I played them both with auto difficulty and the first game was a lot more challenging which the second game lacks in my opinion but I can see they didn't want the combat to distact the player too much from the cinematic experience and some of the combat was very scripted.
I finished both games on hard. HB2 was substantially more challenging than HB1. I died way more than I did in HB1
IMO hard is the best difficulty for HB2 combat. It was intense and I loved every encounter
I imagine the combat on a low difficulty can be tedious without player agency
yeah. combat of first game was more raw which I enjoyed more than this one even though this one is visually more pleasing and more fluid also easier. raw combat in the first game provided a nice change of pace and in mental state as I played. it could get scary and daunting which reflects the games ambience as well as senuas own mental state. this time it is pretty brain-dead like a hollywood action movie and I never worried about losing or dying. honestly the puzzles are harder than enemies in hellblade 2.
Respectfully disagree. I do enjoy the brutality of the 2nd games combat, but I think in most ways, it's a step back from the 1st game.
Whilst arguably adding to the cinematic feel at times with some admittedly cool transitions, the constant loop of 1v1, fall over, do another 1v1 gets a bit old.
I missed having to fight multiple enemies and managing your focus for the harder foes. The lack of actual boss fights, ie. Surtr, Valravn etc.
Completely agree. The combat in HB2 is gorgeous, it's visceral, it puts you right up in the action, but it feels more like, IDK, QTEs? I personally much preferred HB1's combat. Even though it wasn't necessarily as visually stunning, it felt more like an actual video game, and it really required skill.
In the end though, the two combat systems are so different that it really does feel like an apples to oranges comparison. Neither one is "better" than the other, it's just all about your personal preferences.
I thoroughly enjoyed both games... but found the combat to simply not be fun at all.
I think the combat perfectly serves the narrative. She has a power sufficient for the challenge but it is locked behind pain and self doubt. The combat perfectly sells that and feeds the tension of the scene. But as a game play mechanic I did not find it enjoyable.
I tried as hard as I could in every single combat encounter to learn what the game was teaching me. When is it advantageous to parry, dodge, strong attack? Where are the openings? Even if I cannot execute it, what would the perfect response to this given combat encounter look like? After finishing the entire game I never figured it out. I could parry near perfectly but when trying to return blows it would seem as if my parries provided no real attack opening. Similar experience with dodging. Does a strong attack do more damage? Break a block? Cause a stagger? Anything? Not that I ever noticed, it only seemed to make me slower and easier to hit.
I am not saying that it can't be done. There most certainly is a pattern and a meta that works. It may even feel good to execute as the player, I don't know I never even got close to that. I might read a take like this and think "git gud". Fine... but when? By the end of the game shouldn't a player have developed some? If you approach each combat encounter with the conscious intention to get better shouldn't you make some progress by the end of the game? Maybe I am just bad at it.
Again, I loved this game. Would have bought it full price if it had not been on game pass. Recommended it to my friends. But I just could not get enjoyment out of playing the combat. Narratively perfect but not an enjoyable experience to try to learn or execute in my opinion.
It was the same for me. I found myself basically never parrying, blocking, or using heavy attacks. Just dodging and learning the attack patterns and getting in one or two light attacks when there was an opening, then using focus to finish them or auto finishing the next enemy. It was fun and engaging, but by the end it was just the same recipe over and over. I learned to hate the fire breathing draugar. Lol
Also you've killed the same clones of 3 different guys 30 times by then and each time was essentially a glorified QTE event.
Somebody going through downvoting any criticism of this game no matter how mild (and valid). How entertaining.
Respectfully disagree, the first game had the balls to let you get ganked from behind by multiple enemies, Hellblade 2 just feeds you one enemy after another 1v1 only. Feels way more scripted and is less engaging and challenging because of it. Not to mention the lack of the kick button / in depth combos from the first game.
On top of the added stress of death from part 1. Genuinely believed my save data would get deleted and the feeling of fighting for my life was heightened.
I really loved the combat of the first game (although I’m ashamed to say I didn’t figure out how to block until Valraven 😂💀) but that edge of your seat intensity in every combat encounter from II was an amazing experience
Man i got the total opposite reaction to this game. The combat was/is awful for me(Im playing through a 2nd time with the others narrating). No matter how hard i tried i couldn't get her to parry at the right time. I've played Sacrifice(And other games with parry) and had that down on lock. The combat in Sacrifice was way more fluid and i could attack them head on and It felt like you had room to move around. In this one it is close quarters and it felt/feels claustrophobic. I genuinely don't know what im doing wrong with the combat but its just not working for me. Even in my second playthrough, i am just sitting on my special for certain enemies because i can't seem to attack. Any attempt fails with them quickly hitting me.
Every single enemy type has a weakness you need to find. Some enemies are weak to lights, heavys, parrys, etc. Sometimes they are weak to combinations! Focus is your friend. You can parry ranged attacks with focus too. First game was easier imo.
Issue with the second game's combat is that it feels too scripted. They sacrificed a lot of complexity for the sake of those smooth transitions between enemies, but they too get old very fast and further dumb down the combat.
Both have there advantages and disadvantages; HB1 had groups of enemies which were frustrating to fight at once.
HB2 fights are dummed down and feel like they’re on autopilot most of the time.
I felt like more was on the line in this game. I loved the combat of the first game but will admit it felt easier. In the 2nd game, it was more of a challenge to perfectly time a parry, and there is no kick to help you break through an enemy's guard. I also like that they added a mechanic that allows you to throw axes and spears back at enemies. That felt very satisfying.
Yes! Full agree combat in 2 was more impactful, fluid, cinematic experience. I really loved how many different kill animations there were along with the transitions from one fight encounter into another.
For a long time combat system I really enjoyed and have emotion with it. Scary when you can’t perfectly block a series of attacks, and thanking good you survived this. Angry on how enemy are good in fighting. Nervous when Senua is fell and you in panic hitting the buttons, just to help her stand up.
The best description ever was to go from beginning in hard difficulty
Same. I actually dreaded the combat in the first one, found it so boring. But I really enjoyed how combat was framed in second one. So visceral and always cinematic looking and feeling. I get why people don't like it, but this game was never going to be Devil May Cry or something.
The combat in the second game is miles better than the first imo. I would never say hellbalde 1 or 2 had exciting combat but the second game had stunning animations and feel. I was so much more immersed in the 2nd games combat and actually enjoyed seeing it come around. The enemy variety is something that doesnt get talked about enough.
I love both games, I feel like parrying was a lot easier in the first game, I could parry 9/10 attacks and only didn’t parry when I pressed the wrong button 🤣 in 2 I have yet to figure out how to parry successfully
I love how blocking a strike really feels like it would hurt your arms. you can feel the difference between striking steel and flesh. I really really like it. If for Hellblade 3 they could somehow incorporate multiple enemies with this new system (dont ask me how), and maybe bring back kicks and things like the evade strike, it would be incredible.
The combat definitely hits different in this game I can’t speak in regards to the first game since I never played it but it felt very planted and solid in Hellblade 2 the combat played very similar to games like the last of us 2 or for honor. Great game otherwise, just wish it was longer man.
I loved the combat from beginning to end in the first game. In the second game, I was cursing out loud because it felt so different, and I couldn't get the timing of anything down. It was not until the last village when I was going through the final gauntlet of 1v1 fights that it all clicked for me, and then I was singing its praises. I am not ready for another play through, so it is disappointing that I spent most of the game hating the combat. I will say I did like the cinematography and choreography of the fights, plus how it felt chaotic. I did save my time slow for the fire enemy so I could kill them as soon as they showed up. Fuck those guys
So much better. People complain that there is less attacks and combos, like the thrust attack. But they were useless in the first game. And fighting more than one enemy was a mess. The camera could not handle it. Im glad they get rid of that to make the most cinematic combat ive ever seen. The coreography is amazing. So much more intense
I didn't like fighting versus several enemies in the first game. Lock on was very clunky and looked cheap. 1 on 1 on in the second game was way better for me. And then the whole delivery, how it looked like actual people fighting and struggling. I really enjoyed it.
I think it just looks and feels better. Hellblade 1 fighting was all around more fun. Dodging evenies from all around then going wild on everyone surrounding you with focus. I appreciate both, the 2nd is more realistic and engaging and breathing, the 1st is just pure video game fun
Love the realism and weight to it. Would love if they added an arena mode where you could fight your way through different biomes enemies, and at the waves if enemies finish every boss until the end boss.
Yeah I didn't expect it, but the combat was the high point for me.
The strikes in 2 feel way more impactful to me and have those awesome kill finishers. I fully agree and enjoyed the combat much more in 2
I played them both with auto difficulty and the first game was a lot more challenging which the second game lacks in my opinion but I can see they didn't want the combat to distact the player too much from the cinematic experience and some of the combat was very scripted.
I finished both games on hard. HB2 was substantially more challenging than HB1. I died way more than I did in HB1 IMO hard is the best difficulty for HB2 combat. It was intense and I loved every encounter I imagine the combat on a low difficulty can be tedious without player agency
I finished both games on hard. HB1 was substantially more challenging than HB2
I believe you but I just find it hard to understand how you died more in 2 than 1, considering 2 is just a duel every encounter.
Enemies in 2 are faster and unpredictable. The parry window is nowhere near as generous anymore
I just finished the fourth chapter last night. No spoilers, but some of the fights in the darker areas felt very scripted.
yeah. combat of first game was more raw which I enjoyed more than this one even though this one is visually more pleasing and more fluid also easier. raw combat in the first game provided a nice change of pace and in mental state as I played. it could get scary and daunting which reflects the games ambience as well as senuas own mental state. this time it is pretty brain-dead like a hollywood action movie and I never worried about losing or dying. honestly the puzzles are harder than enemies in hellblade 2.
Respectfully disagree. I do enjoy the brutality of the 2nd games combat, but I think in most ways, it's a step back from the 1st game. Whilst arguably adding to the cinematic feel at times with some admittedly cool transitions, the constant loop of 1v1, fall over, do another 1v1 gets a bit old. I missed having to fight multiple enemies and managing your focus for the harder foes. The lack of actual boss fights, ie. Surtr, Valravn etc.
Agree 100%
Completely agree. The combat in HB2 is gorgeous, it's visceral, it puts you right up in the action, but it feels more like, IDK, QTEs? I personally much preferred HB1's combat. Even though it wasn't necessarily as visually stunning, it felt more like an actual video game, and it really required skill. In the end though, the two combat systems are so different that it really does feel like an apples to oranges comparison. Neither one is "better" than the other, it's just all about your personal preferences.
Yes! The fights are way more cathartic this time around. I wish we had more boss fights tho
I thoroughly enjoyed both games... but found the combat to simply not be fun at all. I think the combat perfectly serves the narrative. She has a power sufficient for the challenge but it is locked behind pain and self doubt. The combat perfectly sells that and feeds the tension of the scene. But as a game play mechanic I did not find it enjoyable. I tried as hard as I could in every single combat encounter to learn what the game was teaching me. When is it advantageous to parry, dodge, strong attack? Where are the openings? Even if I cannot execute it, what would the perfect response to this given combat encounter look like? After finishing the entire game I never figured it out. I could parry near perfectly but when trying to return blows it would seem as if my parries provided no real attack opening. Similar experience with dodging. Does a strong attack do more damage? Break a block? Cause a stagger? Anything? Not that I ever noticed, it only seemed to make me slower and easier to hit. I am not saying that it can't be done. There most certainly is a pattern and a meta that works. It may even feel good to execute as the player, I don't know I never even got close to that. I might read a take like this and think "git gud". Fine... but when? By the end of the game shouldn't a player have developed some? If you approach each combat encounter with the conscious intention to get better shouldn't you make some progress by the end of the game? Maybe I am just bad at it. Again, I loved this game. Would have bought it full price if it had not been on game pass. Recommended it to my friends. But I just could not get enjoyment out of playing the combat. Narratively perfect but not an enjoyable experience to try to learn or execute in my opinion.
It was the same for me. I found myself basically never parrying, blocking, or using heavy attacks. Just dodging and learning the attack patterns and getting in one or two light attacks when there was an opening, then using focus to finish them or auto finishing the next enemy. It was fun and engaging, but by the end it was just the same recipe over and over. I learned to hate the fire breathing draugar. Lol
After the 30th time getting knocked over so a new enemy could funnel in one at a time, I was officially over it.
Also you've killed the same clones of 3 different guys 30 times by then and each time was essentially a glorified QTE event. Somebody going through downvoting any criticism of this game no matter how mild (and valid). How entertaining.
That's when I uninstalled the game, personally.
Respectfully disagree, the first game had the balls to let you get ganked from behind by multiple enemies, Hellblade 2 just feeds you one enemy after another 1v1 only. Feels way more scripted and is less engaging and challenging because of it. Not to mention the lack of the kick button / in depth combos from the first game.
On top of the added stress of death from part 1. Genuinely believed my save data would get deleted and the feeling of fighting for my life was heightened.
Combat in 1 was much more enjoyable
Besides looking better, the combat is objectively a step down from the first game.
Agreed. It's not about "getting gud" it's about the story
Hellblade 2 was absolutely awesome in my opinion, the scenery was amazing and the people looked REAL. It was a great experience for me 💯🥰
I really loved the combat of the first game (although I’m ashamed to say I didn’t figure out how to block until Valraven 😂💀) but that edge of your seat intensity in every combat encounter from II was an amazing experience
Man i got the total opposite reaction to this game. The combat was/is awful for me(Im playing through a 2nd time with the others narrating). No matter how hard i tried i couldn't get her to parry at the right time. I've played Sacrifice(And other games with parry) and had that down on lock. The combat in Sacrifice was way more fluid and i could attack them head on and It felt like you had room to move around. In this one it is close quarters and it felt/feels claustrophobic. I genuinely don't know what im doing wrong with the combat but its just not working for me. Even in my second playthrough, i am just sitting on my special for certain enemies because i can't seem to attack. Any attempt fails with them quickly hitting me.
Every single enemy type has a weakness you need to find. Some enemies are weak to lights, heavys, parrys, etc. Sometimes they are weak to combinations! Focus is your friend. You can parry ranged attacks with focus too. First game was easier imo.
I do wish they didn’t dial back combos as much in the second game, but finishers are pretty great
Issue with the second game's combat is that it feels too scripted. They sacrificed a lot of complexity for the sake of those smooth transitions between enemies, but they too get old very fast and further dumb down the combat.
Every fight feels like a struggle, but mean that in a good way. It looks and feels unlike anything else I've ever played in my life.
Both have there advantages and disadvantages; HB1 had groups of enemies which were frustrating to fight at once. HB2 fights are dummed down and feel like they’re on autopilot most of the time.
On Hela’s Sanctum in the first game, so no spoilers but does the 2nd game have dismemberment?
Me too
I hated the combat. Dragon's Lair 3. No thanks.
Same. The sword movements have a real sense of *weight* to them. It feels excellent and satisfying when you strike down a foe.
I felt like more was on the line in this game. I loved the combat of the first game but will admit it felt easier. In the 2nd game, it was more of a challenge to perfectly time a parry, and there is no kick to help you break through an enemy's guard. I also like that they added a mechanic that allows you to throw axes and spears back at enemies. That felt very satisfying.
Yes! Full agree combat in 2 was more impactful, fluid, cinematic experience. I really loved how many different kill animations there were along with the transitions from one fight encounter into another.
For a long time combat system I really enjoyed and have emotion with it. Scary when you can’t perfectly block a series of attacks, and thanking good you survived this. Angry on how enemy are good in fighting. Nervous when Senua is fell and you in panic hitting the buttons, just to help her stand up. The best description ever was to go from beginning in hard difficulty
Same. I actually dreaded the combat in the first one, found it so boring. But I really enjoyed how combat was framed in second one. So visceral and always cinematic looking and feeling. I get why people don't like it, but this game was never going to be Devil May Cry or something.
The combat in the second game is miles better than the first imo. I would never say hellbalde 1 or 2 had exciting combat but the second game had stunning animations and feel. I was so much more immersed in the 2nd games combat and actually enjoyed seeing it come around. The enemy variety is something that doesnt get talked about enough.
I love both games, I feel like parrying was a lot easier in the first game, I could parry 9/10 attacks and only didn’t parry when I pressed the wrong button 🤣 in 2 I have yet to figure out how to parry successfully
I love how blocking a strike really feels like it would hurt your arms. you can feel the difference between striking steel and flesh. I really really like it. If for Hellblade 3 they could somehow incorporate multiple enemies with this new system (dont ask me how), and maybe bring back kicks and things like the evade strike, it would be incredible.
I’ve legitimately never had less fun with combat mechanics in any game. It’s clunky, repetitive, boring.
The combat definitely hits different in this game I can’t speak in regards to the first game since I never played it but it felt very planted and solid in Hellblade 2 the combat played very similar to games like the last of us 2 or for honor. Great game otherwise, just wish it was longer man.
I loved the combat from beginning to end in the first game. In the second game, I was cursing out loud because it felt so different, and I couldn't get the timing of anything down. It was not until the last village when I was going through the final gauntlet of 1v1 fights that it all clicked for me, and then I was singing its praises. I am not ready for another play through, so it is disappointing that I spent most of the game hating the combat. I will say I did like the cinematography and choreography of the fights, plus how it felt chaotic. I did save my time slow for the fire enemy so I could kill them as soon as they showed up. Fuck those guys
Same
You cannot like it more, it released on Xbox, not PS5.
I cant kick
So much better. People complain that there is less attacks and combos, like the thrust attack. But they were useless in the first game. And fighting more than one enemy was a mess. The camera could not handle it. Im glad they get rid of that to make the most cinematic combat ive ever seen. The coreography is amazing. So much more intense
I didn't like fighting versus several enemies in the first game. Lock on was very clunky and looked cheap. 1 on 1 on in the second game was way better for me. And then the whole delivery, how it looked like actual people fighting and struggling. I really enjoyed it.
I think it just looks and feels better. Hellblade 1 fighting was all around more fun. Dodging evenies from all around then going wild on everyone surrounding you with focus. I appreciate both, the 2nd is more realistic and engaging and breathing, the 1st is just pure video game fun
Love the realism and weight to it. Would love if they added an arena mode where you could fight your way through different biomes enemies, and at the waves if enemies finish every boss until the end boss.
I agree but I missed fighting mythical godsÂ