Senua's Saga: Hellblade II Reviews
The developers at Ninja Theory had a clear goal with Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2. And they did it almost perfectly. The script of the amazingly crafted story is complemented by perfect acting performances and the entire audiovisuals, from sounds and music to graphics that will take your breath away. If this is precisely what you're looking for and liked the first game, then you know what you're getting into, and you definitely won't go wrong. It's a shame that it's more of a movie than a game. Because, as a game, it's languishing in many ways. Even as a walking simulator.
Review in Czech | Read full review
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is a well-deserved and worthy sequel. Ninja Theory has delivered a spectacular narrative, just like its predecessor, along with cutting-edge technical quality, featuring otherworldly graphics and an incredible Nordic-inspired soundtrack. I did miss more gameplay moments, with greater combat depth and a few more puzzles, as in the first game, but these points don’t detract from how amazing Hellblade II is.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
With Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, Ninja Theory continues their strongly auteur path, proudly advancing their unique series with this logical and predictable sequel. The new adventure of Senua doesn't stray from its past, at least gameplay-wise, limiting innovations and confining itself to being "better seen than played." The overwhelming beauty of the audiovisual production, despite evident compromises, stands as the most impressive on consoles today. Some will undoubtedly complain about the lack of interactivity, bland combat, and self-serving puzzles, but if viewed as a purely narrative experience with strong cinematic elements, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 will satisfy those seeking such an experience.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is a bleak yet deeply absorbing game - and one I’ve not played anything like before. Combat is a little simplistic, and some parts are pedestrian, but the remarkable visual and audio design, performances and acting, the intriguing narrative throughout, and a beguiling world that has one of the strongest senses of place I’ve experienced elevate the game wonderfully.
I do recommend this experience however, as Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is almost everything I wanted in a sequel to Hellblade. The original game’s graphical fidelity for its time in 2017 matched the AAA space 1:1. With the level of graphical fidelity in this game to set a benchmark that will be very hard to top in terms of realism across the board. However, the combat, while having a better presentation, did feel mechanically stripped down in places that feel questionable. While the puzzles are mostly similar but still very enjoyable at times. This game will still feel niche, yet unique, which I feel is not a bad thing. Considering it feels designed to be the next evolution for the experience that only Hellblade can offer.
A cautious revolution. An experience in the true sense of the word. Heavy, intense and powerful. Hellblade 2 blurs the lines between game and film in a supremely clever way that will probably be utilized by other competing developers in the years to come.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is, like its prequel, a title that makes narrative and cinematic components its strong point. Artistically, we are faced with an inspired and immersive game, thanks to the way the protagonist's psychosis has been told. Unfortunately, at the gameplay level, no great strides have been made compared to the past, making these sections quite passive and not very interactive. A real shame considering Ninja Theory's experience and skill.
Review in Italian | Read full review
This sequel doubles down on what made the first one so enjoyable, with its incredibly dark atmosphere and concise storytelling. However, like its predecessor, 'Hellblade II's gameplay and combat didn’t improve much.
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is Ninja Theory's magnum opus. It's a sequel that's ambitious but not overbearing. With this game, the studio has perfected its craft of portraying immaculate cinematic experiences, glimpses of which can be traced back to its earlier games, like 2007's Heavenly Sword. Most importantly, with Hellblade 2, Ninja Theory has created an utterly refreshing AAA single-player experience that is unlike anything Xbox has currently to offer this generation.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II has become a truly remarkable passion project from Ninja Theory. Despite the studio having 'only' eighty employees, they've managed to score top marks in many areas. To begin with, Hellblade II is audiovisually the best this industry has to offer. Unreal Engine 5 performs magic on your screen, where cinematic visuals and in-game content are often indistinguishable. The audio is not only sharp and impressive, but thanks to binaural sound, it penetrates deep into your mind. 'Gripping' is a key term when describing this action game, reflected in the relentless combat against the horrors of the Viking era. Alongside the grand spectacle, there is an intimate story with Senua at its center. The way her mental and physical challenges are presented is simply top-tier writing. The emotional impact that Ninja Theory delivers with Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is one that will be praised for years to come.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is an incredible experience that simply should not be missed. The game is fully committed to immersing players with fantastic world-building, top tier visual presentation, world-class audio design, and a narrative that continues to not shy away from the complex themes it combines with such dense mythology. Ninja Theory has themselves yet another all-timer with this one.
Senua's Saga Hellblade 2 is a fair sequel to the first title, improving on all its special features such as the technical and sound compartment and a very interesting introspective narrative. However, the second chapter still decides to leave behind some elements that were evidently never considered a priority for the project, such as the gameplay that at times interrupts the rhythm of the story.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Ninja Theory has absolutely hit the mark again with their second title in the series, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, creating a stunning masterpiece that takes gamers on an unforgettable ride and draws them deeply into Senua’s harrowing journey. From the moment you start, you are enveloped in a world that is both visually and audibly breathtaking.
Hellblade 2 delivers as promised: an immersive narrative experience that continues Senua's story while delivering top-notch visuals, impressive binaural 3D audio, and among the best mocap ever in gaming. It's a compact, focused tale that trims the fat and pushes you forward at a brisk pace—exactly what I think fans of the original game will be looking for.
A visual and aural triumph, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II trades agency, freedom, and longevity to galvanize mood, atmosphere, and other, more cinematic qualities. By its very design, Senua’s Saga will polarize an audience rich with choice-driven adventure games. But by committing to its vision, Ninja Theory has crafted a thoughtful and haunting slice of violent opera - long on style, short on length, and certainly deserving of acclaim.
A decent follow-up to the previous game but not enough flair and novelties to keep you engaged enough. Senua's Saga is playing it safe when it comes to sequels coupled with some pretty formulaic combat.
If the aspect you like most about a video game is its story, Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is a great option and will give you hours of fun — and can be finished in up to seven hours —, however, it can frustrate you if you're just looking for unrestrained action.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Senua's Saga: Hellblade II showcases a level of visual prowess that blows anything we've seen so far out of the water and uses it to present a journey that, while short, excites from beginning to end.
Graphically and audiovisually the game is rock solid, but in terms of gameplay and replay value it collapses considerably. The story is beautiful and intense, Iceland and Senua's journey are beautifully depicted. The serious psychological problems that Senua experiences, after a terrible amount of suffering, are also well explained. It is therefore a shame that the overall picture is a little disappointing and you are still left with some questions about the game. Of course you can think what you want, that is everyone's right, but asking fifty euros for this is a bit too much ( Xbox Game Pass is an alternative).
Review in Dutch | Read full review