Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

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.

My expectations have never been so thoroughly exceeded. As I said, I have a great deal of difficulty putting in words just how much I love Hellblade. It’s just that powerful.

All considering, I must admit this game is not for everyone. A prospect which saddens me, but one I must unfortunately accept. I play games for all kinds of reasons, not just for fun, and Hellblade is not fun – it’s emotionally brutal. An emotional inferno, worth your suffering.

It might have been madness for a small studio like Ninja Theory to take on such a herculean task, but I’m glad they made the trip.

An unsettling and deeply disquieting experience at times, Hellblade is like nothing else. [Oct 2017, p.72]

Hellblade approaches psychosis in a videogame in a mature and original way. The game has a perfect balance of combat, puzzles and exploration, with great sound and graphics, but it fells too short, clocking in at about 8 hours in length.

Both proof that small development teams can make great games, and that video games can handle heavy themes in their own way.

Hellblade is a bold game in that it represents an issue that people have in a more positive and realistic way and more importantly confronts the stigma attached to mental illness. All this is all wrapped up in a tight, purposeful, and meaty package that should be experienced at least once.

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.

This is a captivating fight of an impressive heroine with her inner demons. Ninja Theory delivers a very unique action adventure that challenges you a a variety of levels.

Rather than exploit psychological trauma so as to advance shallow narratives, the game is committed to putting an often-misinterpreted and dismissed subject front and center.

Mental illness is a seldom discussed and often misunderstood topic. While Hellblade is far from a direct and immediate exploration of psychosis and how it affects people, it uses a powerful narrative mixed with symbolic gameplay elements to weave a tale of horrific trauma and unsettling experiences. Hellblade is easily one of 2017’s very best games, and the best game I’ve played all year that isn’t Zelda.

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is a unique achievement in interactive storytelling. An engaging combat system and rich mythology serve as backdrops to a profoundly emotional tale. Stepping into the mind of Senua and playing a small role in her life is an inspiring experience that leaves a weighty impression.

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.

Hellblade Senua's Sacrifice is a unique and special proposal whose core is in the treatment of psychosis and its masterful recreation. Set in the Viking era with interesting mythological stories and legends. The graphics are more than remarkable and the sound effects and music are excellent, recreating the voices that the protagonist listens to in his head. Playability is based on the combination of puzzles based on illusions and perspective, in addition to various challenging combat sequences that will not make things easy for us. It's not a game for everyone, but it will please and amaze those willing to live a different story and to delve into the deepest darkness that can harbor a sick mind.

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.

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice offers an unparalleled ambiance that is impacted by the character's mental illness. With a few imperfections, this games is one to play because you will ultimately remember it, unlike most AAA games.

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is an interesting action game that, aside from its enjoyable gameplay and great combat mechanics, offers an interesting premise that could easily delude your perceptions. Simply put, it is a game that defies any expectations that gamers can have of it.

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. What you’ve built, what you’ve accomplished here, is extremely important. It’s probably the most realistic portrayal of mental illness I’ve yet seen in a video game, and it works its magic without being patronizing, without stooping to exploitation or condescension.

Hellblade overcomes very minor hiccups with incredible presence, immersive design, and an overall package that truly leaves an impression, not to mention the fact that it’s only $29.99. If this is Ninja Theory stepping away from mainstream gaming, may they permanently inhabit this “Triple-A Indie” space they’ve carved for themselves and usher in a new era that strikes the balance between creative risk and high-quality production values.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is a different kind of game than we expected, and in a good way. Ninja Theory has matured in terms of narrative and really managed to talk frankly about an abnormal condition of the mind. The gameplay should've been better, but it fits with the scope of the game.

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.

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice takes us on a long road to hell paved with contemplative yet stressful scenes, and an impressive respect for Norse myths and legends.

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.

Senua’s descent to the darkest corners of psychosis is one of those rare gems which proves that videogames can use their strengths to tell a story with such efficiency that no other storytelling medium could replicate. Hellblade let us be Senua, and by that it let us see through her perception of reality, and on some level understand it.

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.

With their usual talent for an amazing storytelling, Ninja Theory develops another memorable videogame with Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice.

Hellblade’s rewarding combat system and its larger story that deals with mental health in a significant way make for a great cinematic journey that isn’t afraid to embrace its linearity. While I would have liked to see the same kind of ambition in the puzzle design, Senua’s Sacrifice is a worthy addition alongside the likes of the severely underrated Enslaved: Odyssey to the West.

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.

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice won't leave anyone indifferent. It has some technical limitations but its gameplay mechanics are just superb, and the atmosphere created is really oppressive and achieves its goal with flying colours. It is one of those games where you really suffer for the well-being of your main character. If this is the course that Ninja Theory wants to take with their subsequent games, we'll be pleased to spend our money at every launch date.

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is a beautiful and unusual game for a very select audience. If you want to rest from various open worlds and focus on a very personal and linear story with tons of cool little details, this is something for you. I don't think there ever has been a game that displayed the madness of a troubled mind in such a way. Hellblade is a great single-player adventure.

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.

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is the action adventure genre stripped of its excess, until a smaller, more personal journey remains. While it may feel shallow and lacking for some, those wanting something other than the usual big-budget 70-hour fare will find Senua’s story to be unlike anything else in recent years.

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.

It is so unique and so interesting that it can not be overlooked...Not without problems, but full of interesting ideas. That includes a multi-layered, charming and credible heroine.

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is a prime example for anyone making the case that video games are a powerful art form. Creatively ambitious, it’s exceptionally well-thought-out and implemented – making it striking at both a sensorial and psychological level as it delves deep into an exploration of life with psychosis. It has its gameplay flaws but remains must-experience for adult audiences. An instant classic for this generation.

But Hellblade is so well executed in so many ways, so committed to its mission and has integrated concept and design so well that we found it easy to look past these things to enjoy it immensely...Intense, powerful, important and very well done. [Issue#191, p.70]

Hellblade is not a game for everybody, but if you are interested in either psychology or Scandinavian myth, this is the game for you. The story and atmosphere will surely engage you and some of the stuff that you experience throughout the game are very original.

Ninja Theory examines both mental illness and Norse mythology in one hell of an experience. Only the game's lacklustre combat is a bit of a drawback.

It’s frustrating how close to a masterpiece Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is. It has the looks, the atmosphere, the swordplay and the heart. If only it had more focus on the storytelling and gameplay. First, it’s the burdensome narrative that almost drowns all the sensibility stored in Senua’s tale. It takes far too long to actually care for her. When the narrative finally starts to ease off towards the end of the game, it’s the repetitive gameplay that gets in the way. The game drags on for its own good, making it too often boring and laborious. All the same, Senua’s trembling journey is a one that needs to be seen to the close to get its true meaning. I realize I might have sounded quite harsh in my critique but my heart told me to rate the game better. After all, Senua's cry for help made me shed tears.

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’s mundane mechanics help underscore a powerful story of overcoming your demons, if you’re willing to subject yourself to the honest portrayal of mental illness it presents.

This game should have released years ago: it is an amazing indie game about psychological disorders with a lot of original gameplay.

Senua’s story is heartbreaking and Hellblade’s world certainly isn’t a happy one to spend a lot of time in. For that reason, maybe the limited campaign time is a bit of a blessing. Despite the serious subject matter and dour tone, Hellblade is an experience that shouldn’t be missed for any fans of adventure-based puzzle games.

This intense exploration of a young woman's personal anguish is a triumph of interactive storytelling.

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

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is a profound sensual experience that’s unmissable. The way it highlights psychosis and incorporates it isn’t just a part of the aesthetic, but it also makes for fascinating gameplay. This is a phenomenal achievement for the discussion of mental health that we’ll be talking about for years to come.

Hellblade's most notable achievement is the handling of an incredibly sensitive subject matter within an engaging and well-crafted action/adventure game. At its heart, the story is about Senua's struggle to come to terms with her illness. In the process, she learns to find the strength within herself to endure, and to make peace with her past. And in a profound and physical way, we go through those same struggles with her, and come away with a better understanding of a piece of something that many people in the world struggle with.

Psychosis in video games is often used to justify a villain’s world-destroying ambitions, or as a vehicle to present gameplay gimmicks. Hellblade goes beyond those conventions, using Senua’s mental illness as the core from which the entire tale radiates. That approach results in some phenomenal and unsettling narrative moments that knock you off-balance. However, in pursuit of that achievement, Hellblade weaponizes the real-world frustration it causes in exploration and combat. That’s where it falters as a game, even while it captivates as a piece of interactive art.

Hellbalde: Senua's Sacrifice is a Hell of a game. A gorgeous, scary, crazy, oppressive and unique experience with a great setting and story, different and loveable heroine and some interesting gameplay mechanics. Maybe the best surprise of summer 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.

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.

Although gameplay-wise is far from Ninja Theory’s best works, the universe and the story are outstanding. Put your headphones on and let the world of Hellblade absorb you.

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice demonstrates that videogames can be the perfect medium to tell a story about complex themes. The depiction of a disease like psychosis is believable and deep. The story works out very well, but the puzzles and the combat system are the game elements that push back the the overall quality of this very interesting project.

Slowly but surely Ninja Theory has moved into film territory, but they can't let go of their need to shove action mechanics into everything they do.

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice proved to be an interesting experience that I both loved, and at times grew bored of. The story is dark and deep. It forced me to really look inward and think about everything I was witnessing. Yet the gameplay leaves much to be desired.

What I have experienced is at least seven hours of good, quality gameplay, that was scuffered by the worst luck imaginable and the unfortunate decision to do the whole single save file auto-save structure...Even with the game ending the way it is, I have to admit that it was a good bloody time and there are a lot more expensive games out there that offer a lot less.

Ninja Theory's last effort is intriguing and fascinating both at a conceptual and executive level - primarily due to its dark tones and its unusual emotional intensity - but at the same time unfortunately quite weak and questionable in terms of pure gameplay.

It is probably best summed up by a battle with a beast in the game’s denouement: a suffocating struggle in the dark, punctuated by fierce assaults on the senses that goes on for ten minutes too long, losing its lustre in the process. By turns thrilling, terrifying, thoughtful, thoughtless and tedious. A strange game indeed.

A technical masterpiece with some of the best swordfighting combat in years, but the storytelling and puzzle elements come across as muddled and awkwardly mismatched.

For all its good intentions and moments of skin-crawling tension, the areas it impresses in aren't as important as the ones it doesn't. Ultimately, it leaves you hollow. [Oct 2017, p.83]