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Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2is one of the most highly anticipatedXbox arrivals in 2024, but it’s off to a surprisingly mixed start, withsome outlets giving it much praise and others not so much, TheGamer included. Its story is completely different from the tone of the first, creating an entirely new experience that pushes the series in an even more stylish and artistic direction.
It’s also been seven years since the first game,a long time to wait for a sequelto one of gaming’s most beloved Double-A experiences. So was Hellblade 2 worth the wait, or is it better to save your money and watch some walkthroughs of this narrative adventure taking Senua to Viking Iceland?
Review
TheGamer’s review written by our Editor-in-Chief Stacey Henleyis titled’A Walking Contradiction,‘which should already tell you it’s not the least bit flattering.
The main issue for Henley is that she feelsHellblade 2 is experiencing an identity crisis, hilariously elaborating that even the very title of the game, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, is an odd reversal of traditional naming conventions and further demonstrates it doesn’t know what it wants to be.
Is it an indie game eager to be unique in the marketplace, or another triple-A hit with the usual trimmings? Is it a peaceful puzzle game, or a mini soulslike? Is it an inwardly reflective tale about the demons of trauma, or a very literal tale of gods and monsters? Is it even a game, or is it an interactive art piece?
Henley is right in questioning whether Hellblade 2 is even a game. She points out thatthere are no HUD elements at all, “no health bars, no directional compass, no map,” but gives credit for the game making exploration intuitive for the player and more rewarding when you discover hidden collectibles.
The combat is also done without a HUD andrelies on continuous choreographed sequences where you’re fighting in a very cinematic waythat’s meant to “feel like you’re always playing,” but Henley feels it achieves the exact opposite, that the game takes too much away from the player.
Another fault is the game’s total runtime, which she compares to the latest PlayStation-exclusive Stellar Blade, and the contrast is very stark. Though these are bothnot overly long 80-hour games, Stellar Bladehas a modest 22.5-hour chunk of time, whileHellblade 2 is well below ten hours.
And she’s alsonot a fan of the direction the sequel takes the story in, saying that the additional characters “dilute” what this game was supposed to be all about – Senua’s mental health journey and the “dance of reality,” where you’re not sure of what’s reality and what’s her psychosis.
By bringing in several other characters who equally interact with these elements and corroborate most of Senua’s visions, it’s no longer a poetically polygonal exploration of mental health turmoil, but God of War with multiple whispering narrators.
But it’s not all doom and gloom for Hellblade 2. Henley feels thatthe facial animations are as real as can be, believing it “a true electric miracle of motion capture unfolding before our eyes” and that it “captures human emotion on a level I have never seen in a video game.”
The sequences with the giants she felt were much better executed than the standard repetitive combat, the game’s exploration and environment design are “ingenious,” and you once again haveanother phenomenal performance by Melina Juergensas the titular protagonist.
Time Expenditure
According to HowLongToBeat, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is an even shorter game than the original. The main story will take you aroundsix and a half hoursto get through, and nine hours if you plan on getting everything to full completion.
There are more collectibles this time aroundsince you now have Hidden Faces to discover and Yggdrasil trees that provide more lore narration, on top of Druth’s Lorestangir locations. This will take you more time as well as give you an incentive to explore rather than just follow the very linear and short story chapters.
However, if you’re in it solely for the main story, the game is very cinematic and makes it very easy to progress through to the end, so it’sbest to binge it in one playthrough, like an interactive movie, if you have the time.
Cost
As Senua goes through a taxing emotional cost in her hero’s journey in Hellblade 2, here’s how much playing the game will cost you:
$49.99
Xbox Game Pass
PC - $9.99/month, Console Standard - $10.99/month, Ultimate - $16.99/month
Hellblade 2isa Microsoft Xbox exclusive at launch, while also being available on PC via Steam purchase. Since it’s a fairly short game, it’s priced at $50, which is a lower cost than your standard Triple-A title, especially with the high-end graphics and visuals this one brings.
Senua’s Sage: Hellblade 2 is a digital-only release. There are no physical units available and no Deluxe or Collector’s editions.
What Players Are Saying
It’s More Than A Video Game - Dennis Moiseyev
I wasn’t a huge fan of the first Hellblade in terms of where it went with game design, but the visuals I saw from Hellblade 2’s trailers gave me a glimmer of hope to want to try it out. The sequel is truly a breathtaking marvel of a game and turned out to be more my style. It’s fast-paced and has a more hopeful tone than the first, given Senua’s character development, and is just an all-around stunning achievement from Ninja Theory that still leaves me in awe, despite its length feeling more like a demo.
As I write down these thoughts, I’m reminded of a list article on our site that ranks games based on them being more representative as a work of art. The first Hellblade is certainly on there, and the sequel is equally as worthy to join it. Although I don’t share the same opinions that are in our review by Stacey Henley, I do agree with her on one note. This is not a video game, it’s more. What you have in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is one of the most immersive and beautifully shot interactive art experiences in gaming, period. Pure game cinema.
Nothing New To Offer But Still Enjoyable If You Liked The First - Matt Arnold
Hellblade 2 offers more of what Ninja Theory gave us in the original: a short, narrative-focused adventure that blends myth, metaphor, and mental illness. You don’t need to have played Senua’s Sacrifice, I’d recommend doing so. Senua’s Saga doesn’t really improve on the formula, and the story feels less cohesive this time around, but the game definitely has its moments. It’s a fine way to spend a rainy weekend, especially if you’re able to get it on sale.
Only If You Love Narrative-Heavy Cinematic Games - Dominic Allen
Quality headphones are a must for this game, as they completely transform the experience. The audio design is surprisingly better than the original, and the graphics, combat feel, and animation quality are all improved. It’s super niche, though, but if you’re down with narrative cinematic games, it’s a great one to play.
