It’s been nearly seven years since Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice launched, and shut to 5 since its sequel was introduced, however in the end, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is lastly approaching launch. Because the sequel to what many think about to be one in all Ninja Concept’s greatest video games as ever, and because the studio’s first main, flagship launch since change into an Xbox first-party group, there’s loads using on Hellblade 2, and fortunately, the whole lot that we’ve seen up to now has appeared fairly promising. Forward of the sport’s launch, then, right here, we’re going to go over a number of key particulars that you must know concerning the recreation.
STORY
Microsoft and Ninja Concept have been fairly tight-lipped about Hellblade 2’s story, however within the lead-up to its launch, some key particulars have emerged. Within the aftermath of the primary recreation’s occasions, Senua’s not solely accepted Dillion’s loss of life, but additionally began to get a greater grip of her personal psychosis- which signifies that although she’s nonetheless haunted by her demons, she’s change into far more able to with the ability to higher take care of them. In Hellblade 2, Senua’s story will deal with her efforts to struggle again in opposition to the Viking invaders who’re wreaking havoc by way of Iceland.
NEW CHARACTERS
The unique Hellblade was, by design, an awfully lonely story, however Hellblade 2 is widening its view of the world by introducing different characters that Senua will truly be interacting with. A latest preview printed on Xbox Wire described a sequence that sees Senua transferring by way of a camp to rescue one such new character whereas having to take care of the numerous voices in her head. Whereas it appears secure to imagine that Senua will stay entrance and heart within the story, we are able to nonetheless anticipate Hellblade 2’s solid of charscters to be extra populated.
COMBAT
Upon its launch in 2017, Hellblade 1 was extensively praised for the whole lot from its story and its depiction of psychological sickness to its technical achievements, audio design, and extra, however the one space of the sport that obtained criticism from many was its fight. In Hellblade 2, Ninja Concept is making an attempt to deal with these complaints by making some fascinating adjustments. Most important amongst them is the truth that each fight within the recreation will now be a 1v1 affair solely. Relatively than dealing with off in opposition to teams of foes concurrently, in Hellblade 2, Senua will solely ever cross swords with one enemy at a time.
FULL PERFORMANCE CAPTURE FOR COMBAT
Ninja Concept’s movement and efficiency seize experience has change into one of many studio’s largest strengths with time, and people strengths are actually being immediately utilized to the fight as nicely. Talking to Xbox Wire, Ninja Concept studio head Dom Matthews revealed that fight in Hellblade 2 is totally primarily based on efficiency seize, which implies each single motion Senua and her enemies make in fights is derived from performances by precise actors, relatively than being purely animated. “If all of this motion – working, climbing, preventing, is derived from efficiency seize, it’s going to be grounded in actuality,” mentioned Matthews. “It’s going to really feel constant and actual.”
ENEMY VARIETY
One other space the place Hellblade 2’s fight will try to enhance upon its predecessor is the enemy selection, with a a lot higher variety of enemy varieties being current within the recreation. Whereas Microsoft and Ninja Concept clearly haven’t revealed any specifics on this entrance, what we do know is that we are able to anticipate a number of completely different sorts of foes, from Draugr and giants to raiders, ranged foes, brutes, and extra. We’ve seen glimpses of fairly a number of in trailers already, so hopefully extra will probably be revealed forward of the sport’s launch.
PUZZLES
Puzzles had been one other space the place the unique Hellblade drew some criticism from gamers, although primarily based on what little we all know of Hellblade 2 on this space up to now, the sequel isn’t going to make too many drastic adjustments with its puzzle design. A latest preview printed by IGN described cases of puzzles that may acquainted to those that performed the primary recreation, centered totally on discovering shapes and patterns in your environment. Whereas new puzzle varieties are more likely to be launched, we are able to most likely anticipate them to be of the identical flavour as the primary recreation’s puzzles. Hopefully, nevertheless, they’ll be extra participating this time round.
LENGTH
If the fixed deluge of 50-100 hour video games has began sporting you down, Hellblade 2 will most likely come as welcome reprieve to you. Based on Ninja Concept, the sequel goes to be roughly so long as the primary recreation was, which implies we’re roughly eight hours of gameplay. Talking to IGN concerning the recreation’s shorter-than-expected size, studio head Dom Matthews mentioned, “I’m actually happy to see that there’s lots of people that truly take pleasure in a shorter expertise, one thing that they’ll sit down on a no matter Friday evening, stick their headphones on, flip the lights off and type of sink into an experience- gamers who don’t essentially need one thing that’s 50 hours lengthy, a 100 hours lengthy, so it’s so long as it must be. […] I believe there’s lots of stress on folks’s time lately and I believe our followers, from what we hear from them, they take pleasure in a shorter recreation the place our intention is that each step of that journey is significant.”
PHOTO MODE
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is trying prefer it’s going to be a correct visible beast, which implies it’s notably nicely suited to having a photograph mode. And certain sufficient, Ninja Concept has confirmed that the action-adventure title will certainly function a photograph mode at launch. Precise particulars on what options we are able to anticipate from the photograph mode stay to be seen, however hopefully that’ll change within the days and weeks main as much as the sport’s launch.
30 FPS ONLY ON XBOX
The truth that 60 FPS changing into an industry-wide commonplace has nonetheless appeared constantly out of attain despite builders accessing significantly better {hardware} has been a supply of irritating for a lot of, and sadly sufficient, Hellblade 2 gained’t assist issues on that entrance. Talking to German outlet GamePro, Ninja Concept just lately revealed that on Xbox Sequence X/S, the sport gained’t function a 60 FPS choice. As an alternative, Ninja Concept has opted for a singular, 30 FPS choice, with the intention being to attain a extra cinematic really feel for the expertise, in response to VFX director Mark Slater-Tunstill.
DIGITAL ONLY
We’re beginning to see an rising variety of outstanding examples of main releases skipping bodily variations totally – final 12 months’s Alan Wake 2 being one of many newer ones – and Hellblade 2 goes to hitch that record. It was confirmed by Ninja Concept earlier this 12 months that when the sport releases, it can solely be accessible for buy digitally on each PC and Xbox Sequence X.
PRICE
Microsoft shifted to the $70 price ticket for its flagship first-party releases in 2023, however Hellblade 2 gained’t be following that development. Upon its launch in Might, the sport will probably be priced at $49.99. Given its shorter size, in addition to the truth that it is going to be a digital-only title, a $70 price ticket most likely wouldn’t have performed it any favours, so it’s good that Microsoft has acknowledged that relatively than sticking with a common worth level for all main first-party releases.
PS5 RUMOURS
Whether or not or not a first-party recreation goes to be unique to a console isn’t as straightforward of a query to reply because it as soon as was. Current months have seen Microsoft bringing quite a few its first-party titles to Swap and PS5, and earlier than these had been initially introduced, it was claimed in leaks {that a} multiplatform launch was additionally being thought of for Hellblade 2. To date, Microsoft hasn’t confirmed any additional multiplatform launch plans, however leaks have insisted that extra first-party Xbox titles will probably be releasing for rival platforms going ahead. After all, even when Hellblade 2 does find yourself coming to, say, the PS5, it gained’t be anytime quickly. Presumably, Microsoft will wish to give it a strong exclusivity window on PC and Xbox earlier than bringing it to different platforms- if it does come to different platforms, that’s.
