May
21
2024
0

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II Quick Time Review

Developer: Ninja Theory

Publisher: Xbox Game Studios

Release date: May 21, 2024

Available on: PC, Xbox Series X and S (reviewed on the S)

The sequel to 2017’s Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, the next chapter Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II picks up six months after the conclusion of the first game. Senua is a prisoner aboard a Norse ship when a storm destroys the vessel and she washes up in a hostile land. The game retains the voices from the first, both egging Senua on as well as encouraging her. Combat has been revamped and does pose some challenge, as learning when to dodge and parry is key. While the game can be completed in six to eight hours, it does provide a memorable experience and proves to be a worthy successor to the first game.

PROS

Beautiful visuals

Superb sound (best experienced with headphones)

Challenging combat

Intriguing puzzles

Excellent tense atmosphere

CONS

Can be hard to know where to go in spots

Lot of walking in between combat and puzzles

While proving to be a worthy successor to Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, the new chapter from Ninja Theory never really rises above the first game. Combat and puzzles are challenging, and the visuals are beautiful to look at. As with the first game, playing with headphones is the optimal way to experience the sounds. The game makes for a short but memorable experience, and is a solid purchase for gamers who enjoy a strong story driven title.

9/10 stars