June 15, 2024, 10:29 am | Read time: 5 minutes
Seven years after the acclaimed predecessor, “Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II” has recently been released. The long-awaited game sequel is a must for all fans.
When the then-indie studio Ninja Theory released “Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice” in 2017, no one could have predicted what a gem the development team had truly created. However, the title managed to win over both fans and critics alike: More than one million copies have been sold so far, and it has received numerous awards, including at the prestigious Game Awards and from BAFTA. Since May 21, 2024, the sequel “Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2” has been available exclusively for Xbox Series X/S. The game is an emotional and visual powerhouse.
What “Hellblade 2” is About
As in the predecessor, the story revolves around the Celtic warrior Senua. After embarking on a difficult journey to hell and defeating the goddess Hela in the first part, this time she must face Vikings. They have kidnapped the people from her village.
After a mishap at sea, she is stranded on the coast of Iceland, where she suddenly encounters giants who dominate everything there–land and people alike. Together with three other companions, she plunges into the dangerous adventure.
The Psychological Aspect of “Hellblade 2”
Giants, Norse myths, action–it sounds a lot like the recent “God of War” games for PlayStation. However, “Hellblade 2” couldn’t be further from that. While Kratos flexes his mighty muscles, Senua is plagued by visions, inner voices, and depression, as she suffers from psychosis. Thus, the battle against evil is not the only one she must fight–she is also constantly at odds with herself.
As with the predecessor, Ninja Theory worked with psychologists and people affected by mental illnesses to portray the protagonist’s suffering credibly. Therefore, this is an action-adventure of a different kind: As a player, you spend a lot of time with a melancholic heroine who constantly talks to herself. Every step seems heavy, and with every sword strike, it seems as if a burden is lifted from Senua’s shoulders.
Also interesting: Once you have completed the title, you unlock a new commentary from one of Senua’s companions. This opens up entirely new perspectives on the plot and the protagonist’s emotional world.
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Gameplay Reduced to the Essentials
The pace is sometimes leisurely, with players walking through the dark landscape for minutes. This is interrupted by mostly repetitive battles against often similar enemies.
At the same time, Ninja Theory once again refrained from using well-known level and skill systems. Senua cannot level up to become stronger, nor does she receive new weapons with special properties. The warrior has a sword–and that’s it. At least she can unleash a particularly strong strike after repeated successful parries.
Simple Puzzles Lighten the Gameplay
Occasionally, players need to use their brains a bit to progress. In one type of puzzle, runes are cleverly hidden in the environment, which can be revealed from the right perspective–just like in “Senua’s Sacrifice.”
Furthermore, Senua must use magical orbs to alter her surroundings. This way, she causes bridges to appear out of nowhere, or the ceiling and floor occasionally swap places. All these puzzle elements increase in complexity as the game progresses, but not necessarily in difficulty–it should never take too long to solve them.
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Technically and Audiovisually Impressive
There is a lot to see and hear in “Hellblade 2,” as the title is technically among the best that the gaming year 2024 has to offer. (Nightmare) dreamlike landscape panoramas alternate with eerie visions and close-ups of Senua’s tormented, yet detailed and expressively animated face.
Once again, the acting talent of German Melina Jürgens was used for the facial expressions. She accidentally slipped into the role of the motion-capture model for Senua in the predecessor and was promptly awarded several prizes for her performance. Her movements and expressions were digitized for the game–rarely has psychological pain been portrayed so convincingly in a video game.
There is also a lot happening on the audio level: There are always some sounds to be heard, and central to the gameplay and storytelling are the excellently voiced inner dialogues between Senua and her other voices in her head. However, there is one downside: There is no German-language voiceover, but subtitles can be enabled for better understanding.
“Hellblade 2” is Different from the Rest
Ninja Theory has completely bucked the trend with Senua’s new console outing. Instead of sprawling, almost overwhelming set-pieces and bombast at every corner, it is a compact but atmospherically dense package for those who place a high value on the storyline.
While it may lack variety and depth in gameplay, it offers an intense journey into the dark heart of a warrior that is both thrilling and emotional. The playtime of about six hours may seem too short–but in terms of narrative structure and atmosphere, it can also be seen as a hidden strength.
“Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2” was developed by Ninja Theory and published by Microsoft. On consoles, the title is currently available exclusively on Xbox Series X/S in the Xbox Game Pass. It is also playable on Windows and Geforce Now. The cost is around 50 euros; the USK age rating is 18 and up.
With material from dpa