Sulphur on 15/12/2019 at 07:15
[video=youtube;qJWI4bkD9ZM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJWI4bkD9ZM[/video]
Hellblade was a pretty important game for a couple of reasons: it attempted to do (
https://www.pcgamesn.com/hellblade-senuas-sacrifice/hellblade-unreal-engine-4) AAA game production on a AA budget (and succeeded by paring down scope and using cost-effective techniques like FMV), and it attempted to treat mental health as a non-gimmick, an actual condition that requires empathy.
It was arguably not completely successful in the last part, making Senua's condition fetter itself to a game mechanic that involved seeing signs in the world at a consistently paced clip. But it had empathy in spades, and that was far more important. I refused to read its ending as a sequel tease, because reality tells you that stories like this don't really end. The struggle never goes away; revisiting it in a similar video game capacity would feel cheap.
So, here we are. I'm bemused by the idea that it needs a sequel, but this is where we're at. Xbox Series X gets its first exclusive (along with PC, probably), with music by Heilung (a band I need to check out stat). The story seems to be revisiting Senua at a later date from the events of part one, and she's clearly been given importance in a tribe as a seer of some sort. Perhaps where the original was about individual psychosis, this one is poised to be about the mechanics of collective delusion. Risky either way, but one to keep an eye out for if, for nothing else, more of Melina Juergens' powerhouse performances.
Thirith on 15/12/2019 at 07:54
The trailer is precariously balancing on the border wall between intriguing and silly, with most of its body hanging on the side of silliness, but after the first Hellblade I'm definitely intrigued. I also don't think the game needed a sequel, but I hope they wouldn't make a second part without taking the things seriously that gave the first game most visibility.
Starker on 15/12/2019 at 08:50
Hell yes!
Renzatic on 15/12/2019 at 10:03
Quote Posted by Thirith
The trailer is precariously balancing on the border wall between intriguing and silly, with most of its body hanging on the side of silliness...
I popped into this thread to say almost exactly that. I couldn't quite tell if it's the goofiest thing imaginable, or the most hell yeah rock out hardcore metal spectacle of the decade.
I've since decided that these things aren't mutually exclusive. It can be both. It is both.
Sulphur on 15/12/2019 at 10:28
It's Microsoft's marketing doing their thing. Let's not forget Halo 2's soundtrack featuring Incubus and Hoobastank for no particularly good reason (Steve Vai on the Halo theme was a good call though), while the game itself was really just Halo, but with a stupid fucking story. Heilung actually makes sense in this game, all things considered.
Thirith on 15/12/2019 at 10:49
I'm kinda hoping the trailer hints at a scene towards the end of Hellblade 2 that's a Metal take on Magnolia's “Wise Up” scene, where all the characters involved in the climactic battle join in a rendition of the same song.
WingedKagouti on 15/12/2019 at 11:31
Quote Posted by Renzatic
I popped into this thread to say almost exactly that. I couldn't quite tell if it's the goofiest thing imaginable, or the most hell yeah rock out hardcore metal spectacle of the decade.
I still say the "Goofiest, bust still most metal of the decade" title goes to:
[video=youtube;BkUAzcja74Y]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkUAzcja74Y[/video]
twisty on 15/12/2019 at 11:36
I was greatly impressed by Hellblade 1 and what they were trying to do, however I loathed the combat system (maybe I just suck at it) and consequently have never finished it, despite making a lot of progress and enjoying what I played of the game. Hopefully they make combat a little more interesting this time round.
Anyway, I love the trailer. But I'm pretty metal.
Renzatic on 15/12/2019 at 20:46
Quote Posted by WingedKagouti
I still say the "Goofiest, bust still most metal of the decade" title goes to...
If you think about it, the best metal is usually the cheesiest. It's like an analog of "so bad it's good." It embraces it's corniness so completely, so wholeheartedly, it manages to break through, and become truly epic.
Sulphur on 16/12/2019 at 06:12
If you're talking about stage shows, sure. But metal as a genre needs more than a concept to be good. Riffage, shreddage, and a tight rhythm section that blows your eardrums out are far, far more important than overblown lyrics which can be, yes, part of the experience. But some of the best metal songs are instrumentals. And some of the best metal songs are incredibly technical beyond the stupid lyrics. Which, to be frank, is something that isn't isolated to just metal bands - rock in general has a hard time keeping the corn on the cob. Look at anything Neil Peart wrote, for god's sake.
