You know you're a good reviewer when you say a game like this is not going to be for everyone and giving a detailed idea of what to expect, rather than saying this game is garbage because there is no depth in combat. Some people may have expected too much from Hellblade. I knew from the start that this game was not going to be combat focused even from the gameplay trailers and I was never hyped for it, but during my first boss fight with the crow dude I was just thinking about how amazing and exciting the fight was. This game has definitely exceeded my expectations and I'm gonna take my sweet time because I want to savor the full experience.
Credit needs to go to melina juergens who plays senua, she worked in the office and was asked to stand in and do a stop motion test, she was so good ninja theory asked her to play senua and she done a lot of research in mental illness for the part, she was excellent.
I think that we as consumers ought to support more companies like Ninja Theory. An indie dev team of 20 people was able to pump out an AAA-like game only at half the price. Yes, the game has its flaws but I feel components like its narrative easily outclasses other AAA games like fallout 4.
I think if a game is good its good and bad its bad it doesn't matter, nor should it how it was made. That requires a very strange relationship with the developers
are you under the incorrect assumption that a small team of friends can't be enslaved? Or that a big company can't have good working environments. This isn't a magic show. Their is nuance to everything. IF you want to investigate taxes, workloads, time at a company, and their own interpersonal relationships like gamedev story. You are free to. I personally don't feel comfortable with such a unbalanced relationship with a developer. Nor does the normal consumer know anything about that nor would it make sense to them to discuss it in this context. Its literally forest and trees
ACG I agree with everything you said except your misuse of the word "literally" because it literally makes me uncomfortable when I hear (or happen to read) a misuse. Anyways, you make a good point.
Actually i meant literally and not figuratively for a very clear reason. But you will be very unhappy to know that due to its misuse its actual definition has changed as of last year to indicate both including Merriam Webster and Gambridge Dictionaries.
I like that you address the obvious comparison to Horizon: Zero Dawn, but I'm sure you understand more than most that game development is a long road, often 3 or more years in the making, and it's highly doubtful they took much inspiration from Horizon since they announced Hellblade a year prior. Great review as always, Karak.
like he said about screaming at the game to be quiet, that's what people with schizophrenia have to go through. that's what you need to expect when you go into this game....to not have peace and quiet for one damn second. to empathize with those struggling with schizophrenia.
See, this is the sort of game I'm far more interested in - something that tries to be different, tries to push in a different direction (or less in one, and more in another). Great review! :-)
Since l followed the dev diaries since almost the beginning I'm glad the game worked out well. Can't pick it up right now, but l will when l have the chance.
Well i guess this is what happens when you try to get some sleep. missed the embargo. Also mispronounced her name lol. Summary. Damn fine title but isn't for everyone Also this permadeath thing is so fucking overrated as a experience. If you absolutely SUUUUUUUCK at games you will put down the controler before that happens;)
@anonymous anonymous ....Why would you compare this to DmC? The only similarity between this and DmC is that it's 3rd person, and even then Hellblade's camera is extremely up close and personal as opposed to DmC's being much farther out. General combat mechanics are also completely different. In DmC you're typically fighting large groups of enemies. In Hellblade, you're fighting one to two, sometimes three at most.
I watched some of the dev diaries on this game, And Milena (Senua) Is actually their video editor. Some people at the office encouraged her to give the lead role a go and she did it. Glad to hear her acting is good!
I've been playing games since 1997 and I cannot remember a time when I felt that connected to a character. When I started playing Hellblade I thought it was not that good because of the simple mechanics of gameplay. I kept playing because without realizing I was becoming more and more attached to the character. Senua is easily the most humane and epic video game character of all time. The emotional impact of her struggle just stays with you after playing. You can't stop thinking about how brave Senua is, and then you remember oh yes she's a video game character, but then you remember how you feel and you realize the devs did a really good job with the character and the story. This game is really impressive. The character, story and visuals are really well made. You will not regret buying this game. And by the way I did some research and talked to people with psychosis, which is the mental condition Senua has, and what you see her experience in this game is 100% accurate. Down to the constant voices and multiple realities. Pretty scary stuff to experience in real life. Just completed the game now. Man, that was one heck of an experience. I definitely recommend the game. There's been no other game like it that I've played. I experienced no pop ups on pc and the framerate was fine (maxed out settings at 1440p).
I loved this game. As a person who suffers from many of the same psychosis as Senua, I was pleased to see the subject of mental illness treated with deep respect and an obvious abundance of research. Some of the effects in the game are so spot on that I had to stop playing because they were triggering my own condition. A magnificent experience, more piece of art than adventure game.
The ULTIMATE reason why you are the man when it comes to reviews? YOU ACTUALLY COMPLETE THE GAME TO REVIEW IT....plus you go in depth and Im a musician so I love how you review sound and music no one does that.....Good work once again!
+Chad Karruer He definitely does. I knew this for certain from his Nier: Automata review. I caught quite a few reviewers bullshitting in their rushed reviews of that game, but I can tell he didn't review it until he played all the way through. Your perceptions change greatly in that game as you complete routes A through E, and I can tell who put in 15 hours but claimed to have put in 60.
ACG I'm really baffled by that comment. I've even just re-watched your Prey review and for the life of me I can't figure out what you mean. In what way should we "hope it's not Prey all over again"...? Some clarification would be great.
Rares Macovei it is . But not as a 60$ game . I bought it for 5$ and I after finishing it I think if the release price was 30$ like hellblade it would've been a great series
Yes! I was super interested to see what critics had to say about this, and I completely ignored all the other reviewers just to hear it from Karak first! Thanks a lot buddy! Doing great, great work.
Well i was totally creeped tf out at 4am playing this with headphones on! I swear it felt like someone(s) was in the room with me. Very well done game!
I've beaten the first boss and I gotta say the game is pretty dope so far. Game developers should get commended for creating games that provide unique and outside of the box experiences. I enjoy the combat and the immersive experience through the use of sound. Highly recommend wearing headphones for full effect!
I thought this game was brilliant. I loved that we hear the voices in her head. There were times where they were mocking her, belittling her, yet at the same time letting you know that you needed to be very aware of your surroundings, because at some point soon, some shit was gonna go down, and you’d have to run outta there in a hurry. I loved that, as opposed to a flashing text bar telling me to run for the gate before I die. To me, this is the type of game I’m HAPPY to pay for, and I hope we see more from this team, and possibly more of Senua.
Agree with this review totally. I mentioned this on Steam, there are sections of Hellblade that make me think of Eternal Darkness and the insanity meter. One thing about the review though, Hellblade isn't focused on combat but there are areas where the combat can be really intense. The boss battles are fantastic. There is hidden depth in the fighting system that I discovered playing with combat settings on "hard." The game is heavy on atmosphere and really drives the point home that Senua is disturbed. We're talking serious mental issues here. To the extent that in a couple of cutscenes Ninja Theory even went so far as to screw with her pupils as Senua's eyes rolled and stared off in the distance like a psych ward kid that didn't take their meds for a week. It's a bit creepy the amount of detail put into this. Yes, Hellblade isn't for everyone for sure. But for those looking for a game that's drop dead gorgeous, heavy on narrative and puzzle solving, check it out!
What a great, spoiler-free review. I was on the fence on whether I should buy it or not, and your review sold me. Thank you so much! You've earned a subscriber as well!
Yet again you show why you're the go-to reviewer for so many of us - PC Gamer managed to do a review of this title, without mentioning PC performance or the technical side of things once..
I'm looking forward to Hellblade because I suffer from similar conditions as the protagonist and have been following its development closely. I'm looking forward to see how well things are conveyed digitally.
Just finished playing this game. And i quite enjoyed it. At some point I've felt like i had same-ish experience somewhere. And just now i remembered: it's Dead Space 1 and 2, just inverted(Senua for Aisec, and Dillion for Nicole) with all the bells and whistles :)
Ninja Theory is one of the most underrated developers in the business. In fact, their two prior releases Heavenly Sword and Enslaved Odyssey to the West are some of the most underrated games from the last console generation and in the gaming industry as a whole. In regards to Hellblade, its basically a mixture of Dark Souls, sprinkled with a bit of Alice Madness Returns and Horizon Zero Dawn for good measure. That's fine with me because I really enjoyed playing those 3 titles. Hellblade is really strange which is a good thing as far as I'm concerned. I don't mind playing a game that's a bit different and weird and the game seems to fit the bill nicely. Sure, its a bit on the short side, clocking in at around 6-8 hours. However, its forgivable given the $30 price tag. Thanks Karak!
I've got the impression that trying to do the full megabudget size games in the past has led to a lot of difficulties for them, particularly technical issues. They aren't a huge developer, so I think scaling back the length to something more manageable while retaining their artistic strengths was a great move. I hope it sells well so they are rewarded for their efforts. I read they delayed the release date by quite a bit to put bunch of extra work into this to get it right before release. NT's games haven't always had the most dazzling mechanics or ran as smoothly as I wanted, but their artists do fantastic work. It seems like this game has all of their great artistry on display. I love their tribal looking character designs in particular.
Played this while i was stoned and i've got paranoid because of the voices haha, so far it's one of the best game i've played on ps4 and i hope ninja theory will continue to give us games like this.
Mental Gear It's the summer, so no one's expecting anything good to come out until the the Fall. Most big reviewers ignore summer releases, which is why many gems like this one slip through the cracks unless advertised everywhere.
I heard once from a video the devs uploaded that they are focusing on niche. The guy said that AAA titles focus on pleasing everyone but they are focusing on certain gamers only. This means (according to him) that they can make a polished game at a relatively cheap budget and sell it at a relatively cheap price.
I pretty much agree with EVERYTHING you say, but after a couple of hours the fun factor or enticement sadly isn't there and I would have to pin point it to those repetitive puzzles. It tries so hard to pull you in and when it almost does there's another pretty boring puzzle that kicks me back out of the immersion. That being said, a team of 25-ish people and this is an indie game for around $30? THIS is the kind of game people should support and use as a benchmark and evidence that big companies and AAA games need, or even must, up their game.
Playing a game that fundamentally fucks up the whole concept of "person" and self-identity is fun enough not to mention that you can fight with a unique version of reality perception. I think Michel Foucault would be happy to see that we are letting a "crazy" person shows us the limits of our mind.
Getting to the first boss sold the game for me, action light up to that point, but that fucking sound track alongside the fire arena we were in, gave dark souls fights a big run for its money in my book
Looks fun. I especially like the combat & the back-step/side-step animations. Most realistic I've ever seen. Edit: The back/side stepping animations are the best I've ever seen.
Great review. I've put 4-1/2 hours into it already but I think about an hour of that was messing with the photo mode. I loved trying to create an awesome screenshot with cool effects. So far I love the game. I've enjoyed the storytelling and using my 7.1 headphones the game just really sucks you in. One thing you forgot to mention was the permadeath. That could turn some off but I think it adds a cool challenge to the game. Anyways keep up the great work. I know I need to get caught up on your reviews.
Great review as always. Of course, there seem to be so many great games constantly coming out that it's hard to know what to actually buy! Have you considered distinguishing on your rating scale between a "Buy" and a "Must Buy"? I think I've heard you use that terminology before, but making it an official designation might be an easy way to separate really good games from the truly great games within your system. Just a superficial thought; you definitely give the most in depth thoughtful reviews out there as it stands.
This game is about the atmosphere and the psychosis the character has to endure. I sat there staright for 7-8 hours and played it thorugh because it got me soo hooked. For everyone who loves Story telling and atmosphere at its best. This is your game!
Just bought this tonight, been playing for hours, will definitely update this once I beat it. So far, I’m very pleased with it. I’m loving the creepy disturbing atmosphere, the voices, everything. It’s extremely unique, and is refreshing in a market saturated with the overly repetitive 6-8hr games that cost $60 plus dlc. It’s something that hasn’t been done before, and I’m super in to it. It’s definitely going to be labeled slow or repetitive for the 15yo who only plays call of duty and fortnite. For you older rpg and horror/adventure fans, you’ll be pleased.
Sitting on the balcony, watching the review and suddenly hearing voices from my left. At first I thought the weed kicked a little to hard this time, but then realized it were Senuas Voices in my Earphones- jeez, that's some damn good sound design
I haven't played a game I didn't like by these guys. My only problem with them in the past was how short their games were. That they are charging 39.99 here in Canada, makes it perfect though. Finally a developer who is willing to price their game accordingly! Can't wait to play it.
Thanks again for great review. Was little worried about permadeath, but you not even mentioning it on review makes me think its not that big thing, i saw your comment about it. I think this game might be really good and just what i need and want to play.
i love your style of review. it's unique, fun and manages to touch on about everything i'd care or consider important in games. for this review you said somewhere "i'm not gonna lie, there was more than once though that i or 2 people i was playing with wanted to scream at the game to shut up for one second". i'd say if it makes everyone who plays it feel like this, then ninja theory would have suceeded in making the gamers have a little experience of what was going on in senua's head with her hearing all those voices and wanting some semblance of peace within her.
ACG I'm good bro, just enjoying life and your review's. My daughter's 21st yesterday and so been having fun celebrating from last Saturday to next Saturday. Lol only 21 once
I think I'm going to wait for a few patches, I'm in no rush. I'd like to see the performance issues smoothed out and the puzzles to be made less finicky before I buy it.
No physical release, and a "collector's edition" that doesn't even include a disc. Camera is also way too close, seems like it will be frustrating. Will wait for a sale and hopefully physical release.
You play this for the graphics, the story and the way it presents mental illness. I truly found it BEAUTIFUL, a definite masterpiece. I could even say art at it's finest. I even watched the entire feature showing their work and their logic behind the game and i found all of that incredible. Things like these don't happen everyday folks. This group poured their heart and soul in this title and it shows.
#1 reviewer and deciding factor if I'm unsure wether to purchase or not. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on divinity original sin 2, I'm also curious if it's as witty as the first title and if the overall experience is on par with the previous game. btw needless to say - best review I came across, as always.
Came here once again for your opinion on this before buying, since I was interested but wasn't sure, and wasn't disappointed. I loved the game, it was a fantastic experience, thanks for the review! Keep up the great work man!
Not finished this game yet, but I am really enjoying it. Very good for an indie self-published game made by only 16 people! The actress Meilina Juergens is also their video editor/Photographer...she does an AMAZING performance...for someone who has NEVER acted before!!! Defo recommend this.
I watched a video of her about this awhile back. I can definitely see her in this character. This isn't the type of thing I'd want to try to learn via on the job training. She would get so much grief if it didn't go well. Impressive work from what I've seen.
it sounds like it should be a movie not a game. Ninja Theory can make some interesting stories but they really need to hand gameplay over to someone who knows that they're making , you know, games. Or they can start a studio that makes more mature CG movies. I would actually like that. It's something we don't have.
Wasn't sure about this game originally. I'm quite excited now, looks like a lot of fun especially for 29.99. Also a guy who has written hundreds of fake books and some damn good game reviews said it was good and I trust him.
Hey ACG, Maybe I'm mistaken, but when talking about the combat you never mentioned a bullet-time feature and I never saw you using it in your review video. The combat is simple but pretty effective,- jumping attack that can be automatically chained in bullet-time,,kicking, heavy\light attack,dodge,parry +bullet time mode.
He removed his review, and is apparently reworking it at the moment. It seems like he messed up something, on his part, that caused the game to halt his progress. A puzzle or so, it seems.
I got really hyped when I saw the first trailer and after your review I'm pretty sure it's a game for me. I love that insanity and as a person who struggles with mental disorder it's kinda refreshing to see a video game character who does too (and it isn't sociopathy). Can't wait to play it. I'm sure this will become a niche hidden gem in time - like original Nier or Asura's Wrath for example.
Looks like a good game. However the combat looks more tedious than enjoyable, and while the low FOV might be intentional (claustrophobic), it already gave me a headache watching this video. Great art style and story premise, but still a "deep deep sale or skip" for me. Great review as always, thanks a lot for helping your viewers make an informed decision!
Combat is actually badass as hell. I love the parry mechanics and what follows after depending on light heavy or melle attack. i actually want more of that combat.
I was almost emotional during this review (Gamespot's too) because i feel Indie Devs deserve more credit than what they got. It is the way of the world to give the crown to the largest, biggest, stronger contender, but all those things do not mean wiser, honest and sincere and with good intentions too. Indie Devs, in the most part, are trying to be that. I'd like to thank Ninja T. for this game, it's production value, it's aesthetic and attention to detail in comparison to it's price makes a gem, one of the very few unfortunately. Also thank you for taking more time to dwell into the world and deliver a presentation for the game that does not afraid to stay objective. Cheers!
mayte sutin he literally destroyed the brand with one conference. Fuck that dude, and also fuck him for having Microsoft resources and pushing out such an underpowered shit. He could have gave us all the movie and Tv shit but also a powerful enough system to compete. I'm an Xbox fan hardcore because I love halo and the controller and live but I hate the public perception of Xbox. It's annoying asf...
Well PS4 got the short end of the stick with mods so atleast Xbox got that and backwards compatibility. This may change after they release the new Xbox but who knows..
I find it strange that this is not on Xbox. It is an indie game, doesn't matter the success Ninja Theory had in the past, they are self publishing so it is indie. So they have no one to answer to, and they chose not to release on Xbox. They might have some sort of pre-existing contract with Sony or something. Their last exclusive far as I know was Heavenly Sword way way way back in the early days of PS3
As always, a great review. Though there are sometimes a few reviews I may not agree with... I respect your integrity and they are my top "go to" review source before I check anywhere else.
You know you're a good reviewer when you say a game like this is not going to be for everyone and giving a detailed idea of what to expect, rather than saying this game is garbage because there is no depth in combat. Some people may have expected too much from Hellblade. I knew from the start that this game was not going to be combat focused even from the gameplay trailers and I was never hyped for it, but during my first boss fight with the crow dude I was just thinking about how amazing and exciting the fight was. This game has definitely exceeded my expectations and I'm gonna take my sweet time because I want to savor the full experience.
ya enjoy it
Credit needs to go to melina juergens who plays senua, she worked in the office and was asked to stand in and do a stop motion test, she was so good ninja theory asked her to play senua and she done a lot of research in mental illness for the part, she was excellent.
Are you serious? That's an incredible story! She was amazing!
Too bad they made the in-game version of her so god damn ugly. She's hot in real life
I think that we as consumers ought to support more companies like Ninja Theory. An indie dev team of 20 people was able to pump out an AAA-like game only at half the price. Yes, the game has its flaws but I feel components like its narrative easily outclasses other AAA games like fallout 4.
I think if a game is good its good and bad its bad it doesn't matter, nor should it how it was made. That requires a very strange relationship with the developers
ACG brilliant response
are you under the incorrect assumption that a small team of friends can't be enslaved? Or that a big company can't have good working environments. This isn't a magic show. Their is nuance to everything.
IF you want to investigate taxes, workloads, time at a company, and their own interpersonal relationships like gamedev story. You are free to. I personally don't feel comfortable with such a unbalanced relationship with a developer. Nor does the normal consumer know anything about that nor would it make sense to them to discuss it in this context. Its literally forest and trees
ACG I agree with everything you said except your misuse of the word "literally" because it literally makes me uncomfortable when I hear (or happen to read) a misuse. Anyways, you make a good point.
Actually i meant literally and not figuratively for a very clear reason. But you will be very unhappy to know that due to its misuse its actual definition has changed as of last year to indicate both including Merriam Webster and Gambridge Dictionaries.
I like that you address the obvious comparison to Horizon: Zero Dawn, but I'm sure you understand more than most that game development is a long road, often 3 or more years in the making, and it's highly doubtful they took much inspiration from Horizon since they announced Hellblade a year prior. Great review as always, Karak.
yup
TheSpiral01 they're just meaning the style of Senua. Characters from HZD can look really similar to her.
seems to be a simple coincidence imo
I see no resemblance to hzd, just that they're both women? That's about it.
like he said about screaming at the game to be quiet, that's what people with schizophrenia have to go through. that's what you need to expect when you go into this game....to not have peace and quiet for one damn second. to empathize with those struggling with schizophrenia.
Yikes, can it really be that bad?
KidAnime20 Did you just ask that..?
Its worse
Not really. I think you should take a neurobiology class if you want to understand.
Michael studying neurobiology can't explain consciousness
See, this is the sort of game I'm far more interested in - something that tries to be different, tries to push in a different direction (or less in one, and more in another). Great review! :-)
I hear ya
Since l followed the dev diaries since almost the beginning I'm glad the game worked out well.
Can't pick it up right now, but l will when l have the chance.
its download only for now.
he means buy it not physically pick up....
Well i guess this is what happens when you try to get some sleep. missed the embargo.
Also mispronounced her name lol.
Summary. Damn fine title but isn't for everyone
Also this permadeath thing is so fucking overrated as a experience. If you absolutely SUUUUUUUCK at games you will put down the controler before that happens;)
The Story is interesting, the gameplay doesn't look as good as DmC thou.
Downloading it now. Can't wait! Thanks for another awesome review
ah, but if we all got sleep how would we catch this review in time?
Every game isn't for everyone to be exact hehe
@anonymous anonymous ....Why would you compare this to DmC? The only similarity between this and DmC is that it's 3rd person, and even then Hellblade's camera is extremely up close and personal as opposed to DmC's being much farther out. General combat mechanics are also completely different. In DmC you're typically fighting large groups of enemies. In Hellblade, you're fighting one to two, sometimes three at most.
I watched some of the dev diaries on this game, And Milena (Senua) Is actually their video editor. Some people at the office encouraged her to give the lead role a go and she did it. Glad to hear her acting is good!
I've been playing games since 1997 and I cannot remember a time when I felt that connected to a character. When I started playing Hellblade I thought it was not that good because of the simple mechanics of gameplay. I kept playing because without realizing I was becoming more and more attached to the character. Senua is easily the most humane and epic video game character of all time. The emotional impact of her struggle just stays with you after playing. You can't stop thinking about how brave Senua is, and then you remember oh yes she's a video game character, but then you remember how you feel and you realize the devs did a really good job with the character and the story. This game is really impressive. The character, story and visuals are really well made. You will not regret buying this game. And by the way I did some research and talked to people with psychosis, which is the mental condition Senua has, and what you see her experience in this game is 100% accurate. Down to the constant voices and multiple realities. Pretty scary stuff to experience in real life.
Just completed the game now. Man, that was one heck of an experience. I definitely recommend the game. There's been no other game like it that I've played. I experienced no pop ups on pc and the framerate was fine (maxed out settings at 1440p).
I loved this game. As a person who suffers from many of the same psychosis as Senua, I was pleased to see the subject of mental illness treated with deep respect and an obvious abundance of research. Some of the effects in the game are so spot on that I had to stop playing because they were triggering my own condition. A magnificent experience, more piece of art than adventure game.
The ULTIMATE reason why you are the man when it comes to reviews? YOU ACTUALLY COMPLETE THE GAME TO REVIEW IT....plus you go in depth and Im a musician so I love how you review sound and music no one does that.....Good work once again!
+Chad Karruer He definitely does. I knew this for certain from his Nier: Automata review. I caught quite a few reviewers bullshitting in their rushed reviews of that game, but I can tell he didn't review it until he played all the way through. Your perceptions change greatly in that game as you complete routes A through E, and I can tell who put in 15 hours but claimed to have put in 60.
Bang, another beast review. Looks like I'll be checking this out.
lets hope its not Prey all over again
Whats with Prey?
What happened with Prey? I love that game. It's actually my GOTY so far.
I would also like to know what happened to prey.
ACG I'm really baffled by that comment. I've even just re-watched your Prey review and for the life of me I can't figure out what you mean.
In what way should we "hope it's not Prey all over again"...?
Some clarification would be great.
I'm glad this title turned out to be good can't wait to pick this one up.
enjoy
I love watching these videos even when I have zero intention of buying the game. Great work, keep it up.
thanks first
Loool I love the joke about the pop in textures "senua forgot that grass was there" lol.
If the order 1886 was priced similar to this at launch, we would've gotten a sequel 🙁
It's not a good game at all, lol.
Obed Blas oh yeah I really like The Order 1886. So much potential in there but there's just to few content to it to have it succeeded
Oh no dont say these things, i hope it still gets a sequel lol
Rares Macovei it is . But not as a 60$ game . I bought it for 5$ and I after finishing it I think if the release price was 30$ like hellblade it would've been a great series
I bought the collectors edition for 22 euro, brand new... still haven't played it though
Yes! I was super interested to see what critics had to say about this, and I completely ignored all the other reviewers just to hear it from Karak first! Thanks a lot buddy! Doing great, great work.
I'm just amazed at how far motion- and performance capture in video games has managed to come in recent years.
Well i was totally creeped tf out at 4am playing this with headphones on! I swear it felt like someone(s) was in the room with me. Very well done game!
ya its insane at times
I've beaten the first boss and I gotta say the game is pretty dope so far. Game developers should get commended for creating games that provide unique and outside of the box experiences. I enjoy the combat and the immersive experience through the use of sound. Highly recommend wearing headphones for full effect!
I thought this game was brilliant. I loved that we hear the voices in her head. There were times where they were mocking her, belittling her, yet at the same time letting you know that you needed to be very aware of your surroundings, because at some point soon, some shit was gonna go down, and you’d have to run outta there in a hurry. I loved that, as opposed to a flashing text bar telling me to run for the gate before I die.
To me, this is the type of game I’m HAPPY to pay for, and I hope we see more from this team, and possibly more of Senua.
Agree with this review totally. I mentioned this on Steam, there are sections of Hellblade that make me think of Eternal Darkness and the insanity meter. One thing about the review though, Hellblade isn't focused on combat but there are areas where the combat can be really intense. The boss battles are fantastic. There is hidden depth in the fighting system that I discovered playing with combat settings on "hard." The game is heavy on atmosphere and really drives the point home that Senua is disturbed. We're talking serious mental issues here. To the extent that in a couple of cutscenes Ninja Theory even went so far as to screw with her pupils as Senua's eyes rolled and stared off in the distance like a psych ward kid that didn't take their meds for a week. It's a bit creepy the amount of detail put into this. Yes, Hellblade isn't for everyone for sure. But for those looking for a game that's drop dead gorgeous, heavy on narrative and puzzle solving, check it out!
I absolutely love your reviews bro, big fan! I picked this game up about an hour ago in an effing loving it!
ya unique title
Trevor Morton this or salt sanctuary
What a great, spoiler-free review. I was on the fence on whether I should buy it or not, and your review sold me. Thank you so much! You've earned a subscriber as well!
thanks!
Your reviews are gems. Very interesting.
thanks
Man you do such a great job with these reviews. Articulate, smart, funny and interesting. Well done
thanks
Yet again you show why you're the go-to reviewer for so many of us - PC Gamer managed to do a review of this title, without mentioning PC performance or the technical side of things once..
Love this channel, honest reviews for indie games gives true supporters & the indie community an opportunity to grow.
thanks Aure
almost 2 years later and I'm still thinking about my playthrough of Hellblade. amazing game
i've been playing games for 25+ years. i've never had one like this that warped me for a few days. hats off to the devs for and awesome creation!
I'm looking forward to Hellblade because I suffer from similar conditions as the protagonist and have been following its development closely. I'm looking forward to see how well things are conveyed digitally.
the review I've been waiting for, thank you. Guess I gotta buy this.
you bet
Playing this on my ultrawide and its fantastic so far. Its definitely a "turn all your lights off and put on the headphones" kind of game.
RustyHardware fuck doing the blindness trial in the dark, fuck everything about that trial in general lol
Just finished playing this game. And i quite enjoyed it. At some point I've felt like i had same-ish experience somewhere. And just now i remembered: it's Dead Space 1 and 2, just inverted(Senua for Aisec, and Dillion for Nicole) with all the bells and whistles :)
a bit ya
Gezesh whoa deep space one was a survival horror and prolly the best one of the 3 w
Ninja Theory is one of the most underrated developers in the business. In fact, their two prior releases Heavenly Sword and Enslaved Odyssey to the West are some of the most underrated games from the last console generation and in the gaming industry as a whole. In regards to Hellblade, its basically a mixture of Dark Souls, sprinkled with a bit of Alice Madness Returns and Horizon Zero Dawn for good measure. That's fine with me because I really enjoyed playing those 3 titles. Hellblade is really strange which is a good thing as far as I'm concerned. I don't mind playing a game that's a bit different and weird and the game seems to fit the bill nicely. Sure, its a bit on the short side, clocking in at around 6-8 hours. However, its forgivable given the $30 price tag. Thanks Karak!
I've got the impression that trying to do the full megabudget size games in the past has led to a lot of difficulties for them, particularly technical issues. They aren't a huge developer, so I think scaling back the length to something more manageable while retaining their artistic strengths was a great move. I hope it sells well so they are rewarded for their efforts. I read they delayed the release date by quite a bit to put bunch of extra work into this to get it right before release. NT's games haven't always had the most dazzling mechanics or ran as smoothly as I wanted, but their artists do fantastic work. It seems like this game has all of their great artistry on display. I love their tribal looking character designs in particular.
And they did DMC which is arguably their best work
I was gonna watch Jim Sterling for the first time, but then I realized something, you exist
Played this while i was stoned and i've got paranoid because of the voices haha, so far it's one of the best game i've played on ps4 and i hope ninja theory will continue to give us games like this.
wyd, a highly graphically polished title that not on full price?! whats going on with the gaming market really?
Mental Gear It's the summer, so no one's expecting anything good to come out until the the Fall. Most big reviewers ignore summer releases, which is why many gems like this one slip through the cracks unless advertised everywhere.
zero polish*
I heard once from a video the devs uploaded that they are focusing on niche. The guy said that AAA titles focus on pleasing everyone but they are focusing on certain gamers only. This means (according to him) that they can make a polished game at a relatively cheap budget and sell it at a relatively cheap price.
Well, shit. We need more of these guys!
It's a AA game not a AAA one which is why the price.
Reminds me of Dante's Inferno in a way. If you haven't played it, it's worth checking out. It's a last generation game, so..
Awesome, just the review I needed. It seems like the kind of game you need a dedicated weekend for with the curtains closed...
I pretty much agree with EVERYTHING you say, but after a couple of hours the fun factor or enticement sadly isn't there and I would have to pin point it to those repetitive puzzles. It tries so hard to pull you in and when it almost does there's another pretty boring puzzle that kicks me back out of the immersion.
That being said, a team of 25-ish people and this is an indie game for around $30? THIS is the kind of game people should support and use as a benchmark and evidence that big companies and AAA games need, or even must, up their game.
What an incredibly helpful review, thanks :)
Never heard of this game and wow. Karaks channel has grown quite a bit. since last time i was here. Congrats.
Saw this on Steam yesterday, looked so fucking good. Thanks for such a fast review.
Playing a game that fundamentally fucks up the whole concept of "person" and self-identity is fun enough not to mention that you can fight with a unique version of reality perception. I think Michel Foucault would be happy to see that we are letting a "crazy" person shows us the limits of our mind.
One of my favorite experiences of this year sad I didn’t really check it out when it was initially released
Came to watch your review over any other channel, and as always your reviews are well made, good job :)
Have alrady beat this twice in the past week. 10/10 recommned
+EnjoyColorTV ya great title
Im glad you enjoyed it man, i hope to see more independent AAA games like this one
Great word play!! Loved the review. Even referred to My Buffalo Bills...
thanks
Getting to the first boss sold the game for me, action light up to that point, but that fucking sound track alongside the fire arena we were in, gave dark souls fights a big run for its money in my book
Damn acg go to sleep it's 4 am
ya I should
No! Make more videos! Make Make Make so I can Consume Consume CONSUME
Julio Hinojosa then why aren't u sleeping
All g6hd best/intelligent people are up at 4am.
Looks fun. I especially like the combat & the back-step/side-step animations. Most realistic I've ever seen. Edit: The back/side stepping animations are the best I've ever seen.
agreed
Thanks. I was on the fence. I think I'll pick this one up.
I’ve listened to too many different reviewers out there. You guys are the most detailed and thorough, agree 90% of the time. Well done
Great review. I've put 4-1/2 hours into it already but I think about an hour of that was messing with the photo mode. I loved trying to create an awesome screenshot with cool effects.
So far I love the game. I've enjoyed the storytelling and using my 7.1 headphones the game just really sucks you in. One thing you forgot to mention was the permadeath. That could turn some off but I think it adds a cool challenge to the game.
Anyways keep up the great work. I know I need to get caught up on your reviews.
thanks!
Chris Brennan this or dragons dogma
I've been following the development of this game for some time, glad it turned out good.
The art style and some of the gameplay looks very similar to Ryse: Son of Rome.
yup
finoderi yeah except this game looks way better than that game
don't diss ryse man, that was a solid game
It is definitely similar in combat. I thought the same thing... And I am one who suffers in delusions.... so you tell me.
Great review as always. Of course, there seem to be so many great games constantly coming out that it's hard to know what to actually buy! Have you considered distinguishing on your rating scale between a "Buy" and a "Must Buy"? I think I've heard you use that terminology before, but making it an official designation might be an easy way to separate really good games from the truly great games within your system. Just a superficial thought; you definitely give the most in depth thoughtful reviews out there as it stands.
i fuckin went schizophrenic hearing all the voices. insanely good atmosphere. play only with headset
This game is about the atmosphere and the psychosis the character has to endure. I sat there staright for 7-8 hours and played it thorugh because it got me soo hooked. For everyone who loves Story telling and atmosphere at its best. This is your game!
You've just gained one more subscriber.
thanks
Just bought this tonight, been playing for hours, will definitely update this once I beat it.
So far, I’m very pleased with it. I’m loving the creepy disturbing atmosphere, the voices, everything. It’s extremely unique, and is refreshing in a market saturated with the overly repetitive 6-8hr games that cost $60 plus dlc. It’s something that hasn’t been done before, and I’m super in to it. It’s definitely going to be labeled slow or repetitive for the 15yo who only plays call of duty and fortnite. For you older rpg and horror/adventure fans, you’ll be pleased.
I bought this game now. Very excited :-)
Sitting on the balcony, watching the review and suddenly hearing voices from my left. At first I thought the weed kicked a little to hard this time, but then realized it were Senuas Voices in my Earphones- jeez, that's some damn good sound design
I haven't played a game I didn't like by these guys. My only problem with them in the past was how short their games were. That they are charging 39.99 here in Canada, makes it perfect though. Finally a developer who is willing to price their game accordingly! Can't wait to play it.
Thanks again for great review. Was little worried about permadeath, but you not even mentioning it on review makes me think its not that big thing, i saw your comment about it. I think this game might be really good and just what i need and want to play.
This looks amazing. Can't believe I've never heard of this.
i love your style of review. it's unique, fun and manages to touch on about everything i'd care or consider important in games. for this review you said somewhere "i'm not gonna lie, there was more than once though that i or 2 people i was playing with wanted to scream at the game to shut up for one second". i'd say if it makes everyone who plays it feel like this, then ninja theory would have suceeded in making the gamers have a little experience of what was going on in senua's head with her hearing all those voices and wanting some semblance of peace within her.
o by the way, you just got +1 subscriber. keep up the good work
yep like I said,. Thats the juice for this game and the squeeze of your senses as they yammer is a total plan on the devs part
What up bro and hope you're well
not much man you?
ACG I'm good bro, just enjoying life and your review's. My daughter's 21st yesterday and so been having fun celebrating from last Saturday to next Saturday. Lol only 21 once
Calvin Campbell technically you are 21 365 times
Vlad Varela lol true
I think I'm going to wait for a few patches, I'm in no rush. I'd like to see the performance issues smoothed out and the puzzles to be made less finicky before I buy it.
No physical release, and a "collector's edition" that doesn't even include a disc. Camera is also way too close, seems like it will be frustrating. Will wait for a sale and hopefully physical release.
You play this for the graphics, the story and the way it presents mental illness. I truly found it BEAUTIFUL, a definite masterpiece. I could even say art at it's finest. I even watched the entire feature showing their work and their logic behind the game and i found all of that incredible. Things like these don't happen everyday folks. This group poured their heart and soul in this title and it shows.
A game worth supporting
Not a single word on the music for the final fight. That bit alone makes the music more than just good. There are a few good tracks throughout though.
You have more views than the Gamespot review.
we are now officially weirder than them ! lol
#1 reviewer and deciding factor if I'm unsure wether to purchase or not.
I can't wait to hear your thoughts on divinity original sin 2, I'm also curious if it's as witty as the first title and if the overall experience is on par with the previous game.
btw needless to say - best review I came across, as always.
Whomever thinks this game is ANYTHING like Horizon Zero Dawn then...what drugs are you on? and where can I get them?
Came here once again for your opinion on this before buying, since I was interested but wasn't sure, and wasn't disappointed. I loved the game, it was a fantastic experience, thanks for the review! Keep up the great work man!
hey man glad I could help Tamas!
Fealt like the cousin of the new GOW...its amazing.
Not finished this game yet, but I am really enjoying it. Very good for an indie self-published game made by only 16 people! The actress Meilina Juergens is also their video editor/Photographer...she does an AMAZING performance...for someone who has NEVER acted before!!! Defo recommend this.
I watched a video of her about this awhile back. I can definitely see her in this character. This isn't the type of thing I'd want to try to learn via on the job training. She would get so much grief if it didn't go well. Impressive work from what I've seen.
Insane game, def a buy. Great review, as always
Leave it to Karak to give us another fucking perfect review!
THE KING IN THE NORTH!
it sounds like it should be a movie not a game. Ninja Theory can make some interesting stories but they really need to hand gameplay over to someone who knows that they're making , you know, games. Or they can start a studio that makes more mature CG movies. I would actually like that. It's something we don't have.
Wasn't sure about this game originally. I'm quite excited now, looks like a lot of fun especially for 29.99. Also a guy who has written hundreds of fake books and some damn good game reviews said it was good and I trust him.
Would you say the razer kraken 7.1 is a good headset for this games higher quality audio?
i use it,. and gotta say i love it
Cheers
I use razen kraken chroma 7.1. It is a good and sort of cheap headset. Remember do download razer synapse to customize your headset.
I switched from that to the HyperX Cloud II's and the quality on the clouds were so much better
just buy sennheiser hd 598 beats everyother gaming headphones
Hey ACG,
Maybe I'm mistaken, but when talking about the combat you never mentioned a bullet-time feature and I never saw you using it in your review video.
The combat is simple but pretty effective,- jumping attack that can be automatically chained in bullet-time,,kicking, heavy\light attack,dodge,parry +bullet time mode.
Buying that for sure!
enjoy
I like the FOV, I think I understand what the developers were going for. This isn't a typical mindless hack and slash.
Jim Sterling was absolutely savage with this game. 🤔
game killing bug encountered. i can't say I wouldn't as well
He removed his review, and is apparently reworking it at the moment.
It seems like he messed up something, on his part, that caused the game to halt his progress. A puzzle or so, it seems.
yeah fanboys will do that
which bug?
As savage he is with his meals?
Great to see Karak up to 333k subs.. Well deserved
thanks
Best reviews on youtube
I got really hyped when I saw the first trailer and after your review I'm pretty sure it's a game for me. I love that insanity and as a person who struggles with mental disorder it's kinda refreshing to see a video game character who does too (and it isn't sociopathy). Can't wait to play it. I'm sure this will become a niche hidden gem in time - like original Nier or Asura's Wrath for example.
Looks like a good game. However the combat looks more tedious than enjoyable, and while the low FOV might be intentional (claustrophobic), it already gave me a headache watching this video. Great art style and story premise, but still a "deep deep sale or skip" for me. Great review as always, thanks a lot for helping your viewers make an informed decision!
you bet
Combat is actually badass as hell. I love the parry mechanics and what follows after depending on light heavy or melle attack. i actually want more of that combat.
GamingPug The combat is amazing! I want more games with that exact type of combat but more developed and enriched.
Karl Lenasson FOV makes you sick? wot?
I was almost emotional during this review (Gamespot's too) because i feel Indie Devs deserve more credit than what they got. It is the way of the world to give the crown to the largest, biggest, stronger contender, but all those things do not mean wiser, honest and sincere and with good intentions too. Indie Devs, in the most part, are trying to be that. I'd like to thank Ninja T. for this game, it's production value, it's aesthetic and attention to detail in comparison to it's price makes a gem, one of the very few unfortunately. Also thank you for taking more time to dwell into the world and deliver a presentation for the game that does not afraid to stay objective. Cheers!
I just beat this game with my cousin on lsd and it was amazing
in that case, you also need to try What Remains of Edith Finch
Man I love these quite well polished games out of the nowhere, didn't know this game 2 days ago and now I'm very impressed.
Why does Xbox always gets the short end of the stick?
RacerC45 ask don mattrick and the attempted e3 presentation years ago....
mayte sutin he literally destroyed the brand with one conference. Fuck that dude, and also fuck him for having Microsoft resources and pushing out such an underpowered shit. He could have gave us all the movie and Tv shit but also a powerful enough system to compete. I'm an Xbox fan hardcore because I love halo and the controller and live but I hate the public perception of Xbox. It's annoying asf...
RacerC45 Cause Xbox sucks and they know it
Well PS4 got the short end of the stick with mods so atleast Xbox got that and backwards compatibility. This may change after they release the new Xbox but who knows..
I find it strange that this is not on Xbox. It is an indie game, doesn't matter the success Ninja Theory had in the past, they are self publishing so it is indie. So they have no one to answer to, and they chose not to release on Xbox. They might have some sort of pre-existing contract with Sony or something. Their last exclusive far as I know was Heavenly Sword way way way back in the early days of PS3
As always, a great review. Though there are sometimes a few reviews I may not agree with... I respect your integrity and they are my top "go to" review source before I check anywhere else.