A worrier’s tale.
The answer, it turns out, is you makeHellblade 2- a game that is nothing short of phenomenal.
The Northmen have resumed their raids on Senua’s people and she has vowed to stop them.
Bound by her vow, she has no choice but to push on.
This is a game about keeping a promise, in other words.
The outward-facing focus of Hellblade 2 is deeply satisfying from a character perspective.
It’s a rewarding sense of progress, especially considering how hard Senua had to fight to get there.
From a structural perspective, the core experience of Hellblade 2 is largely unchanged from the first.
They’re not overly challenging, but still provide a sense of satisfaction when the solution becomes clear.
As in the first, combat encounters are all about timing.
The hallucinations into which Senua sometimes drifts are both intensely vivid and skillfully introduced.
For one thing, Hellblade 2 is absolutely gorgeous.
Second, the combat is superb.
Really my main takeaway from Hellblade 2 is that it pulls absolutely zero punches.
The violence is brutal throughout and, at times, the game strays into fully-fledged horror.
A copy of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 was provided for review byXbox Game Studios.
