worried. Personally, my take on it is that there's nothing any of us on this forum can do, even if we wanted to. I don't believe MS is going to close ninja theory down, but right now it's certainly the narrative I see a lot of people pushing. Not sure how all the public worry is supposed to help. I expect to see Project Mara at next year's xbox showcase as that's the second teams project. They are also working on Project Insight. MS invested a lot into this studio, and I believe that xboxs other first party studios could benefit from ninja theorys tech similar to how the Coalition assists other 1st party studios. I guess I'm just not as doom and gloom as some of you are.
There's a lot of Microsoft haters on this site. They want Xbox to fail. It is stupid, because competition is good.
I am hoping the psychosis they are adding to the game will be similar to Eternal Darkness. The first game was good. Hopefully they have just expanded upon the OG
Never a good sign but I'm ready to play it anyway when it arrives and make my own decision.
Not a great sign commercially speaking I am afraid.
My guess is that the game is very similar to the first one (introspective story, limited gameplay, around 6h playtime) while Microsoft wrongly made it appears a the new AAA megaton when they was marketing it.
The game may be very good indeed, but just far from the crazy expectations some may have.
Wonder if they'll cherrypick reviews again like with starfield. Either way I can see this being in the 80s, even though I strongly disliked the first game.
Maybe they will at least get a Limited Run ©️.
No don't worry I see the door. I will let myself out!
It's becoming more and more common with MS. They don't have confidence in their games AT ALL.
Unfortunately confidence MS has, delivering anything they’ve ever “promised” almost never
And now who cares? I mean, Ninja Theory workers are probably shaking because even if the game win awards they can be fired because "reasons".
Well that sucks. I was looking forward to watching some reviews before I played.
I am still willing to give Ninja Theory the benefit of the doubt. Great studio with a good track record, I am am trying to avoid MS general stink prejudice my opinion of some of my fave developers.
oh wow.
guess they're arent confident.
but a pre order can be cancelled in under a minute. so ... ha.
Yeah, this kind of game is perfect for gamepass. It's 8 hours, so you can easily knock it out over the weekend. I guess if you REALLY loved the first one, you can always buy it with a discount if you have a gamepass sub. Also, I believe this is a trilogy, so they may end up making a 3 game collectors edition once it's complete.
Can't wait !
The marketing for this game has been excellent, we know so much about it.
And with early reviews we can make a decision on whether to buy it or not, Xbox are on fire right now....
Excuse the sarcasm.
Game looks shit as fuck, it's gonna be a boring walk-a-thon with loads of cutscenes and one-on-one combat encounters, that right folks, no fighting groups of enemies in this one, a la the first game, just one-on-one combat.
Curious how long a game like this would take to port? It used to take 12-18 months, but I'm wondering if it takes less time now that the systems are both x86. Anyone know?
I’m thinking there’s gunna be a split, a bunch of 9s, and a bunch of 6s. With the 9ers being like “a work of art, advances the medium” and the 6ers being like “pretty game, glorified walking simulator, too short”. We shall see.
This is a very strange thing to do just an hour prior to launch.
I'm cool with a day or so prior to cut down on spoilers but an hour before launch screams something to hide.
Microsoft and wheelin and dealing Phil need this game to do well as it's their only shot for any meaningful awards this year.
What a shit show. Where the hell does all the money go? 10 years of development resulting in a 7 hour, snooze induced walk-a-thon.
Quick question to the countless members who have 100 several theories about how the game suck, zero confidence, MS must cherry-pick, etc.
On what date was the 1st game reviewed versus the release date of August 8 2017?
https://www.metacritic.com/...
So what was the excuse back then?
don't need reviews, because no ones buying this anyway
just subscriptions, then cancel it the month after.?
It'll probably be a glorified tech demo at best but that was clear from it being on GamePass.
while not always the case but when a dev has a review embargo until the day of launch, it's not a good sign; especially when it comes to ms games lol
Plenty of games have done this in the past so big deal. Anyone who needs validation from someone else’s opinion needs to get their confidence up.
We're another day closer to the release of Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 on May 21st, and that means Ninja Theory is continuing to tease us with new snippets of info and footage - including a closer look at the game's Photo Mode.
I like photo modes. I will find some awesome shots and use them as wallpaper on my SX.
Gears 6 is going to look insane on UE5. The Coalition are UE experts. Hellblade 2 is going to be epic.
First game’s photo mode had some sweet filters. Even if they just port those over, I’ll be good!
Realism is one of many valid art forms and not the only recipe for success.
"Anything below the pristine, realistic scenes we see in pretty trailers is quickly dubbed a “PS3 game", which was the case during Rise of the Ronin’s debut."
Er... no thanks. Last thing we need is a PS3 looking Hellblade game.
I rather have Hellblade II truth to its roots. Dark Fantasy narrative driven adventure, focused on photo-realism, believable world, stunning looking environments, realistic combat, exceptional animations, state of art sound engineering and Melinda´s beauty and superior act skills to take Senua and Hellblade II´s immersion to a whole new level in gaming.
@Kornholic no it's worse than that. He loves Xbox and Phil so much that he does this for free! Honestly I struggle to believe this is a grown adult. Sometimes his comments are so ridiculous they border on parody.
@Korn/ Barlos: “He is an MS employee. It has become pretty clear at this point”
It’s even sadder than that he’s a guy that gets paid for every response he gets out of the community😱
And he does it for free. Microsoft doesn't pay the old man anything and most gamers disagree with his comments 😂
@obscured: “I rather have Hellblade II truth to its roots. Dark Fantasy narrative driven adventure, focused on photo-realism, believable world, stunning looking environments, realistic combat, exceptional animations, state of art sound engineering and Melinda´s beauty and superior act skills to take Senua and Hellblade II´s immersion to a whole new level in gaming.”
I rather be Amazon owner guess what your wish and my nether are happening ,there’s no such thing as a perfect game as you describe it.
I would say atmosphere is a huge part of this graphics are a big part of that. But it's not the whole thing. I hope there's more to the gameplay than the original. I gave up on it before the story could really hook me.
I always thought the game was a walking simulator *most* of the time. I mean calling it a game is a stretch. Sure it has the glossy graphics and atmosphere, but beyond that, there's just nothing there. She jogs through the woods at an octogenarian's pace and solves illusion puzzles. That's about the gist of it. Sure there's a bit of combat if you consider slashing the same identical figures a few time here and there combat. The gameplay didn't have no depth but I finally realize that they wasn't aiming for that. I always thought the first game was overhyped and overrated. The graphics has always been the selling point and the reason to play it. I'm glad the second game will be on PC gamepass so that I don't have to pay $70 dollars to play it.
You never played the first game and you won´t be playing the second either!
I can´t wait for Hellblade II to drop, so we can see your benchmarks since you said you´ll be running it at 4K/60-120fps. Lol
Already got my popcorn ready. Just one month to go!
What are you talking about he's summed up the gameplay loop perfectly. I bet when the game was a PS4 exclusive you even called it or walking simulator. You have no credibility here.
@Sonic1881 - calling it a walking simulator (like many other Sony fanboys or Xbox fanboys who call Death Stranding a walking simulator),makes me think that most people dont know what a walking simulator is (which happens to be one of my favorite game genres).
Games like Dear Esther, Everybody Gone to Rapture, What Remains of Edith Finch, are clear showcases of the genre.
A walking simulator typically has no combat and limits gameplay to very basic interaction while foregoing action sequences.
"Sure there's a bit of combat if you consider slashing the same identical figures a few time here and there combat." - Now this comment here shows how biased you are.
"Yes there is combat but it is a rare instance and therefore this is not a game". Ok no comment there as you obviously did not play the game.
I would not disregard this game simply because is on Xbox and not on playstation. Just wait to see the game for your self since as you say you have game pass and you can try it for free.
If it turns out to be a good game, is a win for everybody as it will most likely end on playstation as well in the future given MS new multi platform strategy.
This game is going to flop so massively.
A decade of anticipation and development.
Only to receive a message a couple weeks ago that gamers shouldn't expect the game to be very long.
Sure, it's going to be the most successful X-box exclusive this generation, but that isn't saying much.
10 years ago you could distract people with having a pretty picture on screen, you didn't need much in terms of gameplay / length.
But now? You can dress up a pig as much as you want, it still is a pig.
The fact that we haven't seen ANY real gameplay videos says more than enough regarding this.
Only pre-rendered "Gameplay" videos.
This generation is truly a sad one.
From both Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo.
"10 years ago you could distract people with having a pretty picture on screen, you didn't need much in terms of gameplay / length."
The Order: 1886 came out nearly a decade ago, in 2015, and pretty picture on screen was not enough even back then.
Pretty sure Order 1886 was actually a pretty good game but it was waaaaaaaay too short, that's why it failed.
Oh man...I forgot how good The Order: 1886 was - it was sure a fun time and looked absolutely stunning but holy hell it was simply too short and I'm so glad I ended up not buying it. I rented it and finished it over the course of a weekend and didn't have much desire to just go play it again. If I recall, there wasn't at all much one could do as far as exploration either and maybe had a random collectible tucked away in corners, that's it.
@JusttJD0099
"Pretty sure Order 1886 was actually a pretty good game but it was waaaaaaaay too short, that's why it failed."
And I´m "pretty sure" that you never played that game also. That game been "short" has nothing to do with "why it failed". FYI that game sold 1.6+ million copies which is far from a failure.
1886 has many flaws regarding level design, gameplay, combat and how all those elements interact combined. I´d loved the setting, graphics, atmosphere, plot and the characters. And I hate how fast Sony dumped RAD and put that franchise on ice.
The Order had the potential to be Sony´s response to Gears of War, but just like they did with Days Gone, they rather measure one game´s success based on Metascores. Smh.
@JusttJD0099
I would also add awful boss battles (those werewolves - ugh) and the ending was very meh.
Other than that, i did enjoy the game, the graphics, the world, the gun play... But yeah, also very short, got platinum in 8h total without trying much or following guides.
Its visuals have to be pretty much spotless at this point to make up for the lack of engaging gameplay not to mention story that have to hit all the right notes and then its potential lack of replayability.
I learned from cinematic games like these is that if the story not up to snuff then the game pretty much not worth replay through again.
In this day and age, I'm surprised that we still have games like this as the gap between not as cinematic one and cinematic game like Hellblade 2 are no longer big, not like back in 7th gen.
It takes far more effort now just to wow us with these push for filmic photorealistic visuals.
So many studios big and small so obsessed at getting their cinematic games' visuals to look right to the point they forgot they still have to do Gaming part of it.
"This game is going to flop so massively."
Only in the minds of those spiteful fanboys that wouldn´t be able to play it.
The first Hellblade had an all time peak of 5,653 concurrent players on STEAM. I´m positive that even been available on PC Gamepass day one, Hellblade II will easily beat that number and you´ll be called out on your bs predictions.
"A decade of anticipation and development.
Only to receive a message a couple weeks ago that gamers shouldn't expect the game to be very long."
A decade?! What the F* are you talking about?!
The first Hellblade was released back in August 2017 and development for Hellblade II started 2 years later!
Where did you get that "A decade of anticipation and development." BS? Why are you here spreading lies about a game you don´t know sh!t about?
"The fact that we haven't seen ANY real gameplay videos says more than enough regarding this.
"Only pre-rendered "Gameplay" videos."
Lmao!
That line is nothing but further proof that you never played Hellblade in your life! The game is focused on REALISM and IMMERSION, genius!
There´s NO VISIBLE HUD AT ALL!
IT´S ALL GAMEPLAY RUNNING ON AN ACTUAL XBOX SERIES X!!!
It´s baffling how some dumb and arrogant people believes they´re in a position of authority to talk about subjects they have zero knowledge of!
Next time you go out running your mouth spreading lies and misinformation, make sure you made your homework first!
We'll see when it drops. I'll say this, based on how 1 played prepare to be disappointed lol.
"FYI that game sold 1.6+ million copies which is far from a failure."
Nice. So FF7 Rebirth or 16 for that matter, are doing just fine. Aye Observer 👀 👍🏽Thanks for telling the truth.
"Nice. So FF7 Rebirth or 16 for that matter, are doing just fine. Aye Observer 👀 👍🏽Thanks for telling the truth."
Always my pleasure.
And just to put things into perspective; By the time of its release, The Order: 1886 were a new IP from a relatively unknown and unproved studio. The game sits at a 63 Metascore.
The PS4 had 20+ Million consoles sold after 1 year and 3 months in the market.
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, is well known, highly regarded as one of the most prominent RPG of ALL TIMES, by one of the most beloved and traditional gaming studio in the market. Rebirth also ranks at the same 92 Metascore as the original.
By the time of its release, the PS5 had sold 50+ Million consoles after 3 years and 3 months in the market.
I´m sure you can connect the dots.
Have a good week.
""FYI that game sold 1.6+ million copies which is far from a failure."
Releases between PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch then Series S/X is absolutely 💯 a failure. That's 450+ million gamers between all the platforms and it barely sold anything
I would generally agree with the article to be fair.
I enjoyed the original well enough but the puzzles and combat were excruciatingly repetitive.
If the gameplay hasn't advanced then that is going to be really disappointing.
I always thought the gameplay and story was mediocre in the first game but the graphics was phenomenal. I also remember the first game was really short.
You never played! Stop with your bs lies.
It´s so easy to see through your lies. You never talk about ANY game in details and profundity. It´s always the same old, repetitive, dumb, vague and generic comments.
I´m pretty sure if made you specific questions about that game, you won´t be able to answer because... well; you won´t be able to find the answers on the internet so easily. XD
Come on! Prove me wrong!
I live in Cambridge where Ninja Theory is based and the studio is already in a very small building. There are no signs or anything.
As a Digital only Game on Xbox not Worth it especially if it's Short I guess it being on Gamepass makes it up for it.
Not this short. For as long as you’ve been “working” on the game… not this short.
Seeing as the game sold 10 to 1 on PS4 vs Xbox it will surely be my favorite short game as I'll never even play the sequel. It's almost as bad as business move when Xbox got Rise of the Tomb Raider for a year and everyone was like nope.
So how long is the actual game then? Article didnt say.
If we are talking like 4-5 hours, sounds like a solid fit for gamepass then imo. $50 price tag means there still should be some longevity to it that doesnt just rely on "replayability"
Not me. 15-30 is good ( straight story run through). If I decide to 100% it, it takes 50+. I appreciate the option incase id like to stay in that world. Felt I wanted more time with Spiderman 2.