Slice through self-doubt
The original Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice was a fascinating experiment that used AAA production value to create a stripped-down, claustrophobic action game about psychosis. Despite being acquired by Microsoft, developer Ninja Theory keeps that same focus with Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II ($49.99). This sequel (available on PC and Xbox Series X/S) triples down on being a harrowing but therapeutic mood piece. Although you’ll swing a sword and solve puzzles, Senua’s Saga clearly cares about character and atmosphere above all else.The Mad Woman
You once again enter the troubled mind of Senua (deftly played by Melina Jürgens), a warrior woman who wants to stop slave drivers in windswept 9th-century Iceland. Senua’s characterization, particularly her various trials and turmoil, is what sets Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II apart from other big-budget titles.
As with the first game, Ninja Theory worked with doctors to accurately portray Senua’s fragile psychology. Her psychosis manifests as Furies, voices in her head that confuse and belittle her as she tries to accomplish goals. The constant hushed chatter sounds like antagonistic ASMR, but these intrusive thoughts can also guide you in the right direction if you listen and separate the signal from the noise. The sound design makes you feel like the walls are closing in on you; doubly so when you’re inside tight, dark cave corridors. Like the Tomb Raider reboot, all the misery makes it that much more empowering when Senua overcomes her internal and external obstacles.
Although Hellblade II has many supernatural elements, its take on Norse mythology is closer to The Northman’s boiled-down, semi-realistic history than God of War Ragnarok’s epic fantasy. Your relationships with other characters are more about dealing with their guilt, not admiring their weapons. Despite the arguably silly title, this is a grounded game, thematically and visually.
In general, pursuing expensive, realistic graphics in modern game releases has increasingly diminishing returns. However, I can’t deny that Senua’s Saga’s copious amounts of motion capture, scanned real-world locations, and painstaking detail look fantastic.
