Topic: Now Playing on Xbox Series X|S

@Banjo- all good points, and I agree to an extent with the 2nd game. I will say this, no other game has ever given me chills down my spine like this did. Mostly because the voices while using headphones is insane. I don't know how they did it, but it'll start on your right ear, and somehow shift to sounded like it's behind your head, then move to your left ear. Absolutely mind blowing. And it gives me chills when it happens. For that alone, this game is amazing, and the visuals are top notch.

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

Game beaten! My previous complaints apply and add to that the lack of explanations for controls and gameplay, but the only section I found particularly annoying is Valravyn's Keep. Headphones are essential and Dolby Atmos for Headphones makes everything even better. Voices. Most are helpful, some are bitches. Dillion's is comforting. I found out that you can change the target by pushing the right stick half-way through the game. The trials are a nice change of pace. The game looks incredible on an OLED TV. I think you should also play the first game if you like the second @NintendoByNature. I didn't expect it, but I loved it, especially the story, narrative, combat and bosses. This is not just a cinematic game and the second half is awesome. One of those rare games that can show you something you haven't experienced so far. 9/10. I'm looking forward to playing the sequel!

EDIT: I highly recommend watching the feature included as extra in the first game. It made me understand and appreciate the game even more.

@Banjo- sweet deal..I'll definitely get to the first game at some point.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II

"Shut up and let me think"

Running still is not mapped to the analogue stick and interaction with the environment can be confusing, but this the most visually impressive game yet. Compared to Senua's Sacrifice, it has more puzzles that are a chore, but also the most beautiful sights you've probably seen in a video game. In addition to the breathtaking landscapes, there are startling caves full of horror and really brutal combat, partly scripted, but enemies are more unpredictable and difficult to read this time. The soundtrack is remarkable and the narrative is strong. It's a much more cinematic game compared to the first one and the gameplay is not at the same level. Another unique experience and one of the few really current-gen games on any platform. 8/10.

@Banjo- I just finished the game as well. I really loved the game and I'm very glad I decided to play it as I really hadn't given it much thought before. I heard a bit about it and also some of the common words used to describe it such as "walking simulator" and "a movie not a game" so wasn't expecting to be so surprised how much it hit with me. There was a lot more game there than people give it credit for. People also criticize the length of the game and in a lot of cases I would probably feel the same way but how this game made me feel and how invested i got into Senua's journey made this game feel completely worth it's asking price for the entertainment it delivered. All in all, Ninja Theory has moved up the ranks of developers I look forward to their projects.

I also watched the feature which gave me an appreciation into the care they took to make it feel authentic to people who deal with phychosis whether it be voice hearing or delusions. I also liked learning that the actress who played Senua, Melina Juergens, is Ninja Theory's video editor and was only meant to be a stand in while they perfected their motion capture techniques but she did such a good job they gave her the role.

@Conflix I couldn't agree with you more and also enjoyed the extra feature included in the first game. First of all, most of the harsh comments I have read are obviously written by people that haven't played these games, so they are bashing something that they don't know at all.

Secondly, the people mocking this game and the time it took to develop, don't realise that the developer took a break after the first game and then travelled to Iceland and crafted a story as carefully as the first time. On top of that, this is one of the very few games that can be properly labelled as "current-gen" and has the most advanced graphics, a combination of real world graphics that they captured themselves and hand-crafted graphics. What they have learnt here will be helpful for future projects, but Hellblade II is not 5 hours long, it took me over 8 hours to beat it and I didn't look for the collectibles and, most of all, it's the opposite of a demo. You could say it's a short and stunning game, but not a technical demo. I find it disgusting reporting speed-runner times to discredit a game on launch day. It's a brutal journey and a deep story. It's very intense and has large environments.

Thirdly, the people saying that this game is not what Xbox needs, it's one of the few things that Xbox was lacking as a cinematic game and any console lacking as a story, two games worth experiencing on any platform and, at the same time, easy to relate to.

Finally, the people comparing it unfavourably to Sony's games, it's completely unfair because although the sequel has limited gameplay like, paradoxically, Sony's, the scripted parts are much more effective than anything I've seen in a Sony game and there are some intense gameplay parts, like the tidal waves and the final battle. Some would say that they liked The Last of Us more if they have played both and that's perfectly fine if true, but for me it's exactly the opposite and I have to say it because of those comparisons. I couldn't connect with The Last of Us, I thought it tries too hard to be edgy and controversial and the story is shoe-horned and the gameplay is honestly bad like the Uncharted games, but Hellblade II is more elemental, a realistic journey to the 9th century and my favourite cinematic game so far, with few but better done gameplay sections. I didn't expect it, but Senua is likeable and her stories travelled within me. I'm looking forward to playing future games by Ninja Theory.

EDIT: The first game took me 10h 7m and the second game 8h 43m, not looking for collectibles. Headphones and Dolby Atmos for Headphones recommended, OLED TV too, if possible.

I just finished Hellblade 2.

I liked it more than the first game which I really did not like. I find it hard to rate the game, for everything I enjoyed about Hellblade 2, there was something else I equally disliked.

The combat for example looks fantastic, the finishing moves, the interlinking animations between opponents, especially towards the end, I loved. At the same time the combat is awful, clunky and felt unresponsive. Hitting R2 felt like a cheese when I couldn’t be bothered trying to dodge or parry.

For every exciting set piece it felt like there were long, drawn out parts of the game that dragged on.

The puzzles are not fun in anyway. Same problem the first game had. Just boring and tedious imo.

The graphics and music are also marvellous but that goes without saying really, they did help me through the game as I enjoyed the eye candy.

Overall I’m glad I played it, it had some great moments but I can’t say this is a franchise I love or am invested in. Glad I was able to play on Gamepass rather than buy, that in and of itself is kind of sad.

@Fenbops I found combat not unresponsive, but the manual parts are not evident and the opportunity for counterattacking is minimal, so "focusing" is almost a necessary cheat. The battles are perfectly crafted, but the player pays the price. That's a step backwards from the first game that has solid combat but, on the other hand, the whole fighting sequences in the sequel are absolutely impressive, like the fight along her companions. The final boss battle is more old-school because it's completely manual, with a few cutscenes in between.

I agree with the rest of your post. I don't usually like interactive films, but The Walking Dead and Senua are the exceptions so far, also because the narrative in both Senua's titles is simple yet deep, not trying to be edgy, flashy or controversial. The sequel is violent, but somehow justified. There are a few effective gameplay sections, like the tidal waves. The puzzles are probably the weakest part of both games. In the sequel, I only enjoyed the puzzle in the caves because it involves fire and water in a more intuitive way. By the way, I've never seen more realistic torches before! Overall, the work they've done here should help them in future development, as this is the most visually impressive video game ever released. I'm also satisfied and happy that I played both games and I still think about the stories of both and that's not something usual, but I wouldn't replay them either. I'm looking forward to their next games.

Totally blown away by Hellblade 2! I liked the first game a lot, but ambition outran budget then. This time, no such worries. It’s the most ‘event’ feeling game I’ve played since Last of Us 2, really gripping and powerful. Glad I took the advice to use headphones, it adds so much.

@Banjo- dodging felt awkward, I couldn’t for the life of me get the timing right throughout my play through, always seemed to be too late hitting it. Then there were the fire breathing enemies, I still have no idea how to dodge their fire breath attack, I ended up just focusing and making quick work of them if I could as they were annoying.

I liked how brutal and violent the game is and the battles towards the end look amazing, especially the one in the village, you know which one I mean. It was awesome. I think you’re right the combat was a step back but I also kind of enjoyed it more than the first game because of its brutality, I don’t remember that from the first game. (It’s been a while since I played). At least the battles were memorable this time even if the actual combat is awful.

@Old_Man_Harper I don’t usually bother with headphones, my ear gets sore, but I’m glad I did in hellblade 2, the sound design is phenomenal and I’d argue headphones are a must for this title.

@Fenbops I don’t care for ‘over the ear’ headphones, so I was looking (without much joy) for a way to link my AirPods to my Xbox. Then it occurred to me just to link my AirPods to my TV. Duh…

Call it fate or whatever but it have lead me to play Hellblade Sauna Sacrifice . Iam a happy Xbox owner atm.

Rare Replay

You can see it at the bottom, but I’ve currently been playing this, which is actually the only game I play my console for. I remember buying it during a Spring Sale last year, and although it’s moreso a game compilation of titles from older console generations, I still enjoy it and don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it; it’s probably the most well made video game compilation I’ve seen, and it even has a pretty charming musical number when you start it! The games included are full of so much creativity and I’d say they were very innovative for the time periods they were released in. All the games, both popular and unpopular, are just so charming to me, even if the games themselves aren’t entirely perfect and have flaws. I wouldn’t say all the games are amazing; while the ZX Spectrum games are unique and have pretty cool stuff going on (e.g. being played at an isometric perspective) a lot of them feel terrible to play and can get somewhat confusing. The N64 titles are the most popular out of the game catalog in Rare Replay, and are what I tend to play a lot.

I usually use Rare Replay to play Conker’s Bad Fur Day, but this time I’m playing through the original Perfect Dark instead after they released some gameplay footage from the upcoming reboot during the Sunday showcase. Out of all the IPs Rare has created, Perfect Dark was one that I never played since I didn’t have any interest in it at first, but after they released more info on the reboot, it rejuvenated my interest in the franchise. I’m enjoying it so far! It’s serious but also fun and somewhat goofy. When I complete it, I think I’ll likely play the prequel after or Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts, since that’s the only Banjo game on the Xbox I haven’t completed.

@Pastellioli Great comment. I feel exactly the same about Rare Replay, it's a museum and a wonderful compilation with not just the games but some gameplay enhancements and invaluable extras. I have beaten some Spectrum games thanks to the rewind feature, but of course the N64 and the Xbox 360 titles are my favourites. I haven beaten those already, unlocking all the achievements and milestones in the process. I haven't played the NES games much yet. I found the NES releases more terrible to play so far. Let us know how your Perfect Dark adventure goes. 😊

@Banjo- Yes, I actually have completed some NES and Spectrum games like you, but most of them I feel aren’t entirely great… I thought Jetpac was one of the better Spectrum games since it was simpler though it’s annoying to always die when you get hit once. There was this snapshot where I think you had to prevent getting touched by an alien enemy and I spent nearly two minutes on it! Underwurlde has maybe the worst controls out of all the games included. I was going to play through it last year because why not, but after experiencing the awful control scheme for a few seconds I immediately quit out of it. There was a NES game, Digger T. Rock, and I remember making it to the final level, but I ended up not collecting some items necessary to defeating the dino at the end so I had to undo most of my progress and went back to the third level. I did complete it, but can’t tell you how upset I was when I came to the realization that I didn’t collect enough items lol. While I am not a fan of most of the NES games in Rare Replay, the Spectrum games are worse than them.

I have made some progress on Perfect Dark! If I remember, I’m currently on the fourth mission and things are starting to get very interesting…Joanna is a really charming and cool protagonist, and I can’t wait to see what happens next in the game’s story from what they’ve shown in mission four’s opening cutscene.

@Pastellioli I’m glad you’re loving the rare replay so much. It is a great way to enjoy the Xbox haha. Still an exclusive xD.

@Yousef- I’ve only owned it for a year but it’s still so fun! Rare’s games were actually my only reason for wanting an Xbox years ago since the Switch has a couple of them. It’s amazing that me playing only four of their games on the Switch via the online subscription made me a mega fan of them lol.

I think me being a Nintendo fan beforehand is what also made me like their older games so much. Rare’s titles and IPs from the N64 era are associated more with Nintendo than Microsoft, given Rare’s history with them. A lot of Nintendo fans absolutely love the games too, not to mention some of their IPs, like Banjo-Kazooie, absolutely fit Nintendo’s target audience.

@Pastellioli haha, that’s awesome! My reasons for getting an Xbox…. Are somewhat more niche, I wanted to re-experience plenty of 7th gen titles that were available on the backwards compatibility program and one of ‘em being… GTA IV! My favorite game of all time!
So yes, having a modern console that can play gta iv natively meant the UNIVERSE to me. So I really needed the Xbox haha.

@Yousef- I should have also mentioned that playing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is also what made me want Rare’s games because of me being a Banjo and Kazooie main.

I did know who the characters were when they were first revealed for the game 5 years ago, though it’s mainly from me having very vague memories of playing a demo version of Nuts and Bolts on the 360, but I wasn’t really interested in Xbox or Rare during the character reveal and I just went “eh, that’s cool” but I think back in 2021 or 2022 me and my brother eventually purchased their DLC alongside Hero just for fun. All I really knew beforehand was that they were loved characters and everyone wanted them in Smash pretty much ever since the series started. I know a lot of people went nuts during that reveal trailer!

I think I got super obsessed with Smash at one point and used the Switch for that game only. I used to play as a Fire Emblem character there, but later I’d always choose Banjo and Kazooie, though a lot of people say their moveset is spammy and gets annoying fast. However, I still liked the characters and their animations were really cartoony and well done, and even though I didn’t know much about the characters at that point, they exuded a lot of charm and appealed to me!

EDIT: Edited for spelling. I used some incorrect words at certain parts.