Back To Hell We Go Again

Welcome to hell and back as Senua continues her promise of a cinematic immersive experience. It would often feel as though I was playing a visually realistic novel. The cinematics are outstanding with every attention to detail throughout my journey across the Viking Icelandic landscape.

Hellblade II is a full journey of torment and trauma. The main focus of the game is the real-life experience of Senua’s psychosis and living through her experiences. From what she sees, fading from reality into a dreamscape scenario to the voices in her head, which all brings a sense of unease when playing the game.

Not everyone will be able to experience Hellblade II due to the intense experience it brings to the game with Senua’s trauma. The game is uncomfortable to play at best, with voices constantly yelling at Senua, sometimes showing fear, while others hinting at objectives or the voices screaming your failures.

The Enhanced version of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II brings a suite of new features. Performance mode now allows you to play at 60fps instead of the original 30 fps. Dark Rot Mode – don’t fail too often and the Dark Rot will grow and eventually reach Senua’s head, failing your quest and ending that run of the game. New photo mode features were added as well, and developers’ commentary.

The HUD is empty, and it's perfect, enhancing the level of immersion with puzzles, combat and the overall experience. Combat feels rewarding, visual clues lead to perfect dodge rolls and counter-attacks. Combat connects and pushes the boundaries of terror and gruesome limits with its visual fidelity and realistic mature nature. However, the most incredible feature is the audio. The audio pulls you into the game, immersing you deeper in Senua’s journey. This is the best audio design of any game I have experienced. Using a headset is pivotal in playing most games, but to get the full experience of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, headphones are a must.

Ultimately, Hellblade II is not for the faint of heart. Ninja Theory pushes the boundaries that will make some, if not most, feel uncomfortable throughout this entire experience. However, Ninja Theory also brings an understanding of how some people deal with psychosis on a day-to-day basis. If you have played Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II already, the story hasn’t changed, but there are other enhancements that you may want to play through again. If you haven’t played the sequel to one of the best voice-acting stories around with Melina Juergens as Senua, then I’d recommend playing Hellblade one before heading into the sequel and the Enhanced version is most certainly the way to play.