Senua's Saga: Hellblade II

Steam Reviews

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• Recommended Posted June 12, 2025 on Steam I hear voices in my head They council me They understand They talk to me... God of War felt like Disney after playing this. The Hellblade series is a great example of what can happen when you give a female protagonist a personality instead of D cups. This is not a game series, this is art! The most beautiful and terrifying games that l've ever played. The games just sucked me in its twisted and engaging story. Also, you get used to them (even if it probably isn't a good thing) but the voices were extra unsettling at the beginning. The fact you get used to them being part of the simulation of real psychosis. You just start trusting and taking them for granted. This game and its predecessor are important. What Ninja theory did with these two games transcends gaming. As a person that has intimate knowledge of mental issues, not in hearing voices, but in other areas of self doubt, in losing someone close to depression and as a friend of a girl that had a dark voice following her on her right side since the age of five up until the present day, like a crying child portait by Giovanni Bragolin, this game is something special. I can tell you that Ninja Theory has done something incredible with these games, they’re grotesque and beautiful, and most of all something real with real meaning behind it all. These are full fledged games, that they've made created because they want these to be experienced... It is a great feat. To take such a chance, and not just make damn good games and experiences, but give it such an important context... This behavior needs rewarding, it needs to be spotlighted. The sequel like the first one is not a gamer's game. It's a cinematic experience that overloads your audio and visual senses. If you don't particularly care for these kinds of experiences, Hellblade II will do nothing for you. If you play games specifically for the "gameplay", the Hellblade series would ultimately be a waste of time. They’re very much the "art house cinema" of video games. It requires a very specific set of tastes, specifically tastes of people who are sick of video games that are purely just about the gameplay. Sometimes it's nice to play a game where it just wants to tell a story. Having a break from collecting 100 annoying artifacts, unlocking map fast travels or having to hunt and forage materials so you can advance. Sometimes simplicity in gameplay elements is a boon in disguise. It ensures the story and atmosphere have room to breath and take center stage. If anything else Hellblade 2 shows again people are having difficulty accepting what a "game" can be for an audience. It doesn't matter if its running time is long or short, if its open world or lineair, has replayability or not. It doesn't matter if this is a walking sim or a game filled to the brim with expected upgradable skill trees. Hellblade 2 doesn't need to be a game for everyone, but it can be a game for you. Those that liked or loved the first game know what they are in for. Story-wise I think it’s important to adjust perspectives when trying this game. Comparing HB1 to 2 isn’t going to do either game justice. HellBlade II is focused around Senua beating back OTHER’S darkness for them, to reach them. She’s beaten back her own darkness, and now she uses that to help others. I think it’s a beautiful change in narrative direction. Another reason I love it and love Senua even more is the fact that she doesn’t have to. The first game is necessary, Senua HAS to get through this. MUST come to terms with things but cannot stop until she reaches her destination. In this new game Senua CHOOSES to help others even though it hurts her, even though she could choose not to. But she knows their pain and wants to help them end it. First game is about closure, second game is about purpose. On a personal note these games also helped me with the suicide of my sister. I've used these games to explain to friends how it's like because they just don't get it. The way they handled such a delicate issue, and portrayed something that varies massively from person to person in such an encompassing way impressed me massively. When you really listen to what is being said it can be therapeutic. That's what people don't get about this series. It's not a typical "gain xp, unlock this, explore this area, get new fighting mechanics" type game. It has those elements sure but ultimately it's an interactive experience that many people struggling with grief, depression, and anxiety can all relate to. It's more than a soulless product meant to get you hooked on battle passes and highscores or speed runs. It's not Dark Souls or Witcher or whatever people expect from this game. It's strictly about emotional connection in a way that I think a lot of people can't appreciate or relate to or rather don't have the patience to. It's simply shameful that cinematic games are so absurdly criticised just because they're not littered with pointless collecting tasks, endless side quests, sprawling skill trees, thousands of combat combos and an empty open world, but instead deliberately focus on a linear narrative for once and therefore don't last 40h+. Finally, HellBlade II is exactly what I wanted... which is more HellBlade. It's not for everyone but this one is definitely for me. Honestly one of the best games l've played in a long time. If you're a gamer that likes a story and decent puzzles, this is your game. If you get through it, you will never forget it, and you'll be glad that you did. And thank's again to Ninja Theory... Bravo. These are rare gems in gaming history, and even though they might be overlooked somewhat... I just had to tip my fedora to them. Truly something special. Special games, for special people, which are thinkers in their head and warriors in their heart. Play it. Feel it. 100000/10
• Not recommended Posted September 5, 2025 on Steam Visuals are stunning, shame about the... everything else. No but seriously, as someone who still enjoys the first game and still replays it on occasion, this game was a serious letdown. The combat in the first game wasn't winning any awards but it was somehow still more dynamic than what's on offer here. In this game, the combat is a tedious, mind-numbing chore you have to get through to get to the boring, though at least pretty, walking simulator bits. After you've slayed the second giant in the game, what little steam the game had somehow feels like its dissipating, as the haunted forest section you have to walk through to get to the last level can't even be bothered to offer up a navigation puzzle like the ones from the first game and the ones that had previously been in this one, instead devolving to the kind of horror game on Steam, level altering spook house B.S. we've seen ad nauseam in a hundred different games already. And then the ending is one of the most conceited, mawkish non-resolutions I've ever seen. And if all of that isn't bad enough, this game doesn't even have any FMVs, one of the most striking elements of the visual design of the first game. This game went out of its way in so many areas to be more boring and less involving than the first game. My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined. Waste of time, and money. Don't bother.
• Not recommended Posted November 28, 2025 on Steam Hellblade 2 is one of those sequels that looks incredible on the surface but falls apart the moment you actually start playing. Visually it’s stunning, easily one of the best looking games out there. But even that comes with a catch, the black bars. They aren’t some artistic cinematic choice, they’re a cheap way to improve performance by reducing how much the game actually has to render. It ends up feeling less immersive and more like you’re watching a restricted, cropped movie instead of experiencing a fully realized world. The first game didn't have them and this game didn't need them. The pacing is easily the worst part. The game drags constantly, with long stretches where nothing meaningful happens. The first Hellblade kept you emotionally hooked with its tight pacing and strong character focus; this one feels like it’s just slowly walking you from one pretty scene to the next without any real urgency or momentum. The story doesn’t help either. Instead of pulling you into Senua’s journey, it feels strangely unengaging and disconnected. The themes are still there, but the narrative simply doesn’t hit with the same impact. It never reaches the emotional highs or personal intensity that made the original so memorable. There is also a huge drop in quality with gameplay. The original had surprisingly dynamic combat. Multiple enemies at once, needing spatial awareness, and the voices warning you when someone was behind you, one of the coolest and most unique mechanics in the game. Hellblade 2 throws all of that away. Every encounter is a one on one fight, making the combat feel repetitive, shallow, and far less exciting. The puzzles are also weaker, more boring, and feel like they’re just there to slow you down rather than challenge you. And speaking of the voices… they were a standout feature in the first game, adding tension, personality, and psychological depth. Here? They’re honestly just annoying. Instead of enhancing the experience, they break immersion and quickly become grating, losing the subtlety and impact they used to have. At the end of the day, Hellblade 2 is gorgeous to look at, but that’s about where the praise stops. It feels like a shallow, cinematic shell of what made the first game great. Fans of the original might want to see it to see where Senua's story goes, but in all honesty it doesn't go anywhere and it didn't need to exist. 5/10 (Average)
• Recommended Posted August 14, 2025 on Steam If you know what Hellblade is about, you know it’s not a typical action game – it’s a cinematic, psychological journey that prioritizes atmosphere and storytelling over complex gameplay. Maybe you’ll never play it, but I still have to share this – I’ve just finished Hellblade 2. Pros: breathtaking audiovisuals – from incredibly detailed environments and cinematic camera work to top-tier sound design; probably the most beautiful game on Unreal Engine 5; immersive atmosphere; epic combat; a psychologically well-crafted story; engaging characters; full Czech subtitles; collectibles that expand the world and lore; replayability through alternative story perspectives; film-quality performances; authentic environments captured with photogrammetry; and binaural audio that makes you feel like you’re truly inside Senua’s head. Cons: could have been a bit longer; very linear; the slower, atmosphere-driven pacing might not be for everyone. Verdict: Hellblade 2 is an experience that comes around only once in a long while. Don’t expect it to play like other games – it’s its own thing, not made for the masses, and proudly walks its own path. For anyone who loves strong narratives and cinematic presentation, it’s an absolute must-play. For me personally, one of the games of the year.
• Recommended Posted January 3, 2026 on Steam I loved this game for what it is, and for what it is not trying to be. I was not sure how they would continue Senua’s story after the first game, but this direction was unexpected and it worked. Visually, it is unreal. A pure spectacle. Every scene feels heavy, intense, and carefully crafted. The story is mesmerizing and pulls you in completely. It left me wanting more, but at the same time it feels complete in its own way. This is not a game you compare to others. It is its own thing. A one of a kind experience that you will not get anywhere else. Worth it On Sale, suffers from Bad Unreal Optimization There should be an option to turn of RTX completely it should not be the norm but sadly that's the direction Devs are going and i Don't like it. 8/10
• Not recommended Posted November 18, 2025 on Steam I am a big fan of Hellblade I. Sadly this game did not nearly deliver on the same level, less beyond that. Senua's struggle and fights with herself and her psychotic hallucinations made the first game incredibly intense, violently gripping, merciless and unraveling. At times I felt like I myself had schizophrenia, it was utterly mind boggling and an extremely fresh breath of air in the art form of videogames. Let alone the bombastic soundtrack. The sheer intensity of the battle against yourself, lost, confused, traumatized, desperate, with the rot on your arm growing larger with each death, adding to the suspense and chokehold of your dire situation was masterfully conducted. The second game doesn't come close to that, not by a long shot. The musical score is awe inducing but I missed the heavy duty drums of the first game. The fights seemed even worse than in the first game; at least there you had the illusion of fighting multiple enemies at once. It feels much more like an interactive movie unfolding before you, which inevitably did not allow me to immerse myself at all. I constantly found myself rushing forward because nothing was of interest and the load of lore and yapping everywhere was tiring. It really felt like the devs knew how empty their game was and half assedly attempted to hide some "lore" here and there for "exploration". Very boring, not worth my time at all. The story shift outward, turning Senua into this weird abstract form of a J'eanne D'arc ready to put her life down for others in pure philantropy never sit with me. It sucked out the suspense, it sucked everything out of the game for me. I would've loved a continuation or even worsening of her mental state in an even harsher, darker fight against her own broken psyche, I would've never expected Senua to turn into a helpless hero for others. Worst decision to continue her saga in my opinion. There were highlights, but very brief. The puzzles were annoying and not as meaningful as in the first game, the constant reminder of "death" "corpses" "bloodshed" yara yara yara, made all that misery around her look comical, like YES I GET IT, the villages were razed, ravaged an raped, repeating it for the 1000th time won't suddenly make it more disturbing than it is. The ending is an insult to the first game. It gave me nothing. I only played through it in spite of the devs to see it through. I would never pay full price for this, I got it on a steam sale for 17 bucks and if you really want to see more of Senua then buy it on sale or watch a walkthrough because this is far far inferior to the first game. TL;DR: Hellblade 2 bad, go play Hellblade 1 instead.