Senua's Saga: Hellblade II Reviews
But then, games can be a lot of things. The are fewer boundaries in gaming than any other form of artistic media, and titles that challenge established understanding of the medium push the margins further out. Hellblade 2 doesn't offer meaningful exploration, it doesn't come loaded with side quests and activities, and it doesn't let you play your own way. It has a strict vision for what it does offer: an uncompromising and harrowing story, immersive environments, photorealistic visuals, and excellent sound and performances. And with its sensitive and important representation of mental health disorders, Senua's Saga stands distinct among formulaic big-budget games.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II marks a triumphant return of Senua’s adventure with a balanced gameplay, powerful representation of psychosis and incredible visuals.
For a game that is about six hours, it is barren and wastes a lot of time by having players tediously walk through vast and empty environments or trudge through forced walking sequences. It is an unsatisfying experience that fails to live up to the original and you still can’t skip cutscenes.
Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is a perfect example of flexibility in a video game. This game allows developers to be ambitious and implement their innovative ideas to a great extent. if you crave cinematic games, you will have a blast playing Senua's Saga: Hellblade II.
Review in Persian | Read full review
A disappointing follow up where everything is the same as it was in Hellblade I or worse. Except for visuals, they look truly marvelous. If only everything else received the same treatment.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 improves on its predecessor in numerous ways, making it a must-play for fans of dark, cinematic adventure games. Visually it's unparalleled, offering photo-realistic characters and environments, and its audio design is spectacular, too. It's just a shame that its combat gets repetitive all too quickly – but in the grand scheme of things, it's a small price to pay.
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is the best-looking video game we've ever played. It sounds incredible, Melina Juergens acts herself inside out, and on a purely technical level this is just next-level stuff all round. However, we still don't feel as though extending Senua's plight into a Saga is a good idea. We remain unconvinced, and it's because this sequel feels like diminishing returns, as we had worried it might. It's not as vital or as unique in 2024, and it goes for bombast as a means of smoothing things over, resulting in a good game, an interesting eight hour romp, but nothing that screams must-play. Weak combat and dull puzzles are just more salt in these wounds, unfortunately.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is a classic example of the old mantra: get past the start, and you’ll love it. If you have Xbox Game Pass, you have no reason not to try this game.
In the end, Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is a steady and safe step. Ninja Theory didn't complicate their existence and honored their own idea of creating a sequel for fans of the first game, not someone else. Hence, it is familiar territory for those who lived through the first part. As a work with indie essence and AAA production values, it fulfills its mission, and although its flaws and limitations are evident, they do not diminish its concept and the strong potential it has to generate emotions, demonstrating that the medium can take other paths beyond the traditional. Yes, Hellblade II is more than just a video game: it's a great audio-visual experience that doesn't betray itself; A work that deserves your time and your feelings.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Although the original Hellblade was a unique addition to the action adventure genre at its time, it doesn't even come close to be comparable to Hellblade 2, as Ninja Theory's latest release is also their best yet. Hellblade 2 improved drastically over its predecessor while offering deep and engaging gameplay from start to finish and arguably the best visuals and sound design we've ever seen in a video game to date, making it the best Microsoft exclusive of the last decade.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is a technical achievement for the gaming industry, the visuals are impressive and realistic in a way we haven't seen before and the audio design is very impressive. The game itself though, we think it could've offered more as puzzles are repetitive and combat is quite limited. However, the storytelling is strong in this chapter of Senua's journey, though it feels heavy and depressing.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is a beautiful but ultimately hollow game. The fantastic presentation props up a story that is less personal and engaging than in the first game, and the gameplay feels like an afterthought. It was great to see Senua again and to see her outside of the grief-misery she was enveloped in during the first game, but beyond that, there's not much to Hellblade II. It's a short and less memorable experience that shows off Ninja Theory's visual craft to its fullest - but it achieves little else.
Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is, at its core, a short game, but an excellent one. But it's not for everyone. It's a bloody and often disgusting experience based on strong emotions and immersion in a character that just won't let you go. It's more of an artistic experience than a traditional game.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
An exceptionally well realized portrayal of Senua's struggle both real and praying on her fears, with brutal and satisfying combat and puzzles that require you to appreciate the world. It successfully continues what the first game started and improves upon almost every aspect.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Senua's Saga: Hellblade II keeps the basics intact, and while a strong lead character, great animations, and simple but enjoyable combat continue to deliver, the poor pacing and performance issues prevent this sequel from breaking free of its past.
Next gen graphics and presentation is now among us, next gen game design on the other hand, will be running late.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
If you sincerely appreciate masterful visuals, pitch-perfect audio, and visceral story-telling then Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is about as perfect of a game as you can get. However, those looking for substance gameplay-wise will wish there was much more to it. ⚔️
Overall, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is a cinematic masterpiece. A game filled with epic characters and epic boss fights that will be etched in your memory. If you are into action-adventure games with epic proportions, then this game is something you should look into.
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