Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Review – Evolutionary Benchmark with Regression

When it comes to game’s that get sequels, you can always predict that there will be a sequel, and guess what can happen in them. But sometimes a sequel can take people by surprise, and this was the case for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2. The original game was something special and unique. When the game ended, it felt like an expertly crafted story that would be closed forever. Leading many, including myself, to be surprised at not only the announcement of the sequel but left in awe by the direction they chose to move forward with in Senua’s story. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is in every sense of the word, a sequel. But one that is both safe and experimental in certain aspects. The game boasts some of the most impressive improvements in almost every single aspect. While ensuring that these improvements do not take away what made Hellblade, Hellblade. 

This approach really left me happy when I rolled credits on the game. While leaving some stuff to be desired with even more to be improved upon.

Developer & Publisher // Ninja Theory, Xbox Games Studios
Platforms // Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
MSRP & Release Date // $49.99, May 21st, 2024
Reviewed On // Xbox Series X

Continuing The Saga in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 opens with Senua aboard a slave ship being brought to Iceland in search of vengeance against the Northmen. But an accident leaves her washed ashore alone and hurt. She scours the shores in search of anyone she can help and forces one of her slavers, Thorgestr, into helping her find her way. But when she stumbles upon a razed village, with a demonic ritual happening close to it, Senua goes to investigate. She finds herself targeted by the Giants that haunt the land. Thus, leading her, Thorgestr, and Fargrimr, whom Senua saved from the ritual into an island spanning journey to defeat the Giants and stop their torment.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 has a very stacked, yet simple, plot to follow up on from the first game. But the story focuses, similarly to the first game, on Senua and her personal journey. As taking vengeance against the Northmen for ruining Senua’s life before the events of the first game, takes a back seat. Instead, the game focuses mainly on the Giants, and the effects they have on the people who inhabit Iceland. Such as those who are driven to become Draugars. People who have become animal-like and perform rituals that sacrifice innocent people.

This focus on the Giants as opposed to the Northmen felt more interesting. Considering it offers Senua more closure as a character and does not allow her to succumb to her rage. But no matter how much the game focuses on these narrative elements, the game will always focus on how Senua sees the world, and the people around her. With character progression and story moments, I wish I could talk about. But cannot due to spoilers.

Borderline Realism in the Country

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is set in a historically accurate depiction of Iceland. There are vast blackened beaches, dead bushes in drab valleys, long winding rivers, jagged cliffs, and claustrophobic caves. All realized in incredible detail. No screenshot I could ever provide would be able to capture how eerily realistic it looks in motion. But it goes beyond just eye candy.

The level of realism on display is unlike anything I have ever felt. I am someone who does not leave the house a lot and capturing the feeling of having the sunshine upon me through the screen, made me feel equally uncomfortable to leaving the house during the day. Many other games can capture how the sun looks and moves in the sky. But capturing how it feels is a different level to achieve entirely.

There are also minute details you can hear and see. When walking across a burnt-out campfire, the cinders will track along Senua’s boots. As well as walking near a corpse, mound of feces, or collection of guts and hearing the flies buzz around in a circular motion. But one of the most impressive attentions in the environment was being in a cave in the latter part of the game. Where I was treated to the usual sound of dew dripping from the ceiling. What made it stand out, however, is that I could actually hear the individual drops and pinpoint where they were falling from and where they landed.

Another key aspect of exploring Iceland is the return of the tales of Druth. Druth teaches Senua about a man named Grettir, and you can find his totems to focus on and unlock more of that story as you progress through the game. They did also add another narrative element similar to this. You can find these giant faces throughout the game and focusing on them opens up a special pathway. Rewarding you with a small tree you can focus on to get some lore from a mysterious character.

The attention to detail and graphical fidelity are simply unmatched. Similar to how every character looks and how real they act.

A Trio of Incredible Performances in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2

As mentioned before, in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, you are at times not alone in the game. There are three major characters that accompany Senua throughout the game, and you only learn about their characters sparingly. Thorgestr is tough but fears the horrors of the island despite being able to handle them. Fargrimr is a sage that is able to guide Senua on her quest against the Giants. Both Fargrimr and Thorgestr reasonably bump heads due to the fear of how to handle the Giants. While near the end of the game, there is another character named Astrior. Who I felt did not get enough screen time for her to leave an impression.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 has the best motion capture and vocal performances to match for each character. Senua is still played by Melina Juergens, and her performance feels like she is straight from the first game. She is still coming to terms with the furies of her psychosis and being around other characters made her into a more quiet and unapproachable character. Considering the fear of being called mad and turned on. Thorgestr has a very brutish feel to his character. While Fargrimr is more accepting of Senua’s psychosis and encourages her.

I enjoyed everyone’s performances; I just wish Astrior had been introduced earlier so I could appreciate her character more. But this is not just a walk and talk across Iceland, you will also be faced with some honestly brutal combat.

A Visceral Dance of Fire and Blade

In the original game, the combat is very simple. You just weave light and heavy attacks into combos against foes. You can also parry, dodge, punch foes to drop their guard, and sprint to land a stylish blow. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is similarly simply designed. Where the animations, enemies, and sword swings all have a level of presentation, and weight that made me feel real terror when in these moments. Since enemies are human now, they will more aggressively attack Senua. As well as not just stand idly by while she performs combos.

When striking an enemy twice with a light attack the enemy will rebalance themselves and try to fight back. Heavy swings now have to be timed to land otherwise the enemy will just dodge. The parry is also stricter in this game, making it feel more rewarding. But certain mechanics of the original game are missing in this one. Namely, the punch to lower the enemies’ guard, the sprint attack, and the ability to land a little strike after performing a dodge. This leaves the combat feeling less fleshed out.

The focus mechanic also returned for this game and is used for small moments to take out one foe at a time. Much like the combat scenarios in general.

One-on-One

In Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 every single combat scenario will be against just one foe at a time. As opposed to the original game throwing multiple enemies at a time. This change highlights the ferocity of each enemy and allowa for each combat scenario and arena to feel special. For example, in the opening level of the game, you are on a stormy beach and watching slavers trying to recapture any survivors from the accident. When you fight the slavers there will be mist from the rain, and lightning strikes in the distance that can actually give the enemies an opening.

In the level that follows there is a ritual where you are in a smoke-blanketed battleground having to kill the people who are performing the ritual. You will never lose sight of the enemy. But when you kill one, another will grab Senua, or when an enemy has an upper hand in combat one of the sacrifices will throw themselves at the enemy. Giving her a moment of reprieve, but a new foe to fight.

There is a good amount of enemy variety too. Aside from sword-wielding foes, there are bigger mace-equipped enemies that you need to deliver fatal blows to twice. As well as a slender fire-breathing enemy that will try to kill Senua from a distance and can bathe himself in flames to get Senua away from him.

Every single time I was thrown into a combat scenario, I felt afraid. I had to analyze how I was going to take down the enemy. The combat mechanics may be simple, but taking down the enemy, isn’t. I loved the changes to the combat scenarios arenas. Due to how unique they felt, but I did wish that all of the attacks from the original made it into this sequel. Despite the changes, the combat still felt very real, and I enjoyed every single encounter.

Familiar and New Puzzles in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2

When you are not in story moments or fighting enemies in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, you will sometimes have your path blocked off by a puzzle. These puzzles will give you an array of different symbols to find in the area to progress forward. It is basically the exact same as the original game. But the presentation has changed. Instead of static wooden doors with the symbol etched into them, you will now see this creepy vortex made of wood, stone, and bone. But as you progress in the game, these puzzles do get more experimental, mechanically and aesthetically.

You will eventually find puzzles that require taking a stone to a pedestal. However, doing so will create this mirrored reality that looms above you, and you have to focus on these orbs of water to shift the environment around to progress. Both forms of puzzles even mix into one another to create some interesting scenarios.

I did get stuck on a few parts of these puzzles. One puzzle required me to jump from a ledge to continue and I had no idea where the cliff was to do so. As well as a puzzle that required lining up yellow stone symbols where I struggled to figure out how to get to a certain area to finish it.

I enjoyed my time with the puzzles. Mainly due to the presentation and level of fidelity being used in such amazing ways that left me in awe. I just wish the ways to progress were clearer.

Solid Technical Performance

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 maintained across the entire experience a steady 30 frames per second on console. In a cinematic-focused game like this, it is not a problem. But there are some issues with artifacting that I had to go out of my way to notice. Such as the grass looking like the textures were flickering. However, this was the only problem I noticed graphically. I experienced no bugs, freezes, or crashes in my 7-hour experience with the game.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 also has some of the absolute best audio design and cinematics I have ever experienced. Outside of the aforementioned audio details throughout Iceland, the furies, similarly to the first game, will always feel like they are speaking right, left, center, and back in tandem. Almost tormenting Senua in a way.

Each enemy will snarl, growl and you can notice the texturing of the mud on their bodies as they attack and how it disappears when you create scars on their body.

The cinematography is also fantastic in cutscenes. It feels really akin to watching a movie at times. The motion capturing of characters also has a lot of subtle body language to pick up on. When Senua is talking to characters to learn stuff from them, you can see them fidget only slightly. They want to keep their secrets, but they know they have to trust Senua.

Accessibility Settings

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 also has some far-reaching accessibility settings. Outside of being able to disable controller rumble, and camera bob, and motion blur to prevent dizziness, you can also tweak elements of the gameplay. This includes auto-play as well. There are colorblind options and adjustable UI font sizes, and the option to tweak the controls to your liking.

One of the settings I found very useful was the subtitles. I found to be more interesting since they tell you which side of the head the furies are speaking to. You can also enable menu narration for those with visual impairment. There are a lot of little accessibility options that go a long way to help anyone in need.

There is also Chapter Select, a feature that made its way into the original years ago. Including selectable segments in each chapter as well as how many tales of Druth you are missing. A very welcome addition.

Final Thoughts on Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2

I do recommend this experience however, as Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is almost everything I wanted in a sequel to Hellblade. The original game’s graphical fidelity for its time in 2017 matched the AAA space 1:1. With the level of graphical fidelity in this game to set a benchmark that will be very hard to top in terms of realism across the board. However, the combat, while having a better presentation, did feel mechanically stripped down in places that feel questionable. While the puzzles are mostly similar but still very enjoyable at times. This game will still feel niche, yet unique, which I feel is not a bad thing. Considering it feels designed to be the next evolution for the experience that only Hellblade can offer.

Note – A key was provided for the purpose of this review.