Hellblade

Links234

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH3DMUXpE3A

So, this is one I'm rather interested in, looks like a celtic-inspired Dark Souls from the people who made DMC.

J. Marston

Heavenly Sword, Hellblade. Sounds like the two same voice actors for Nariko and Kai from Heavenly Sword, the character looks like Nariko and has the same kind of hair.

If this isn't a sequel/prequel then Ninja Theory aren't being very original.

Retr0gamer

On the fence with this. Ninja Theory for me were all about bland dull battle systems and awful writing until DMC. That game very almost had a great battle system but was ultimately not as good as the games it was based on. The story was utter gash though. Hopefully they learned a lot from DMC because it was very nearly great. Don't mind if the story is bad if the game is fun but some improvements in that area would be welcome as well.

Links234

Haven't played any of Ninja Theory's previous games (yet anyway, DmC has been on my wishlist a while) so I don't know, this just seemed really fascinating to me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1y-YsBhZUDQ

YouSavedMyLife

That's a real interesting camera angle for a melee action game :eek:

J. Marston

That looks dog rough, in my opinion. Still a good while before it comes out though so maybe it'll be more polished then.

kunst nugget

Surprised there hasn't been any talk about this. Released today I think and only costing €30. It looks like a pretty impressive looking game from a team of 13 people and it's picking up pretty decent reviews. Anyone planning on getting it?

Potential-Monke

Just read the IGN review of it (i don't normally read reviews or base anything on them), and i'm intrigued. Sounds like a good experience, even if the running time is relatively short (6 hours). I wonder would it be better to hold off and wait for a VR version, sounds like the kind of game that would suit it.

Plus, the possibility of perma-death and the game deleting your save file for dying too often... Interesting!

wes

Played a bit of this last night. Its definitely an interesting game and I was surprised by the perma death thing. The combat is pretty smooth, and on PS4 Pro, you can choose between 60 FPS and better resolution. Went for 60 FPS for this. The game looks great in this mode and it has so far played smoothly for me on my Pro.

The atmosphere for the game is excellent, and if you have virtual surround sounds headphones or speakers, its well worth using them for this.

What I played so far is that the game is a mix of story, simple puzzles and combat.

Mr E

It got an "Essential" review on Eurogamer. This looks like a great game. Short enough though....

johnny_ultimate

Mr E wrote: »

Short enough though....

Though? Typically knocks a game up several points in my book :pac:

Mr E

Yeah fair enough. For €30 you can't complain about a great quality 6 hour game.

kunst nugget

Mr E wrote: »

It got an "Essential" review on Eurogamer. This looks like a great game. Short enough though....

I don't mind it being short, especially at the price, if it's going to be good. After recently slogging through Arkham Knight, I'm happy to play a couple of shorter games and I've just made my way through Inside and Firewatch which were both very short but very satisfying.

kunst nugget

Mr E wrote: »

Yeah fair enough. For €30 you can't complain about a great quality 6 hour game.

It would be nice to see more games like this being made. Short but solid games being sold at a decent price.

Stone Deaf 4evr

kunst nugget wrote: »

It would be nice to see more games like this being made. Short but solid games being sold at a decent price.

I might actually complete more games if they were like that.

40+ hour collect a thons can sod right off.

Generic Dreadhead

Shadow or Mordor and Titanfall 2 showed me that good campaigns under 16 hours is perfectly acceptable, and in fact, much more appealing to me now

kunst nugget

Generic Dreadhead wrote: »

Shadow or Mordor and Titanfall 2 showed me that good campaigns under 16 hours is perfectly acceptable, and in fact, much more appealing to me now

Is Shadow of Mordor a short enough campaign? I bought it but it's been sitting there because I keep thinking it's going to be a multi-mission collectathon slog. I might start on that next…

johnny_ultimate

Padding and filler is almost like a pathological flaw with video games as a medium. Endless respect to the ones that can do their thing without indulging.

Generic Dreadhead

kunst nugget wrote: »

Is Shadow of Mordor a short enough campaign? I bought it but it's been sitting there because I keep thinking it's going to be a multi-mission collectathon slog. I might start on that next…

Nah, it's like 14-16 hours long. You can potter about longer (if you want) killing more orc chiefs and collecting parts of a super bow or super sword. But I did all that and was still only at like 18 hours. It flies by too at a handy pace imho

https://howlongtobeat.com/game.php?id=18006

Jerichoholic

Looks amazing, but only 6 hours at full price. I'll wait till it's real cheap.

Sorry it's only 30 Euro. Might give it a go soon.

Vojera

Love the permadeath idea. I know many won't, but it's not so long of a game that it will cause you to rage-quit forever. I thought the permadeath in Sunless Sea added a real element of fear and tension to that game, but ultimately that was the wrong sort of game for that mechanic. This seems much better suited.

wes

Vojera wrote: »

Love the permadeath idea. I know many won't, but it's not so long of a game that it will cause you to rage-quit forever. I thought the permadeath in Sunless Sea added a real element of fear and tension to that game, but ultimately that was the wrong sort of game for that mechanic. This seems much better suited.

I don't mind, but I think they are fools for doing it. Will lose them sales. Hellblade would have been an easy recommendation from me to people who don't game as much, if not for the perma death, which I know will put more casual players off.

I think they should patch in an easy more with no perma death.

OptimusTractor

wes wrote: »

I don't mind, but I think they are fools for doing it. Will lose them sales. Hellblade would have been an easy recommendation from me to people who don't game as much, if not for the perma death, which I know will put more casual players off.

I think they should patch in an easy more with no perma death.

I applaud NT for what they're doing here. Far too many games spoon feed us. If you want a casual Hellblade buy Diablo.

johnny_ultimate

I say fair play to them too, everything I've read seems to suggest they've added it for genuine thematic reasons and to add a sense of genuine risk & dramatic weight to proceedings. Also heard the game is generally forgiving enough so the danger just forces you to play with a little more care. Impressive to see a studio introduce a hostile mechanic in the name of the game's overall artistic vision. Making the game they want to make rather than the game 'the market' wants.

I'm a little baffled by the Total Biscuit initiated hostility to it TBF, although frankly that discourse if nothing else seems to be raising the game's profile so in a way it may even be to the developer's benefit.

Hadn't had this on my radar at all, but a lot of critics I really like are saying a lot of good things about it. May have to cave!

OptimusTractor

Loving the dynamic theme as well.

wes

OptimusTractor wrote: »

I applaud NT for what they're doing here. Far too many games spoon feed us. If you want a casual Hellblade buy Diablo.

Doesn't effect me personally (the game is actually pretty easy), but it will hurt there bottom line, and if you want more of these types of games, then the decision isn't the smartest from a financial POV.

Retr0gamer

Heard the story is a bit naff, the writers thinking they are cleverer than they really are. Looks like a lot of fun and visually interesting so definitely going to give it a go. Also I applaud the fact that it's 6 hours long. More games need to stop wasting my time with pointless filler.

Mickeroo

Wasn't aware of this before yesterday evening when I watched a couple of the trailers on steam. Trailers really sold it to me, production values look unbelievable for a supposed indie game. Surprised and intrigued to hear about the permadeath.

How did I miss this one. Looks great.

*Edit* Where can you buy it ??

kunst nugget

M!Ck^ wrote: »

How did I miss this one. Looks great.

*Edit* Where can you buy it ??

It's digital only so Steam or PS Store.

Generic Dreadhead

didn't the perma-death mechanic turn out to be a total bluff (i.e: BS to generate column inches) by the devs?

Mr E

Don't think so - I think I read that your arms start getting infected the more you die - if the infection reaches your head it's game over and you have to restart.

I also read some reviews that said they didn't die enough to trigger permadeath, so it might just be an issue for careless players and button mashers.

Retr0gamer

I'd put money on it being a bluff or its so lenient it won't ever be an issue. Either way it's still an nice way to put a bit of player agency into the role.

Mr E

OK here is the actual answer based on PCGamesN's testing. No spoilers - just watch if you want to know.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JM3sxy21j3k

YouSavedMyLife

Boring, they should have just had permadeath in the game with an option to disable it.

On another note, how is the game? Didn't realize till today that it was also getting a PC release. Anyone play it, is it anygood?

dudeeile

Are you lost? She doesn't know where she's going.

Downloaded this before bed, can't wait to play some more later.

Generic Dreadhead

dudeeile wrote: »

Are you lost? She doesn't know where she's going.

Downloaded this before bed, can't wait to play some more later.

From watching some YT reviews, yes, I think you're meant to be kept intentionally on edge, and that may include a feeling of being lost etc

Thinking of picking it up myself

readyletsgo

Gonna get it on PC I think. Will wait for a sale though. As amazing as it sounds, I'm being scabby with what I buy lately. I'll prob get it next year so

johnny_ultimate

I've only played 45 mins or so, but when it says play with headphones - make sure you take that advice. It's very early days yet, but the sound design is this game's special something - that might come across as faint praise, but it's truly extraordinary. It's not just technically impressive - it lends the game an uncommonly uneasy, hostile atmosphere while also playing a major role in helping the player become engrossed in the protagonist's frame of mind. Outside Papa Sangre on mobile, I don't think I've come across a game that uses sound in such a fresh way - which, regardless of how the rest of the game plays out, is a pretty significant achievement.

The game looks and runs great on PC, by the way, if anyone's wondering.

Robert ninja

Every positive user review is graphics graphics graphics, sound sound sound, story story story. This is a red flag, especially with Ninja Theory (DmC). No ambitious, interesting, satisfying, repayable or challenging gameplay?

Retr0gamer

Well DMC was terrible when it came to story but they very almost nailed the gameplay. It was the first game they made with actual mechanics rather than the absolute **** or their previous games so I'm hopeful they built upon it. However im not so hopeful of the story. Ive heard it's bad and clichnd the people praising it are the game reviewers who praise dumpster fires like heavy rain, beyond two souls and even DMC as having good writing.

johnny_ultimate

I find myself unable to play this game for long stretches at a time... and I mean that in a good way. The way the various elements combine to create this relentlessly oppressive atmosphere makes me feel genuinely uneasy playing the thing. The stretches between bosses thankfully seem to reflect this, and make for easily digestible 45 minute long stretches of play.

I'm impressed how everything comes together here. When people praise the sound or the visuals, it's not purely in a cold technical sense - they're part of a game with an uncommonly coherent, thematically motivated vision holding the various elements together. At first I wasn't entirely sold on the rather straightforward puzzling, especially the 'find the shape in the environment' ones. But they've taken on further depths as I've gone along. Not always mechanically - although there's a few clever 'a-ha' moments here and there as the game encourages you to toy around with perspective - but how certain puzzle-types double down on the game's portrayal of a character experiencing psychosis. This is one of gaming's most 'all-in' efforts to portray an unreliable protagonist - at it's best, captured through sound, visuals and gameplay working in harmony.

The combat is probably the least interesting part of the package, but still perfectly serviceable. It's nice and weighty, and includes a particularly satisfying dodge move that feels like a mix of Dark Souls and Gears of War. The enemy variety is limited so far, but a few - particularly a shield-wielding one and the bosses - do require some understanding of how everything works (and the game 100% lets you figure even the basics out for yourself). Even in the fighting, it should be stressed, the game's stunning sound design plays an important role - listening to the voices in your head are essential to avoid some unpleasant surprises, and indeed that adds an extra mechanical flourish to the brawls. It could do with a being more difficult for sure, though - 2+ hours in and only one boss has felt anything like a workout (and a light one at that).

The plot is straightforward mythical stuff, although the acting is excellent as it was in Enslaved. Ultimately, it's the games atmosphere and complex formal efforts at realising a character's state of mind that make this a significant and expressive attempt at interactive storytelling - it achieves the sort of things most other games couldn't be bothered even trying to attempt. It is a flawed but also engrossing and assured example of how to tell a story in a fresh way.

And once again: for the love of god play this with headphones!

K.O.Kiki

(mild spoilers)

J. Marston

They weren't lying when they strongly recommended headphones before it starts. The dialogue, whispers and ambience sounds incredible.

dudeeile

3 months after launch and the game is in profit, great news for game development.

They've just uploaded their final dev diary, number 30 in the series.

The video below has been made using screenshots and comments they have received from people who have played the game. If you haven't played this yet then just look at the positive reviews, couple that with the message they are selling and the way they have gone about getting this game to market and hopefully you see some reasons to pick it up.

With all the negatives doing the rounds in the games industry lately it's nice to grab some stuff that comes at it from another angle and actually turns a profit. They also donated over £60k to mental health, the proceeds from sales on World Mental Health Day.

Ninja Theory blog: http://www.ninjatheory.com/wp/?cat=1

sweetie

still waiting for this to be on sale lol

Denisoftus

sweetie wrote: »

still waiting for this to be on sale lol

Considering price, it was on sale from day 1

dudeeile

€21 on PSN store until the 11th Dec.

Zero-Cool

Between the nominations on the boards game awards, the devs contributions to mental health and my own thirst for story driven games these days, I might just have to get this even though I just started my 'no more games till after Christmas' rule.

kunst nugget

Zero-Cool wrote: »

Between the nominations on the boards game awards, the devs contributions to mental health and my own thirst for story driven games these days, I might just have to get this even though I just started my 'no more games till after Christmas' rule.

I had my own no more games until after Christmas rule going on. I broke it to buy this last night. Looking forward to getting stuck into this tonight.

Zero-Cool

kunst nugget wrote: »

I had my own no more games until after Christmas rule going on. I broke it to buy this last night. Looking forward to getting stuck into this tonight.

Let me know how you find it.