Topic: Games you've recently beat

@RR529 Does it connect with the previous UA games story wise? I know by name and game play it does but unless it connects story wise with the first 2 I probably will pass it up. I know UA and UA2 the story's connected with what happened at the end of the first one being the reason for 2. This one however I can't really tell.

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

Games can be impactful because they are fun, but also because they move you in other ways. I’m not sure I’d call playing Hellblade “fun,” per se, although at times when slashing through an enemy and chaining a combo I did feel a little bit of that dopamine drip we all are familiar with when a game just gels with us. But no, I don’t think Hellblade is a great game in the same way that Horizon Zero Dawn is, or Borderlands, or Tetris with their respective enthralling combat, exploration, or puzzle-solving. Although the gameplay in Hellblade has strong versions of all that, it’s not as addictive or tight like other great games. However this game is great for other reasons, and I would go so far as to say it’s one of the PS4’s greatest titles.

What kind of game is it?
Despite the game being incredibly unique, there are many aspects of it that are derivative. It has Dante’s Inferno basic storyline, a setting and combat reminiscent of Bloodborne, and environmental puzzles akin to The Witness. I’d say there is even inspiration from God of War in its thematic Norse myth related content and cinematic [single shot] presentation and gameplay, except that Hellblade actually came out a year before GoW.
>>Now I haven’t played The Witness or GoW but I’m basing the comparisons from hearsay. As a side note on the Norse mythology theme, it’s interesting to see how it has blossomed into a cultural phenomenon in recent years. Many of the mythologic characters seen or mentioned in Hellblade were familiar to me from the 3 Thor movies in the MCU (such as Loki, Odin, Hela, Fenrir, and of course Thor). I hadn’t realized how grounded in legitimate myth those movies are (albeit with plenty of creative license). And furthermore, in video gaming we now have Hellblade, God of War, and a rumored Norse/Viking themed Assassin’s Creed on its way. Soon we’ll be at a cultural saturation point for Norse mythology, similar to the way things got with the often-rehashed Greek mythology. Anyway, I digress. Back to my impressions of the game—

I compared the game earlier to Bloodborne, and think it’s an apt comparison on a small scale. But where Bloodborne has a huge difficulty wall to get over and brings you the adrenaline rush of each boss defeat, Hellblade is not cripplingly difficult (although I’ll admit I played on ‘easy’ due to the threat the game gives you in the opening moments of permadeath and loss of your game save if you die too many times) and the combat is not as deliberate or calculated as a FromSoft title. But I thought the combat was pretty good. Soulsborne fans will probably dismiss the combat here as pedestrian and too basic, but it’s just hard enough to challenge you to keep your concentration and gets your heart rate up. Even on ‘easy’ I died a few times and especially toward the end it gets really challenging. Some of the deaths are even “cheap,” born out of not knowing certain mechanics until you learn the hard way what you’re supposed to do (or not supposed to do, as the case may be).

A focus on presentation and immersion
And that brings up one of the great things about the game — the presentation. Clearly the focus of the game is on presenting a harrowing experience, frought with anxiety-producing sounds, visuals, puzzles, and scenarios. The whole game is designed to feel like you, the player, are experiencing the twisted world of a psychotic mind. Being in the shoes of a very well-written Senua, who is both heroic and tragic. It’s designed to be sympathetic to her plight as one who is a victim of horrible circumstance and concurrent mental illness. When you embrace that fact, then the semi-quirky mechanics and somewhat disjointed presentation makes for a addictive and moving experience.

You see, the game has no real tutorials. There is no HUD, no mini-map or icons helping you orient yourself on your road to Helheim, no menu with a list collectibles and knick-knacks to pick up like most third person action adventure games, no button prompts or QTE’s that pop up on screen or other visual hints ...nothing distracting from the cinematic immersive participation in Senua’s story. There is not even the options for subtitles to obscure the immersion. And there are no real loading screens as you seamlessly progress from chapter to chapter. The only exception of something that pauses the experience in favor of something “video gamey” is a well developed photo mode, which you can enter at the touch of a button to edit the shot to capture the beautiful and haunting imagery as you traverse. I typically don’t mess with photo modes much, but I found myself capturing many shots of this visually stunning environment.

The Voices
I would usually hate a game situation that was so void of direction and instructions. I don’t like it when games don’t tell me how to play them. But with Hellblade, the twist is that the game does tell you, just not in the way you expect. After a time, you realize that yes, there are no tutorials or overt instructions or directions popping up, but if you listen carefully, the voices in your head are teaching and guiding you subtly. The trick is that the voices are also deceiving you. It makes for a very rare and fascinating inner dialog, albeit also a frustrating one. But it’s frustrating in the way the game intends.

And on the subject of the voices and audio - I know it’s no secret that the game’s strong suit is its impressive audio design, recorded with 3D binaural equipment to give a deep sense of position and distance. The voices you hear are initially charming but become increasingly annoying, so the natural tendency is to tune them out, so to speak, and try to concentrate on your game tasks ....Until you realize some of the voices are communicating important information to help the current objective or to teach you gameplay mechanics. Then you begin to listen intently again, the only problem is you are also having to concentrate on hearing the discouraging and critical voices too. Many of these voices are inspiring, mean-spirited, mocking, or judgmental. Some are also supportive, friendly, and helpful. This creates a real inner anxiety in the player, and I was surprised how I let the voices actually frustrate me and I honestly started to get angry at them, which is the whole point of this game, I think. The constant bickering in your mind really tests your will and creates inner despair as a player, in a way I’ve never experienced before in a game. The loss of emotional self-control it created in me is rather frightening.

A minor annoyance
If I had to criticize anything about the game other than the obscure narrative and complex, and at times, repetitive puzzles (again, all fitting in the grand scheme of the game), that complaint would be the integrated usage of FMV— actual live video footage of some of the characters mixed in with the computer animated ones. It is startling to see especially when Senua is shown side-by-side conversing with another character who is shot in FMV. It highlights the uncanny valley of the main character and actually pulls you out of the immersion, which is what the game is so intent on preserving. I’m not sure why Ninja Theory chose to use FMV for some of the characters and scenes. Perhaps it was a cost-saving move, but I can’t imagine an artistic reason for it, like I say, because it shows how Senua looks not quite perfectly human, as even the best CGI characters cannot quite get photorealistic animation. And without the side-by-side comparison to living video images, Senua’s character model looks fantastic and very photorealistic by itself. The game has some of the better character animations available on PS4 and so I’m not sure what cheapening it with the FMV cutscenes does. Perhaps it is symbolic of her psychotic mindset in some way I can’t interpret.

Approach to Mental Health and Delusion and Psychosis
As far as the whole mental health application of the game, I would recommend watching the short (about 30 min) video after completing the game which chronicles a small documentary of the game’s making. They show some quotes from people Ninja Theory consulted in the developing of the game - such as professors of psychology and people who actually have schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. It highlights how strongly the game was designed to make you try to feel what they actually feel. Impressive stuff.

Final Take
It’s hard to universally recommend the game, since the themes are so haunting, the puzzle-heavy gameplay is an acquired taste, and the combat can be a little frustrating. Most hardcore gamers (and aren’t we all) really owe it to themselves to play Hellblade, if not for the sheer gaming accomplishment that it is. Obviously there are those among us who just cannot garner any sort of interest in a game so dark and frightening, so if you’re prone for being squeamish then definitely avoid it. But as I’ve mentioned, I personally don’t care for horror or the macabre, yet I found this game fantastic. It’s probably in my top 20 PS4 games, at least.

**{And a quick note: I know I earlier referred to this as a “horror” game and I stand by that due to the way it makes you feel and the fear it creates in you. However, I looked up Push Square’s list of PS4’s best horror games and Hellblade is notably absent from the list when several subjectively inferior games are in the list, as well as a few games (Like The Last of Us, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, and Inside) that are an even further stretch to call a “horror game.” But I think possibly it is questionable to call Hellblade a “horror game” because it is actually dealing with mental illness and psychosis in quite a clinical and sensitive way. It is trying to make you feel what it’s like to live in with that sort of condition, so perhaps that’s why PS has omitted it. Or maybe PS editors just liked the other 10 listed games better, despite the game receiving a fairly glowing 8/10 score from Sammy and receiving numerous awards in 2017. But for me, it was an excellent “horror” experience.}

@Th3solution Nice write-up. The game itself has never looked very attractive to me, but, I'll admit, I'm tempted by the innovative use of 3D audio, which is something I rarely see in video games (before this, the closest example I could think of to effective use of 3D audio in a game is the PSP horror indie Corpse Party). I like the sound of a game so stylistically cohesive and that integrates its primary theme so deeply into the work that is completely informs every aspect of the experience, even down to the lack of traditionally game-y things like a HUD.

@Th3solution +1 to the good write up vibes

I admit I don’t often read the long reviews by people on here but was interested in what you thought of the game as it’s been on my radar but not one I’ve ever taken the plunge on. I may well now pick it up though based on what you’ve said.

Did you play with headphones though?

@RogerRoger I appreciate your kind words. Yeah, I know you have a particular aversion to things horror and zombie related so I’m glad you picked up on my very conditional recommendation. In my opinion, Hellblade is more disturbing than The Last of Us, and I know you’ve never felt inclined to play that. And I really don’t care for grim and scary games usually. I’m with you— I play games to escape the anxieties of life, not to add to them! But I just love what the game was able to accomplish. But believe me, I’ve had my fill of corpses and screaming for a while.

It is interesting to note, though, in the “making of” video that they show the consultants watching the playthrough of the game prior to its release and how they were interviewed and confirmed, “Yup, that’s pretty accurate with how that looks and feels.” Without spoiling too much, I will say the portrayal of mental health issues and psychosis in the game is not presented solely as a curiosity to gawk at and vilify as it is in other media, rather it seems to want to promote awareness of these disorders. And to actual champion the ways that each of our minds work differently. The psychosis is not the villain. In fact, quite the opposite. Senua is uniquely capable to accomplish things in the game because of the way her perception differs, despite her also being the victim in some ways as well.
But yes, I agree you should probably avoid it. I was amazed at my mood about 2/3 of the way through. I was feeling despair and frustration and had to tell myself, “it’s okay, we’ll get through this.” There is a short section in the game when the voices go away for a time in one part and when they come back I felt a strange sense of relief as well to have them back as my companions. It’s very complex stuff which plays with your emotions like that.

@Ralizah Thanks! I believe you would really appreciate the technical achievement. Also the narrative is something rather deep, with a lot of layers, which I know you also like. If you can muster the interest, I would be interested to hear your take on it if/when you play it.

@Thrillho Absolutely. I play most of my games in my Audio Technica headphones anyways, and for sure that’s how I played this one. The splash screen at the beginning when you boot the game advises you to play with headphones. I think a really high quality surround sound system would suffice, but it would still be so much better to use the headphones and cancel out all outside noise to feel the full effect.
If you end up trying it I’d be interested in your thoughts.

@Tasuki, the only other one I've played was the first one, and that was over 10 years ago, so I can't say.

@RR529 Hmmm. Ok guess I will pass on it then.

@Kidfried I think it sounds like you’ll really like it, especially given your love for The Witness and Bloodborne. Again, I haven’t played The Witness, but my understanding is a lot of the puzzles are kind of similar. And the game’s not too expensive — $30 is the base price and I got it on a sale somewhere along the way for $20, I believe. I beat it over a weekend, glued to the TV over just a handful of play sessions (probably 8-10 hours - I lost track of time. And factor in some mucking around in photo mode), which is a nice diversion from all the longer games and the length felt just about right, not too long and also not too short. There is no ramp up time to have to “git gud,” or wander through hours of intro or exposition setting up some kind of epic narrative in order to experience a pay off. No, it has you from the start.

Incidentally, if you really want to delve into mental illness themed content, the little indie title Actual Sunlight takes on depression full bore. It’s also a really short little game (no platinum) like maybe a couple hours tops, but is less creative in its approach of playing as someone who suffers with depression. It’s a quirky game with a pretty low production value, but serves as the only other game to so openly tackle the subject matter in recent memory. It was free on PS Plus a while back. I can’t particularly recommend it as a good game, it’s pretty basic, but if the idea of playing a game which deals with mental health interests you and you have it sitting in your library from PS Plus, then it may be worth an hour of two of your time.

@RogerRoger Yes, it sure has had an impact on me, more so than most other games. And I might have given the wrong impression that Senua’s mental illness is glorified or misrepresented as some kind of super-power or something to be grateful for. There is very clear anguish and suffering associated with and brought on by her condition. But, and I’ll spoiler tag it for other readers who may be passing by, but since you’re not going to play it, it will be fine - the puzzles largely involve looking for patterns in the environment to match up with runes on doors in order to unlock them and proceed. Also, looking at obstacles—say, a broken bridge, from certain perspectives will mend the bridge so she can pass. Apparently one of the aspects of psychosis and delusional disorders is that these individuals find patterns in everyday items and in their surroundings that they perceive to be significant, even when they aren’t. If you’ve ever known someone with schizophrenia or bipolar with psychosis you might have observed this. The voices and other auditory hallucinations will tell you “that’s not the way!” Or “look out behind you!” And other clues. In this way, her delusions and the way her mind works are actually helping her progress. Now, obviously this is all a world created in her own mind to begin with (at least that’s the implication) but these symptoms of persons with psychosis (hearing voices which instruct them, seeing patterns in everyday items, etc.) are utilized as gameplay mechanics to progress. It’s also implied that Senua is a good fighter because of her keen observation skills and recognition of patterns in swordplay. So, I guess it’s not the insanity which is her ally, but it is that the fabricated world in her mind is only successfully traversed and conquered through abilities inherent to her own delusional disorder
Anyways, I don’t want to belabor it, nor do I wish to make you or anyone else uncomfortable, but I felt the need to qualify my earlier remarks. 🙂

@Th3solution Thank you for the write up sir, of a high standard as always.

I'm kinda of feeling the same as @RogerRoger, Hellblade sounds like it plays a little to close to home for me personally. Just reading about the voices made me feel a bit anxious!

I finished Blood and Truth on PSVR this week. Again, it is a shame that the PSVR is still niche purely because Sony's studios have kicked it out of the park in the last year with some of their VR games. While not topping Astrobot, Blood and Truth was pure fun to play. I had a couple of quibbles, the Move controllers were on the whole, solid, but I found the application of two handed weapons, particularly the pump action shotgun too hard to use and also some aiming a little bit floaty. That said, the voice acting was good, the story was better than I expected and some of the set pieces were just great fun.

Also, the ability to spin pistols on your fingers, flick to reload and then put into your holster was the most fun mechanic since throwing the axe in God of War. Sooo much fun.

@LN78 Agree about the climbing in particular - I died a few times just because of not correctly gripping and I have to game in a more limited space so leaning etc. can be troublesome. I did the same and went single handed on the larger weapons but I also did a lot of dual wielding ,particularly with the revolvers because I loved the gunslinging feeling.

The move controllers (and their lack of availbility at retail) are the achilles heel for PSVR in my opinion. They do get the job done but not always very well.

Bit late but real nice write up on Hellblade @Th3solution Just not my cup of tea unfortunately !

Also totally not jealous at all the comments and discussion you've got for just this one review/impression compared to the five or so that I've done 😂

Very short and sweet review @Rudy_Manchego!

Wish I had a VR set to try it out!... And not spend over an hour crafting a 1000+ word review like I usally do 😅

@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy Ha ha - thanks! Don't worry, I enjoy your reviews but I tend to write on here at work so I am slightly sneaky and have to limit it. Besides, Blood and Truth is a shorter game!

VR is a weird one - it is great fun but the price to entry is high. It is very different to traditional console gaming and takes more effort in a lot of ways. My advice would be to see if you can borrow or beg for a VR for a week or so and try some of the highlights, like Blood and Truth. U

Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition (PS4)

So I finally finished this one up tonight and it was ever enjoyable as I remembered. Playing it again reminded me why Borderlands has become one of my favorite I.Ps. If you have never played this one, then I highly suggest it yeah in many ways it's not as polished as the second one, the story is mostly told through text and exploration and the villian isn't as memorable as Handsome Jack is but it's still a great game. In many ways I found it alot better then BL2, weapon proficiencies for one thing and some were not quite as good as BL2, such as being unable to move during fight for your life. But overall it's a great game. If you are a Borderlands fan and have never played this then obviously this is the best version to play and I highly suggest it if your are a fan of BL2 or it's been awhile since you have played it.

I recently finished Dragon Quest XI with a nice shiny platinum trophy to boot. I really loved this game and was surprised to see I'd spent a whopping 200 hours on it. That's some serious grinding.

@Kidfried The theme of the cycle of abuse was very interesting and quite thought provoking. In all I actually think they handled it very well. As it is a theme not often broached in games, it was quite bold that the developer even went there. Each of the antagonists had extremely deep scars inflicted by various forms of abuse, which was sad to see and certainly added more depth. Where it is typical in many other games for bosses or antagonists to simply "be the bad guys", it's not that simple here.
For me one of the most shocking parts of the story was when it was revealed that the person you thought was a "good guy" is actually a paedophile. Whilst the children had to be stopped, this alone lent weight to the central theme.

Unfortunately the game is full of "fan service" and characters are inappropriately sexualised. At its worst, during an encounter with Monaca where each hit strips her of an item of clothing until she runs off red-faced in her underwear , it even undermined what the developer was trying to say and inappropriately poked fun at how she had been sexually abused.

Oh wow. Someone actually likes it more than I do! Glad you took to it. It's an extremely cool spin-off, I think, and, aside from the VERY troubling sex stuff and fanservice (it's not as bad when it's Mikan and mostly treated as a joke, or when it's Junko and used to add to the disturbing atmosphere, but a bunch of emotionally traumatized children is probably the right time to maybe start showing restraint with the fanservice; also, I'll never not be shocked that the molestation machine bit wasn't cut, lol), a great addition to the franchise in terms of the depth it adds to Toko, the interesting setting it explores, and the new characters it introduces. It's also nice to get some worldbuilding that doesn't (primarily) revolve around You-Know-Who. That Hit List, in particular, is great in this regard.

I loved the music, too, even if it was a bit limited in this entry. Each track adds something unique to the game (even the horrible, carnival-esque music whenever the WoH are on-screen).

The person you didn't like... Haiji Towa?

Glad I'm not the only one who didn't mind the shooting gameplay. It's fine. It's not meant to be Gears of War, and works for the pace of the game. I liked the puzzle rooms a lot, though, since they felt fairly unique for what you could typically do in a shooter and broke up the gameplay a bit.

@Kidfried Great write up. I only had a quick skim read of it since the game is on my to do list, but looks like I've got plenty to look forward to.

Excellent write up @Kidfried ! I know this is only a side story and not what the gameplay of the main series is usually like but...

--Proceeds to put the Danganronpa series onto my list of games to buy--

It sounds like a treat barring the sexual themes... Hopefully it won't be too uncomfortable