Almost six years ago, I played Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice for the first time. It was one of the most unique gaming experiences I’d ever had. At the time, it was unprecedented for a video game to portray its protagonist’s mental disorders so masterfully. Now, seven years after the release of that game, its sequel, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, aims to outdo its predecessor in every possible aspect.
When Hellblade was released, its developer, the renowned Ninja Theory studio, was in a tough spot. They had no publisher, a modest budget, and only 20 employees. But that didn’t stop them from completing a project that, considering the sensitivity of the subject matter, seemed like a huge risk. Yet the risk paid off; Hellblade, ironically, saved Ninja Theory from the depth of hell. During the development of the sequel, Microsoft made them an offer they couldn’t refuse. With the virtually infinite resources of the Redmond-based tech giant, Ninja Theory sure took their damn time, but they did deliver an experience that is as cinematic and mature as it is mad.
Much like its predecessor, Hellblade II is a rather short, cinematic, story-driven action-adventure video game, with its cinematic and narrative aspects turned up to eleven. Every stage, scene, and location is artfully crafted and captivating. The cutscenes, with their clever framing and meticulous motion capture recording, are each a mini-movie in its own right. And it doesn’t stop there; even the gameplay is exceptionally cinematic.
The suffering protagonist, who in the first installment sought to deliver the remains of her lover to Helheim in hopes of saving his soul, now embarks on a much bigger, more perilous journey.
If you found yourself enjoying the psychological drama, maddening whispers, and disturbing scenes of Hellblade, you’re in for a treat, as the sequel turns the madness up a notch and definitely delivers on the promise of its predecessor. Ninja Theory makes the best use of the binaural audio technology to inject the sounds into your brain so that you feel immersed in Senua’s madness with every fiber of your being. Just like the first game, I recommend playing with a decent headset for the best possible experience.
In terms of gameplay, Hellblade II is pretty much the same as its predecessor. Putting aside its long, highly cinematic cutscenes, one could divide the game into four different sections: walking, dialogue, breathtaking action sequences, and the occasional environmental puzzle to move the story forward.
The combat is what you’d expect from any modern action-adventure game – a mixture of light and heavy attacks, plus dodging and parrying to create counter-attack opportunities. But the fixed camera angles and Senua’s highly detailed, motion-captured moves make the combat feel very fluid and cinematic.
Hellblade II’s combat doesn’t reinvent the wheel; it builds upon the mechanics of the first game, improving them in every possible aspect. However, it feels noticeably less challenging than the first game, especially with the dynamic difficulty setting, which automatically lowers the difficulty of an encounter if the game thinks you’re struggling with it. While this is probably an attempt to appeal to a wider audience and aligns with the cinematic, movie-like atmosphere of the game, it might be a turn-off for slightly older and/or more hardcore audiences (including yours truly). After all, when I sign up to play a game, I want to face and overcome challenges, not just watch a movie.
One could extend this argument a bit further. Personally, I’m not against cinematic, highly scripted video games. However, I recognize that it might not be everyone’s cup of tea. I have to admit that the developers could have done a better job of making the game more interactive. Some of the cutscenes feel like they could’ve used a trim. And there are gameplay sequences where the player merely presses a single button. For me, true interactive and engaging gameplay involves more than that.
One of the primary reasons Hellblade II generated quite a bit of buzz is its visuals. Back in 2019, when the game was announced, it was the first title being powered by Unreal Engine 5 – a state-of-the-art game engine with an unreal ability (see what I did there?) to render graphical images indistinguishable from real life.
Taking advantage of Unreal Engine’s distinctive features, including, but not limited to, Lumen’s global illumination and reflections, Nanite’s virtualized geometry, and Virtual Shadow Maps, Ninja Theory has created arguably the most visually impressive video game of 2024. Add the rigorously recorded motion capture to the mix, and you’ll get a perfect mesh of the two worlds of art and technology. However, these technical achievements come at a cost: the game caps at 30fps on Xbox Series X and might sweat slightly older PCs.
In an era where few developers dare to create cinematic, story-driven gaming experiences, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II stands out as a breath of fresh air. Ninja Theory’s unwavering commitment to storytelling, character development, cinematography, and the depiction of madness and mental disorders is commendable. For those of you who would eat and breathe highly scripted, story-rich video games, Hellblade II is a must-play. But if you seek more agency, scoff at games that hold your hand, or can’t wait to skip cutscenes, you might find it disappointing. And for the rest of us, we’ll savor the few hours spent playing Hellblade II, but we’ll occasionally find ourselves grumbling and cursing the developers under our breaths.
Rating: 90/100
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