Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice Reviews
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is a masterclass of atmosphere, storytelling, and the marriage of mechanical and conceptual design. While there are moments that feel shoehorned in to remind us we're playing a videogame, the care and attention Ninja Theory has clearly poured into Senua and her story has created something amazing. This is a game everyone should play, and I'm thankful for the opportunity to have lived inside the mind of Senua, however briefly.
Ninja Theory crafts a highly competent action game and a nuanced, powerful exploration of mental health.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is a deep, fascinating game, however, which precedes the narrative component to the gameplay: the important thing is to know what you are buying.
Review in Italian | Read full review
One of the most inventive games of the year, showing that time and patience can be behind a challenging, smart, and incredibly interesting game.
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.
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.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is an excellent demonstration of quality with an absorbing history and an outstanding artistic direction. Joining concepts such as Norse mythology and psychosis was not easy, but the mixture has been respectful and interesting.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice was just a few short steps from a masterpiece. Poorly constructed puzzles and a number of frustratingly pointless illusion mechanics seriously hinder the experience at times, but a disturbingly brilliant narrative and plot make for a truly worthwhile experience. Even now, hours after putting down the pad, the game has invoked a deep discussion between the voices in my own head – and that's no small feat.
Hellblade's battle with mental illness is an agonizing story only games could tell
At its heart, when you strip everything away, Hellblade is a frank and unrelenting warning about helping others, to not let them drift further and further towards darkness. For that reason alone, Hellblade may just be the year's most vital game.
Hellblade lacks substance but with a starting price of 29,99€ you can live with some dull gameplay elements. Ninja Theory really made a bold move with the game that has paid off. If you expect a well thought out gameplay of a Triple A Hack and Slay game you should give it a pass. Anyone else will get a breathtaking story that tackles a difficult topic with an amazing atmosphere and a great protagonist.
Review in German | Read full review
Hellblade overcomes very minor hiccups with incredible presence, immersive design, and an overall package that truly leaves an impression
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is both haunting and beautifully told. You’ll be rooting for Senua as soon as you see the torment on her face, just by having a glimpse of the horrors she faces every day, you’ll feel a part of her story
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice's story of mental illness is unlike anything we've experienced before.
Expertly crafted both in story and gameplay, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is at the same time both a unique experience and a derivation of some of gaming's best.
Hellblade triumphs equally as action game, mythic quest and psychological character study, bringing together some amazing visuals, great performances and ingenious design. It's short-lived but perfectly paced with a blend of action and puzzles that grows in richness and complexity as the game goes on. While some might prefer Enslaved or the DMC reboot, I'd call it Ninja Theory's best work yet.
For the majority of its run time, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice felt like something much more meaningful than a generic action video game. It felt like a work with something to say, and it made me want to listen, even when what I heard frightened me so badly I could barely press on.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice promises a very different experience as I said at the beginning. Ninja theory, the production team, repeatedly repeated that they wanted to try something different in this game. From the first minute you started playing the game, you feel how successful the production team is in this statement.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
Ninja Theory, you moved me. Hellblade's gameplay is polished, the writing is fantastic, the acting is superb, and the ending managed to make me cry. But even then, all of this pales in comparison to everything this art piece truly represents.
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.