I present to you my review of Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice. It is a story of loss, hardship, and a lone woman on a near impossible quest. While this is a game I sincerely enjoyed, I wish to present this in a fair manner by examining both the games strengths and weaknesses.
About Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice
Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice features both dark fantasy elements and action. Released in 2017 by Ninja Theory, it follows the journey of Senua, a young Celtic warrior suffering from psychosis. Senua’s love was killed in a raid by the north-men, and now she travels to Helheim (the Norse underworld) to reclaim his soul. Along her way she faces the realm’s horrific foes, while constantly struggling with the demons in her own mind.
Senua’s Sacrifice achieved something unique to the gaming world thus far, instead of telling the story of a character suffering with mental illness it went even further by immersing the player into her mental struggles. Best experienced with headphones, Senua’s voices narrate the game as you go. Sometimes they are helpful, warning you of incoming danger, and other times they blatantly lie. This leaves the player in a constant state of second guessing themselves and the experience, much like Senua herself.
Rather than guessing at this portrayal, Ninja Theory brought on experts in psychology and mental health to ensure the experience was as realistic as possible. After release they received tremendous praise for their portrayal, both from fans and the psychology community. Not stopping there, the developer brought in experts in Norse mythology, bringing the realm and stories to lore-accurate life.
It was produced in three years and cost $10 million to produce. Game sales far surpassed the company's expectations, selling over 500k copies in the first three months. The original 2017 release was only for PC, but it became available on console in 2018 and sales have just kept rising.
Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice Story
Senua looks up at the bridge to Helheim and knows she must cross
Senua is on a quest to retrieve the soul of her love, Dillian, who was killed in a raid by the north-men. The Celts believed that a person’s soul resided in their head, so she carries his in a bag attached to her belt throughout the game. If that is too grim for you then be warned, this game doesn’t pull its punches. You are traveling through the realm of the dead, and it is certainly not a light story.
Senua was made emotionally vulnerable by the loss of her love, increasing the pain she already experiences in her tormented mind. You experience that torment first hand, hearing her voices speaking directly to her and you, the player. They can be both helpful and hurtful, guide you with their truth or trick you with their lies. There is no way to determine which to trust and which to ignore, especially when they all begin to speak at once.
Along the way you will encounter creatures and gods from Norse mythology. Each is unique, with their own strengths and weaknesses accurate to their lore. No two encounters are the same, and if it seems that way, then get ready for some sort of twist.
In addition to fighting the realm’s inhabitants, Senua battles very literally with her own darkness. You come to understand her internal battle which began long before her descent into the underworld. While fighting for Dillian’s soul, she fights for herself as well.
Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice Gameplay
Gameplay clip which includes puzzles, Senua's voices, and combat
Hellblade is a linear game, starting at the beginning and moving directly through without side questing. It features often challenging combat, mythic storytelling, and a variety of perspective based puzzles. Not to mention dark themes and gorgeous views.
The world is filled with hidden runes, some are lore and some are puzzles. Rune stones surrounded by a glowing circle are lorestones. They can be found throughout the world and each tells part of a traditional Norse saga. No reading required, narration continues even after leaving the stone.
The puzzles in this game were something I enjoyed. Runes will float in the air when Senua nears a rune puzzle, use her focus ability to find the matching rune in the world around you. Sometimes it’s that simple, others you have to search around for just the right vantage to align the rune. Each puzzle varies and the challenges increase as you go.
This is very much a skill based game, there are no special items or improved gear to make combat easier. On average this game takes between 6 and 8 hours, but this varies greatly. My playthroughs tend to take longer as I enjoy the lorestones, and search out each one.
Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice Combat
Bossfight: Senua vs Surtr the fire giant
From the first fight I was struck by the accuracy of Senua’s fighting style and movements. It looks fluid, practiced, and incredibly realistic. None of the flashy, unrealistic moves used in many games, which are entertaining but would seem inappropriate to her story.
There is no HUD in combat, both health and fatigue are gauged by Senua herself. When stamina becomes low she will begin to breathe harder, attack more slowly, and hold her sword lower as if it is becoming heavy. When health is low you will see wounds appear on her body and she will hold her side as if in pain. These may sound subtle, but are surprisingly easy to notice in combat.
Her voices take an important role in combat, some attacks can not be blocked and must be dodged. One or another voice will call out when this is about to happen or when you are about to be attacked from behind. Though remember that her voices do lie, sometimes you will dodge only for nothing to happen, but if you always ignore them then you will miss vital information.
Along with several types of basic enemy, Hellblade features a large number of boss fights, all inspired from Norse mythology. Each fight is unique from one another, requiring different strategies and skills. Based on your own strengths as a gamer you may find some of these far more challenging than others.
The first two bosses are Valravn and Surtr. Valravn is incredibly fast, with a variety of moves to either be parried or that must be dodged. Surtr is a giant and wields a flaming sword, he is slower but hits just as hard. Personally I struggled greatly with the Valravn fight, but easily beat Surtr on my first try. Friends who excel at games like Dark Souls reported having the opposite experience from mine.
Senua does not sling magic or have any weapons other than her sword, but she still has a very helpful trick on her side. Hanging from the right side of her belt is a mirror which shows up to three charges for her Focus ability, and is charged by attacking enemies. Activating Focus in combat will slow time, while still allowing Senua to move and attack at full speed.
Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice Quest/Mission System
This is a linear game. There are no side quests or friendly NPCs. It is a harsh underworld journey filled with enemies and danger. You will even experience Senuas own battles within her mind. Occasionally the two combine and you find yourself fighting both at once.
The story takes you, as Senua, into the Norse underworld of Helheim. You must battle your way around and through. Her main goal is to reach Hel herself and reclaim her love’s soul. Unfortunately with every two steps she takes forward, the world pushes her one step back. It is a long and difficult road for Senua and everything urges her to give up, but she keeps fighting on.
Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice Graphics
Quality graphics, varried lighting and incredible sound make for an immersive experience
I was very impressed by the graphics of this game! When it was first released on PC the graphics were a touch more that my computer could handle, so I turned them down to improve performance. Even so the world was beautifully detailed. Since then I have made a few hardware upgrades and run it at the normal settings.
Hellblade uses much visual storytelling to convey Senua’s inner struggles and emotions. Her face is incredibly expressive already, and they have themed the lighting and world around her to increase the expression of each rise and fall. You travel through a variety of underworld locations, each one unique and eye catching.
Senua falls while in combat with a warrior
Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice Developer
This game was developed by Ninja Theory, an independent developer based in England. They won numerous awards for many Hellblade features. At The Game Awards 2017, the actor for Senua, Melina Juergens, accepted an award while still wearing her motion capture suit after having performed one of the scenes in motion capture live.
Personally I have had little to no difficulty with glitches or other problems during my gameplay experience. I had one small glitch where a large gate didn’t register that I wanted to enter, easily fixed by trying again from a few steps back.I have had no problems severe enough to warrant contacting the developer; though from following them on social media they seem very active in their work and the gaming community.
They have announced the next installment of the series, Hellblade Senua’s Saga. The trailer is now available, featuring hauntingly appropriate music by the band Heilung. While no gameplay has been released as of this review, their past success and current trailer look quite promising.
Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice Price
Originally only available for PC, Senua’s Sacrifice is now available in console edition as well. It is priced $29.99 for PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. This game has no micro transactions and is not play-to-win, just a straightforward game with a straightforward goal. There are currently no DLC available, with exception to the soundtrack available on Steam. The sequel is currently in production.
Final Verdict
9 out of 10
I personally am very happy with my purchase of this game. I feel the developers delivered a wonderful gaming experience that I can now return to whenever I wish. While it certainly may not be for everyone, I hope this has helped you to get a better understanding of what it offers in order to decide for yourself.
Game Pros
- Immersive gameplay and story
- High quality graphics
- Creates a visual and auditory experience
- Accurate mental health portrayal
- Accurate mythology and lore
- Likable main character with depth
Game Cons
- May be difficult for newer or less experienced players
- Darker content not suitable for everyone
- Can be incredibly frustrating
- No tutorial and very little guidance
- Puzzles can be touchy, requiring near perfect alignment
