Tomas Franzese / Xbox Game Studios
Out of all the photorealistic visuals inSenua ’s Saga : Hellblade 2 , there ’s one that authentically get out my jaw hanging . It ’s a round-eyed guess . Deep in the sequel ’s back one-half , I bump myself trotting up a Alfred Hawthorne toward an tremendous twister . While I ’d seen plenty of elaborate images throughout my adventure , those few second made me feel like I was watching real footage , not an intricate spiritedness . I see in fear as a fierce storm whiz , debris flying in the distance as Senua ’s fierce skin was dimly crystalise by the cloudy sky above .
Minutes afterward , my eyes were glazing over again as I run through yet another rocky landscape .
Tomas Franzese / Xbox Game Studios
In some ways , Hellblade 2feels like the completion of ten of video game chronicle . Since the metier ’s inception , there ’s been a drive to press graphics as far as they could go . That begin as a practical experimentation , as former game struggled to fully communicate images through vestigial shapes . In more recent decades , it ’s become something of an arms race to see who can craft the most detailed , realistic visuals possible . That ’s been fueled by thePlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X , both of which have sputter to land games that full reach the telling tech ’s potential .
Hellblade 2is the first plot of this console genesis that truly finger like it capitalizes on what theXbox Series Xis able of . It ’s the end of a Sisyphean task , reach the zenith of realistic visuals — at least for now . While that should be a cause for jubilation , Hellblade 2 ’s polarizing reception is n’t exactly triumphant . While its technical school has impress across the board , mixed reactions to its relatively slender gameplay serve as a reminder that the hunt for eminent graphic faithfulness and realism might be a distracting effort in 2024 . Studios like Ninja Theory are n’t campaign a boulder up a pot anymore ; they ’re pluck it on a treadmill .
The endless climb
In the long year lead up toHellblade 2 ’s release , developer Ninja Theory put its expert prowess front and center . While the biz would no - show at Xbox ’s 2021 games display case , it baffle ashort section during an “ Extended ” showlater in the hebdomad . The three - minute segment would pop the question a collage detailing the tech being used to create the adventure . From that second , it was clear thatHellblade 2was being positioned as a showpiece for the Xbox Series X. It would be the kind of graphical show-stopper that unremarkably launch with a console … though it did n’t launch until the presumed midpoint of the console ’s life .
Three years after that presentation , Hellblade 2is here , and it ’s undeniably the most impressive proficient feat of this console generation . Senua look photorealistic thanks to advanced motility gaining control and animation introduction . Every landscape face like a picture , loaded with detailed rocks and distorted forest bathe in warm day . In one sequence , Senua tosses a flame shaft at a titan . Its body get off up with fire that almost looks like it were film and superimpose over the monster . Every frame is a cinematic spectacle .
But spectacle only goes so far in games , and that ’s a hard truth thatHellblade 2is now facing at its polarizing release . Initial review were torn on the undertaking . While some critics herald it as an astonishing narrative triumph , others were n’t so impressed . middle reviews from the likes ofGameSpotandThe Washington Postpraised its visuals , but were more interested with its lack of take gameplay . Much of the escapade has players simply running around gorgeous environments , puzzle out similar symbol - twin puzzles , and fighting through repetitive one - on - one battle gantlet . It may be the most realistic looking game of all time , but that may be a vacuous triumph for Xbox at the bit .
The chemical reaction toHellblade 2dredges up a question that ’s been argue for decades : Do incredible graphics really matter anymore ?
That question begs for a nuanced answer . “ Graphics ” is a grab - all term that capsulize a pot of crucial pieces of plot creation . artwork way , fidelity , animation , and more all tend to get lumped into that pail . In that sense , yes , artwork will always be an important art object of the puzzle . Visuals communicate thought , just as a script does . Last year’sEl Paso , Elsewhereuses rough , jarring visuals to sell the uneasy nature of its twisted world . Hellblade 2 , on the other helping hand , want to put players in its hero ’s psyche as it speaks about the very tangible mental health payoff she faces . Hyper realistic visuals are crucial to putting players in Senua ’s shoes .
ButHellblade 2proves that jaw - dropping visuals are n’t always enough to wow players . That needs to be paired with absorb gameplay that make in tandem with those image to advertize estimation . That does n’t mean that every game needs to be as complex as a God of War . Heck , a video game does n’t even need to be traditionally fun . What ’s important is that the gameplay experience meaningful — and that ’s whereHellblade 2is rack up a bulwark with some player . Unlike its insurgent forerunner , a biz filled with antipathetic intent option that mirror Senua ’s genial state , Hellblade 2prioritizes seamless gameplay over meaningful rubbing . The result is a cinematic experience that feels oddly still considering its rocky subject matter . The stakes are depleted . While the firstHellbladeput players on edge with a phoney “ permadeath ” system , a demise here results in an instantaneous respawn . The paranoia and anxiety is go , creating a very unlike worked up journey .
Playing it , I ca n’t help but feel Ninja Theory give its unspoilt gameplay ideas in service of technical showmanship . That ’s most apparent in its approach path to combat . The firstHellbladeis infamous for its mussy , but effective , battles . Senua often regain herself surrounded by enemy , which can be a struggle to keep track of as the voices in her head mess with thespian ’ sense of direction . It ’s frustrating , but helps work up a disorient feeling that ’s crucial to understanding Senua ’s conflict . Hellblade 2removes that detrition in favour of tightly choreographed and animated engagement that look like a playable movie . They ’re visceral succession at first , but the charm wears off as it repeats the same shiny legerdemain over and over .
At a sure point , who really cares how full it all look ?
Diminishing returns
Hellblade 2 ’s surprising reception comes at a critical present moment for console makers like Sony and Microsoft . Now four years in , the PS5 and Xbox Series X generation is commence to experience like a bust . Both consoles put a major focus on their show - stop power , but they ’ve struggled to deliver that hope systematically . thwartwise - generational support has hold back games likeGod of War Ragnarok , while a lot of major first - company games shin to balance public presentation and fidelity . Hellblade 2at last delivers on the majestic promise of the console Godhead ( minus its special performance ) , but it does n’t seem like it ’ll be remember as a generation - limit secret plan .
It feels as though we ’ve lastly reached a breaking pointedness in the endless hunt for naturalism . The return for games as obsessively crafted asHellblade 2are diminish . It makes for a majuscule back - of - the - loge feature and will undoubtedly nett it some prize at the death of the yr , but the impressed reaction are jump to be short - lived . The sequel is more potential to be remembered ( or forgotten ) for its limited interactivity , while its predecessor ’s “ permadeath ” bluff and gripping story will forever and a day last in infamy .
When I reflect on that dynamic , I recall back onHellblade 2 ’s launching day . While the sequel was suppose to be May ’s big game discharge , it was chop-chop overshadowed as recap forPaper Mario : The Thousand - Year Door , Nintendo ’s remake of a GameCube classic , poured in . Glowing criticism praise its memorable penning and excellent RPG systems that still find tonic 20 years later on . They painted a picture of a rightfully timeless adventure that ’s brook the test of time with rest . And it did that with report visuals . You could n’t ask for a starker direct contrast .
None of this means that console makers should quit upgrading their ironware or that developers should cease chase extremely detailed realism . Tech is a creative tool like anything else , and the further we push it , the more coloration game creators can paint with . But that ’s just one tool . Without paying attention game design to put those awesome visuals to good usance , that ’s a lot of effort to drop reaching for a bar that will only rise when grabbed .
