Check out theSenua’s Saga: Hellblade IItrailer below!
In ninth-century Iceland, no longer responsible for just her well-being, Senua is on a path of revenge against Viking raiders who murdered and enslaved villagers from the place she calls home. However, Senua’s actions have more consequences now she has the fate of others in her hands. Senua faces her biggest battle yet as she looks to embrace her well-being while carrying the burden of being a saviour to those who look up to her.
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Xbox Game Studios
What’s more,Hellblade IIlooks so good that, at times, it’s difficult to tell the difference between real-time cutscenes and gameplay with its clever transitions. If I were to have one criticism over the stunning visuals, which also has an impact on performance, it’s Ninja Theory’s implementation of the letterbox window.
One could argue that this makes the presentation more cinematic but given thatHellblade IIhas no graphics or performance options running at 4K and 30 frames per second on Xbox Series X, I’d say this was more of a technical choice than design to counterbalance the visuals to deliver a somewhat steady 30fps. It would have just been nice to have the option to remove the letterbox from gameplay. Tango Gameworks did the same withThe Evil Withinbut later gave the players the choice to remove the letterbox via a post-launch update and I hope Ninja Theory gives us that same choice one day.
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Another strong feature of the 2017 game is its amazing audio. Don’t get me wrong, the game sounds great coming from the TV or a soundbar but when you wear a headset, it takes the audio to another level andHellblade IIis no exception. It’s difficult for any words to do the binaural 3D audio inHellblade IIjustice, but my god, it’s like no other game I’ve experienced, even surpassing the 2017 title.
Xbox Game Studios/Author’s own
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Hellblade IIalso sees the return of puzzle solving and while they’re not that tricky, they do make use of the reality-bending power of the Unreal Engine 5. I doubt you’ll get stuck on any puzzle for long but I suspect that this is a design choice to avoid frustrating the player too much. In between the action and puzzle-solving is a lot of walking, so get ready for that. Thankfully, with a game as beautiful as this one, going on a gentle stroll provides an opportunity to play withHellblade II’sbrilliant photo mode.
Xbox Game Studios/Author’s own
As much as I loved the 2017 game, the most frustrating aspect of it for me was not being able to chapter select. Being the treasure hunter that I am, I was on a mission to find all the hidden Lorestones in the game. To my frustration, I found all but one. Moreover, asHellblade: Senua’s Sacrificehad no chapter selection, the only way I could find that one Lorestone was to start a new campaign. Now, not only doesHellblade IIhave a chapter select but it also lets you know how many collectables you’ve found and how many are left. My OCD is very happy with that improvement.
Hellblade IIis the absolute pinnacle of visual and audio design which in some part makes up for the lack of gameplay evolution. Depending on how you approach games, like me, you could easily spend 10 hours being fully immersed in its story and tracking down hidden collectibles.Senua’s Saga: Hellblade IIknows what it is and that’s a cinematic experience with a rich story that will keep you engaged throughout that strives to not outdo its welcome and it will have you thinking about Senua’s journey long after its completion.
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Pros:Gorgeous visuals, incredible sound design, respectful treatment of mental health
Cons:Gameplay doesn’t evolve much, no graphics or performance modes
For fans of:Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, God of War (2018)
Topics:PC,Reviews,Xbox,Xbox Game Pass,Xbox Series S,Xbox Series X
