Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice Review

     Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is a game that has largely gone under the radar despite the popularity of Norse mythology and dark fantasy video games. This game deserves far more attention and praise as it offers an experience that fans of Dark Souls, God of War, and even the manga series Berserk would enjoy. This psychological horror dives deep into the mind of Senua as she struggles with grief and combats mythological forces through psychosis.

    The first standout of this game is the complexity of Senua's character. Each section of the game has her evolving and growing as a person as she reviews the past and overcomes it. While the horror-filled Helheim is full of dangerous enemies, including important Norse figures such as Surtr, Garm, and Hel, each one is actually helping Senua overcome her grief.

    While Senua alone is an incredible character, the voice acting featured throughout the game is overwhelmingly impressive. Melina Juergens provides one of the best performances in gaming with an incredible range that allows the player to deeply feel and connect to the character. The mental state of Senua is the most endearing aspect of the game, and it wouldn't have been nearly as great without Jurgens.

    The overall visual presentation of the game is something worth admiring, and the enemies featured throughout Helheim have fantastic designs. There is an emphasis on horror and macabre, and the designs of these monsters match that to a tee. The setting is also beautifully dark and is arguably the best representation Norse mythology has ever received in gaming.

    The gameplay is fluid and switches between completing puzzles and combat. Players always know when combat is coming due to Senua only unsheathing her sword when enemies are near. The gameplay has a dramatic shift when combat ensues and is a rather visceral experience. Senua's moveset cannot be customized, and there is no leveling system in the game, but the combat never grows stale and is visually spectacular. The puzzles themselves are relatively straightforward, but there are a few that players will scratch their heads at for a few minutes. Overall they are very well designed and don't make the player overthink too much.

    The combat can be difficult, especially on PC. However, the difficulty can be adjusted. While most players should be able to get through the game swiftly there will be some setbacks for those playing on a higher difficulty. This is due to the fact that players will have to restart at the beginning if Senua dies too many times.

    The music also perfectly matches the period the game is presented in and adds a layer of suspense and horror that increases the player's gaming experience. It is truly bone-chilling at times, and the trailers for Senua's upcoming sequel have lent that Ninja Theory will be provided a very similar experience.

    Senua's Sacrifice is the perfect game for any lover of mythology, psychological, dark fantasy, or horror survival games. Overall the game is not a long one which does make it a suitable fit for players to pick up for free on subscriptions like the Game Pass.

Score- 95/100