Ninja Theory is finally bringing us the sequel to Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. This time we’re not heading back into the underworld to try and save our companion, but straight into hostile lands to avenge our people.

Senua’s Saga Hellblade II is a video-game UFO. While its exceptional graphics have always been in the limelight, we mustn’t forget its story and the overall experience it offers.

Lore

Senua’s Saga Hellblade II plunges us into a dark and violent adventure. We accompany our heroine into a hostile world where only certain death seems to lie in wait. A blend of Viking mythology and Celtic culture forms the basis of this original story. The storytelling and direction deliver a cinematic experience that pushes back the limits of what you can experience when you’re facing a screen without a controller in hand.

This world of sadness and destruction is the setting for our adventure, which becomes a little darker and more desperate as we progress.

Game

We take on the role of Senua, an unattached warrior whose sole aim is to avenge her people, whatever the cost. What’s special about our heroine is that she can hear voices. Her psychosis doesn’t stop there, however, as she can also see things that others cannot. Senua is never alone, since her actions (and inactions) are constantly commented on by her own uncontrollable thoughts.

Hellblade II doesn’t take us to hell, even if it strongly resembles it at first glance. After a catastrophic arrival in a hostile environment, the game takes us through torn landscapes where life gradually disappears, swept away by beings who live only to create chaos and desolation.

While Senua’s primary objective is to find and eliminate the people who enslaved her own people, the story changes when she discovers the presence of giants, creatures who are gradually destroying the humans who live in these lands.

One of the strengths of the game is the way the story forces us to confront situations where nothing is black or white, everything is tinged with grey. We meet tortured characters who we’d put to death at the first opportunity, and yet we only need to learn more about them to question everything.

Senua travels through desolate worlds, but it’s also a journey to find herself. We evolve as we go along, questioning what we know. Above all, Senua is fighting against her past.

This is not an exploration game or an RPG where you are the hero. You don’t make choices that influence the course of the story. Ninja Theory is offering us a ‘scripted’ experience, where we are subjected to Senua’s choices. We’ll feel her emotions through the voices in her head, but also through her body language.

It’s hard to ignore the game’s stunning graphics. The world in which we evolve is naked. The elements have taken their toll on this land. Rock gives way to earth, and the sun seems to be non-existent. So we can concentrate on the characters in this fantastic story, and we have to admit that we try to detect all of Senua’s emotions by reading them on her face.

Hellblade II is punctuated by gripping combat with a slightly old-school feel. Our character doesn’t unlock any new abilities or weapons. So we’re left with a very simple system where you can either tap or block, not forgetting dodging. What really sets the game apart is the absence of an interface. With no life gauge and no concept of damage, Senua’s Saga is a truly cinematic experience where you never know when the game will take over.

You’ll find yourself frantically pressing a key while you’re in a real-time ‘cinematic’, and the opposite often happens when you can decide to move again just after a dialogue ends.

Our exploration will lead us to discover some very simple puzzles that are there to help us experience the obstacles that Senua encounters during her adventure.

Atmosphere

The game invites you to explore a devastated world (in a closed universe, so don’t imagine you can go anywhere you want). It makes you wonder whether this isn’t just another version of the underworld, where Senua is gradually sinking without realising it.

The art direction, graphic style, music and narration all come together perfectly to give us an experience like no other.

Lifetime

It will take 7 hours to complete the game, leaving the ‘dynamic’ difficulty to evolve according to your playing style. Since there’s no in-depth exploration, you can make the most of your time in the game to see every nook and cranny and listen to the stories being told.

The bravest players will be able to replay the chapters they want via the menu, with the option of changing the narrator of the story.