Review - Senua's Saga: Hellblade II
I Have Killed a God, Fargrimr. Nothing Is Impossible.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Xbox Game Studios, Ninja Theory
Dan Attwell, David Garcia, Mark Slater-Tunstill, Rupert Brooker
May 21, 2024
Xbox Series Consoles, PC
When Microsoft revealed the Xbox Series X at the 2019 Game Awards, they showcased Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II as the specific title to be the face of the new console. However, it took longer than expected to release, and when it finally arrived, it received good reviews, but with mixed and very critical reviews as well. I think many people thought this would be a God of War type of experience, but instead, what we ended up with was what I would call more of a visual novel than a game in the traditional sense.
Author’s Note: This is the first review with my new review style, which I hope will be my mainstay from now on. I’ll have five subsections with scores from 1 to 5, with the final score being the average of all 5. Since I believe recommendations are the biggest part of a review, I kept recommendations as a subsection.
Plots & Characters - 4.5
Hellblade II is a continuation of the first game as Senua has embraced and learned to deal with her condition. The game begins with Senua purposely getting herself taken by slavers to track their origins. From there, the game opens up to a wider story and introduces us to a few new characters. Ultimately, by the end, a slight twist wraps up the story. Senua is performed brilliantly again by Melina Juergens and is easy to find likable and someone to root for. It’s safe to say that she has made enough of a presence in gaming to join some of the greatest female characters in the medium. The three side characters you meet and join in your journey are also solid, with their own backstories and reasons for wanting to help her.
Overall, I really liked the story in this one, but I also had some slight criticism. The main criticism I had was the ending of the game. It wasn’t a bad ending; it felt sudden, and I had to watch a YouTube video or two to fully understand it. I also think the game’s pacing can be a bit too slow regarding the story part. But even with all of that, I enjoyed the story I got from Senua.
Gameplay and Fun Factor - 4
The gameplay portion of this game seems to be where all of the polarization is coming from, and I can say I understand why it’s become so divisive. Personally, I liked the gameplay, but I also think there are several areas to be critical of. The combat is a great example; I loved how everything felt personal. The fighting feels like it has weight to it. Senua isn’t portrayed as a God or anything like that, she is fighting for her life every step of the way. When the combat is at its best, it makes you sit up and pay attention, with loud drums and epic scores in the later fights adding to the intensity. Another thing is that the 30 fps was not an issue. I never felt like the game’s performance was disappointing, and because of my eyes, I usually get a muddy feel when moving the camera at 30 fps, but that never happened with this game.
However, they limit how much you can do in the fights. I wish you could roll in the fights, and I also felt that when the fights were picking up and getting good, they would stop, and you would be done for a bit in the combat sections for each chapter. And ultimately, that was where the game had some issues for me. The pacing of the gameplay can get real slow when it shouldn’t be and then feel rushed when I was digging it. Even the story part of the gameplay, doing puzzles and looking for clues to advance, overstayed their welcome for me, and there’s one specific chapter that is more puzzle and traversal than combat, and it took way too long to do. If the game were a little faster in the parts it needed and didn’t rush the combat, I would’ve loved it more than I did.
Overall, I wished I had more combat in this game. The second half of the game does a better job of giving you these epic fights, but they still can feel rushed and, due to the game’s length, feel like a missed opportunity. But, when the combat is going, Hellblade II is phenomenal, and it really can feel like you are in a battle. The puzzles are fine but are a bit longer than they should be, in my opinion. I never felt bored playing it, but it did have its slow moments.
Graphics and Presentation - 5
I can easily say that Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is the best-looking game I have ever played. I cannot tell you how many times I stopped just to look at my surroundings. The technology of Unreal Engine 5 really uses the game to show off, and for the first time in way too long, it feels like I am getting a legitimate graphical leap. The character animations and battles had me questioning if I was playing real-time graphics or controlling a CGI cutscene. When you pay attention to small details, you can see small animations on the characters that make them feel more lifelike.
The overall presentation is another area that is just incredible. Senua’s movements after a battle make sense, as she would be tired and exhausted after those encounters. The way the water and rain slowly crawl across rock, the way the grass and particle effects look, and the sunset and lightning are so real looking. It’s one of those you have to play this to see it for yourself moments when it comes to graphics. I can't wait to see the future if this is what Unreal Engine 5 can deliver.
Soundtrack and Score - 5
One area I don’t see enough people talk about with this game is the soundtrack and score. The final third of the game especially adds a score to the battles that make them feel way more epic than they should be. Mind you, these are normal fights, not boss battles. The chants and drums as you battle only add to the intense feeling and get you invested. Even the calm moments have great scores that add to the story's emotion.
The real winner is the voices in Senua’s head. I played this with headphones, and I see why everyone recommended you use them. They use a binaural sound that makes you think they are talking to you in your head. The sound mixing is unreal good, and they also kept the voices in there while not coming off as distracting. The one thing, though, is how much it felt like I was hearing ASMR. As a person who does watch and listen to ASMR videos, it was uncanny how, at times, it would be similar to those. I even thought that Senua’s dad had a certain feel to his voice on the headphones, which gave me an ASMR experience. Like the graphics, I only have high praise for the game’s sound.
Recommendation - 3.5
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is not at all a bad game. In fact, after finishing it, I felt some reviewers were way too harsh on it. Even with the gameplay being slightly disappointing, I liked a lot of my time with it. The story and characters were engaging enough, and the combat got good as the game continued, with the phenomenal score added to it. The visual novel style never bothered me, and I was strapped in for Senua's journey.
But I can’t just recommend this type of game to everyone. This is one of those games that will depend on what type of gamer you are and how much you’ll like it. The visual novel style and the game’s short length aren’t for everyone. Personally, I liked it, but I can also see someone who doesn’t dig it all that much. But I like that Ninja Theory went with this over the typical mass-produced games we are getting. With the rise of way too long AAA titles, this felt like a palate cleanser, and I’m happy the industry can still experiment and have games that do their own thing.
Overall, I like Hellblade II for what it was. It’s a great story that is too quick, but it will stay with me. I hope this is not the last time we see Senua.
4.4
5.0 - Graphics and Presentation
5.0 - Soundtrack and Score
4.5 - Plot & Characters
4.0 - Gameplay and Fun Factor
3.5 - Recommendation