The first two hours Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2, I was completely drawn into Senua's head — every aspect of the sequel's design worked in concert to pull me into her mind and never let go — and then I found my first collectible.
I am the first Hellblade, But I knew the general consensus on its pros and cons. I knew it was a narrative-driven game about a very serious mental illness. What I hadn't heard of and didn't expect until I encountered it was “game-y” stuff like collectibles. In most games, collectibles are used as rewards for exploration, to add lore to the world, or as an extra objective for those who want to do and see it all. Hellblade 2But that's only part of a larger problem, which is that the series' video game instincts betray the serious atmosphere and themes that other subversive experiences focus on.
Hug the wall
at first, Hellblade 2 ” captivated me in a way that few other games have. You already know from trailers and screenshots how visually stunning the game is, but it's the 3D audio that really sets this game apart. The opening scene, in which Senua nearly drowns in the ocean, with competing voices trying to cheer her up or discourage her, established an instant empathetic connection between us. The tight camera perspective, the framing of Senua and her detailed facial animation, and the lack of a head-up display (HUD) ensured that connection was never lost.
I was brought out of that mindset when I found my first collectible (a totem-like thing with a row of runes indicating which collectibles I've found and how many more I have left). I then found a second collectible which made the problem worse. Unlike the first collectible, which appears from a side path in a very linear game, this second collectible is hidden behind a piece of the environment that resembles a face if you look carefully. Once you find one, hold down the focus button and a hidden path to the collectible will appear.
From then on, I couldn't forget I was playing a game for more than a short time. Every time I went to a new area, I wandered around its borders looking for another path with hidden secrets, wondering if I should keep going and risk not being able to go back if I missed something. I shouldn't have rubbed myself against the corners of the map in an emotional scene that tried to show another side of Senua's mental state.
That may sound trivial, but it's just one element that shows how difficult it is for a video game to balance difficult, unexplored themes with traditional game design instincts. That's not to say that a game can't offer up standard gamification hooks while still providing serious exploration of mental illness, but Hellblade 2 It's too much. The sequel makes every effort to connect you to Senua, so introducing any metagame elements would just alienate you from her. Combat is a better example of compromise in this regard: it has light and heavy attacks that allow you to perform basic combos, and blocks that allow you to parry attacks with just the right timing, but it keeps it grounded by removing HUD elements from the screen and making all the animations realistically brutal.
The theme of understanding and accepting mental illness is only expressed by putting the player in Senua's shoes, so there's really no way for the player to make up for it if they are pulled away from their mental state. Collectibles are a gamey concept that doesn't match the seriousness of the game. Hellblade 2 You will need to comply with the request, and if possible, we highly recommend ignoring this on your first playthrough to avoid ruining your experience.
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 Available now on Xbox Series X/S and PC.
Editor’s Recommendation
