Summary
If you look only at critic averages,Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrificeand its sequel,Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, are roughly on par. OpenCritic lists the first game at anaverage of 84, whilethe sequel sits at 81.
Dig a little deeper, though, and you’ll find that the first game had a fairly even spread of scores, the majority ranging from 9/10 to 7.5/10, while the second has beenmuch more divisive, with major publications giving it ratings ranging from 10/10 to 5/10. Our own Stacey Henley gave it a 3/5 inher review, a score that sits on the low end.
Lots Of Games Are Divisive, That Doesn’t Mean They’re Bad
Reviews are, inherently, deeply subjective. Even just within TheGamer, you’ll find wildly differing opinions on the same game, let alone within the games industry as a whole. While there are some games that almost everyone across the board can agree are excellent –Baldur’s Gate 3, anyone? – and there are many more that everyone agrees arefine, but not revolutionary, there are a few that split opinion.
When Baldur’s Gate 3’s review scores first came out, I said a similar thing:the score doesn’t really matter that much to me.
For example, I distinctly remember that when I was first asking about thoughts onBanishers: Ghosts of New Edenwhile deciding if I would buy it, reviewer Joe Parlock’s summary amounted to ‘meh’ while my colleague Eric Switzer said not to listen to him, because the game rules. I ended up not enjoying its gameplay that much, but I saw the merits of its strong story.
Another example: when I reviewedGoodbye Volcano High, I ended upgiving it a 2.5/5. Stacey noted to me while editing the review that she personally disagreed with my final rating and that she’d enjoyed the game quite a lot, but that my points were justified appropriately and my score, ultimately, was just as valid as hers. As critics that review games regularly and read other people’s reviews, we understand that no one opinion is objectively correct.
Every reviewer prioritises different things in games. What one person loves, another might find grating. What one person finds conducive to the overall experience of the game, another might find throws a wrench in the momentum. There’s no way to really judge whether you’ll love a game from reviews alone, because you simply might not agree with that reviewer. This is all the more true when games are as divisive as Hellblade 2 is.
Divisiveness Often Means Complexity
At the risk of sounding pretentious and edgy, I tend to gravitate towards media that’s divisive. It’s fine if the majority of critics come to the consensus that something is good or just mediocre – this happens with most games, with truly divisive games being quite rare. But when somethingis thatdivisive, I want to experience it myself so I can form my own opinion and see how the opinions of other critics sit with me personally.
When films like Civil War or Megalopolis draw mixed opinions, I gethyped. I want to watch it with my friends and have a heated two hour debate about it after the fact. I loved Beau Is Afraid, despite the fact that many critics, and many of my own friends, hated it. I loved 1981’s Possession, despite the fact that half the friends I watched it with thought it was self-indulgent drivel. Divisiveness means there is potential for myriad, equally valid viewpoints, and it’sfunto engage intellectually with criticism. What’s the point of consuming so much media if we don’t form our own opinions about them?
You’ll note I’m talking about films here, but I’ve also enjoyed divisive games likeMass Effect: AndromedaandDetroit: Become Human, despite recognising their flaws. I only became aware of the discourse around those games after playing them, and while the criticism helped me think more deeply about them, it didn’t detract from the fact that I enjoyed my time with them regardless.
But games, naturally, have a higher cost of engagement. They’re generally much more expensive than a movie ticket, and they take far longer to complete, with triple-A games often reaching lengths of close to 100 hours if you’re gunning for full completion. It’s understandable that people are more hesitant to drop up to $70 on a game that critics either love or hate. Even though Hellblade 2 is considerably shorter and cheaper, it’s still a bigger investment than a ticket and two hours in a cinema.
But I encourage you not to let critic scores define your taste in games. Not even mine. If you think you’ll like something, there’s a good chance you’ll find value in the experience even if it isn’t perfect. An opportunity to engage critically with games is always a good thing.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Following her trials and tribulations in her debut game, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 sees the titular protagonist again have to battle the darkness in order to liberate others from a tyrannical regime.
