IfHellblade : Senua ’s Sacrificewas about accepting hurt , Senua ’s Saga : Hellblade 2is about find out to live with it .
Senua , Hellblade ’s torture fighter , go through a slew in her continuation . She winds up shipwrecked , faces off against overwhelming colossus , constantly experience the grisly deaths of masses around her , sees the return of the dark represented by her founder , and more . But Senua fight through it all and work more connexion in the real creation than she did in the very isolating story ofSenua ’s Sacrifice .
A saga, not a tragedy
Hellblade 2begins with Senua as a captured slave . She ’s wait to get revenge on the slaveholder who destruct her settlement in the originalHellblade . The slaver ship crashes , and while Senua catch the headwaiter , she gets swept up in a hero ’s journey as she attempt to disembarrass the island of the giants that torment it . Xbox Game Studios and Ninja Theory havemade it no secretthatHellblade 2prioritizes its narrative first and foremost , and the single - player experience triumphantly excels at that .
The twelvemonth ’s most enthralling video biz tale .
It ’s a tightly woven risky venture that does n’t overstay its welcome and feels like a satisfying expansion of the originalHellblade . This is still an intense and personal experience , but Senua ’s journeying this time around force her to make more connections with both the giant and the people working to take the slavers down .
Senua continues to deal with psychosis throughout the whole adventure , and Ninja Theory continues to deal that respectfully . While games likeIndikaor films likeJokertend to use psychosis - like symptoms for abject revulsion , Senua takes a more nuanced and empathetic approaching . While the Furies in Senua ’s read/write head will still sow doubt or tap into the darkness and trauma Senua will always take with her , the voice also encourage her at times or alter her perceived worldview into something more positivistic .
Hellblade 2understands that conditions like psychosis are something that people have to live with in the genuine world , not just scary , reality - altering mental breaks that can be adapted into video biz form for our entertainment . Senua ’s genial wellness shape is n’t exclusively there to freak players out ; it ’s a lens for us to value the genial battles we all campaign and accept the fact that even though what we opine and palpate might make us conceive we are different or othered , thinking and feeling is what makes us human and what keep us grounded . Our emotions help us relate to others , and empathy assure we wo n’t feel alone . If we incessantly live on in fear of ourselves , are we ever truly live ?
Those are the independent melodic theme thatHellblade 2gets across . Because of Senua ’s psychosis and the game ’s introduction , reading the plot literally can sometimes be a bit disorient . Immerse yourself inHellblade 2′s plot on a deeper and more thematic level , and you ’ll discover the year ’s most entrancing video game tale .
Industry-leading presentation
Hellblade 2has been foretell as a game that will truly finger next - gen , and it does live up to that plug . It ’s a gorgeous experience and the best - looking biz I ’ve played onXbox Series X. The visuals in cutscenes and during gameplay are every bit high - fidelity , and it ’s often ruffianly to evidence the difference of opinion between the two until Senua stops moving because you are n’t press any buttons on the accountant .
Hellblade 2is industry - leading , pushing the boundaries of high - faithfulness secret plan presentation .
Midgard , which isbased on Iceland , is see in stunning particular . The psychosis - induced visual effects that Senua experiences make some impressive , mind - bending succession that will likely become standouts of this console generation . The motion gaining control prowess on presentation is top - notch , and all the performances are first-class . Do n’t be surprised if Melina Juergens becomes the first person to win Best Performance at The Game Awards double .
Ninja Theory ’s art goes beyond visual fidelity , though . Hellblade 2is frame like a Hollywood film , and while letterboxing the biz is certain to be a divisive move , I think it work in the secret plan ’s favor . Ninja Theory knows its biz is gorgeous , too , as it allows players to activate a photograph mood at any clock time by hitting up on the D - pad . If you ’re looking for further proof thatHellblade 2looks that sound , the images in this review were enchant using the in - plot picture modality and are n’t polished - up Puerto Rico screenshots .
Its 30 - frames - per - second restriction is dissatisfactory , but the lack of any obtrusive frame charge per unit dips or proficient trouble promptly became a non - take as I aligned myself with the stop number at whichHellblade 2was moving . And I ’d be remiss not to mentionHellblade 2’sindustry - leading good pattern . To accurately depict psychosis , Hellblade 2uses binaural audio to give its soundscape a 3D look .
It ’s unsettling , but enthralling . I was always wide - eyed as I heard the Furies in Senua ’s head move from one side of my headset to another . It ’s pleasant to stop , reek the roses , and listen to the environmental soundscapes the developer had make . Hellblade 2’ssoundtrack is first-class as well . Ninja Theory isbegging people to playHellblade 2with earpiece on , and I have to accord with them . This is a plot best played alone at Nox with earpiece on and the volume richly .
Good enough gameplay
Narratively and technically , Hellblade 2is manufacture - leading , pushing the bound of high - fidelity biz presentment in the same means game likeGod of War : RagnarokandMarvel ’s Spider - Man 2do . It ’s just dissatisfactory thatHellblade 2’sgameplay is n’t nearly as originative or innovative . I do n’t expect a biz likeHellblade 2to be fun ; gameplay should reflect the subject and intone the developer are essay to go for with their interactive experience . I just wishHellblade 2’sgameplay was a scrap more engaging .
Hellblade 2‘s gameplay is never that cagy , even if it ’s well - polished
There are essentially four modes of gameplayHellblade 2moves between : slowly walk around as Senua , perceptual experience teaser , armed combat , and intense set pieces where Senua runs from point to point . None of these toy badly . Combat is amend from the first plot with more elaborated animations and cinematic framing that made me feel like the architect of an intense Hollywood conflict scene during every scrap brush .
However , gameplay still feels more derivative than innovative . The perspective mystifier are n’t ruffianly to reckon out and are n’t very evolved compared to the original , even if they issue forth with telling visual effects . The attack - dodge - parry flow of combat is well - trodden in picture games at this item , and instant - fail sections are annoying , even ifHellblade 2never punish players with the expiration of a lot of onward motion .
I ca n’t serve but feel like the sequel could have done more to think over its narrative base through gameplay . Indika , a jolly standardised plot about a Christian nun buoy sell with voices in her head , handles its characterization of genial wellness less deftly thanHellblade 2but is more originative on the gameplay front . WithinIndika’sopening hour , its titular character slowly fills a bucket of water as the rascally part in her head taunting her , only for that bucket of weewee to be floor out . That ’s not “ fun ” gameplay but more thematically relevant . Outside of the obscure concepts of “ looking at things from a unexampled perspective ” or “ fighting through the darkness,”Hellblade 2‘s gameplay is never that clever , even if it ’s well - dressed .
Hellblade 2doesn’t lineament much in the way of gameplay procession , and while that ’s fine , I hope for more gameplay creativeness from biz that determine not to concenter on that . If Ninja Theory gets to make a third Hellblade game , gameplay is the area I hope they concenter on and amend the most .
Hellblade 2is a game about perseverance , so I ’m happy that Ninja Theory hang in with this sequel and hope the studio gets a chance to continue to do so . Senua ’s Sacrificewas a surprisal from an indie studio punching above its weight in 2017 ; now Ninja Theory is an 80 + developer team with the backing of Microsoft that looked to top that biz with its continuation .
Although the gameplay experience remained stagnant , Hellblade 2successfully advertise boundary on the introduction front , pinch the first game with its stunning visuals , beguile performances , and immersive sound invention . But is that enough ? Right now , on the heels of the closure ofHi - Fi Rushdeveloper Tango Gameworks , I ’m care what Ninja Theory fulfill withHellblade 2is not enough for the top banana at Microsoft . Many are implicated that Ninja Theory might be the next studio to get exclude down .
That shadow looms over the launch of what should go down as a hallmark Xbox exclusive . While that ’s certainly worrying , and those feelings should n’t be ignore , Hellblade 2taught me that the good thing we can do is not get those negatively charged thoughts sweep down the accomplishments Ninja Theory made with this secret plan . If Microsoft does n’t value the artistry on presentation here , then that ’s a mistake that Xbox will have to evermore live with . PlayHellblade 2because it ’s a tremendous experience from a studio that deserves to exist on and carry on to make standout games , not because you fear what will happen to Ninja Theory if you do n’t .
Senua ’s Saga : Hellblade 2was tested on Xbox Series X.
