“Senua's Saga: Hellblade II”, A beautiful and harrowing story about facing your inner demons

It's been seven years since we first embarked on Ninja Theory's harrowing journey, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, which puts mental health front and center while condensing the experience into one great video game. Microsoft has since acquired the studio and subsequently, Senua's Saga: Hellblade IIis here, and it's honestly the first game to showcase the true power of the Xbox Series X console.

Before embarking on Senua's next journey, I made it my business to play Senua's Sacrifice acclimatize with Ninja Theory's groundbreaking game.

For years, I've heard what a technical achievement the game was, especially the use of binaural audio, which allowed players to experience the title character's battle with psychosis, or as she describes it, “the darkness” inside her head.

Although not required, the studio strongly recommends that you play the game using headphones to truly experience the technology as the voices in Senua's head, aka “The Furies”, speak to her, either helping or misleading her on her journey to free her. dead lover's soul from Hela's clutches in the Norse underworld.

The developers recorded each ethereal line of dialogue using a binaural microphone, which means that when the Furies speak to Senua, it sounds like the voices are coming from different directions.

Dealing with Senua's Psychosis

What's great about the game is how the developers worked with people who have dealt with psychosis and, with the help of real people dealing with psychosis and Professor Paul Fletcher at Cambridge University, to accurately deliver the feeling of dealing with it. disorder.

It will really make you question whether the things you encounter during the journey are, in fact, authentic or just a product of Senua's hallucinations, a byproduct of her psychosis.

Combined with robust combat mechanics, puzzles and a fantastic story, Ninja Theory delivered a unique and unprecedented video game experience.

Now the question is, Ninja Theory knocked it out of the park again The Saga of Senua? I am happy to say HI YES.

Senua's Saga is yet another technical masterpiece

Source: Ninja Theory / Xbox Game Studios / Senua's Saga: Hellblade II

Hellblade II follows Senua, the Celtic warrior who has emerged from Hel (real or not) and is now on a quest to seek revenge on the Viking raiders who destroyed her homeland of Orkney.

Immediately, you realize that the locale of the game is no longer the dark and super-creepy set pieces of Hel. The Saga of Senua opens on a rainy beach scene, followed by an epic boat sequence, completely silent** the first time we meet Sensua in the first game.

Senua is also not alone for most of this journey, but just like in the first game, you will wonder if the people following you are really there or just a product of the “darkness”.

Eventually, you will immerse yourself in the world. the Ninja Theory team captured real-life locations in Iceland that will make you stop and use the game's impressive photo feature to capture snapshots.

of 2017 Sensua's Sacrifice it was nothing to sneeze at in the graphics department, but The Saga of Senua the graphics are much improved.

Source: Ninja Theory / Xbox Game Studios / Senua's Saga: Hellblade II

Ninja Theory's penchant for performance capture is taken to another level thanks to the studio's “Ninja House,” which allows them to capture the full performance of their characters, from individual finger movements to the smallest facial movements.

I marveled at Melina Jurgen's performance as Senua. Thanks to Ninja Theory's performance capture technology, every bit of emotion could be seen on her face.

Of course, the use of sound in this game is excellent. The use of binaural audio is not wasted, with The Furies sounding as convincing as ever, and the other voices and sounds encountered throughout Senua's adventure are just as haunting as ever.

Combat is improved, but there is still room for improvement

Source: Ninja Theory / Xbox Game Studios / Senua's Saga: Hellblade II

When it came to the battle system in Senua's Sacrificeyou either loved it for its simplicity and satisfying parry system or you hated it for how repetitive it felt towards the end of the first game.

That feeling stays inside The Saga of Senua, but there are still some subtle differences. The combat is a bit tighter and gone is that messy camera that moved when Senua changed her focus when fighting more than one enemy at a time, which was one of the more annoying moments of the game.

The kick button is gone and countering seems a bit more complicated, but it's still rewarding when you successfully land a successful parry and deliver a killing blow.

The Saga of Senua it also makes a valiant effort to throw more types of enemies at you, unlike the first game. However, you will get bored fighting certain types of enemies that you will encounter during one of the battle sequences.

Final verdict

Source: Ninja Theory / Xbox Game Studios / Senua's Saga: Hellblade II

Xbox Series X and S owners have been clamoring for a reason to power up their consoles, and those moments have been sporadic.

But with Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, is one of those titles that Xbox owners have been waiting for a long time. While it doesn't have $70 worth of content, it does offer a short BUT very sweet and satisfying experience that only costs $40, or free if you're Xbox Game Pass subscriber.

Senua's story is beautiful and terrifying at the same time, while helping you understand what it's like to deal with a debilitating condition like psychosis.

Working alongside experts and people dealing with psychosis, Ninja Theory once again flawlessly tells a story that will leave you questioning if what you experienced was real, while appreciating the journey.

After the rolling credits, I grew to love and appreciate Senua as a character. She is a flawed human being who, due to her condition, is completely misunderstood and mistreated by her father and other people who do not understand “the darkness”.

The Saga of Senua is a masterclass in storytelling and shows people how to face their inner monsters. It shows why video games are not only entertainment but also art. They can be a teaching tool and help us understand things that we don't usually come across in everyday life, like dealing with psychosis.

Hellblade II it is a beautiful and painful story that everyone should experience.

*Xbox Series X key provided by Xbox*