“6-7 years in development to flop this hard”: Hellblade 2’s Stats Continue to Disappoint as Fans Wonder What Went Wrong
Hellblade 2 was among the most promising of Xbox's exclusives when it released. But things have not gone well for the game after that.
The original Hellblade game, created by Ninja Theory, gained a lot of attention on account of its unique presentation. Its protagonist Senua’s descent into madness allowed the studio to utilize a unique mechanic in which the voices in her head became integral to the core gameplay loop that players were enthralled by.
However, Ninja Theory’s follow-up to the original game titled Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 has not been received as well as its predecessor, despite its incredible visuals and a revamped combat system that the studio took a lot of time to develop.
A Saga That Hellblade Fans Would Like to Forget
Announced soon after Xbox’s acquisition of Ninja Theory back in 2018, Hellblade 2 has failed to capture the magic of the original title in terms of its sales and engagement levels among players. While many would argue that the novelty of the franchise’s unique premise has become tedious in the sequel, that would be a disservice to the game.
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It’s baffling that a game with stunning visuals and an action-packed narrative could fail to succeed at a time when action-adventure games are constantly gaining critical and commercial praise. However, many fans of the original game have responded to its dismal performance, offering up nuanced arguments on why Hellblade 2 has not lived up to expectations.
What Went Wrong for Hellblade 2?
A recent post about Hellblade 2’s less than ideal showing since its release has seen many players chime in with their opinions on why it has performed this way.
The original post can be found below and showcases statistics that highlight a poor response to a game that should have done a lot better.
One response from a player places the blame on Xbox’s focus on its Game Pass service, a valid argument considering that Hellblade 2 was released only on Xbox and PC.
While this player’s humorous take on Game Pass’ spelling added a bit of light-hearted wordplay to the discussion, it is clear that Microsoft’s current problems have affected a title that could have competed with Sony’s exclusive titles. Other players feel that the game’s poor sales could affect Ninja Theory too.
Other players feel like the main campaign’s duration was a tad underwhelming.
Another point that emerged was that the sequel did not differentiate itself enough from the original Hellblade for it to gain traction with its audiences.
Another valid point was about the game’s lack of replay value, with minor changes to its campaign being the only reward for completing it and finding all of its collectibles.
One can only hope that Xbox and Ninja Theory learn from their mistakes with Hellblade 2 and perhaps bring out other titles that do not suffer from the same pitfalls that this game has faced over many years of development.
