Hellblade is a special game that successfully tackles issues not typically seen in video games. It's an uncompromising work of art, surely a result of it being independently published and as a fan of the developer's past work, I dare say that Hellblade is Ninja Theory's best effort to date. Design choices such as the lack of a hud or button prompts is unprecedented. The game of course isn't for everyone, it's very story and exposition heavy with long periods of downtime. However, the writing, voice work and visuals here are all great with high production values. This is a triple AAA game through and through. Although its runtime may be brief (about six to eight hours) and it is a one and done kind of game, Ninja Theory possessed enough self-awareness to forgo the typical $60 price point of games of this caliber. A choice that I feel is to their benefit and hopefully yields great results for them.
In a way, Hellblade feels like a precursor to the new God of War, not just in part of their connection to Norse Mythology (I am aware that God of War is set in a pre-viking era), but the close over the shoulder perspective present in both games draw some parallels... although it's fair to assume that God of War will be more in depth and combat focused than Hellblade. Combat encounters in Hellblade are sparse and intense, but the mechanics themselves are simple. Comparisons to Dark Souls have been made, however, Hellblade isn't nearly as punishing or as deliberate as Dark Souls.
To those who have completed the game - do you think they could have gotten away with a $60 price point? How would that price affect your opinion of the game? How would you rank this against Ninja Theory's past games?
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