Hellblade 2 players slam “disappointing” combat system

Hellblade 2 may be a follow on from its predecessor, but players are convinced it’s failed to deliver on one key feature – its combat.

It’s easy to say that combat isn’t a pivotal part of the Hellblade series. After all, this cinematic experience prioritizes beautiful graphics and stellar sound design. Regardless though, Senua can’t go through her journey without a good battle – making it almost equally as imperative.

However, many diving into Hellblade 2 have been noticing a stark difference in the way they battle enemies, with more of a focus on 1v1 battles and a lack of strategic attacks being the primary gripes.

Ninja Theory

Many fans have taken to the Hellblade Reddit to slam the title for its lack of combat, with plenty pointing out the stark contrast between the two games.

“2 hours into the game, and the removal of the melee attack is already killing me,” posted one player, slamming the restrictive nature of Senua’s attacks. While the title does have melee combat, there’s a distinct lack of strategic fighting, as your third attack to break an enemy’s defense has been taken out.

Other players were quick to slam the same issues, with one commenting: “Glad I’m not the only one. It felt badass running and kneeing opponents in the first game. I love how much scripting there is, but they didn’t have to take features out.”

While Ninja Theory may have simplified the combat system, some fans think they’ve rendered the voice’s abilities useless. In the previous iteration, the voices in Senua’s head would help her spot enemies from behind her or point to key aspects in a fight. Now, thanks to the primary 1v1-style battle, those voices don’t hold as much use.

The combat isn’t a key aspect of Hellblade 2, but it’s clear the alterations have left fans wanting more out of the game.

Nevertheless, while players found the changes “a little disappointing,” many are quick to highlight that they came for the story, visuals, and sound design, and most were left highly impressed, even if they thought the combat needed work.