Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice Reviews
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is a unique game that intriguingly captures mental illness and offers a punishing-yet-fluid set of mechanics, all wrapped inside a compelling journey through a vibrant world. I felt like I was with Senua every step of the way, and couldn't wait to see what was around the next corner.
Games have come a long way since I was a youth. Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is a clear example of a game as an art form with a strong message and a complex, layered narrative. It's true that you're sort of along for the ride and most of your interactions are through your emotional response to what is depicted rather than through the mechanics of the game, but is that such a bad thing?
As part of their “independent AAA game proposition”, Ninja Theory delivers a visually impressive game with a short but interesting story that touches on a delicate subject and couples it with some interesting mechanics that nevertheless don't fully condense properly together.
Hellblade's battle with mental illness is an agonizing story only games could tell
Marrying combat, narrative, and strong characters, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is greater than the sum of its parts, making it well worth its asking price. It might not be the sequel to DmC: Devil May Cry, but it's a tense, dramatic experience that's worth the price of entry.
Great realization, a specific story, small mishaps, but for this super price. A real "AAA turkey" that shows that even small studios can create big games.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Hellblade is a unique production. Risky and brave as few today and with all the tints of an independent game that is camouflaged under a layer of sheet metal and paint that resembles a super production. It is one of those games that you must have on your system.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Although Hellblade has to be commended for its superb presentation and its tackling of the subject matter, it's ultimately let down by its gameplay and structure. It's definitely a game I feel everyone should experience, the voices and visuals alone make it worth playing. But in the end, it falls short of greatness, an excellent shell around a fairly hollow interior.
You may not want to play through again (I still might at some point though) since there isn't much after you beat it, but it's worth it to at least go through Senua's journey once.
If you are looking for a new experience and you are interested in psychology, don't miss Hellblade. Amazing atmosphere, breathtaking combats and challenges, stunning visuals, and marvelous sound and music will entertain you for around 8 hours.
Review in Persian | Read full review
A unique experience in the way it presents its world and story. The gameplay itself might be simple, but it succeeds in making you empathize with the game's heroine.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is an absolutely pleasant surprise. There may be only one kind of puzzle to tackle, but it never seems to get old, especially when the stages keep it fresh. The combat may not be as flashy as the developer's previous titles, but there's more than enough strategy to keep the combat challenging. What will keep this title in people's minds is the story's focus on mental illness that is respectable without making it a mere gimmick. Coupled with a truly stunning presentation, Hellblade is certainly a title worth playing.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is easily one of the best games in the recent years in terms of creating deceptive spaces and offering new experiences. Ninja Theory has proved once again that with enough time and budget, even ideas that aren't even originally from the developers themselves, can become games beyond our expectations.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Dense, immersive and beautiful, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is a genuine surprise. With a unique atmosphere, outstanding sound design and solid controls, it could have been masterful had it not been for the creeping shadow of repetitiveness, an exhausting dose of backtracking and some frustration to stop it, especially towards the end. Having said that, this is a truly remarkable and affordable experience.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
I've been playing video games for years now and until now I hadn't experienced an adventure like the Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. From the moment I saw the trailers of Hellblade and read about it, i liked the game and I was waiting to try it out but I couldn't even imagine falling in love so deep with this game. You can see that ninja theory has done all he can to make Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. You can feel the effort they've made for making a masterpiece like Hellblade. And it's not just this game; Although they're not one of those big fancy studios they have always made great games because they make them with their hearts and Hellblade is their ace. This game shows that you don't need a lot of money to make great games. Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is a must-have! This game won't be like any other games you have played. The price is only 30 dollars but the experience is much better than most of those games you bought for 60.
Review in Persian | Read full review
I finished Hellblade: Senua Sacrifice with the biggest smile on my face, as the story and world engrossed me with vivid imagery for years to come. Understanding Senua's mental state, was great. I want more of the creepy storyline and that is a win in my book. It feels like a game handcrafted with care, as each sound and motion captured element propels the story forward.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice has an interesting plot, a good fighting mechanic and excellent graphics. The quality of the audio is out of this world. The problem is the combat variety (in the end, you'll be bored) and due to the focus on the narrative, many people may find the game monotonous. However, those who give a chance will find a good story.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is a powerful and significant piece of interactive media that, yes, is far from perfect, but successfully puts mental illness at the forefront of the concept, causing its players to come away from the experience contemplating exactly what they have borne witness to, and allows them to better understand the very serious realities that others go through on a daily basis. Ninja Theory earns a great deal of respect for what the team has managed to achieve, but also for respecting those affected by psychosis.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is an extremely well written game with a great story lore and challenging combat system. The only thing that it lacks is a good puzzle design otherwise Hellblade offers an experience that should easily rival a big blockbuster game.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is every bit as vicious, epic and dramatic as its predecessors in the Ninja Theory library, but interweaving a delicate storyline through simple, yet ruthless mechanics makes it one of the most visceral portrayals of psychological turmoil in recent video gaming.