Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Review

If you like narrative-oriented games, you can continue Senua’s ongoing story from where she left off. However, I have to point out from the beginning that if you haven’t played the first game yet, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Review I recommend you finish the first game before reading our article. Because the long-awaited story of Ninja Theory continues where the first game left off.

The first game in the adventure/horror genre was first released for PC and PS4. For this reason, although we think that PS5 players are eagerly waiting, these dreams seem to have been dashed for now, as Microsoft announced that it purchased four studios at E3 2018. As you can guess, one of these studios was Ninja Theory. As a result, this means Hellblade 2 will be exclusive to Xbox Series X and PC. Although it may come for Switch and PS5 in the future, as before, there is no announcement at this stage.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Review / PC

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is finally out on Xbox and PC. An action epic fueled by Norse myths, we witness the return of our hero in a sequel built in Unreal Engine 5 for maximum dark fantasy atmosphere. When developer Ninja Theory announced the sequel to Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice in 2019, we were all excited again. The production, which we expected to be released at the end of 2023, has been delayed until today as a result of the postponement. But I can’t help saying “it’s a good thing it sagged”.

Story

Hellblade II is set in 10th century Iceland. It is about the warrior Senua, who, after returning from the land of Hel, sets out to take revenge on the Viking raiders who inflicted devastating losses on her people in her homeland of Orkney. I don’t want to give more details about the story, because as I mentioned above, the game is narrative-oriented. This will inevitably bring with it plenty of spoilers.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Review / PC

Senua suffered from a form of psychosis in Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice that caused her to perceive voices whispering to her and have vivid hallucinations. This condition, a trait he shares with his mother Galena, has followed him since his childhood and guided him throughout his adventure. “Isn’t it difficult to concentrate on the game with so many voices going on in our heads?” I feel you ask. My answer would definitely be no, because if you follow these sounds well, they are very helpful at critical moments. For this reason, following the game not only visually but also audibly can often lead to life-saving results.

As we navigate Senua’s dark fantasy world, we engage in close combat with enemies and dodge fire attacks. At the same time, we have to go through countless and scary tunnels and solve many puzzles. We already feel this the moment we start our adventure. Even though it does not have a tutorial section, the first part is completely designed accordingly. In the game, which starts out simple, we gradually encounter more complex puzzles and more challenging enemies. In this process, it is very important to improve hand, eye and hearing coordination. Because you will definitely use the experience you gained in the previous fight in the next one. This added fluidity to the game.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Review / PC

In all the news to date, it was said that the game would be completed in 8-10 hours. Let me tell you it’s not that simple for me. I completed it in approximately 12 hours. But believe me, I never wanted to quit the game. The story is so fluidly structured that even though I say, “Let’s take a break after this mission,” I still wonder, “What will happen in the next mission?” I continued because I couldn’t get the question out of my mind. I just had to take a break a few times to get my mind together. Because boss battles can be very challenging sometimes. When I took a break and tried again, I was able to realize the point I missed.

During our adventure, we may befriend people we never expected, and we may also be harmed by people we never expected. For this reason, it is useful to be prepared as if we will continue the war at any moment. Even though the game guides you on many issues, Senua is confused. We don’t know when and how he will react.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Review / PC

Graphics

One of the points that impressed me the most were the graphics and optimization of the game. On the MSI Katana I used for testing, I did not feel the slightest lag or drop in FPS values ​​even at the highest settings. Moreover, even though the game was developed with Unreal Engine 5. We are aware of the performance problems experienced in recent productions with UE5. For this reason, I had reservations that we might suffer from the same problems in Hellblade 2: Senua’s Saga. The quality of the optimization alone can account for a large part of my score.

Although the world is sometimes very dark and sometimes offers magnificent evening views, the puzzles we encounter along the way create the most colorful scenes of the game. Sometimes there are puzzles that you cannot solve without interacting, and sometimes you just need to be at the right spot. The puzzles, which all seem independent of each other, are easy to solve at first, but become more complex as you progress. I recommend that you listen to the voices echoing in your mind in order to figure out what you should do.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Review / PC

Let me open a small parenthesis at this point and reassure our friends who have language difficulties. Hellblade 2: Senua’s Saga requires a good level of language since it is narrative-oriented, but Ninja Theory also came to our aid here and added the Turkish subtitle option to the game.

Now I can continue where we left off. The striking narrative of the game was made possible by the combination of various elements. First of all, Ninja Theory’s extensive experience in this field and its mastery of Motion Capture technology stands out. The company, which previously worked with an experienced actor like Andy Serkis in the game Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, also demonstrated its quality in Hellblade.

In particular, the performance of Melina Juergens, who brings the character to life, appears as an important factor that increases the emotional depth of the play. Juergens makes us want to help him in many scenes with the superior talent he shows while portraying his character. It made it possible for you to empathize with the character by making you feel the pain and emotional difficulties he experienced throughout the story. In this way, the game becomes more than just a visual and auditory experience, it also turns into an emotional journey. The reason why Ninja Theory is so successful is the competence of its teams and maximizing player performances.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Review / PC

Fighting Mechanics

Even though I say that her fighting mechanics are very basic, her gradually developing structure will make you love Senua even more. However, it seems as if all the moves we need to make have been planned in advance. While you are successful when you hit the combination, missing a small point can cause your death. Fortunately, the automatic recording feature comes to your rescue immediately. If a little more freedom had been offered here, it would have definitely received a higher score. However, if you played the first game, you will remember that it had a similar situation.

A similar situation applies to flow. Since Senua’s Saga is not an open world game, the direction we will take is always clear and offers a linear flow. By the way, if your path divides into two as you progress, be sure to go to both. Because on one of the roads there is either a narrative totem that will deepen the story or a tree that will re-green the barren lands.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Review / PC

Sounds and Music

Even though I mentioned such scenery, trees, greenery etc., we should not compare the game with standard adventure games. It brought the tension to a higher level for me. As it progressed, the increasing dose became more and more annoying. Especially in closed and dark environments. It wouldn’t be a lie if I said that the constant warnings of voices in your head made me really nervous. I was already nervous, and on top of that, the crazy aunties talking like “Oh, be careful, baby” made me frightened in every possible way.

When I add soft music but keeps the tension at a high level, it makes someone like me, who is more afraid than necessary, even more distressed. You may remember the music we listened to in the trailer. Viking melodies and ferocity came together. Sometimes soft and sometimes harsh music awaits us in the game, as in the trailer.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Review / PC

Conclusion

The work done by Ninja Theory is admirable. It surpasses the first game in terms of both story and flow. I don’t think it will be the game of the year, but it is definitely one of the best games of the year. Whether you buy it or play it from day one via Game Pass, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is one of the games you should have in your library.

There is a lot to tell about the game, but I don’t want to mention it because it is very narrative-oriented. Because no matter what I say, there will definitely be spoilers. For that reason, I have only one thing to say: if you like the genre, it is a production you should not miss.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Review / PC

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Review / PC

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Review / PC