Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II a breath of fresh air for Xbox Game Studios

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Xbox Game Studios needed Ninja Theory’s Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. After a long drought of games, titles that were released but not up to par, and to take a break from the media barrage that came after the closure of Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog Games and Roundhouse Games... but will this game be enough to calm the waters?

Senua’s torment continues

We must make something clear, this title is as intense or more intense than the first part. We are still at the feet of the same protagonist, tormented by her psychosis, only now she has a different quest... trying to redeem herself by exorcising her own demons by helping others. Without giving away any spoilers, we can say that she delves even deeper into Norse mythology and history to free herself from her old ghosts.

Now Senua will not be completely alone, as she will help others in her personal quest, even those who are declared enemies.

Something that is very important to consider is that just like Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, this installment helps to understand part of the problem of schizophrenia. In fact, at the end of the title there is a very interesting documentary that not only talks about the development process of the game, but also gives more details about working with this mental disorder.

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A control that has subtly evolved for the better

The game mechanics remain similar, maintaining the aspects where we make our way through solving puzzles by means of the visual perspective, as well as maintaining its bloody combat. Some interesting aspects have been added to this gameplay. One has to do with opening paths through mechanical puzzles, where you have to play with changing things or dimensions. The other one is found in the combat, a kind of special power that we have through a crystal that accumulates energy when we hit or evade and that we detonate with one of the triggers.

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Unreal Engine 5 shows its power

In this section, Senua’s saga: Hellblade II is simply a poem, the expressions of the actress provide a realism that leaves aside the “uncanny valley” effect. In fact, it is so real that it is hard not to get lost in it, to the point that at times the game projects a heaviness that makes you feel the desperation, the claustrophobia and the pain of the protagonist. The same goes for the other actors who help to emphasize Senua’s role. What we found impressive was the immense amount of real-time changes that the game has, the effect of rain and the transition between light and shadow. All of this was carried out to perfection on all platforms, in fact we tested it on Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, ASUS Rog Ally, and PC, the latter platform in the following configuration:

Being able to run the game at the highest settings in native 4K resolution at over 60 frames per second was a great visual experience. On the ASUS Rog Ally, however, we managed to run it consistently in both Full HD and HD, but in 25W mode, where it gave us an average of 43 FPS at 720p and an average of 33 FPS at 1080p.

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Constant whispers

If the sound in the first game was incredible, this one pushes it to the limit. In fact, it sounds spectacular on a system with Dolby Atoms, and although the title is definitely designed to be played with headphones, this is the ultimate way to get into Senua’s shoes. In fact, when we finish the game, a function is activated where we can replay it, but with the narration of the people around the protagonist.

Both the soundtrack and the voice acting are exceptional, they really make you feel like you are inside Senua’s mind.

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Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is the breath of fresh air for Xbox Game Studios. It will not be a GOTY contender, but it is undoubtedly a memorable experience that remains not only a great game, but a special reflection on the ghosts that often keep us from moving forward, and how often the humanity within us can be more powerful than our own evil.