Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is a 2017 release from Cambridge, England-based studio Ninja Theory. The game is a psychological third-person action game that was made by a team of just 20 core developers. Self-described as “Independent AAA,” Ninja Theory set out to prove that they could make a game that matched the level of fidelity and craftsmanship of the much larger studios they were competing with.
Hellblade was met with critical and commercial success, leading to Xbox’s eventual acquisition of the studio in 2018 as well as a sequel, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II being announced in 2019 with a planned release for this May. Going on seven years after its initial release, does Hellblade live up to its initial acclaim, and should you be anticipating the Xbox-exclusive sequel coming later this year? Let’s find out in the XboxEra review of Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice.
The Great Journey
Hellblade is a game set in ancient times. While there is no exact date given, it seems to take place sometime in the 8th century. Senua specifically is a pict warrior, meaning the game takes place before the height of the Vikings. The game is clearly inspired by and draws from Celtic and Norse myths as the main story references several of these stories.
Senua’s objective is apparent early on, she must travel to Helheim, a place only the dead may access, to rescue the soul of her dead lover, Dillion. The story expands from this initial premise, and you will spend anywhere from 4-5 hours learning about Senua’s past and why she is so hell-bent on saving her lost lover.
You also learn very early on that Senua is suffering from a mental health disorder that presents itself as a type of psychosis that manifests in the game as a sort of “darkness” that she has been cursed with. The game tackles themes of psychosis, illusions, depression, and other mental health challenges. Senua lives in a time when her mental health struggles would have been mistaken for evil and darkness, and much of the game’s journey is about learning what has been done to Senua and her ultimate acceptance of her “darkness”.
I don’t think I have ever played a game on this scale that has tackled these themes, and Ninja Theory does a great job of tackling a sensitive subject while intertwining it with mythology and making it feel thoughtful and well-crafted. Ninja Theory is able to make these subjects feel respected and well-realized due to their attention to detail and the respect given to Senua throughout her journey.
A large part of the success story of Senua’s portrayal is the actress who played her, Melina Juergens. Senua is undeniably one of the best-acted characters in any video game I have ever played, and Melina had an incredibly difficult job as she often acts alone without other characters to play off of. Hellblade is a game about a personal journey, and that means most of the game feels incredibly internal. Melina is able to internalize Senua and shares a character that feels so well realized in only a handful of hours she is seen in the game.
Beauty in Darkness
While Hellblade is a game made by a smaller team, it isn’t apparent at all when you’re playing. Hellblade presents itself as a game made by two hundred developers, not twenty. There is no UI to be found, no mini-map or quest markers, nothing but what Senua would see in front of her, and it makes an already beautiful game look even better.
The game utilizes Unreal Engine 4 and pushes it to the brink. A mix of fantastic art and mastery of the engine makes Hellblade look like a game that would look stellar as a new release in 2023, making you forget the game was released for last-generation consoles in 2017. With the focus on Senua’s psychosis, there are a lot of different visual tricks on display to showcase Senua’s deteriorating mental state. Environments will slowly begin to be engulfed in a black “fog,” a clear nod to Senua’s ongoing battles.
The game consistently plays tricks on you as well, showing imagery and figures that aren’t really there, making you question what exactly is real and what isn’t. One notable moment is when Senua is “infected” by the dark rot. You are then led to believe that there is a perma-death mechanic that will be caused by dying too many times due to the dark rot spreading. However, no such mechanic exists. It is yet another illusion the game plays on you, causing extra fear of death and changing how you interact with the world.
The presentation of Hellblade isn’t limited to the outstanding graphics or in-game mechanics. The game’s sound design turns the game into something truly unique. As part of Senua’s ongoing battle with psychosis, you will hear her “furies”. These furies manifest as voices in her head who speak to Senua simultaneously assist her in her journey and act as antagonists to her success. It could have been very easy for the constant voices to become annoying or repetitive, but Ninja Theory does an excellent job of making sure these “furies” are consistently engaging and don’t hinder the experience.
Alongside these unsettling voices is a great score that accentuates the game’s atmosphere. The music in this game is relatively sparse, but it is incredibly atmospheric, moody, haunting, and epic when it needs to be.
Battles won with the Sword and the Mind
There is a game to be played here, and this is where some of Hellblade’s flaws begin to show. The two main pieces of “gameplay” in the game are combat sections and puzzle solving. The combat in Hellblade is stylish and visceral, but relatively one note. You have a light and heavy attack as well as a parry alongside a dodge and kick mechanic, and you combine these moves to take down a decently diverse set of enemies. Your standard enemies are the “Northmen,” a representation of a warrior that appear out of thin air and are always ready for a fight. These Northmen typically carry a generic sword but can also come equipped with a shield and mace or a larger axe that deals heavy damage.
These combat scenarios are generally very good but not without flaws. Hellblade is focused on 1v1 combat, meaning you aren’t meant to be taking on mobs of enemies. This is accentuated by the camera, which only seems capable of locking on to one enemy at a time. This can be incredibly frustrating when more than one enemy appears, leading to situations where you are either locked on to one enemy while another hits you from the side or the camera freaks out, leading you to accidentally snap to an enemy you aren’t trying to target. I appreciate the approach in focusing on 1v1 combat here as it feels quite realistic and visceral, I just wish Ninja Theory had figured out a way to get the camera to work better for larger enemy encounters.
Outside of the standard enemy type, you will occasionally face “boss” enemies, and this is where the combat truly shines. These enemies are quite unique and typically much larger in scale than the Northmen. My favorite of the larger-scale battles was when Senua faced “Garm”, a large wolf/boar monstrosity that is shrouded in darkness and is a real pain to deal with. The battle felt epic and genuinely unnerving and I had to use all of my previously learned mechanics in order to defeat the creature. This goes for all of the boss enemies as well who challenge you to remember the game mechanics and utilize them effectively.
When you are not busy battling shadowy foes, you will be solving a lot of puzzles. These puzzles are relatively straightforward, Senua will see runes above a gate or door and must find something in the environment that resembles these runes in order to pass through. You will repeat this puzzle frequently, and while it’s a mostly fine experience, it is at best inoffensive, at worst, monotonous, and I wish Ninja Theory had introduced some variety.
Conclusion
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice mostly lives up to the initial praise it received. It is an incredibly impactful game with a great story, great character acting, amazing-looking visuals, impeccable sound design, and fun combat. The game could have used a bit more time in the oven with some of its gameplay mechanics, especially the puzzles, but those are relatively minor gripes when I reminisce on my overall journey with the game.
Hellblade is simply a great experience, and after finishing it for the very first time recently, I am even more excited for Hellblade II. The game is available on Game Pass, so if you haven’t taken the journey to Hellheim yet or want a quick refresher before the sequel releases on May 21st, it’s a game I fully recommend.
Played on
Xbox Series X
PROS
- Great Atmosphere, Story and Acting
- Incredible Sound Design
- Fun Combat
- Looks Amazing
CONS
- Occasional Poor Combat Camera
- Repetitive Puzzles
