Hellblade 2: Everything We Know About The Xbox Series X Game
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The Xbox Series X will be the ultimate console for players who want the most immersive games from a device designed, built and optimized for gaming with zero compromises. Powered by our next generation, custom designed processor including an 8 core Zen 2 CPU, delivering more than 4x the processing power of an Xbox One, and a 12 TFLOP RDNA 2 GPU, more than 8x the performance of the original Xbox One, Xbox Series X will enable a new level of visual fidelity and immersion. Pair that with the highest bandwidth GDDR6 memory of any next generation console, and a custom, next generation solid state drive (SSD), Xbox Series X will provide developers the power to push their creative visions to the limit. With next generation innovations including DirectX hardware-accelerated raytracing, variable refresh rate and ultra-low latency input, Xbox Series X sets the stage for a new level of fidelity, precision and accuracy never before seen in console gaming.
The bold and unique industrial design enables us to deliver the most powerful console in the quietest and most efficient way, enabling it to fit seamlessly into your home. The Xbox Series X is also designed to support both vertical and horizontal orientation.
The new Xbox Wireless Controller features improved ergonomics for a wider range of people, better cross-device connectivity, and reduced latency. It also features a new Share button to make capturing screenshots and game clips simple and a new hybrid d-pad inspired by the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2. The new Xbox Wireless Controller will be compatible with Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs, and will be included with every Xbox Series X.
Xbox Series X delivers over 12 TFLOPS of sustained, consistent GPU performance, making it the most powerful console ever. Designed to deliver games in 4K at 60 FPS with support for up to 120 FPS, Xbox Series X represents a superior balance of power and speed with no compromises for developers. Beyond the raw horsepower, the custom designed processor at the heart of Xbox Series X includes brand new innovative capabilities such as Variable Rate Shading (VRS), hardware-accelerated DirectX raytracing, and more, advancing console gaming on all technological fronts to deliver amazing, dynamic, living worlds that players want to be immersed in.
Quick Resume is a new platform feature enabled through the Xbox Velocity Architecture and our custom OS architecture that enables players to resume a game exactly where they left off, across multiple titles, ensuring gamers can get right back to the fun in an instant.
We also know many gamers demand ultra-low latency to be as immersed and precise as possible. With HDMI 2.1 innovation, Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and Dynamic Latency Input (DLI), the team analyzed every step between player and game, from controller to console to display, and optimized each stage of the pipeline.
We believe that not only should gamers be able to play all of their games from the past without needing to purchase them again, but they should play better than ever before. Backwards compatible games run natively on the Xbox Series X hardware, running with the full power of the CPU, GPU and the SSD. No boost mode, no downclocking, the full power of the Xbox Series X for each and every backward compatible game. This means that all titles run at the peak performance that they were originally designed for, many times even higher performance than the games saw on their original launch platform, resulting in higher and more steady framerates and rendering at their maximum resolution and visual quality. Backwards compatible titles also see significant reductions in in-game load times from the massive leap in performance from our custom NVME SSD which powers the Xbox Velocity Architecture.
We are also investing in technology that makes game ownership easier across generations. This is especially true with our new Smart Delivery technology, which ensures you only have to purchase a title once, knowing you will get the best version of the title on whatever Xbox console you choose to play on. This will allow players to seamlessly move between multiple consoles and console generations as they see fit. All our exclusive Xbox Game Studios titles that are optimized for Xbox Series X, including Halo Infinite, are committed to using Smart Delivery too. Gamers can have confidence when they purchase games in the Xbox ecosystem that your investments and progression move forward with you to the next generation.
Xbox Game Studios represents an amazing array of creators across the industry who are exploring new ideas and games only possible with Xbox and our technology. Our global studios are empowered to realize their full creative visions and to leverage the power of Xbox Series X to do so. This means a non-stop supply of games for years to come, built from the ground up to capitalize on features like hardware-accelerated DirectX Raytracing, 4K resolution running up to 120fps, and more.
Many existing titles will be optimized to take advantage of everything Xbox Series X can do also. For example, the team from The Coalition announced that Gears 5 will have an Xbox Series X Optimized version available at Xbox Series X launch and they will leverage Smart Delivery technology to deliver fans the best version of the game regardless of which Xbox they play on. Gears 5 optimizations will feature improved visuals only possible on Xbox Series X, including higher resolution textures, screen space global illumination, contact shadows and 4K cutscenes running at 60 fps. The team also shared that they are investigating 120 fps gameplay for multiplayer modes, giving players an experience never before seen on consoles. And Gears 5 is just the beginning in terms of titles that will be optimized that will be revealed in the coming months.
Xbox Game Pass fundamentally changes how people play games. Think about all the constraints that gaming operates under today. Your games will only play on the device you bought them on and you can only play with your friends if they each buy the same games, too. And every game either requires a big up-front investment or an even bigger investment down the line to access all the content. Xbox Game Pass is changing all that. One low price, a common library of the best games across all your devices for you and your friends on the same plan to enjoy.
No, Hellblade 2 is not coming to PS5. The first game was originally released on PC and PlayStation 4 in 2017, with Xbox One and Nintendo Switch versions arriving later down the line. So it's reasonable to ask: will Hellblade 2 be on PS5?
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is landing on Xbox and PC on May 21, and to say that we're excited for it is an understatement. The Norse mythos-fuelled action epic will see the return of our unlikely heroine in a sequel that's being built in Unreal Engine 5 for maximum dark fantasy atmospherics. Developer Ninja Theory revealed its follow-up to Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice back in 2019, steadily revealing more and more about what we can expect from Hellblade 2, and it's looking every bit the harrowing action-adventure we've been waiting to see.
We finally have firmer details on Hellblade 2, including a release date and insight into the revitalized combat, puzzle, and exploration systems that Ninja Theory is pushing for. There's a good reason Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is one of the most anticipated upcoming Xbox Series X games for 2024, so let's walk you through everything there is to know about Ninja Theory's latest.
The Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 release date has been set for May 21, 2024. The news was confirmed at the Xbox Developer Direct on January 18 following a brand new look at the game in action, where developer Ninja Theory revealed some of the incredible results it's getting out of its first Unreal Engine 5 project.
In the Hellblade 2 gameplay trailer released in 2021, Ninja Theory confirmed that the game will launch on Xbox Series X, PC, and Xbox Cloud Gaming, meaning there is potential for Xbox One owners to be able to play Hellblade 2 via the Cloud Gaming service. As with all Xbox Game Studios releases, this also means that Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 will be available on Xbox Game Pass on day one.
The trailer shows Senua traversing a dark fantasy world, engaging in melee combat with enemies, dodging fire attacks, and slinking through myriad creepy tunnels. The gorgeous graphics are a testament to the strength of Unreal Engine, and it's sure to look even better thanks to the Xbox Series X.
Back at The Game Awards 2021, Ninja Theory delivered an extended six minute Hellblade 2 trailer. The footage shared is evocative and powerful, showing Senua leading a group attempting, and by all indications, failing to trap a giant. Equally breathtaking and horrifying, we see the plan to set fire and spear the hell out of the huge figure unravel, as it crawls towards Senua, pounding and chewing her group as it goes. We have the return of some familiar elements from Hellblade, most notably the whispered voices swirling around the inside of Senua's head, along with the sound of battle and fire, the audio is intensely effective.
In terms of Hellblade 2's gameplay, it's still a third-person action-adventure game like its predecessor. We know that Ninja Theory has reworked the combat in Hellblade 2, though what this actually means has yet to be clarified. This does sound promising, since for studio once known for creating fast-paced action games like Enslaved: Odyssey to the West and Devil May Cry, the first Hellblade was more subdued, with a greater focus on storytelling and inner-turmoil.
Ninja Theory has spilled more on Hellblade 2's story in a recent Xbox Developer Direct, describing Senua as a "beacon of hope" in the sequel. Having made peace with her personal demons at the end of Hellblade 1, Hellblade 2 sees a newly self-assured Senua setting out to confront the Viking marauders on their home turf: Iceland. She no longer sees her psychological condition as a curse, but as an ally in the battle for vengeance.
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