Hellblade II Creator Agrees: Gamers Crave Shorter Games

• Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, an eight-hour, digital-only game from Ninja Theory priced at $50.
• Game's shorter runtime is a strategic decision, aiming to convey a compelling story.
• Ninja Theory believes there's a market for shorter, meaningful games.
• Examples of other shorter games attracting players, like Before Your Eyes.
• Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II releasing on PC and Xbox Series X/S on May 21.

The Upcoming Digital-Only Game: Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II

The sequel to the 2017 psychological horror action game, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II continues to be a digital-only, shorter experience. This eight-hour game from Ninja Theory will cost $50, considerably less than the usual $70 for most AAA games on the Xbox Series X/S.

Some gamers might find the price too steep for relatively shorter gameplay. The common yardstick of "dollar per hour" is often used to measure game value. However, Ninja Theory believes that fans are increasingly open to shorter games.

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In a conversation with IGN, Dom Matthews, the head of Ninja Theory studio, stated that the shorter runtime of Hellblade 2 was a deliberate decision. The decision was influenced by the storyline they wanted to convey, which naturally evolved around the protagonist Senua’s arc in the sequel.

Matthews emphasized that creating shorter experiences is not their primary goal. Instead, their focus is on presenting a compelling story with a beginning, middle, and end, and determining the best shape and size of the game to tell that story.

The success of the original Hellblade, which also had a runtime of seven to eight hours, supports this approach. Matthews believes that a market for shorter games has been established. He also mentions that digital storefronts and alternative pricing options have made games of all shapes and sizes more accessible.

Matthews recognizes the pressure on people’s time and appreciates that fans enjoy shorter, meaningful games. He believes there's a significant audience who prefer focused games.

Personally, there's a certain appeal in a game that can be completed in one or two sittings. For instance, the eye-tracking adventure game, Before Your Eyes by GoodbyeWorld Games, has a runtime of only 90 minutes. This short runtime has attracted many players to the game.

The modern video game's tendency for excess often deters me from engaging in many open-world games. Sometimes, it seems like developers mistake time spent doing things as time well-spent. It's refreshing to see studios like Ninja Theory advocating for games to last only as long as they need to.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is set to release on PC and Xbox Series X/S on May 21 and will be available to Game Pass subscribers on day one.

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