Every time we’ve seen Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, it’s appeared stable. Perhaps it hasn’t blown anybody away, which, to some, may really imply it’s appeared disappointing, however for many who loved the primary sport, it’s trying like a sequel that’s going to ship properly in related methods. As Microsoft continues its search to notch up wins for its expanded first-party portfolio, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is the sport that each it and its neighborhood have incessantly checked out, and it does appear to be it can make good on these expectations. However whereas that’s true, it’s been a bit of unusual seeing the best way Microsoft has marketed the sport, as a result of the messaging has been wildly inconsistent, to say the very least. After being touted as an enormous, tentpole first-party launch for years, the messaging round Ninja Concept’s sequel has, as of earlier this 12 months, abruptly and jarringly pivoted away, with Hellblade 2 now being billed as a smaller game- and the whiplash has raised just a few eyebrows, to say the least.
We first noticed Hellblade 2 over 4 years in the past, when Microsoft formally introduced it at The Recreation Awards in December 2019, and although no gameplay was proven, it definitely made an impression. For starters, the quite simple truth {that a} sport as distinctive and beloved as the unique Hellblade was getting a sequel was thrilling, whereas the sport’s debut trailer itself additionally left fairly a mark, what with the promise of a radical technical leap ahead. The promise of a Hellblade sport that will have the total backing of Microsoft as an enormous, tentpole first-party launch was implicit in that trailer, and within the years that adopted, that guarantees was repeatedly made a number of extra occasions.
Since Ninja Concept first joined the Xbox Recreation Studios lineup, many assumed that the studio can be filling a major hole in Microsoft’s portfolio with huge, cinematic, single participant action-adventure video games, the sort that we see in abundance from groups beneath the PlayStation umbrella, and naturally, these expectations latched on to Hellblade 2 by default. Microsoft, in the meantime, continued to face Hellblade 2 up as a serious first-party blockbuster to stay up for as properly, which additional cemented greater expectations across the sport, to the extent that many had been questioning if an even bigger Hellblade expertise of a bigger scale and with extra finances backing it will nonetheless be capable of retain the singular focus and restraint that made the primary Hellblade sport nearly as good because it was.
That messaging, nevertheless, has modified in current weeks. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 was one among a number of first-party titles to be showcased at Microsoft’s Xbox Developer Direct presentation in January, and it was onerous to not come away confused about what was revealed of the sport. And that’s not as a result of the sport itself didn’t look good – no, it really appears promising, particularly should you favored the unique Hellblade – however as a result of the messaging across the sport has out of the blue modified. Hellblade 2 just isn’t going to be the large-scale sequel that many had assumed it will be, neither is it going to be a full-priced sport. No, when it launches in Might, will probably be a digital-only launch being offered for $50, and might be about so long as the primary sport was.
Now, on paper, there’s really a lot to be thankful for with that announcement, and I’ll get to that in a bit- however the sudden shift in how Microsoft is speaking concerning the sport deserves some scrutiny. If that is what Hellblade 2 was all the time going to be – and there can be nothing fallacious if that had been the case, for the report – then why have we spent the final four-plus years seeing it being positioned as this huge, AAA, tentpole launch, one which’s going to function a centerpiece within the Xbox Recreation Studios portfolio? If Microsoft all the time knew that the sport was being designed as one other targeted, small-scale expertise that will undertake a philosophy of focus and restraint like its predecessor did, why did advertising counsel that it was as a substitute going to be a full-priced, shiny blockbuster release- till just some months earlier than launch?
Now, is it really a foul factor for the sport itself that it’s primarily going to be extra of the identical (no less than based mostly on what we’ve seen of its gameplay so far)? Not essentially. In truth, many will inform you that having a wider scope and making an attempt to inform a extra large-scale story would in all probability have clashed with Hellblade’s core sensibilities. A sequel that continues to concentrate on Senua’s character, her private journey, and her personal struggles is what most followers of the primary sport would in all probability need regardless. On the identical time, loads of folks may even inform you that in areas just like the fight and puzzle design, the unique Hellblade had a lot of room for enchancment, so hopefully, these are areas that the sequel will deal with no matter its scale.
It additionally needs to be mentioned {that a} main first-party studio’s huge, new launch being a shorter, smaller sport that might be priced decrease and might be about 7-10 hours lengthy is extremely refreshing to see, particularly in an trade the place points like rising costs, rising growth prices, and bloated experiences are rising more and more distinguished. In fact, we don’t actually know the way a lot cash was poured into Hellblade 2’s growth and advertising – given the truth that it’s been within the works for seven years, we are able to in all probability assume that it’s been a a lot costlier endeavor than the primary sport, particularly with Microsoft’s full backing – however a serious first-party studio placing out a cheaper-priced sport that may final 8 hours? Sure, we do want extra of that, and hopefully, Hellblade 2 might be profitable sufficient to indicate publishers all through the trade that there’s worth to that enterprise mannequin as properly.
Clearly, then, there’s no scarcity of causes to be optimistic about Hellblade 2. The sport itself has appeared stable every time it’s been proven off, and if Ninja Concept can recapture the magic of the primary sport whereas additionally making significant enhancements in areas just like the fight and puzzles, Senua’s Saga has each likelihood of turning out to be a serious win for the Xbox Recreation Studios lineup. What has been a lot shakier, nevertheless, has been Microsoft’s messaging across the sport. Seemingly unable to resolve whether or not Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is a AAA blockbuster or an arthouse sequel, the corporate has determined that it’s one way or the other each, and within the course of, it’s muddied the dialog across the sport in ways in which have had a noticeable affect on its pre-release hype cycle.
When the writer itself doesn’t know the way to discuss a sport, how are the followers, or the potential followers? In case you favored the unique Hellblade, do you have to count on a sequel that principally sticks to what it did, or do you have to count on one thing a lot greater and grander in scale? In case you didn’t like the unique Hellblade, do you have to count on a sequel that you simply will be capable of get into? Because of Microsoft, solutions to those vital questions have been unclear at finest, and it’s onerous to think about how that’s going to be good for the game- though the sport itself is trying prefer it’s going to be a well-made expertise.
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