Hellblade II is a huge experience, but it’s far from the game of the year

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Over the years, the video game industry has transformed and adapted as consumers express their new needs. The modes of play, the way of telling stories and everything that involves a change in the construction of each work have been shaped by the tastes and demands of users. Each change has been analyzed as a market opportunity for developers, but there will always be one element that, with the advancement of technology, and even if not necessary, will change and evolve, and that is the graphics power.

Visual quality and graphic power have been gaining ground in recent years. The current generation of consoles has based its commercial strategy on highlighting this section, because with the advancement of technology, competition has focused on demonstrating that consoles are capable of supporting very graphically demanding games. with hyper-realistic visuals and closer and closer to what an “interactive film” would be. This, although very few games achieve it, has proven not to be a real need on the part of users, because what matters is not a realistic game, but fun.

Now comes Hellblade 2, a game that has shown that the graphics power is viable and that it contributes a lot to the gaming experience. In addition, this game has managed to show us that it is not no need to create gigantic worlds that take dozens of hours to get a complete experience. But, despite all the positive aspects of Hellblade 2, it seems to me that it is important to avoid falling into the trap of idealizing this type of game in the industry and the danger that developers run when it is about viewing their games as experiences. .narratives and playables.

This article does not function as a review of Hellblade 2, but as a reflection to justify the playable sections of the industry.

Hellblade 2 is a great experience, but not a great video game

It seems too alarming to say that Hellblade 2 could endanger the entire video game industry, or even to say that a game that has won over critics is not a great video game. But you need to understand that although it is a highly rated game, as an interactive experience with powerful graphics it cannot represent a standard for the industry.

Since the release of this game, I have read quite a few analyzes which agree on many things, but which seem to ignore something very important: Hellblade 2 isn’t like any game and it doesn’t try to be. The proposal of this game goes beyond the classic idea of ​​video games, beyond the structure of levels and overcoming obstacles through the main mechanics. No, Hellblade 2 is an interactive experience that seeks to showcase its graphic and narrative power, demonstrating that there is room for this type of experience in the medium. But as often happens, the idealization of the story and the graphic power was revealed, which is dangerous.

Fortunately, we’re talking about an Xbox game, a game that will take the righteous hammer of criticism, a game that, despite being cannon fodder for those of us who criticize narrative games, managed to build a great experience that captivates and captivates you. teaches that we don’t always need complex mechanics, but rather good times at the helm. This removes the fear we have that video games will become secondary products of cinema, since they are not only interactive stories, but also audiovisual experiences that only work if the we control the character during the adventure.

Critics failed to understand Hellblade 2

As I mentioned, Reviewers had very good comments about this game, but they didn’t leave it as a great product. Most critics focus on the same thing to bring down Hellblade 2’s points, namely that they view its combat and puzzle system as something continuous and simple. And yes, indeed, its gameplay is heavy, slow and repetitive. Nevertheless, and as a unique experience, the value of Hellblade 2 does not lie in “the way it is played”, but in the entire sensory and narrative section that exists behind this idea of ​​​​fear and overcoming of the protagonist.

Afterwards, ironically, critics who tend to appreciate works of this style, with a strong narrative component that motivates the player to advance in a linear world without playable depth, reject the proposal of an Xbox game. for trying to bring something to the genre. It is then that we realize that, despite all the efforts made to revolutionize the graphic, sound and narrative quality, Hellblade 2 can never be considered one of the best games of the year, since the gameplay is now an important factor.

Interactive game or film?

It is very clear that Hellblade 2 is a video game, even if it does not develop its playable structure in depth, it is undeniable that it is not a “visual novel” or a “graphic adventure “. Although not striking for a large sector of the industry, these types of games have managed to create a significant market niche that accepts and promotes them. However, this ideology according to which video games are an extension of cinema or that their value is in the story and not in the pleasure is problematic, because it can encourage developers of large productions to create games of the style and to believe that it This is the creative line that must be pursued, which harms studies.

So, when we are presented with a video game focused on the “narrative experience”, we already know that the requirements will be minimal in terms of playability. Due to the above, There are games that decide to replace deep gameplay with a good story and allow the player to enjoy an “interactive” world.. This is where Hellblade 2 fails, as the game overloads the graphical and narrative power, leaving a game with mediocre playable storylines that, in its world, make it out of place to have to stop the story because you have to solve a puzzle. The vision of Ninja Theory with this game is clear, but they sin by trying to combine the idea of ​​a video game and its classic mechanics with those of graphic adventures.

The search for balance in the video game industry

Hellblade 2 represents a valuable contribution for studios who want to contribute to the industry with different ideas. It’s not a question of all games developing the same graphic quality, but rather that developers manage to find a niche and contribute to it. Currently, developers are focused on launching clone games, which seek to take advantage of trends, releasing games that are less appealing, but with greater impact as fads pass. It happened with Battle Royale and now it happens with juices as a service, which although some are very good, the waste of quality and production has caused less interest and retention among players.

Games like Hellblade 2 is very valuable for its contribution and disruption in the medium, but this cannot indicate that their success is a reason to follow a similar line.. Surely, and as has happened before, next year we will have 2 or 3 very similar games that will seek to take advantage of the appeal of this game. It would be nice if other smaller studios sought to create creative proposals similar to those of Ninja Theory, because it would enrich the genre and be positive for this niche of players.

Beyond graphics

Finally, and returning to the discussion about the power of graphics, it is important to emphasize that this section should not be the differentiating factor of a video game. It’s clear that the community is passionate about the idea of ​​realistic and powerfully powered games, but that’s a problem because it’s not possible for AAA game developers to get used to making games with this quality. Development times and some playable sections will be compromised. By focusing on the visual, the experience will have less weight in the final product, resulting in a game that looks good, but is boring or poorly made.

Helblade 2 has set very high standards for graphics and visual quality, so there will always be someone who wants to overcome this barrier.. In my opinion, we cannot see this game as a differentiating factor to take into account, this game is something far from realistic and positive for the industry. Production and everything surrounding it should be an anecdote and not an ideal. For this reason, and based on everything I’ve said in this article, Hellblade 2 should not be considered one of the best games of the year.