Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is now available on Xbox and Game Pass, and while it's already quite different to a lot of other games, the developer Ninja Theory wants players to take the experience to the next level by wearing headphones.
When you boot up the game, you'll receive a message recommending you put on some headphones. If you're wondering what's up with this (and didn't play the first game), Ninja Theory's audio director David Garcia has gone into a bit more detail about why it's so important.
The game utilises binaural audio, which immerses players in Senua's world. Garcia goes as far as stating "any headphones" will do the job, and it's simply the superior way to experience this game, as the team has captured its audio with a binaural microphone - giving listeners a "realistic impression of 3D space".
While we felt Hellblade 2 "lacks an essential hook", in terms of the graphics and sound - it's an incredible showcase.
Have you been playing Hellblade 2 with headphones? Let us know in the comments.
[source youtube.com]
Comments 29
I've been playing on a 5.2.2 dolby atmos system. The sound effects are very good in this game.
Why headphones over a surround sound? I think I would prefer to play games on surround.
@CutchuSlow What happens naturally with your body is that each ear picks up frequencies from soundwaves travelling to you which triggers a binaural response in your brain for you to understand position in 3D space.
So, binaural sound (much like Dolby Atmos for Headphones or 3D Audio on PS5) simulates how your ears are able to interpret sounds in a 3D space.
However, the difference comes in the recording.
Dolby Atmos and 3D Audio is generally recorded with a single microphone and added to 3D space by a computer. For speakers, it just comes out the proper channel and for headphones, an algorithm determines the proper frequencies to trigger the binaural response (to varying degrees of success).
When someone does a binaural recording, they basically have a dummy head with 2 microphones attached to the ears. Voices are then recorded in various locations around the head and at varying distances. Both microphones pick up the sounds. When it's played back via headphones, it triggers the binaural response because the microphones pick up the sounds from different directions just like your ears do. Think of it as a 1:1 translation of sound to ear.
Having it beamed directly into your ears via headphones is just more effective than having all that mixed by an engineer for surround sound.
The voices feel like they are "in your head" rather than coming from a speaker.
I had the same thought you did when I played the first game on PS4 in surround sound (because I have a really good setup). It was good, but I didn't understand the hype of the game.
I did a second playthrough on Xbox (via Game Pass) using headphones and it was like hearing a totally different game and I finally understood what people were talking about.
@GamingFan4Lyf thanks for explaining! I will absolutely play this with my headphones now.
I have a 13 channel Atmos setup so I refuse to use headphones. I also have a 16:9 TV like everyone else but they didn't bother to target for that either...
@InfamousOrange Yeah, basically - you're going to have a lot of voices whispering in your ears - to the point it's like "in your head" as @GamingFan4Lyf notes. It's just on a different level to a speaker setup in this case.
Played without headphones yesterday but thats because the game is really intense as is. Will play with headphones tonight and try not to become psychotic. Lol.
I tried it both ways yesterday and it was significantly better with headphones on, through normal speakers I just found the voices a bit irritating to be honest whilst on a headset it did add to the immersion. Shame the gameplay is so lacking
@G4n0nD0rf Great setup, very jealous! In most games that will sound better, but this game was specifically designed for binaural audio so may be worth giving headphones a try to really get the "voices in your head" experience. But ultimately you like what you like.
Surround sound is always better if one has it. A good AV receiver is a game changer for many games. People are missing out on the excellent audio for modern games if they don’t have at a minimum of 5.1.
@BleedingDreamer I used to have a 5.4.2 atmos setup but in my new place I only have a 5.2 system. Even so gamers are missing out on not having a true surround sound. Many games since the PS3/X360 have taken advantage of modern digital audio codecs. I cannot game or watch movies without some type of surround sound!
Its a movie pretending to be a game.... £50 for this POS is crazy
The game is not very good, headphones or not.
@GamingFan4Lyf oh ok. So would it work the same with any cheap headphones? A lot of cheap headphones have bad sound.
Definitely recommended. I would love to play* it at the cinema with the full Dolby experience.
*I say ‘play’ because of the actually gameplay bits the combat is tense but too frequent and the puzzles a chore. Had they have gone with a Dear Esther/Firewatch/Rapture-style linear storytelling experience interspersed with the odd tense boss battle I think it would have been a much better experience. Putting the combat on auto does help.
@CutchuSlow Stereo is fine. Were talking about some light incidental music, the directional voices and speech here not John Williams.
@GamingFan4Lyf Thank you so much for taking the time to explain that. Really appreciate it.
Yesterday, I played the first game and beat the first boss with headphones and Dolby Atmos for Headphones. I set performance off on the Dolby application, because performance on is for competitive games. I shared my experience so far on the "Now Playing on Series S|X" thread. It's interesting how different the experience is for each person, even things like how the combat plays, after reading some comments about the first game in the comments section of the graphics topic. Combat is one of the things I like so far and nobody has mentioned how annoying is that running is not mapped to the analogue stick.
Back to the audio, I have a high-quality but dated 7.1 audio receiver that doesn't support Atmos and it's not set up here anyway. Good for films and music, though. Too bad it was released between 7.1 and Atmos.
I'm sure it's better but no thanks 👍
@G4n0nD0rf you’re free to play as you wish. No need to announce it either. The developer is just recommending headphones for an optimal experience. But what do they know, right?
Playing through without headphones at the moment but might throw some on today, I bet it's intense
Been a huge fan of binaural audio in games since I first experienced it in the PSP version of Corpse Party. Hellblade 1 made excellent use of it as well. Very much a highlight of the game experience. I have to imagine it's cool in the sequel as well.
It's true, you are doing yourself a disservice playing this game or the first game without decent headphones.
Xbox is in an identity crisis I thought they worked on the combat for this game ? This isn’t what kids today want a movie game that’s controlled while you sit wanting more freedom . And nobody wants to wear headphones unless it’s for multiplayer really that’s why they have surround sound mostly speaking not many have Dolby headsets
@TheSimulator "not many have Dolby headsets."
If you have high-quality headphones you just download the Dolby app on Xbox, pay a cheap licence that you can pay with Rewards points and then you have Dolby Atmos on your headphones.
@Banjo- I do but kids age 14 and under won’t be doing that to
Be honest I just feel like this game has low standards in actual Gameplay and i don’t get why they can’t make it similar to dark souls / assassin creed like because it will sell even more and have people actually buying it
I use Sonys pulse headset on this one. The audio is awesome but it also stresses me out (which is intended I guess). So I'm only able to play in short bursts. The overall experience is awesome nontheless.
I invested in a Home Theater.
No way am I letting my 22 speakers go to waste to use with a sh*tty pair of headphones!
That's like telling someone to watch ANYTHING on a cell phone screen!
No, 55" is minimum...
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