Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice Reviews
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.
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.
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is a true mixed bag. It’s easily one of the most visually stunning games you can play and the sound design is exquisite. On the other hand there it’s no doubt fairly simple and at times boring. If you aren’t looking for an action packed game and instead looking for something a little more heady, Hellblade just might be the game for you. Even the slower sections of this game are mesmerizing and darkly beautiful.
Truthfully an amazing experience and this will be the second game for me, which if I can get amnesia and forget all about the playthrough, just to feel it again, I’d totally go for that. I can, without a doubt, recommend Hellblade to everyone. It’s definitely one of those rare gems out there on the market that I am absolutely happy to have.
Senua’s adventure in the underworld and her dealing with her unusual illness, splendid characterization of the heroine which makes its player’s feelings grow stronger, and perfect sound designing alongside awesome visuals; combining all these features together results in a masterpiece named Hellblade. A game that in spite of its valuable elements, due to being a digital only with short story and nearly high price, it is rarely found in Iranian users’ shopping carts.
Review in Persian | Read full review
as an distinguished and sumptuous game, HellBlade Senua's Sacrifice reaches it's goal without hesitating. the mixture of norse mythology with senua's unique story and psychological elements, is one you've never seen, like ever.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Hellblade is not an Orphean quest to retrieve a dead lover from the underworld. It's not some epic tale of revenge. It's an education and contextualization of being psychologically different in the time of Vikings and Celts. Nearly every facet of the game — whether it's combat, puzzles or exploration — is deliberate, pointing back to the overarching theme of what people called “cursed” during that time. Hellblade successfully weaves metaphors of grief and loss into fundamental game mechanics and rich folklore, and through these I felt like I truly was able to understand how someone else sees the world.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice manages to immerse its players in a scary and dangerous world, and it manages to effectively put them in the shoes of its troubled protagonist. The game has some great action, but its story makes it a gripping adventure that has a surprisingly accurate take on mental illness
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice manages to tell a thoughtful story about mental illnesses while also providing exciting gameplay and some absolutely fantastic visuals and audio. For anyone looking for a tight, well-paced, linear action game, this is it.
Hellblade offers an engrossing single-player cinematic experience coupled with Ninja's Theory's tight melee combat systems and responsive controls. An enthralling sensory onslaught for the eyes and ears.
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.
An emotional inferno, worth your suffering.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice evokes the strongest feelings of empathy thanks to a great production, deep character development, animation work, special effects and unique sound. Unfortunately, boring tasks with runes and too simple fights in limited arenas with waves of enemies are not the best elements for an original and emotionally strong project. I hope that with good sales on PSN and Steam big publishers gonna work with Ninja Theory again and studio will release a game of DmC level or something even more great.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice might not deliver when it comes to hack-and-slash combat, but its world, characters, and approach to storytelling help it to redefine what we might come to expect from AA games moving forward.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is a very bold game that manages to talk about mental issues in a truly emotional way, using the gameplay dynamics of an action adventure. It's an authentic manifesto of how videogames can deal with serious matters in a way that fits perfectly the medium. And if you'll decide to go along with Senua in her descent to darkness, you'll probably remember her for the rest of your life.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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.
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.
There is something bewitching in how the immediacy of video games can lead to places other mediums cannot.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is an unique title in many ways. It has great story, perfectly tuned technical aspects and also a great depiction of psychological problems of an individual. Sadly, that alone won't be enough for every player and some might consider it boring. It'd be a shame, because Hellblade has many things to offer.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Embark on an epic and completely immersive personal journey with Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. A game that's about fighting your inner demons as much as it's about fighting real tangible ones. Certainly a unique experience, but is it worthy of your money and time?