When Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice was launched in 2017 it shortly turned one in every of my favourite video games of all time. I beat it in a single sitting and bear in mind feeling grateful that I had performed it in a room darkish sufficient to hide how a lot I wept because the credit rolled. As a younger girl who had endured abuse and was desperately wrangling along with her personal psychological well being and attachment points, Senua’s journey resonated and comforted me in a method no different recreation ever had. So it’d shock you then, that after I heard Ninja Principle was engaged on a sequel, I used to be extraordinarily hesitant.
My largest concern–particularly after Microsoft bought Ninja Principle–was that the following entry within the Hellblade collection would purpose to be one of many huge, AAA experiences which are taking up the video games business, full with a cluttered mini-map, crafting, facet quests, and extra. That is to not say these options are inherently unhealthy of course–they do have their place–but to me, this felt at odds with what Hellblade did so properly. I did not need breadth, I wished the collection to take care of its depth; I wished emotion, artwork, storytelling, introspection, mythos, terror, and magic. In reality, I used to be so involved that the studio would commerce in its depth for breadth, I did not foresee what truly occurred.
Fairly than increasing its methods and scope, or weaving a narrative equal components intimate and mystical, Senua’s Sage: Hellblade 2 focuses on vastly enhancing what its predecessor already did so properly: visuals and sound. Hellblade 2 is a marvel to have a look at. It is beautiful, cinematic, and hyper-realistic, but nonetheless eerie and ethereal. Its music stays extraordinary, and its sound design is primed to make your pores and skin crawl. And but, I can’t assist however be dissatisfied by how pared down and shallow its story and gameplay are. Whereas Hellblade 2 is perhaps a sight to behold, its minimal gameplay and muddled narrative forestall it from being a recreation that has any significant influence on me.
Senua’s Saga picks up not lengthy after Senua’s Sacrifice, and follows our heroine as she units off to confront the Northmen who maintain raiding her lands and enslaving her individuals. She sees this not solely as an opportunity to do what’s proper, however as a option to atone for the sins she continues to be satisfied she committed–a option to wash off the blood that she will be able to’t assist however see on her palms. Nonetheless, Senua quickly discovers that vengeance will not be so easy, and a choice that condemns and brutalizes one group may imply security and survival to a different.
It is a easy plot that’s in the end executed in a method that lacks richness. But there are specific themes right here that carry it a bit additional. At the beginning–and as each therapist will inform you–progress will not be linear. Exploring Senua’s reintegration into society and the way her psychological sickness impacts that course of is an attention-grabbing idea. Regardless of her being in a greater place by the top of the primary recreation, she will not be miraculously cured of her trauma or the inside voices that manifested on account of it. In reality, she continues to be largely terrified of herself and affected by the guilt her father instilled in her. I respect that this comes by means of in her latest journey, too.
Moreover, Hellblade 2 hones in on compassion in a method that isn’t novel, however tender nonetheless. Between Senua’s companions assuring her that her empathy and distinctive method of seeing the world is a present, to the sport’s general emphasis on attempting to know the “man behind the monster” with a view to heal them and cease cycles of violence, there are some requires kindness right here which are all the time value listening to. I appreciated the sport presenting conflicting concepts on morality and reformation, and whereas it did ceaselessly delve into the outdated saying “harm individuals harm individuals,” it additionally made clear that folks all the time have a selection and that ache will not be an excuse for cruelty.
And but, the themes fall a bit flat. I believe it is largely because of the recreation’s dialogue, narration, and Senua’s voices, which by no means attain the identical degree of poeticism or introspection as they do within the first recreation. The voices particularly typically come throughout as a distracting novelty. And certain, it may be argued that anxiousness and trauma is distracting, but when that was the inventive selection Ninja Principle was going for, that sense of turbulence would not minimize by means of. As a substitute, I used to be left pissed off that Senua’s inner monologue turned this simplistic little bit of noise that solely really provided up both affirmations or self-flagellating remarks–some of which appeared to counteract all her earlier classes realized in a method that felt much less like nonlinear progress and extra like an absence of narrative cohesion.
However whereas the voices felt too easy, the sport’s narration felt overly obtuse, that includes legions of phrases mentioned all to convey quite simple messages which are then repeated dramatically time and time once more. All this comes on prime of the truth that this recreation provides a forged of supporting characters who discuss over and below these different voices, resulting in writing coming throughout as muddled and tedious, and in the end lacks the identical sense of artistry exhibited within the Hellblade 2’s audio and visuals. I additionally suspect that a few of this is able to have been simpler to forgive if the sport’s story beats have been bolder, extra intimate, much less repetitive, and fewer predictable, however Senua’s Saga in the end commits to being an aesthetic and cinematic spectacle on the expense of telling a profound story that takes each Senua and the participant to new heights.
This can be a downside that rears its head once more when analyzing Hellblade 2’s gameplay, which is considerably extra irritating than its storytelling. Whereas enjoying by means of Senua’s Saga, you’ll primarily do three issues: stroll, clear up puzzles, and combat. In concept, that must be sufficient to make a participant really feel like they’re enjoying a game–I imply heck, strip down Zelda and it is mainly the identical factor, proper? But Hellblade 2 reached factors the place it felt extra like I used to be watching a barely interactive film. Nearly all of my time felt spent crawling by means of caves or strolling alongside seashores, and rare puzzles and simplistic fight saved me from feeling any sense of reduction, connection, or satisfaction with the sport.
And certain, I’ve heard it argued that the unique Hellblade’s puzzles and fight have been nothing extraordinary–I might say that is truthful, as the sport primarily centered on deep, introspective storytelling. However contemplating Hellblade 2 would not have that, I had some hope new and improved mechanics may lie in retailer for us. As a substitute, issues have been pared again. Nearly each battle is identical: you face off towards an enemy, parry their assault, press a button to kill them, then interact with the following one. Whereas within the earlier recreation you needed to navigate the sphere, handle a number of enemies, and will kick and combat a bit extra dynamically, all of that has been minimize in favor of circling round a single enemy till you will get in a parry.
It is clear that the rationale for this new fight system is to make battles extra scripted and cinematic, as it is simple to include tense moments, rolls, combos, dramatic deaths, and extra when the participant is restricted to hitting a pair buttons towards a single opponent in a really small house. However the massive downside here–well, aside from the fight itself–is that a number of video games have confirmed that fights can really feel choreographed and cinematic whereas permitting gamers to have interaction with enemies in additional significant methods. Fight in Hellblade 2 feels not identical to an afterthought, however nearly non-existent. In reality, I might argue that the top end result feels much like a quick-time occasion, but extra tedious.
Fixing puzzles is simply as easy a course of, and primarily consists of discovering methods to distort actuality with a view to achieve entry to new areas and vantage factors. From there, you will see that hidden runes that help your progress. It is barely much less tedious, however not one of the puzzles scattered all through the sport are notably participating or tough, that means you by no means really feel challenged or notably glad with your self.
This is not to say Hellblade 2 is devoid of any outstanding options. In reality, you would be hard-pressed to discover a extra visually placing first-party Xbox title. From its lighting and framing to the hyper-realism of its characters and places, each little bit of Hellblade 2 feels cinematic and spectacular. Whereas its story and methods may use some love, it’s abundantly clear that these environments–from the animal skulls that adorn dilapidated homes to the towering mountains and huge oceans that stretch previous the place the attention can see–were utterly adored by the crew. Equally, the sport’s movement seize and performances are next-level, with every of the sport’s primary forged bringing a degree of melodrama and pressure to the sport that elevates a script that’s in any other case a bit flat and predictable.
The sport’s sound design and music are maybe much more notable. Although the obvious reward is leveled on the recreation’s binaural audio, there are such a lot of different parts that come collectively alongside this selection that elevate it. The deep groans of rotting buildings and shrieks of villagers in ache are so practical they really feel palpable. Senua’s up-close and breathy panic evokes on the spot pressure, whereas far off, guttural singing strikes concern. Although the fight itself is perhaps subpar, the music that performs whereas Senua faces off towards the draugr is intense and riveting.
However whereas few video games can rival Hellblade 2’s sound, graphic constancy, and expertise for rendering beautiful vistas and characters so expressive you possibly can inform once they’re tensing their jaws, I could not assist pondering how beautiful the sport can be if what was depicted was extra diverse. There are just a few memorable set items I will not spoil, however even in comparison with its predecessor–which led gamers by means of tombs, razed cities, haunted woods, chamber halls, and allow them to face off towards giants, a rotting boar, towering stag-headed monsters, and the god of illusions–there is surprisingly little variation in Hellblade 2’s settings and monsters. Although the caves Senua crawled by means of succeeded in inducing the claustrophobia the sport warns you about at its begin, massive chunks of the sport going down surrounded by stone is not completely interesting. It is yet one more substance downside in a recreation that’s regrettably filled with them.
Primarily based on its new naming conference, the usage of “saga” in Hellblade 2’s title, and Microsoft’s acquisition of developer Ninja Principle following the success of Senua’s Sacrifice, it appears as if Hellblade is slated to be a collection in addition to a staple in Xbox’s first-party lineup. That mentioned, at this level, I do not precisely perceive the place the collection is headed, if to not the field workplace. There are many video games that show video games might be artwork, however as some studios lean more durable into proving that in a single particular method that cribs from Hollywood, we’re seeing some video games that really feel afraid of being video games. With an excessive amount of give attention to cinematics and too little on creating an expertise that’s participating, Senua’s Saga fails to succeed in the identical highs as its predecessor–even if it does look beautiful while attempting.