Hi everyone hope you're doing well, welcome to my review! Today I'll be talking about, Hellblade Senua's Sacrifice. This game is being touted as a AAA indie title, and after playing through it I would have to agree. Even though it's pretty short, only costs $30, and only got a digital release on PS4 and PC, the quality and effort put in here is top notch. Hellblade was made by developer, Ninja Theory, known for previous games like Heavenly Sword and the Devil May Cry series. I wasn't exactly sure what to expect when I started playing through this, and even now that I've finished it I'm having a hard time properly describing it. This is a game about a women with severe mental illness, who's grief stricken with guilt and regret. She lost her lover to wild Vikings from the Northlands, and is now on a journey to bring him peace in his final resting place, no matter where it takes her.
In Hellblade you play as Celtic warrior Senua. Your love, Dillion, was killed by Vikings and now you carry his head in a burlap sack tied around your waist. You're trying to save his soul from hell so he can be at peace in the afterlife. Unfortunately, Senua has gone completely crazy and has a hard time getting a grip on reality. Throughout the game you hear voices talking to you, but it's all in your head. Sometimes you hear multiple voices all talking over each other making it difficult to even understand them, even though she's completely alone. On top of that you will hallucinate quite a bit, one minute something's there, the next it's gone. This makes for one hell of an experience, and is something I don't think I've ever seen in a game before. All of these symptoms working together like that creates some pretty incredible atmosphere, and that's where Hellblade shines, it's beautifully done story and atmosphere. As you fall deeper into Senua's psychosis, you also get more invested in her story and the journey at hand.
The world of Hellblade is not only terrifying at times, but also quite beautiful. The lighting and shadow effects are done expertly, and you can tell great care went into the graphical quality. From the raging fires that you see, to the waves crashing and receding on the beach, everything is a joy to look at and worthy of snapping a screenshot in photo mode. Something I should mention is that this game has no HUD, there is no life bar, no compass, no writing of any kind on the screen to indicate the usual things you might want to know. This is just the style that Hellblade has. There's also no tutorial for the combat mechanics or anything else for that matter. There is quite a bit of fighting in the game though and plenty of puzzles you need to figure out in order to unlock a door to a boss or a new area. By pulling down the right trigger Senua can focus, this is what you use to solve puzzles. There will be three runes on a door, and you need to find the same ones in the world around you. Once you do you just focus on it and it will unlock that rune on the door. This is actually pretty intuitive, but it's used repeatedly throughout the game and can become a little tedious by the end.
At first the combat seemed weird to me, especially with no explanation. You only get one sword the whole game, but you can do a lot with it once you figure it out. There's a strong and a quick attack, but also a block, a dodge, and a kick. If you block just before an enemy strikes you, there will be an indication of it and your enemy will be stunned. Some attacks can't be blocked though and require you to dodge out of the way. Some enemies will be stunned if you simply kick them first then attack. At a certain point in the game you get the ability to use your focus in battle. When you do it will slow time dramatically allowing you to take out a group, but this can only be done after charging it up with well timed blocks. Once you figure out when to use all of these moves and on what enemies, you will be fluidly flipping and dodging around taking out large numbers. It does get tougher as you go on though, and there are some tricky bosses, so fight smart and try not to get killed too much. Senua has the "dark rot" in her, every time you die it spreads up her arm. If it reaches her head it's game over, back to the beginning and your save will be erased. I feel like I died quite a few times though and it never reached my head.
Everything about Hellblade feels fresh and unique, compelling you to keep going wanting to see what happens next. The woman who played Senua did a fantastic job of playing a person with severe mental illness, while still making you sympathize with her. The combat is simple, yet tricky to master, but once you do it becomes very fun. Great story, told through runestones that you find throughout the world, as well as cutscenes. And fantastic visual and sound design with voices that whisper to you, sometimes encouraging you, sometimes mocking you. If you have the option of using headphones while playing this I suggest doing so. If not you can always turn on the subtitles in the audio options, that way you wont miss much of what is being said. The only complaints I have with this game are repetitive puzzles, and without any indication of where to go, sometimes it became frustrating knowing what to do next. Especially when at parts towards the end you need to run from the darkness to certain spots, and if you don't go to just the right spot you will die. These are pretty minor problems though in an otherwise great game, and easily forgiven. With a good 6 to 8 hours of gameplay, and only being $30, this game is well worth the purchase. Just be prepared for an unconventional experience. I give Hellblade Senua's Sacrifice a..................................
80
Thanks for checking out my review of Hellblade, I hope you enjoyed it!
Thank you for sharing your experiences with getting up and running. Keep on working at it. Perseverance and hard work are the keys to success. @jameslashomb
Hellblade is one of the game industry’s few genuine dramas... a dark, uncomfortable experience that makes players suffer alongside its protagonist.
Well said, thank you!
Thank you for sharing your experiences with getting up and running. Keep on working at it. Perseverance and hard work are the keys to success. @jameslashomb