When Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice came out. As a young woman who had suffered mis word and was desperately struggling with her own mental health issues and attachment issues, Senua’s journey resonated and comforted me in a way that no other game has ever had. So it might surprise you that I was extremely hesitant when I heard that Ninja Theory was working on a sequel.
My biggest concern – especially after Microsoft’s purchase of Ninja Theory-was that the next entry in the Hellblade series would aim to be one of the massive AAA experiences taking over the gaming industry, with a crowded minimap, crafting, side quests, and more. This is not to say that, of course, these functions are inherently bad-they have their place – but to me it seemed at odds with what Hellblade did so well. I didn’t want width, I wanted the series to keep its depth; i wanted emotions, art, storytelling, introspection, myths, terror and magic. In fact, I was so worried that the studio would trade its depth for width that I hadn’t foreseen what had actually happened.
Instead of expanding its systems and scope or weaving a story that is both devoted and mystical, Senua’s Sage: Hellblade 2 focuses on significantly improving what its predecessor has already done so well: graphics and sound. Hellblade 2 is a miracle to watch. It’s beautiful, cinematic and hyper-realistic, but still strange and ethereal. His music remains exceptional and his sound design is prepared to make your skin crawl. And yet I can’t help but be disappointed by the sobriety and superficiality of his story and gameplay. While Hellblade 2 might be an unforgettable sight, its minimal gameplay and confusing narrative prevent it from being a game that has a significant impact on me.
Senua’s saga begins shortly after Senua’s sacrifice and follows our heroine as she confronts the men from the North who continue to plunder her land and enslave her people. She sees this not only as an opportunity to do the right thing, but as a way to atone for the sins that she is still convinced that you committed-a way to wash blood that she can see on her hands. However, Senua soon discovers that revenge is not so easy and that a decision that condemns and brutalizes one group could mean the safety and survival of another.
It is a simple action that is ultimately carried out in a way that lacks wealth. Nevertheless, there are some topics here that go a little further. First and foremost-and as any therapist will tell you- progress is not linear. It is an interesting concept to study Senua’s reintegration into society and the impact of his mental illness on this process. Although she is in a superior place at the end of the first game, she is not miraculously cured of her trauma or the inner voices that have arisen as a result. In fact, she is still very afraid of herself and is tormented by the guilt that her father instilled in her. I appreciate that this is also manifested in his new journey.
In addition, Hellblade 2 focuses on compassion in a way that is not new, but still tender. in the middle of Senua’s companions, who assure him that his empathy and unique way of looking at the world is a gift, and the general focus of the game on understanding the “man behind the monster” in order to heal them and stop the cycles of roughness, there are appeals to kindness here that are always worth listening to. I appreciated that the game contained conflicting ideas about morality and reform, and although it often dealt with the old saying “hurting people, hurting people”, it also clarified that people always have a choice, and that pain is not an excuse for cruelty.
And yet the topics fall a little flat. I doubtfull person that this is mainly due to the dialogue, narration and Senua’s voices of the game, which never reach the same level of poetry or introspection as in the first game. In particular, voices often act as a distracting novelty. And, of course, it can be argued that panic and trauma are distracting, but if this was the artistic choice that Ninja Theory was looking for, then this feeling of turmoil does not get through. Instead, I was frustrated that Senua’s internal monologue turned into this simplistic noise that really only offered self-flagellating affirmations or remarks-some of which seemed to counteract all of his previous lessons he had learned in a way that felt less like a non-linear progression and more like a lack of narrative cohesion.
But while the voices sounded too simple, the game’s narrative seemed too blunt, with legions of words spoken to convey very simple messages that are then repeated dramatically over and over again. All this is added to the fact that this game adds a number of supporting characters who speak above and below these other voices, which leads to confused and boring writing, and ultimately does not have the same artistic sense that is shown in the audios and visuals of Hellblade 2. I also doubtfull person that part of it would have been easier to forgive if the game’s story overcomes had been bolder, more devoted, less repetitive and less predictable, but Senua’s saga ultimately commits to an aesthetic and cinematic show at the expense of telling a deep story that takes Senua and the player to new heights.
This is a problem that comes up again when you look at the gameplay of Hellblade 2, which is clearly more frustrating than the storytelling. Playing through the saga of Senua, you will mainly do three things: walking, solving puzzles and actioning. In theory, this should be enough to make a gamer feel like they’re playing an h-game I mean heck, take Zelda off and it’s basically the same thing, right? Nevertheless, Hellblade scored 2 points, where I rather felt that I was watching a slightly interactive movie. Most of the time it felt like I was crawling in caves or walking along beaches, and rare puzzles and simplified actions prevented me from feeling a sense of relief, connection or satisfaction with the game.
And, of course, I heard that the original riddles and actions of Hellblade were nothing special-I would say this is fair, since the game focused mainly on deep, introspective storytelling. But since Hellblade 2 does not have it, I hoped that new and improved mechanics would be waiting for us. Instead, things have been reduced. Almost all actions are the same: you compete with one enemy, parry his action, press a catch to finish him, and then action with the next one. While in the previous game you were navigating the terrain, managing multiple enemies and being able to kick and action a little more dynamically, all this was reduced to rotating around a single enemy until you could enter a parade.
It is clear that the reason for this new action system is to make actions more scripted and cinematic, since it is easy to integrate tense moments, throws, combos, dramatic expireds and more when the player is limited to press a few catchs against a single opponent in a very small space. But the big problem here-aside from the action itself-is that several games have proven that actions can feel choreographed and cinematic, while allowing players to engage with enemies in a more meaningful way. The action in Hellblade 2 is not just an afterthought, but practically non-existent. In fact, I would say that the end result feels like a quick, even more tedious event.
Solving puzzles is an equally simple process and consists mainly in finding ways to distort reality in order to gain access to new areas and points of view. From here you will find hidden runes that will help you progress. It’s a little less boring, but none of the puzzles scattered around the game are particularly exciting or challenging, which means that you will never feel challenged or particularly satisfied with yourself.