Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice Reviews

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is ranked in the 91st percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
3.5 / 5.0
Aug 27, 2017

For all the warranted concern of AAA developers veering too far from gameplay into pure cinematic awe, there's no denying Ninja Theory's narrative depiction of mental health is an infectious one — the type of narrative that has been long overdue in this industry.

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9 / 10.0
Aug 8, 2017

One of the most inventive games of the year, showing that time and patience can be behind a challenging, smart, and incredibly interesting game.

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9 / 10.0
Jul 16, 2019

When you think you’re seeing a render in-game that looks too good for Switch, that’s because essentially a video is playing. Yes, the actual game part is lower resolution, and yes, of course if you can play it on PS4, Xbox One, or PC, you’ll get the better looking experience, but if you are a Switch-only console household then you’re getting a great looking game that sounds amazing, and tells a story with one of the best takes on mental health in a long time. Play it on handheld with headphones and you’ll be shocked, just don’t be surprised if it looks blurry (and sub-HD) on the big screen.

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9 / 10
Apr 11, 2019

Despite familiar echoes and mechanical touchstones from other games, Hellblade’s psychological bent and the constant voices in Senua’s (and therefore your) head give it an identity very much of its own.

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9 / 10
Aug 10, 2017

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is beautiful, discomforting, and compelling. It might challenge what you like about games, but challenge is good. You're doing yourself a disservice if you don't try it.

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95 / 100
Aug 8, 2017

The ending of the game will leave you wondering just what was real and what was an illusion. I thoroughly enjoyed the dramatic arc of each major scene. It starts out calm, moves to disturbing, and then descends into chaos and madness. I think the storytellers and designers exercised tight creative control, with a game that is understated as well as explosive.

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7 / 10.0
Aug 8, 2017
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice Review - For The Damaged (Coda) video thumbnail
10 / 10.0
Aug 13, 2017

Despite a bug that forced my first playthrough to end prematurely, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is an incredible game that will continue to linger with me as a singular and emotionally affecting experience. For its audio and visual design alone, it is stunning, but for its ability to use the video game medium to bridge our understanding of mental illness while also telling a personal and powerful story, it is a masterpiece. If you feel capable of withstanding the emotional strain it requires, a dark and fulfilling tale awaits.

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Unscored
Aug 12, 2017

Hellblade is brave for tackling psychosis so directly, and braver still for pouring so much of its efforts into its narrative. It's unlike anything else I've played this year, and for that reason it deserves a slice of your time.

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Aug 8, 2017

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice's story of mental illness is unlike anything we've experienced before.

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Unscored
Aug 9, 2017

Few mainstream video games have tried, let alone achieved, anything close to the emotional intensity that courses through this game.

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9 / 10.0
Aug 8, 2017

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is a complete experience for a bargain price. Struggling through life as a psychosis sufferer is an alarming experience, and Hellblade provides an illuminating glimpse into the lives of those afflicted by such terror. Combat is visceral, yet on the game's easiest mode should prove no problem for those interested in experiencing the story. At an asking price of $29.99 USD, the campaign is just long enough to feel like this is money well-spent. Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is a stellar entry from Ninja Theory, and I can only hope this is the first of many “independent AAA” games to come from the veteran studio.

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85 / 100
Aug 22, 2017

Hellblade could have been carried alone by its insanely beautiful graphics and standout voice performances — some of the best of 2017 — but while these scenarios were always refreshing interruptions from long, meditative walks through Helheim, they distracted from the game's greater focus on demystifying a taboo mental disorder.

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Apr 6, 2018

It's a unique title which succeeds in its mission of giving gamers a glimpse into how people deal with psychosis and loss.

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Aug 21, 2017

There is something bewitching in how the immediacy of video games can lead to places other mediums cannot.

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Apr 17, 2018

Senua is a remarkable character who instills all of her energies into the player in such a way that will never be forgotten.

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Ken McKown
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Apr 24, 2018

Hellblade is an amazing achievement in game design. It is something I think everyone should play.

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8 / 10
Aug 8, 2017

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is not going to appeal to all tastes, and nor does it try to. As a character action game, it has decent if underdeveloped combat and a mixture of some excellent and some overplayed puzzles. But it's the way that the title utilises the unique attributes of the medium to raise awareness of mental health that elevate this release beyond the sum of its parts.

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9 / 10.0
Aug 9, 2017

Blending powerful imagery, unrivaled visuals quality, an excellent combat system and a unique setting blending Norse mythology with mental illness, Ninja Theory fully delivers on their independent AAA pitch with Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. This is one of those titles that, albeit not flawless, should be experienced by every gamer at some point.

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9 / 10.0
Aug 11, 2017

Hellblade is one of my favorite titles this year. Its incredible use of sound and visual manipulation to completely immerse you in its experience is a credit to Ninja Theory. Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is a prime example that you don't need a massive budget to create something extraordinary.

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