Summary
While its gameplay may not offer the improvements that fans were hoping for, there’s still a lot to love aboutSenua’s Saga: Hellblade 2. Another short but sweet 5-6 hour experience,Senua’s Saga:Hellblade 2delivers another intriguing, emotionally-driven story that once again centers around the titular Pictish warrior whose new journey sees players explore a brand new land similarly inspired by Norse mythology.
On this new journey, Senua faces off against undead Draugr, meets some unfriendly Giants, and comes close to death more times than fans thought possible, and each step of the waySenua’s Saga: Hellblade 2wows players with its exceptional presentation. But whileHellblade 2’s excellent graphics have been a common point of praise since its launch last week, there’s far more toHellblade 2’s presentationthan its visuals.
Hellblade 2’s Presentation Is Great All-Round
One of Hellblade 2’s Biggest Strengths is Sound Design
WhenHellblade: Senua’s Sacrificefirst launched in 2017, it quickly became one of the year’s biggest surprises, and its presentation played a key role in that. More specifically,Hellblade’s audio designbecame a hot topic among critics. When booting upHellbladefor the first time, players are encouraged to use headphones to make the best use of the game’s innovative binaural audio design.
For those unaware, binaural audio is a technique that utilizes stereo technology to submerge players in a sort of sphere of sound. This means that if players are wearing headphones, it’ll sound as though the game’s audio is coming from all around them. Ninja Theory was able to use this technique in the firstHellbladeto carefully choose where the game’s audio would come from. In doing this,Hellbladewas able to reinforce the symptoms ofSenua’s psychosis, having the voices that appear in her head dart around the player’s own audio space.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2takes its predecessor’s excellent audio design and builds on it, introducing a few new layers that go a long way in enhancing the player experience. One of these new layers is voice modulation and volume, which giveSenua’s voiceseven more prominence.Hellblade 2also features more characters than its predecessor, and the audio design does some interesting things when those characters are interacting with Senua.
It’s often the case that when a character talks toSenua inHellblade 2, players will hear that voice all around them as if they were standing in front of them in real life. But as those characters are talking, Senua’s voices will often chime in with their own commentary on what’s being said, appearing in alternate ears to evoke the feeling that the player is constantly surrounded by an unseen presence that they can’t control.
Hellblade 2’s Cinematography Is an Unsung Hero
Cinematography doesn’t get talked about much in the world of video games, but for narrative titles likeSenua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, it’s just as important as it would be in a movie. The vast majority ofHellblade 2’s runtime is spent with the camera placed firmly behind Senua’s back, and just above her shoulder, a common perspective of modern narrative games. However,Hellblade 2’s cameraisn’t afraid to get a little more creative than some of its contemporaries, occasionally panning around Senua during cinematic moments to show her facial expressions, or naturally panning to characters and items of interest during gameplay.Hellblade 2’s camerawork plays a vital role in making the game feel cinematic and seamless.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
WHERE TO PLAY
The sequel to the award winning Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Senua returns in a brutal journey of survival through the myth and torment of Viking Iceland. Intent on saving those who have fallen victim to the horrors of tyranny, Senua faces a battle of overcoming the darkness within and without.A crafted experience of cinematic immersion:Sink deep into Senua’s world and story, with beautifully realized visuals and encapsulating sound.Senua’s unique perspective:Experience the world through Senua’s eyes and ears, as a Celtic warrior who experiences psychosis.A journey into Viking Iceland:An epic journey across 10th century Iceland, recreated from real locations in stunning detail.Every fight tells a story:Brutal and visceral combat as Senua battles for survival.
