Senua's Saga: Hellblade II

"Senua's Saga: Hellblade II" is a game that attempts to marry breathtaking visuals with a deep, narrative-driven experience.

Unquestionably, this game is a visual marvel. The graphics are some of the best in the industry, with every scene painted with such detail that you might pause just to admire the scenery. The atmospheric depiction of Senua's psychosis through binaural audio is both innovative and immersive, making you feel as though you're inside her mind.

The narrative continues to explore Senua's journey through her mental health struggles, set against a backdrop of Norse mythology. The storytelling is profound and symbolic, offering layers for those who dive deep into its psychological themes. However, the story's pacing and the game's short length might leave you wanting more or feeling the experience was somewhat rushed.

Here lies the crux of the controversy. "Hellblade 2" has been labeled by many as a "walking simulator." The gameplay mechanics are minimal, with combat feeling more like a choreographed dance than a test of skill. Puzzles are present but not particularly challenging or varied. If you're looking for action-packed gameplay or intricate mechanics, this game falls short, serving more as an interactive movie than a traditional video game.

At about 5 hours, the game is relatively short for its price tag. It's an experience that feels more suited to those who appreciate art and narrative in gaming rather than gameplay depth. If you've watched a full playthrough online, you've essentially experienced the game, which speaks volumes about its replay value.

The voice work and sound design are top-notch, contributing significantly to the game's eerie yet captivating atmosphere. The use of voices in stereo to simulate Senua's auditory hallucinations is particularly effective.

"Hellblade 2" is a polarizing game. It's not for everyone due to its focus on story and visuals over gameplay. If you enjoyed the first game for its art and narrative, you'll likely find this sequel even more compelling, albeit brief. However, if you're expecting a robust gaming experience, you might find yourself disappointed.

For those who appreciate a game as an artistic medium, this is a masterpiece. For gamers looking for engaging mechanics, consider this more of a cinematic experience.

After I woke up today I sat down and finished the game in one sitting. Gave myself a few hours to think about it and let this review brew. Lets start with the obvious good stuff.

The audio team absolutely carried the project on their back. The music and the sound is superb, immersive and spectacular at every point. My sincerest congratulations to everyone involved.

The graphics are top notch, they're obviously trying to showcase what Unreal 5 is capable of and they're delivering on that front.

The camera work is also great, and the story is decent, altough nowhere near as captivating as the first entry, and it gets sluggish at times. Especially considering how much the gameplay breaks the already slower pacing. And this is where the problems begin.

For a 5-6 hour game, feeling tired of the gameplay at hour 2 is a terrible sign. You repeat the same 3 things over and over again throughout the game, forced into a super slow running and climbing animation. I don't know why they decided this would be the best direction. Maybe we're forced to slow down to show us how amazing Unreal 5 can look but... a rock is just a rock the 1st and the 600th time as well.

I would've been so much more satisfied if it was just an audiovisual experience. Sit in your couch, put on a headset and enjoy the show.

But having to hold down the left stick for 5 hours to move forward in the slowest possible animation, drizzled in with the same puzzle again and again is just frustrating. (And again, you can only solve them super slow because you move at the pace of a snail.)

Overall, the atmosphere is great. Every aspect of that is utilizing every latest technology, and it shows how much care was put into this project. But you don't HAVE to make a game out of it...

Or well... maybe you do if you're owned by Xbox...

Hellblade 2: Senua's Saga is an absolutely gorgeous jaunt that scintillates the senses and challenges the mind. Sound design and atmosphere are near peerless and a powerfully tragic protagonist anchors the experience in a bloody and brutal reality that begs to be explored...

...only to rob that opportunity from you.

Saga prioritises its art too much, stripping back its gameplay and player control while favouring failure to force its animations on you. Basic traversal is a slog, combat is crunchy but painful, and repetitive puzzles aren't enough to break the short but padded playtime.

Saga fails to capture the intensely delicate balance of its predecessor and finds itself in a chaotic struggle with the player to play the game for them, wrestling and clawing control while forgetting that its visual and audio highs aren't enough to balance the mechanical lows.

So I just finished the game, have a playtime of 8.4 hours and 72% of trophies, meaning I missed some things/ran past them. The walking was a big part of it which could've been shortened but the fights were so great that it made up for it. The graphics made it feel so real that I was constantly shocked and could not believe my eyes and that I am actually in control of the scene. Cutscenes were dope, voice acting on point, gestures and character animation in general so extremely well done. It was absolutely worth it and I will DEFINITELY go right back into it again and play through the whole story a second time! Just do yourself a favor and play this one with some decent headphones and volume up, makes it all so much better!

Absolute cinematic experience and a visual showcase of technical prowess the gaming industry has achieved. They truly took the visual gameplay mechanics to the next level with this one. If you liked Hellblade 1 then you will definitely LOVE this one. The combat was similar to the first game, but the seemless transitions between killing enemies, the stunning finishers, and the next level audio immersion are really what make the combat special.

Senua's psychosis plays a huge role in this game (just like the first) with the return of the conflicting voices in her head that offer aid one minute and doubt the next, adding to Senua's struggle of ups and downs as well as the overall tone of the game.