At home

The story of Senua's Saga: Hellblade II begins right after the events of the previous game, in which the protagonist traveled to the depths of hell to rescue the soul of her beloved, Dillon, who died in combat by Viking invaders who destroyed her village, but fails miserably. Although not all was in vain, Senua ends up better understanding her schizophrenic situation and starts to gain allies who populate her mind. 

Now, Senua sets out for Iceland, thirsty for revenge. And right at the beginning, we realize that the task will not be friendly at all, as after boarding an enemy ship, it is destroyed by the forces of nature, showing that the Vikings are just some of the enemies that will appear along the way. Not to mention other setbacks, such as Gods, friends with ulterior motives, among other animosities.

The beginning of the game already shows us in a very cinematic way that many of the aspects we witnessed in the first adventure are present, reminding us of how visceral the game is and how it is capable of conveying all the suffering and agony of the character. I highly recommend that you have a brief knowledge of the first adventure so as not to parachute into the continuation of the story.



The story of Hellblade II goes far beyond just a quest for revenge, but deals with extremely delicate subjects, such as schizophrenia, depression, self-deprecation, among many other themes. There are many times when we put ourselves in the shoes of the protagonist that we do not see aspects of society that have always been treated as taboos.

Peculiar characteristics

I confess that I am not in favor of playing with headphones, but in Hellblade II this item is absolutely indispensable, especially when selecting audio with 3D environmental features, which brings a sound similar to what Senua is hearing the voices in her head. It is worth noting that at the beginning it can be even a bit disturbing, as we are really talking about a very large immersion.

It is striking how the focus of the gameplay is based on cutscenes, making me doubt several times whether it was playable or not. Even more because of the choice of black bars at the top and bottom of the screen. Of course, much of this also happens because of the "guilt" of the masterful graphics. It may not be an exaggeration to say that Hellblade II is almost a walking simulator.

As I was already familiar with Hellblade I, my expectation was of something similar in the sequel, but there is no doubt that a newcomer to the series watching the first trailer may have gotten the wrong impression, that it is a game with a lot of combat, side missions, a vast world of surprises and over forty hours of gameplay to complete 100%. The truth is that in about 8 hours the adventure can be finished, requiring another playthrough to finish everything, and this can frustrate some people. I confess to agreeing with the duration of an almost cinematic game as a whole.



Visceral combat

With a camera over the shoulders, Hellblade II brings slight improvements in combat, making Senua more comfortable to dodge or perform a parry between weak and strong attacks. But if you are wondering how it feels to be in the character's shoes, I am happy to say that it is exactly the same.

The work of Ninja Theory in making us feel even the weight of Senua's sword, her slightly slower dodges, the blows delivered by enemies is extraordinary. Although fights are scarce, each battle is worthy of cinema, making you sweat and cheer when the duel is ended successfully in your favor.

Each fight has its peculiarity and the feeling of always being one step behind is constant. There are no combos with more than 2 attacks here. If you lack patience, you will always be on the edge of being defeated or countered at any moment. Haste is your worst enemy, definitely.

Memorable setting

I cannot fail to mention how Senua's Saga: Hellblade II can be considered a milestone in the gaming industry visually. Literally, the entire setting is wonderful, even the characters, ground, water, effects... even on an Xbox Series S, as was my case.

The facial motion capture manages to bring all the feelings present throughout Senua's saga, lived by the talented Melina Juergens. I must also mention the combat, how the fights at night are even more memorable, especially with the help of the audio and the voices always stirring up the situation. It is worthy of a standing ovation.

I confess that I used the photo mode at various times and you should certainly do the same, even if this ability is not one of my best qualities (just like mine), but it is something that borders on the unbelievable in how Unreal Engine 5 is being used here.



A lonely world

Even with an incredible environment, I cannot help but comment that the journey is extremely lonely, with many uncreative scenes and rare conversations with other characters. And this can bother many players, especially because the gameplay is reduced only to solving some puzzles related to light beams and Nordic symbols. Nothing that will take much of your time to decipher them.

At this point, the game can even become boring, but the voices in your head mixed with the narrative make everything a little more interesting. What I mean here is that if you are not willing to understand the game's proposal, it really is a title that will not have any kind of impact on you.

What I consider to be the great differential in Hellblade II is the feeling of fear and insecurity that Senua is capable of conveying, something I have never experienced in any other game. Her entire story, traumas, past experiences are capable of making you truly feel touched.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II was played on an Xbox Series S, via Xbox Game Pass.