Summary

• Hellblade 2 has amazing visuals and creates seamless transitions from gameplay to cinematics for an immersive experience.
• The game explores intense fears like claustrophobia, acrophobia, and thalassophobia (the fear of being unable to see under the surface of deep water).
• New characters provide hope and , enhancing gameplay and narrative depth.

Returning to the voices in Senua's head in Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 after playing the original is like riding on a roller coaster the second time — it may be scary, but boy, was it fun. Developed by Ninja Theory, the epic adventure of Senua continues in the second game, picking up where the original takes off and plunging players into a new, dark, and macabre story where the bleak realities of 10th-century Iceland and untreated psychosis take center stage.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 investigates the loneliness and fear created by mental illness from the first game but better melds it with Norse mythology and themes of fanaticism, belief, and religious culture in a way that is arguably more meaningful and feels more grounded. The result is a captivating and terrifying experience that feels horrifying yet simultaneously hopeful and empowering.

Seamless Transitions To Cinematic Sequences

Extraordinary, Vivid Visuals Litter The Landscape

The immediate thing that will stand out in Hellblade 2 is the realistic and immersive environments and cinematic visuals. With motion-captured character models and a completely stripped-down interface, Hellblade 2 accomplishes smooth shifts between controlled gameplay and cinematic sequences to provide a seamless transition that sees Senua and other characters fully realized in high definition. The utilization of Unreal 5 technology, along with the game's outstanding sound design, takes things to the next level — where, even on the Xbox S, the majority of the game feels like watching a movie rather than playing a video game.

This high level of detail and realism has the main effect of fully immersing the player into Senua's world without the typical "break" people would typically feel when playing a game with cinematic sequences and gameplay interspersed.

It also makes things more difficult, as prompts on what button presses to make at certain times aren't there, and those used to more traditional guides or tutorials may feel somewhat lost in the earlier stages of the game or during the game's harder puzzle sequences. This style persists till the very last scene, providing a cohesive experience that enables the game's striking visuals to really shine.

Claustrophobic Spaces & Common Phobias

Hellblade 2 Plays On Common Fears

Hellblade 2 is one of the most effective horror games ever created, incorporating real-life fears and creeping tension over jump scares and other overplayed horror tropes. Immediately, people will be thrust into the barbaric and often horrific conditions of 10th-century subjugation, where, once again, Senua is alone on her journey — at least in the beginning. This time around, however, her end goal isn't so clear, as the game starts with themes of unrelenting grit and survival but eventually gestates into a hero's journey.

The voices in Senua's head are ever-present once again, revealing the character's deepest insecurities and doubts while also serving as a guide and providing hints on the more confusing portions of the narrative. Environments in Hellblade 2 are simply dreadful at times, whether it's triggering one's fear of heights (acrophobia), claustrophobia from tight, confined spaces, or even thalassophobia (the fear of not being able to see under dark bodies of water).

The exceptional crafting of the world and the scares contained within were executed with a deft hand. Although there are cannibalistic tribes, draugr (Norse spirits), and giants, the aspects related to the fear response are all grounded in reality. In this way, Hellblade 2 is truly exceptional, taking complex human emotions and presenting them in a game that's both fun, engaging, and absolutely terrifying at times.

The only downside of the unique new scenarios in Hellblade 2 is that there should have been more of them.

Fun Gameplay That Doesn't Overstay Its Welcome

A Few Missed Opportunities, But Overall A Good Time

The gameplay in Hellblade 2 is more fun and dynamic than the original. Most of the combat remains similar, maintaining a soulslike-esque feeling of parrying and dodging with light and heavy attacks. However, there is also more variance in the gameplay overall, with a host of new enemies and situational encounters. The game isn't too punishing, either, giving players ample chance to correct their mistakes, much like the original title.

The only downside of the unique new scenarios in Hellblade 2 is that there should have been more of them. In the game, two portions involve running away from an enemy, turning the dark action title into something more reminiscent of the running level in the original Crash Bandicoot. This was not only a refreshing break from the typical gameplay loop but also a blast to play. This variance also extends to the puzzles, with Hellblade 2 boasting more puzzle variations than the first game, which were also all fun to play but not overly difficult to figure out.

While the cinematic style does lend itself to high levels of immersion, there are portions of the game where gameplay equates to pressing the left thumb stick in the up direction, taking away the player's feelings of involvement and reducing gameplay to essentially hitting a "play" button. The lack of button prompts can sometimes also make it confusing as to what to do. That said, overall, Hellblade 2 is fun, and unlike soulslike titles that can feel frustrating or impossible at times, the difficulty level in Hellblade 2 never gets too high.

A Hopeful Story Amidst The Darkness

The Power Of Community &

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 story differs from the first game in a few significant ways. For one, the first title was a tale of vengeance and delusion, as the voices in Senua's head, for the most part, controlled her actions. From a player's perspective, this placed them deep into the dark recesses of Senua's mind, as there were no other real characters outside of her delusions. This style created a solitary, isolating experience — one that at times felt unrelenting and oppressive. In Hellblade 2, Senua gains the power and the lucidity to finally reject those doubts.

While the unnerving feelings remain for the second title, it's broken up by the other characters she interacts with in the game. Senua's eventual companions, Thórgestr, Fargrímr, and Ástríðr, will help her throughout her journey and finally give Senua a real person to connect with.

Rather than a hurdle to overcome, Senua's mind is treated as a superpower by those around her.

The addition of characters in Hellblade 2 fundamentally changes the underlying narrative. No longer is Senua lost in her delusion, further tunneling into her own mind, committing horrific crimes along the way. This time, she has a system that is able to motivate and help her understand the world around her. This brightens the overall narrative in spaces and serves as a nice emotional relief for the other horrifying or tension-building sequences.

Final Thoughts & Review Score

4.5/5 - A "Must-Play" By Screen Rant's Metric

Ultimately, it's the new uplifting message that is perhaps the most powerful aspect of Hellblade 2. While the original embraced the deeply disturbing fears generated from psychosis, the second game provides hope in the form of a ive community, uplifting Senua and highlighting her strengths. Rather than a hurdle to overcome, Senua's mind is treated as a superpower by those around her. This balancing act is incredibly hard to do, but by the end of the game, it feels like Ninja Theory got things right.

Horrifying, uplifting, and visually splendid, Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is a marked improvement over the first title that helps build upon the meaningful and complex concepts presented in the first game.

Screen Rant was provided an Xbox Series X/S copy for the purpose of this review.