Ninja Theory's Hellblade Deletes Your Save if You Die Too Many Times

[Bindal]

A game with tangible, negative consequences for my actions, forcing me to take my choices and actions seriously, instead of being cavalier with the character's life because it's just a game right? Cool. I'm in favor of this.

I dunno, losing several hours of progress because I had a few problems with a specific encounter seems more like a big middle finger to me, where the game tells me that it doesn't want me to play it.
In which case, I gladly take action and not even buy it, either.

I dunno, this seems right in line with the sadistic mentality of people who love the Dark Souls series, specifically because it's hard. As they would say "get gud". I don't mind the rule, and personally like it.

I don't think even Dark Souls players would want to lose literally everything when they die a few times to a late game boss.
Dark Souls might be hard - but it's also FAIR by always giving you another chance. At a cost in terms of resources, but still a chance.
Deleting your save? That's not a chance, that's the opposite.

Anyone ever play super mario brothers?

You mean the games where you can in fact beat the games in about an hour if you know what you're doing? And, in case of SMB3, STILL has a form of "checkpoint" system that allows you to skip to a part where you already have been after losing all your lives?
Yes, I did - different system, different playtime lengh and functionally phased out of the newer games.

 

[Bat Vader]

Considering I plan to use a trainer that gives me God Mode I won't have to worry about this.

Spoiler

 

[Smithnikov_v1legacy]

Long as it's made clear to the player in some way beforehand, I got no beef with it. Just don't spring that shit on them.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

So it seems the game implies this may happen at some point in the early story, but it would also seem that it is later presented/explained to be nothing to worry about (not even as late as the ending). It would appear to be a way of implementing that particular feeling of hopelessness and fear that everything you do could all be for nothing in a way of reflecting the main protagonist's constant self-doubt that, with enough strength and achievement, turns out to be far less 'real' than her head made it out to be, into a more game relatable feeling.

The problem was that certain people didn't bother continuing the game to find that out, instead feeling obliged to go online and whine about it without testing it out which led to articles such as this and everyone else jumping on the bandwagon with misinformation as per the usual. The devs most likely felt the need to hint that it wasn't really something to worry about after seeing the reactions, only for people to take that as them lying to them in the first place when it was just an in-game hint.

Personally I would've preferred they had the balls to properly put it in the game, but I see what they're aiming for thematically, so it makes sense. Imagine if people reacted this way with eternal darkness deleting the game files back in the day, with some people not bothering to wait it out and just posting right away that the game actively is wiping their progress.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

Wow, I'm actually really disappointed now. The fact that it's an empty threat changes everything and I really like the thematic implications of such a system (even if it is just window dressing) regarding themes of madness and desperation. I would have much preferred to experience that myself than have it spoiled by internet people jumping the gun.

 

[helwyr]

All the lurkers on escapist coming across as huge babies. It would be a fun mechanic for a short game (which is apparently easy) that is meant to be more of a journey type game than a dark souls type game.

 

[FalloutJack]

No, that's a stupid idea. Anti-fun, I think, would be the correct word for it.

 

[BarkBarker]

.....then I'll not spend my money on it then. I'm sure it's a riveting experience into what it's like to live with psychosis but as someone who is modestly informed I don't gain much from it and then I'm left with a game that will threaten to waste my time if I ever dare to have fun or not move exactly where they wanted during an "escape" sequence. Sometimes a game or movie trying to tell you something that isn't that difficult to get a grip of is really obnoxious. You only need some time reading or one game and now I NEVER want someone to try and hammer this message in to me every again.

 

[ArcaneGamer]

Good. It's an interesting mechanic that that stresses you out and makes you more pragmatic.

Total Biscuit is entitled to his opinion and can go screw himself.

I noticed a few grammar mistakes, so I decided to fix a few of them. Remember Fox, not everyone likes that kind of game. It might be why some were drawn to Fire Emblem Awakening and Fates. The Permadeath was optional. Some of us WANT to experience the story, but don't want the pain that comes with it. TB has his opinion, and you have yours.

 

[ArcaneGamer]

Considering I plan to use a trainer that gives me God Mode I won't have to worry about this.

Spoiler

Because if the game isn't going to be fair to us, then why the Heck should we? =D

 

[Damian Porter]

Gotta love the idiotic "git gud" crowd making asses of themselves like always. God forbid we don't like a stupid, forced mechanic in our games.

 

[KaraFang]

All the lurkers on escapist coming across as huge babies. It would be a fun mechanic for a short game (which is apparently easy) that is meant to be more of a journey type game than a dark souls type game.

Yes, but if someone DID put that in as a game mechanic, as it's a pretty major difference to every other game out there they should tell you clearly before purchase!

So, this was a fake out... it doesn't actually happen. Still a dick move... and has probably lost them sales, despite the masochists who think this would have made it better.

 

[Zhukov]

The problem was that certain people didn't bother continuing the game to find that out, instead feeling obliged to go online and whine about it without testing it out which led to articles such as this and everyone else jumping on the bandwagon with misinformation as per the usual. The devs most likely felt the need to hint that it wasn't really something to worry about after seeing the reactions, only for people to take that as them lying to them in the first place when it was just an in-game hint.

Personally I would've preferred they had the balls to properly put it in the game, but I see what they're aiming for thematically, so it makes sense. Imagine if people reacted this way with eternal darkness deleting the game files back in the day, with some people not bothering to wait it out and just posting right away that the game actively is wiping their progress.

Hey Xsjadoblayde, I literally pissed in your cereal.

Whoa! Hey! Don't throw it out! Why didn't you keep eating to find out if I was telling the truth or not?

Jesus, people these days, eh?

...

I'm liking the game, but this was a utterly fucking stupid decision. They deliberately put misinformation in their game so it's their fault if they get misjudged on the basis of that misinformation.

 

[Bat Vader]

Considering I plan to use a trainer that gives me God Mode I won't have to worry about this.

Spoiler

Because if the game isn't going to be fair to us, then why the Heck should we? =D

Exactly. I routinely use trainers or other forms of cheats in games that I play. Games are a from of relaxation and a hobby for me and I don't find it fun or relaxing when I keep dying over and over to something. People both online and offline give me shit for it but I don't care. I play games how I want and if someone doesn't like that or feels I am inferior to them than tough shit.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

The problem was that certain people didn't bother continuing the game to find that out, instead feeling obliged to go online and whine about it without testing it out which led to articles such as this and everyone else jumping on the bandwagon with misinformation as per the usual. The devs most likely felt the need to hint that it wasn't really something to worry about after seeing the reactions, only for people to take that as them lying to them in the first place when it was just an in-game hint.

Personally I would've preferred they had the balls to properly put it in the game, but I see what they're aiming for thematically, so it makes sense. Imagine if people reacted this way with eternal darkness deleting the game files back in the day, with some people not bothering to wait it out and just posting right away that the game actively is wiping their progress.

Hey Xsjadoblayde, I literally pissed in your cereal.

Whoa! Hey! Don't throw it out! Why didn't you keep eating to find out if I was telling the truth or not?

Jesus, people these days, eh?

...

I'm liking the game, but this was a utterly fucking stupid decision. They deliberately put misinformation in their game so it's their fault if they get misjudged on the basis of that misinformation.

*Let sigh* Come on now, that's not at all comparable. Am not desiring to go over all the reasons why it doesn't work for such a trivial non-issue, but for it to get anywhere close to a relatable analogy, first it would have to be cereal that is still in the shop store and not at all bought or owned by me. Then the piss threat would be instead replaced by some random passer-by winking at me and whispering "ooh I dunno, man...I heard that it says inside the box that if you spill too much cereal while you're eating it, your hunger will not be appeased at all and will be forced to pour a new bowl. I mean, it hasn't happened to me or anybody else I know yet, but that is definitely some harsh shit, don't do it." And that's still pretty weak. Except, you know, it isn't even a thing, it's an empty non-issue blown out of proportion by overeager web bloggers not bothering to look into it further.

 

[Zhukov]

snip

Fine, you want to split hairs, let's do this the boring way.

Is the following statement true or false?

The developers of Hellblade intentionally put misinformation in their game stating that too many failures would lead to all progress being lost.

 

[Remus]

Permadeath or no, I'm still buying the game. Gonna bang to Immigrant Song while I play it. I like visual consequences to failure. That's why Faxanadu was my fav NES game. You die, monsters start to invade the game. You die too much, they eat the villagers and you can't buy/sell at the inns.

 

[Dalsyne]

Now I don't think there's something wrong with the game forcefully making you play a certain way or punishing you for being bad.

After all, that's what all games do*. They make you play in certain ways, which is why you can't finish Call of Duty by constantly looking downwards, and punish you when you fail: you die, or you lose whatever amount of time, or you somehow end up with less of a thing that you had before you failed.

* - games that don't have lose states are excluded

If a game wants to be like this, fuckin let it. If most people aren't having a good time because of this, that's just bad game design and needs to be patched or something.

But then there's the part where the game lies to you about a mechanic. Normally we see game mechanics as not part of the actual game's lore/story/plot, and we expect them to be communicated and not lied about or obscured. Keep secrets if you must, but tell me how your video game plays. Seems like they did this to increase tension, but that's artificial at best. It crosses the 4th wall barrier in a way that you only stand to lose, and it's not even part of the story like it was in Nier: Automata.

 

[maninahat]

Okay

1/ not having it optional was a very silly idea.
2/ They better clearly warn this in big f***ing letters BEFORE you can click "purchase" because if they don't tell you this when it's too late to do anything about it then that's VERY silly.

Overall, it kinda killed the mild interest I had in this one... well done programmers.

Huh, have you ever refused to buy a Sonic/Mario game because it has a lives system?

I like the idea of it - even if it means I might have to start the game from scratch. It means death now has an actual weight to it, and I have a sense of foreboding for the protagonist, as apposed to the usual "well I don't care if I die, I can win by sheer tenacity/attrition". Plus the life system seems built into the story too, rather than being an arbitrary limit, which is a nice detail.

 

[Xorph]

Gotta love the idiotic "git gud" crowd making asses of themselves like always. God forbid we don't like a stupid, forced mechanic in our games.

Gotta love the idiotic "I can't read" crowd making asses of themselves like always. God forbid they actually read the thread a bit before posting and see the entire article's already been debunked.

Oh, look. Speak of the devil...

Tbh I can't tell if you're saying I can't read or that I'm a git-gudder. Maybe it's a sign that I really can't read and my posts until now have only made sense by chance 🤔