Mr Viral
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Enhanced Edition (PS5) Review
For many critics and gamers, 2024’s Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 was a bit of a conundrum. On one hand, the game’s visuals, performance capture, and sound design were state-of-the-art and extremely effective. But there were those who felt Hellblade 2’s actual gameplay wasn’t as strong as the presentation, or even as that of the original Hellblade. Because COGconnected sang the praises of Senua’s Saga so confidently when it launched, I was excited to look at the game again a year or so later.
Beauty and Brutality
Before we get into how the game holds up, let’s talk about what’s included in the Enhanced Edition. This is a free upgrade for players on PC and Xbox, too, and it includes over four hours of excellent developer commentary. Also part of the Enhanced Edition is a return of the Dark Rot Challenge Mode, enhanced Photo Mode, Steam Deck verification, and more. All platforms include a 60fps Performance Mode that doesn’t sacrifice visuals too drastically. The commentary track is definitely worth a second run through the game. After all, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is a compact experience, clocking in at around 9 hours. But that runtime is dense with story, exploration, puzzle solving, and combat.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 finds Pict warrior Senua in Iceland, seeking revenge for her slain lover Dillion and to free her captured people from slavery. Her hero’s journey includes a trio of uneasy and possibly conflicted allies. But her most important guides are the voices in her head, called Valkyries.
Most readers are probably aware that both games are centered around Senua’s psychosis. Never treated as a gimmick, the developers have gone to great lengths to make sure her condition reflects and respects an authentic experience. The Valkyries both mock and guide her. This time, the voices also include that of her abusive father. Without spoiling the story, that character plays a key role.
The Voices in Our Head
Playing Senua’s Saga with a set of headphones is absolutely essential because the game’s binaural audio is incredibly immersive. It does a fantastic job of making Senua’s cast of interior voices feel real and brutally present. The clash of swords in combat and the environmental audio both sound stellar as well.
There’s been a year of really outstanding Soulslikes between my initial playthrough of Senua’s Saga and my reprise experience on PS5. This has changed my opinion of Hellblade 2’s combat just a little. I still think its combat is brutal, weighty, and visceral in a way few action games achieve. But in retrospect, the parry window can be extremely tight and hard to read, and the structure of one-on-one combat encounters rarely varies. I still love the way the game brings an element of slow, deliberate realism — very loosely — to the action genre. But it lacks variety.
One of my small criticisms of Senua’s Saga in 2024 was the structural repetition of exploration, puzzle solving, and combat. I still think that some of the puzzles seem gamey in a way that doesn’t match the overall tone and drama of the game. When the puzzles are in alignment with Senua’s interior life, they feel natural.
Still a Stunner
A year’s distance and a port to PS5 haven’t diminished two of Senua’s Saga’s achievements: the game’s graphics and performance. I’m not sure I’ve seen a more impressive game since, and Melina Juergens’ performance is absolutely worthy of the accolades she received. The attention to the Icelandic landscape and archaeological detail is equally rich and memorable.
There are a few graphics options. On the vanilla PS5 and both in 60fps Performance mode and 30fps Quality mode, there was fairly consistent texture pop in the margins and framerate hiccups coming in and out of some transitions.
Saga Worthy of the Name
Playing Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 a year later, I am still incredibly impressed by the game’s performances, visuals, and attention to detail. The treatment of Senua’s psychosis as both ally and enemy is effective and unsettling. Looked at through the lens of a Soulslike or action RPG, Senua’s Saga will feel limited, but that’s obviously not the game’s intention. Still, swordplay can feel both brutal and imprecise, and there’s repetition in both the game’s pacing and structure. Performance on PS5 wasn’t always perfect. All that being said, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is a real achievement and one I enjoyed a second time. The inclusion of insightful developer commentary and other free updates for owners of the original on PC and Xbox should tempt players into a brand new playthrough.
***PS5 code provided by the publisher for review***
The Good
Incredible graphics, performances and audio
Compelling story and depiction of psychosis
Brutal combat
89
The Bad
Texture pop in
Few graphics options
Some repetition in structure and combat
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