Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice - A Deep Dive Into Psychosis [Video Game Review]

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is a videogame about a celt with psychosis, who goes on a journey into Viking territory to save the soul of her love, Dillion.

I didn't know anything about Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice until I stumbled across it via Steam. Most of the reviews were outstanding, so I downloaded it on a whim. It's developed by Ninja Theory - who also made the game 'Enslaved', although this is the first game I've played by this developer. So I went into the game blind, unsure of what to expect.

I just finished the game and it may be one of my new favorites of 2017. I don't want to give too much away, because the story unfolds gradually over the course of about 7 or 8 hours. It reminds me of a cross between the movie Valhalla with 'A Beautiful Mind', mixed in with some Amnesia: Dark Descent and. If I had to categorize this game in a particular genre, it'd be psychological horror. There are no jump scares or cheap thrills, but the horror comes from a slow burn build of the character's inner world transforming around her.

Gameplay is relatively simple, and involves completing puzzles and fighting monsters. However it's the immersion and narrative in Hellblade that really sets it apart. The graphics are AAA quality. Nothing in the game is extraneous. The actor who portrayed Senua really managed to tap into the feelings and pain that she portrayed. Even the puzzles that I first thought didn't seem to fit in with the narrative, I later learned had an important story reason for being integrated into the game.

Combat feels visceral and chunky. Each hit matters. The combat is noticeably slower than other games, almost similar to Dark Souls. You have to be careful as you dodge and swing, and plan out your attacks. I can almost feel each strike reverberating through me.

Ninja Theory's attention to detail and love for this game is evident. The developers hired mental health consultants to help more accurately portray the experience of Senua as a woman who had psychosis. They talked with people who had psychosis and integrated their experiences into actual game mechanics - such as searching for runes to progress, or creating illusions. They recorded a lot of the audio with a binaural microphone to mimick people whispering in your ears. Playing this game at times often felt like being part of a movie. As you delve further into the game, it becomes difficult to determine what is real and what is part of Senua's delusions. But ultimately you learn it doesn't matter. Her journey is important o her, and the feelings she feels as she moves through netherworld spaces and fights gods and demons are as real as any other.

I think anyone who plays Senua's Sacrifice will learn more about the struggles that people with psychosis face. Senua's Sacrifice isn't necessarily about education, it's about empathy. You learn about Senua and her quest to save her love's soul and for a few hours, become her. Her delusions become real because you must face them to progress, and you experience her world through her eyes.

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