Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Review: A Shot in the Dark

2017’s Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is one of the most harrowing, beautiful, and gorgeous games of the generation, and while it didn’t seem like it would (or perhaps even should) get a sequel given how the first game concluded, here we are, as Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 has released on Xbox Series X/S and PC, picking up on Senua’s story in a whole new adventure full of thrills and emotional story beats. After dealing with the death of her love, Senua continues her journey through the dark world of Norse mythology and Celtic culture on a whole new mission to save her people.

While the gameplay premise of Senua’s Sacrifice wasn’t the tentpole attraction, it was the visuals, story, stellar audio, and overall presentation that drew fans in, and the sequel expands on this, running on Unreal Engine 5 with all its shiny bells, whistles, and animations. Hellblade 2 has to be the closest thing to blurring the line between cutscenes and gameplay, as the in-game animations are so smooth and organic that it often looks like a pre-rendered cinematic, whether you’re fighting, traversing through the environment, or simply exploring.

So, from a presentation perspective, Ninja Theory has cranked the experience up to 12, and that includes the familiar psychological stress on Senua, which is visualised through hallucinations, delivered through whispery audio, and punctuated by a booming score and soundtrack. Unreal Engine 5 adds a lot of atmosphere and detail to the action, and the lack of any HUD delivers a cinematic experience unlike anything else out there. If Hellblade 1 was the incredible ‘local theatre experience’, Hellblade 2 is the Hollywood spectacle.

While the drama has been upscaled to great effect, Ninja Theory knows that the accessible gameplay is what will allow more players to experience the Hellblade franchise. Combat is pretty straightforward, giving you attack options, dodging and a perfect block mechanic to knock your enemy off balance. It’s not particularly tricky (despite fighting multiple enemies at once on occasion), but it’s more about the visual splendour of these gruelling and brutal fights. That’s not to say they’re not engaging from a mechanic-perspective, though, as you have to master some tricky timing, especially when it comes to the boss fights.

Hellblade 2, while not overly long, is better for it and doesn’t overstay its welcome with its 7-8 hour length. There’s an enjoyable variety of story, puzzles, and combat, and while you’re pretty much on a set path and won’t be exploring the nooks and crannies of an open world, it’s another brilliant and emotional experience that fans of the original will enjoy. It’s less God of War and more ‘slow-burn hack-‘n-slash’, but that’s what makes Hellblade stand out from the crowd.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is available on Xbox Series X/S and PC.