Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

 PC
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1377 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,049 out of 1377
  2. Mixed: 197 out of 1377
  3. Negative: 131 out of 1377

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  1. T-Opel
    May 23, 2019
    10
    An absolute masterpiece! Never before have I ever felt this much connection to a character.
  2. Mahdiar
    Oct 31, 2017
    7
    Gameplay : 6
    Graphics : 8
    Story : - (1 hrs played)
    Sound : 8
    **********************************************************************************
    Overall : 7
  3. blazeaglory
    Aug 16, 2017
    9
    So far, at about an hour into the game, I am loving it. A bit boring and linear at times but the graphics and content make up for it. It seems like a graphic novel masquerading as a game tho.

    This game could have more things to do than just line up ravens, walk the path, look at things, etc.. They could have little things to fight instead of the same creatures over and over again and    So far, at about an hour into the game, I am loving it. A bit boring and linear at times but the graphics and content make up for it. It seems like a graphic novel masquerading as a game tho.

    This game could have more things to do than just line up ravens, walk the path, look at things, etc.. They could have little things to fight instead of the same creatures over and over again and the puzzles could be a little more challenging and on topic such as maybe digging a grave and putting the bones back in the certain headstone, something other than just looking at things. BUT like I said, the atmosphere more than makes up for it and Im only an hour in. Im not bashing this game by any means, just a tad bit linear at times so far.

    Also, the fighting is super easy. The villains could be a little harder to beat maybe? But who knows, maybe it gets harder as it goes? Im sure it does.

    I give it an 8-9 out of 10    … Expand
  4. MaxShine
    Sep 2, 2017
    9
    A very fresh and different style of a game in a time when many games follow a standard formula. The developers succeeded at creating a highly atmospheric and immersive game with absolutely beautiful graphics. The game was released without any bugs, it runs absolutely smoothly without any frame drops. All of this is something that AAA titles more and more often fail to deliver on. This gameA very fresh and different style of a game in a time when many games follow a standard formula. The developers succeeded at creating a highly atmospheric and immersive game with absolutely beautiful graphics. The game was released without any bugs, it runs absolutely smoothly without any frame drops. All of this is something that AAA titles more and more often fail to deliver on. This game is an excellent example that sometimes less is more, smaller, detailed areas can be much better than large open world, empty, soulless, artificial areas with frame drops. The game is also not packed full of useless 'features' and gimmicky stuff. The combat is basic, but fun, competent and not depending on luck or button mashing.
    This story is beautifully told and if someone is interested in norse lore this game is a must have anyways. Many AAA titles these fail at telling a story. This nice, little game does it excellently.    … Expand
  5. Ted_Tris
    Jun 20, 2021
    0
    This is not a game but a mess.
    He wants to be something f()cking deep, but he doesn’t go for it.
    Apart from being immeasurably annoying it is not fun because the game content is 0.
    A typical example is when they want to sell anything with graphics and a lot of tech ****
    It can't be said to be so beautiful today.
    I think it's a boring crap.
  6. logic
    Dec 1, 2017
    10
    Game of the year. Super enjoyable couple of hours. Engaging characters and deep storyline. Loved the Celtic lore. Combat on the keyboard is a little klunky. Amazing audio in this gem - wear headphones.
  7. Magnethead
    Jan 4, 2018
    9
    You should play this game if: You are into narrative driven games, you enjoy exploring complex character background in a beautiful, haunting setting.

    You shouldn't play this game if: You're in it for the gameplay. You enjoy technical challenges to your skill-level, you enjoy building characters in a complex game system or you just don't care about storytelling at all. This is a real    You should play this game if: You are into narrative driven games, you enjoy exploring complex character background in a beautiful, haunting setting.

    You shouldn't play this game if: You're in it for the gameplay. You enjoy technical challenges to your skill-level, you enjoy building characters in a complex game system or you just don't care about storytelling at all.

    This is a real gem in the art of narrative game-design where the focus in on the visual and not only the textual which is refreshing to see.

    Senua's Sacrifice focuses on internal narrative like many indie game titles these days but has a very modern graphic look and powerful soundtrack to support its story about panic, pain and psychosis. The game is around 10 hours long which is perfect length for a game like this that doesn't have sandbox worlds to explore or character creation and levelling to establish an evolving gameplay experience - the mechanics you start out with are more or less the same you end up with.

    The incredible story and talent of the protagonist are what will carry you through this game and stay with you long after it's done. There really isn't enough good things to say about Senua as a character or indeed about how she's acted. She feels real and intense without losing credibility as a fierce warrior, her mental... issues are credible, unpleasant and sometimes eerie to play through. She's equally easy to sympathise with and admire.

    The gameplay mechanics in Senua's Sacrifice revolves around simple but solid mechanics shifting from spacial puzzles to melee combat and back many times. The combat, while not amongst the most challenging of its kind, feels natural and flows well. It won't challenge a seasoned Witcher or Dark Souls veteran but it works well enough to not feel stale. The puzzles, as puzzles tend to do, can frustrate you if you missed some minor detail somewhere and get stuck but they're never unreasonable and the game helps you along very nicely if only you listen to all of the helpful (sometimes...) voices at your disposal.

    However, the narrative is the jewel in this game accompanied by stunning visual arts and a terrific soundtrack. Senua is probably the best female hero-protagonist we've ever seen in gaming so far. She's got a simple, bold ambition - to save the boy she loved - and she travels to Hel to do it. As with many such titles, the game explores her personal history and background along the way and she faces externalised version of inner demons as tends to be the case in such stories, but she does it with tenacity, audacity and without compromise. When you control Senua, she feels vulnerable and powerful at the same time and it's easy to want to help her, not only out of sympathy but because she's inspiring and strong.

    The Norse/Celtic setting works well enough - the Norse legends are recognisable to a Scandinavian and the world has a credible harsh and desolate feel.

    All in all, Senua's Sacrifice doesn't try to do anything no one arguably hasn't done before, it just does it more beautifully, with superior acting and visuals. Where many narrative-focused games have drifted away from the film elements to a more minimalist, simplistic aesthetic, Senua's Sacrifice uses all the modern tools of visual storytelling to tell a memorable and inspired story.    … Expand
  8. Xzenor
    Mar 4, 2020
    9
    Beautiful game. It's a fairly good 3rd person slasher until you put on headphones. With headphones it becomes an experience instead of just a game.
  9. SuperkenGaming
    Nov 29, 2017
    9
    Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
    Best story telling of the year
    Senuas Sacrifice is a psychological action adventure game with a dash of horror elements. Here you play Senua, a Pict warrior battling her way through Helheim to rescue the soul of a man that loved her… But you’re not on this journey alone... The games focus is mental illness… And I feel the game does a great job of this...    Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
    Best story telling of the year
    Senuas Sacrifice is a psychological action adventure game with a dash of horror elements.
    Here you play Senua, a Pict warrior battling her way through Helheim to rescue the soul of a man that loved her…
    But you’re not on this journey alone...
    The games focus is mental illness…
    And I feel the game does a great job of this... of filling you with constant anxiety
    as you journey you’ll hear voices…
    These voices never leave you...
    They’re constantly going, whispering the way you should be going while at the same time telling you to go back, they’ll encourage you and discourage you, these voices were probably my favorite part of the game, and because of them I played the entire game with headphones…
    letting them whisper to me as id fight and solve puzzles…
    this is a very linear game that takes around 7 hours to complete,
    You’ll be going through this gorgeous world and frequently be stopped by a gate…
    On this gate are symbols... its then up to you to find the symbols in the world to unlock the gate…
    Turning this into a perspective puzzle game...
    The screen will start filling with the symbol when its near, you then can focus to find it, and then it’s onto the next symbol…
    And to stop this from getting tedious the game will add different elements to each section, such as portals that will take away a section of an area, or add to it, fix a broken bridge or staircase..
    Constantly keeping the game feeling fresh and new...
    Along your way you’ll run into lorestones that will tell you the story from Norse mythology.
    These can be cleverly hidden as well giving you incentive to explore…
    My least favorite part of this game however is its combat...
    There as boss battles which I actually really enjoyed...
    But I didn’t enjoy the combat encounters with smaller enemies…
    the combat at first feels cinematic, you have a regular attack, heavy, and melee to break shields, you can block and doge, and you’re able to focus to temporarily slow down time...
    But the game just throws way too many enemies at you to defeat in these thankfully rare moments...
    The multiple enemies don’t necessarily make things hard, especially thanks to the voices telling you to look out before an enemy can strike you…
    the fights just drag on for too long most of the time killing the pace and emersion of the game…
    The rest of the game however comes together perfectly…
    You’ll feel all sorts of emotions, good and bad while playing this game, and there really is a beautiful story to be told here…
    No matter the type of gamer you are, you owe it to yourself to pick this on up.
    I give Hellblade: Senuas Sacrifice
    a 9/10    … Expand
  10. bloozy
    Sep 19, 2017
    5
    Weak combat system and gameplay. Boring locations and riddles.

    Unless the sound deserves respect. As a game, it is bad and overrated. It's just a piece of bad art. This is an artistic installation!
  11. sanchouz
    Aug 20, 2020
    7
    Very special experience. The sound and music outstanding - recommended to use headphones. The game-play is little bit slow - good mix between puzzles and fights that are tough. The plot for my view is not so interesting so i found my self not even listening to Brut at some point of the game.
  12. Afanasyev
    Jan 25, 2018
    10
    Это великая игра. Только не пытайтесь играть под препаратами, даже алкоголем. Есть небольшие притенении к программистам, но
  13. VTL
    Dec 11, 2019
    10
    Perfecto. No puedo decirlo de otra manera... lo jugue al máximo y con cascos al maximo que podia sin perder la audicion y a oscuras, y la sensacion de agobio de querer morirse que te transmite el juego es demoledora. Sin dar miedo, sin sobresaltos, sin escenas de pura accion... Shenua viaja al interior de su mente en un mundo nordico/apocaliptico que la verdad es que lo unico malo es quePerfecto. No puedo decirlo de otra manera... lo jugue al máximo y con cascos al maximo que podia sin perder la audicion y a oscuras, y la sensacion de agobio de querer morirse que te transmite el juego es demoledora. Sin dar miedo, sin sobresaltos, sin escenas de pura accion... Shenua viaja al interior de su mente en un mundo nordico/apocaliptico que la verdad es que lo unico malo es que acaba... Y si alguien se lo pregunta el game play si es sencillo, pero es el que ha de tener este juego.… Expand
  14. rotwildherzen
    Sep 14, 2017
    10
    In my opinion it's game with great atmosphere, if you know what I mean. All these voices in Senua's and your head.. they could be scaring sometimes.
    The picture is good, animation is good, "game spirit" is good
  15. Sh3riff
    Sep 8, 2017
    10
    I am no puzzle guy, but this game was kinda cool .. I love psychology and this was kinda very awesome. Music was epic, especially at the end .. spend almost 4 hours at the end battle. Game lacks some basics options, like mouse sensitivity option, especially when running around and solving puzzles, its was no problem when fighting. Really loved the game.
  16. CoreGamer1408
    Mar 9, 2022
    4
    As a game it fails, because it wants to be way to cinematic movie-esque type of experience. The puzzles and the exploration/climbing is all dull padded out filler. The combat sections while impressively animated was over pretty quick. This is the type of experience that could of been cut down into a animated movie and I know I would of loved this story in that format.
  17. ayush42
    Sep 9, 2017
    9
    It was a game full of surprises, twists and i mean mind twists and turns. Great Psychological thriller game. Enjoyed playing it. One thing i didn't like about this game is that it was made a bit draggy maybe because of the short story, apart from that it was good whether it is graphics or whatever, it was nice.
    Voices, mind games, everything was amazing.
  18. Nobobs
    Sep 16, 2017
    10
    After playing the game and watching diaries about development I believe Ninja Theory worked their butts off making this game. The game is not non stop action like a shooter though.

    I've been a gamer for over 30 years and what I like has definitely changed over the years. What I look for in a game really changed after playing The Last of Us. A game that tells a great story, gets you    After playing the game and watching diaries about development I believe Ninja Theory worked their butts off making this game. The game is not non stop action like a shooter though.

    I've been a gamer for over 30 years and what I like has definitely changed over the years. What I look for in a game really changed after playing The Last of Us. A game that tells a great story, gets you emotionally involved in the game and has you actually care about a factional character. I wouldn't have thought that was possible. Ninja Theory did a great job of doing exactly that for me. Yes it's a slower pace and you have to work more to understand the story(pay attention to the lorestone and the voices) but if you do it's a great story. It's a very difficult subject but they pull it off very nicely.

    The combat is simple but it was satisfying for me. Because of the permadeath or threat of it made for some very intense combat. Combine that with the visual and audio excellence it made for a very satisfying game for me, especially for 30 bucks!

    I understand why this game will not appeal to some but it makes no sense to hate it especially just because people like me love it. For example I find most other games boring, especially most shooters but I would never give any red reviews but because it didn't appeal to me.

    In the end if you don't mind a slower pace, care about story and character development with combat being just part of the game not a majority, give this game a try. I hope you get as much enjoyment out of it as I have.    … Expand
  19. JewDoctor
    Dec 19, 2018
    10
    Great story, great sounds, voice acting, animation, music, graphics, overall design. this game gave lots of emotions (in a good way). Of course this game isnt without problems (walking walking walking walking ...... MORE WALKING) but i just cannot deny that i loved this game. also, i do not really recommend to play this game if you are 14. this game is not about slashing enemies 24/7 andGreat story, great sounds, voice acting, animation, music, graphics, overall design. this game gave lots of emotions (in a good way). Of course this game isnt without problems (walking walking walking walking ...... MORE WALKING) but i just cannot deny that i loved this game. also, i do not really recommend to play this game if you are 14. this game is not about slashing enemies 24/7 and acting as a superhero. i am surprised to see this kind of game in the market where nearly everything is boring, or not working, or about YEAH DIE EVERYONE BI***ES AHAHHAHAHA FU*K YEAH. very pleased. thank you ninja for this present.… Expand
  20. TheMeadow
    Dec 4, 2017
    10
    I was expecting a basic psychotic horror game... I was pleasantly surprised by the wide arrange of emotions this game made me feel. I would recommend anyone to purchase this.

    It's important to immediately mention that this game is doing its part in destroying the stigma around mental illness. It puts you in the position of a warrior who has psychosis perfectly with the use of amazing    I was expecting a basic psychotic horror game... I was pleasantly surprised by the wide arrange of emotions this game made me feel. I would recommend anyone to purchase this.

    It's important to immediately mention that this game is doing its part in destroying the stigma around mental illness. It puts you in the position of a warrior who has psychosis perfectly with the use of amazing acting, binaural sound, and graphics that don't hold back.

    I would urge anyone interested in this game to take the critiques it receives with a grain of salt.

    Many are disappointed by the combat system's spam-one-button-to-win nature, but the intimidating nature of the enemies, the commentary of the voices, and the perma-death system made battles an intense and enjoyable experience. You also see a lot of hate for things like the camera positioning or the imbalance between gameplay and cutscenes. These didn't bother me at all. These are stylistic choices that game devs have the right to make. In a time where we can begin to question what makes a game a game, these complaints become senseless.

    Play this game.    … Expand
  21. hamed1372
    Dec 9, 2017
    10
    It was an extraordinary game that you cant even imagine.the dark atmosphere.the sounds in Senua's head were perfectly annoying but its good.the feelings that she had about herself and she torturing herself.for me it was an interesting and perfect game because it had some unique experience.
    to anyone who didn't played they missed a masterpiece
  22. mekss
    Feb 9, 2018
    10
    I haven't written any review yet, this is my first one. I got it yesterday, and finished at 5.AM, sitting there, staring in my screen, not understanding how to feel. I have not got such an emotions before at all, but in the books that I read as a kid. I can not describe the emotions that ran through me during the game. I did not know anything about mental illness motive before I bought it,I haven't written any review yet, this is my first one. I got it yesterday, and finished at 5.AM, sitting there, staring in my screen, not understanding how to feel. I have not got such an emotions before at all, but in the books that I read as a kid. I can not describe the emotions that ran through me during the game. I did not know anything about mental illness motive before I bought it, I just red a positive comment in you tube, and when the game started, it seemed as another creepy yet interesting fantasy game about scandinavia and gods. In few minutes of gameplay I smiled as I felt feeling I had been feeling long ago, only in books, where reader can see through eyes of the hero - the game started to get in my head. Fascinating. Amazing. I feel as I am different person,l even now I don't understand how I feel, the game is a masterpiece, messing not only with senua, but letting player fell the fear, uncertainty and personal quest. However, there was a hint that there will be a sequel, and I am afraid that this game is one of the things that needs to be left as it is - I could play through it again only after some time, it is like a heavy movie. I am afraid that developers wont succeed in next series, ruining the game.… Expand
  23. izdwuut
    Jan 6, 2019
    8
    I have long awaited playing this title. I've been sure that it's going to be spectacular, I just haven't excepted being shattered to pieces. It has been one hel(l) of a journey. I'd wish that there were an option to erase this memoir, so I could experience Senua's story once again. I'd wish that I could use it indefinitely. It would be perfect if it came up with a clicker. I would push itI have long awaited playing this title. I've been sure that it's going to be spectacular, I just haven't excepted being shattered to pieces. It has been one hel(l) of a journey. I'd wish that there were an option to erase this memoir, so I could experience Senua's story once again. I'd wish that I could use it indefinitely. It would be perfect if it came up with a clicker. I would push it whenever I'm for some profound feelings of love intertwined with ferocity and fathomless solicitude.

    One, albeit gigantic caveat: the unfortunate mental health disclaimer at the game's start-up. Some of Hellblade's puzzles can really make you question your sanity. Because those who have designed them certainly are out of their minds and catatonia seems like the only rescue for their delusions. It would make them unable to spew allegedly "clever" ideas out of their limb-controlling devices. I haven't except Hellblade to be this immersive.

    + behind the scenes video
    + Melina Juergens performance
    + furies
    + Sea of Corpses
    + motion capture
    + no HUD
    + no loading screens
    + combat
    + slo-mo
    + a pretty decent horror
    + music
    + emotional loading
    + Odin's trials
    + the last boss fight
    + Norse mythology

    - typography
    - some puzzles are questionable at best    … Expand
  24. Brose
    Feb 8, 2019
    10
    This game right here is the reason I still play PC games as an adult. From first trailer I saw I was really interested. Let's just say that there isn't too much coming out these days that I actually get excited about. But the atmosphere, graphics, sounds, the dark somber tone of the world, and especially character design were enough to hook me off one trailer. And the game didn'tThis game right here is the reason I still play PC games as an adult. From first trailer I saw I was really interested. Let's just say that there isn't too much coming out these days that I actually get excited about. But the atmosphere, graphics, sounds, the dark somber tone of the world, and especially character design were enough to hook me off one trailer. And the game didn't disappoint one bit. A good story with a great main character set in an extraordinary world. The pacing was good, the different locales were visually and emotionally stimulating, and the story actually was really good.

    Took me I think 6-8 hours to complete. Sure, I would've taken more but it was certainly enough game to end up being my favorite game of 2017, by a mile, just as Demon's Souls was far and away my number one game of 2008. I think I may start my second play through very soon. Writing about it has reminded me of just how enjoyable of an experience it was!    … Expand
  25. rezo_21
    Nov 15, 2021
    6
    ====================IIIIIIIIII GAME SCORE : 61 IIIIIIIIII====================
  26. MaxmilianKohler
    Aug 19, 2020
    5
    Mouse movement sucks no matter what. And at some points it drastically increases your mouse movement.

    Don't mind a story-heavy game. Not a fan of the symbol matching. Not a fan of the fighting. You have to guess what buttons and combos of buttons they want you to press at what points. And it completely locks your movement and vision. There are some things that are buggy. Like I    Mouse movement sucks no matter what. And at some points it drastically increases your mouse movement.

    Don't mind a story-heavy game.

    Not a fan of the symbol matching.

    Not a fan of the fighting. You have to guess what buttons and combos of buttons they want you to press at what points. And it completely locks your movement and vision.

    There are some things that are buggy. Like I lined up the right signals but it doesn't register.

    Found the symbol stuff boring, and the fighting was repetitive, boring, restrictive, and tedious. That's most of the game right there, so I uninstalled early on.    … Expand
  27. ningky
    Sep 3, 2019
    1
    เล่นไม่จบ
    เวียนหัวมาก

    This game is totally bad!!!! Graphics, Story, Cut scenes and Game play are bad.
  28. Matusiowo
    Aug 16, 2020
    6
    + Emotionally greatly developed with fantastic dubbing
    + Cool idea of puzzle by matching visually the environment to a symbol
    + Interesting main character with incorporation of psychotic reality + Fighting feels good mechanically (though it's not huge part of the game) +/- Surprising handling of ending with mixed feelings towards it - Very narrow variety of what player can do. It    + Emotionally greatly developed with fantastic dubbing
    + Cool idea of puzzle by matching visually the environment to a symbol
    + Interesting main character with incorporation of psychotic reality
    + Fighting feels good mechanically (though it's not huge part of the game)

    +/- Surprising handling of ending with mixed feelings towards it

    - Very narrow variety of what player can do. It feels more like watching a movie with a walking simulator
    - Repetetiveness with puzzles and mostly are about running around    … Expand
  29. CaspianRoach
    Feb 5, 2020
    2
    Do you enjoy watching a pretentious theatrical performance while five people are sitting near you constantly commenting on everything and whispering into your ears? Then congratulations, this is for you. It might hide an okay game underneath, but dear god I couldn't bear the constant nagging and noise following you everywhere. Sure, this might be the point the developers wanted to convey,Do you enjoy watching a pretentious theatrical performance while five people are sitting near you constantly commenting on everything and whispering into your ears? Then congratulations, this is for you. It might hide an okay game underneath, but dear god I couldn't bear the constant nagging and noise following you everywhere. Sure, this might be the point the developers wanted to convey, but it's like sticking your hand in a meat grinder to 'experience new emotions'. It's not pleasant and I'm baffled as to why would anybody want to subject themselves to this, let alone pay for the experience. It should have been paying me for putting up with this nonsense.… Expand
  30. mateusbatatais
    Mar 1, 2020
    4
    Juro que insisti nesse jogo... Aparentemente uma boa história e bom gráficos. Puzzles repetidos e jogabilidade travada. Na minha opinião, so isso nao faz um bom jogo.

    História: 9
    Som: 10
    Jogabilidade: 2
    Gráficos:10
    Diversão: 2
  31. CyperFly
    Apr 9, 2020
    10
    I love this game, sounds effects, story and graphics 10/10 Senua I LOVE YOU!
  32. S3XU4LH34L1NG
    Sep 11, 2022
    7
    As a story i'd say its pretty good and condensed. As a game its pretty meh. Insanly long walking simulator sections and backtracks. Piss easy combat sections that drag way too long. Puzzles that may you nearly fall asleep. Imo this would make for a way better book or film.
  33. mohammad-gh
    Oct 5, 2020
    10
    This game was so good and so sad It was amazing and made me cry at the end
    If you have fillings you should play it otherwise you should not
  34. jarvitom
    Nov 15, 2021
    7
    Game is unique and innovative visually pleasing but I did not like the vibe of the game
  35. kimi1775
    Nov 9, 2020
    8
    ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎
  36. vova22379
    Aug 24, 2022
    3
    ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
  37. bigbossf84
    Aug 10, 2021
    0
    Esse se tornou meu jogo preferido, a historia é muito imersiva, você se importa com a Senua, ela é incrível,
  38. Cracken443
    Jul 2, 2021
    6
    I really enjoyed the game everything is great the combat ,soundtracks ,graphics ,story and the characters , tbh the combat was boring a little bit but it's fine , and I can't wait for hellblade 2
  39. SneezingCalmCat
    Oct 17, 2022
    8
    Good game, but it has its flaws:

    1. Lots of Puzzles, not very difficult of you can get easily stuck in a few ones, I hate puzzles but this ones are ok, until it gets pretty frustrating and repetitive. 2. Combat is feels good, until it sucks, aka can't move the camera and you have 3 enemies behind you and you can't turn around nor move because you are also stuck in a wall. 3. It    Good game, but it has its flaws:

    1. Lots of Puzzles, not very difficult of you can get easily stuck in a few ones, I hate puzzles but this ones are ok, until it gets pretty frustrating and repetitive.

    2. Combat is feels good, until it sucks, aka can't move the camera and you have 3 enemies behind you and you can't turn around nor move because you are also stuck in a wall.

    3. It can get surprisingly slow and boring, especially towards the end.

    Slow, repetitive, sometimes boring, I felt I was going to fell sleep multiple times, which shouldn't happen during a gameplay.

    I won't list all the good things this game does, but I would recommend you give it a try, it is in game pass. If you like the first hour you are going to love, if not you are going to really hate it.    … Expand
  40. Soloux
    Nov 28, 2019
    4
    Absolute bollocks of a game.
    This game is so pretentious that have all the things that 16 yo can dream of.
    - Serious subject that can be told by game. - Poetry/legends/myths/illness as narrative. - Walking sym and simple puzzles until next verse is told and part of the "serious" story... Above all, as a plus, voice logs! Developers, if your story is so complicated that you can't    Absolute bollocks of a game.
    This game is so pretentious that have all the things that 16 yo can dream of.
    - Serious subject that can be told by game.
    - Poetry/legends/myths/illness as narrative.
    - Walking sym and simple puzzles until next verse is told and part of the "serious" story...
    Above all, as a plus, voice logs!

    Developers, if your story is so complicated that you can't explain all the things trough game play, than, in a first place, do NOT put them in it.

    On a technical side, this game have all obnoxious effects possible:
    - Chromatic aberration
    - Motion blur
    - Depth of field
    - Ambient occlusion, (how this terrible effect even become so popular?!)...
    All this to "help" the narrative I guess... Without option to turn them off.

    Developers, do you know how much money film and camera industry spend to fix all this, so-called-effects, with a special lenses? I bet not. The 16 yo artist inside of you can't understand this "banal" thing.

    All that warnings before the game start and all the trailers and talk about this mediocre "game" was enough to trick me for a moment. But after 30 min of game play all felt apart. Just another walking pretentious crap.

    The only reason I give this "game" 4 is because of 2 very well atmospheric places with great lighting and some cute weather effects. That is it! That's why you got 4 from me. Be proud of yourself.

    And after all this my biggest wonder is how it is possible this game to have 200. (equally worthless and pretentious), awards.
    Ah, life is mystery.

    Seriously: do not buy this crap. Unless you enjoy "deep" "story telling" with "serious subjects" and want to brag how smart you are.
    Watch R&M or something.    … Expand
  41. Lorribot
    Sep 16, 2018
    6
    This is not a story based game, it is a fighting game with bosses and puzzles that has an interesting plot line, if that is not really your thing, then look elsewhere.
    The visuals are good and the main character is interesting. there is some simple problem solving, but it the fight sequences that are the main feature so if you are in to key mashing fighting then you you should find it of    This is not a story based game, it is a fighting game with bosses and puzzles that has an interesting plot line, if that is not really your thing, then look elsewhere.
    The visuals are good and the main character is interesting. there is some simple problem solving, but it the fight sequences that are the main feature so if you are in to key mashing fighting then you you should find it of interest if a little short and a little slow or you may find it a little simple and teh puzzles boring. If you are an OK button masher then you may well find the combat boring, tedious or frustrating and teh puzzels simple and long winded.
    There also seems very little difference between any of the difficulty settings for combat so those looking for the story will be disappointed.
    Whilst concentrating on the visuals and the character the game play has been not had enough thought and it is neither a puzzler or a fighting game and will possible not please either audience and the engine does not allow either to tailor to their preference by making the puzzles harder or more interesting or the fighting simple enough for those who want to experience the story or rewarding enough for those that enjoy more complex or artistic fights.    … Expand
  42. Augusto
    Feb 14, 2021
    8
    There is a unique gaming experience here and i really recommend that everyone try it out
  43. Mandulum
    Jan 12, 2018
    8
    Five Word Review: Combat, story, character make worthwhile.
    Favorite Thing: The story telling and character portrayal were excellent.
    Least Favorite Thing: Hidden object puzzles.

    Date Completed: 2018-01-07
    Playtime: ~ 7h
    Enjoyment: 8/10
    Recommendation: This game has a lot going for it but if you play it for one reason it should be to experience Senua's character.
  44. ReubenIsAGod
    Dec 17, 2021
    9
    A sensational visual experience. Also might have confied for me that i am, in fact, depressed and really need to go see/talk to somebody about this.
  45. Jenne
    Dec 15, 2019
    3
    I'm all for immersion but this game doesn't just try to depict mental illness, it's actively trying to drive you crazy. The constant annoying voices, the cringey writing, the tedious puzzles....I couldn't get through the first hour. This is gaming for hipsters, emos and pseudointellectuals. Thanks but no thanks.
  46. Atyne
    Nov 3, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. One of those special games you will remember for a long time after finishing it. I don't think any other game ever did what this game did. The portrayal of mental illness shown at its best. Norse stories to spice up the atmosphere and binaural audio with excellent voice-overs will make you feel like listening to ASMR.
    On the other side, the gameplay is a bit repetitive and boring. The story doesn't go for the plot but more for the realization and understanding of what already happened.    … Expand
  47. p1menta
    Jul 5, 2021
    8
    what a good surprise for me. I don't like reading or watching anything about the game before playing it myself, so I can have some wonderful surprises like this one. Beautiful visuals, perfect sound design, interesting plot and narrative and cool and engaging fights (even tho it gets a little too easy as soon as you get the hang of it. The fights look and feel so good that makes you wantwhat a good surprise for me. I don't like reading or watching anything about the game before playing it myself, so I can have some wonderful surprises like this one. Beautiful visuals, perfect sound design, interesting plot and narrative and cool and engaging fights (even tho it gets a little too easy as soon as you get the hang of it. The fights look and feel so good that makes you want more, even tho, I know, it's a more story-driven game.
    The puzzles could also have a little more diversity and criativity. But still a great game. Specially considering it is in the amazing gamepass    … Expand
  48. SlimPlay
    Jun 25, 2021
    10
    Very new approach and simple gameplay! Endearing Story and very nice representation of mental disorders. Graphically stunning Character Models and awesome effects.
  49. naufri27
    Apr 3, 2021
    6
    Ninja Theory nos trae la historia de una guerrera picta que intenta rescatar el alma de su amante muerto como excusa para contar los síntomas de una persona enferma de psicosis.

    Siendo un concepto muy interesante para aprender sobre esta enfermedad y estando bien acompañado de unos gráficos que representan de forma sobresaliente su ambientación nórdica y unos efectos sonoros que    Ninja Theory nos trae la historia de una guerrera picta que intenta rescatar el alma de su amante muerto como excusa para contar los síntomas de una persona enferma de psicosis.

    Siendo un concepto muy interesante para aprender sobre esta enfermedad y estando bien acompañado de unos gráficos que representan de forma sobresaliente su ambientación nórdica y unos efectos sonoros que consiguen nos metamos en la piel de su protagonista, como videojuego no termina de estar a la altura. Los puzles y los combates apenas exigen al jugador debido a su facilidad, y la partida no se puede guardar en ningún momento. Es decir, que si quieres repetir cualquier tramo porque te ha gustado especialmente, deberás rejugarlo desde el principio. Y no morir demasiadas veces en el intento, pues si lo haces tu partida se borrará, ya que la intención de los desarrolladores es que cada partida fuese un viaje a la cabeza del personaje principal sin la posibilidad de volver atrás. Solo un viaje hacia delante sin muchas posibilidades de repetir para corregir tus errores. Claro que, para ello, al menos deberían haber puesto varios registros de guardado de partida por si en el mismo dispositivo había diferentes personas jugándolo.

    No sé muy bien qué esperar de la segunda parte anunciada, ya que necesita un buen empujón para ser considerado un buen juego y no sé si la «prensa especializada» se lo ha hecho saber o simplemente le ha alabado la intención de que aprendamos sobre la psicosis sin criticar su ejecución como juego regulero.    … Expand
  50. RMDsilva
    Jun 12, 2019
    9
    This game is meant to make you feel. It's meant to make you feel desperation, fear, confusion and everything else that comes with real trauma.
    It's not a horror game meant to spook you and make you jump on your chair. It's about feeling your way to the path of the character.
    It mixes gameplay and storytelling immensely well - puzzles don't get boring, combat is always edgy - and you keep    This game is meant to make you feel. It's meant to make you feel desperation, fear, confusion and everything else that comes with real trauma.
    It's not a horror game meant to spook you and make you jump on your chair. It's about feeling your way to the path of the character.
    It mixes gameplay and storytelling immensely well - puzzles don't get boring, combat is always edgy - and you keep being afraid of the next trap the game sets for you.
    I found myself gasping in horror when I failed Senua - as her own despair got to me.

    Understanding why this game was made and how real it is - that's powerful by itself.

    If you can let yourself feel, surrender to it. It's worth it.

    If not, well, it's not a bad game either way.    … Expand
  51. PublicNuisance
    Apr 19, 2020
    7
    Hellblade was a fantastic experience overall but with a couple very big issues. One major issue with it was was the puzzles. I despised the many puzzles where you had to find a specific rune shape hidden somewhere in the near area. This doesn’t sound bad but it is extremely frustrating when you have found this shape and are focusing on it but the game refuses to recognize this until youHellblade was a fantastic experience overall but with a couple very big issues. One major issue with it was was the puzzles. I despised the many puzzles where you had to find a specific rune shape hidden somewhere in the near area. This doesn’t sound bad but it is extremely frustrating when you have found this shape and are focusing on it but the game refuses to recognize this until you move an inch or two to the right or left to get lined up just how they want it. That and sometimes the shape would not be a static image but you would have to stand in such a way that a couple tree branches form the shape. I was in an angry state by the end as these make up the bulk of the game’s puzzles. The combat itself is fairly good for the most part with the exception of the fact that the game would auto focus on a specific enemy and would switch target when it deemed it best which leaves you open to attack from other sides easier. You can manually switch which enemy you are targeting but I would have preferred that I just have a free camera to attack who I want and am facing. The combat was similar to The Witcher 2 in that you will be dodging and evading a lot of attacks along with parrying and having light and heavy attacks to alternate between. I find this ironic because I hated the combat in The Witcher 2 but didn’t mind the combat in Hellblade. I think it was the lack of magic spells and traps which I didn’t enjoy in Witcher 2. The overall presentation of Hellblade was simply amazing. The music was well used and always fit the mood well. The voice acting was superb by all involved. The facial expressions captured for Senua were the best I have ever seen. The graphics were fantastic, everything from the clothing detail; facial features; world detail; lighting; shadows; all was just top notch and had a great direction to it. In particular there is a scene where you’re supposed to be wading through a bloody river full of corpses in what I can imagine would be representative of “Hell” that was by far the creepiest version of Hell I have ever seen. There was one scene where the lip syncing was mistimed with the voice acting but it only lasted a minute or so. I would have also liked to see an option for a map added or some kind of direction identifier as some parts were very difficult to navigate. I will also say that the representations of auditory and visual hallucinations seemed authentic and well done. I don’t suffer from them myself but I can see why the game has gotten praise for their handling of mental illness. I can say that those I have known that have suffered from depression can relate to your own brain constantly insulting you and taunting you.

    I played Hellblade on Linux. I used Lutris; Wine and DXVK. It never crashed on me and I didn’t notice any bugs or glitches during play. I did notice one small issue where when the game initially launches it doesn’t quite stretch to full-screen but you can just click the screen and it then does. The game uses Unreal Engine 4. The game auto saves and has no manual save option. For the most part this isn’t an issue but there are a few times I would have loved having a manual option. You can change the difficulty setting at any time during play. There are 7 different graphics options as well as a Vsync option. The game recognizes and supports higher refresh rates even though there is no official option. Performance wise the game was usually pretty good but there were frequent drops that were noticeable. The game could go from 144 FPS to 85; back up to 144; down to 18; up to 85; etc. It was stable sometimes but when it wasn’t it would cause some lag that would last 1-3 seconds. When it was stable it was usually in the 80’s. I played using version 1.03 of the game from GOG.

    Disk Space Used: 22.9 GB
    GPU Usage: 67-99 %
    VRAM Usage: 2083-3822 MB
    CPU Usage: 12-37 %
    RAM Usage: 3.2-5.2 GB
    Frame Rate: 2-144 FPS

    While I didn’t enjoy the puzzles or the auto targeting in combat the rest of the game was so good that I still played through it and will recommend it. The story; atmosphere; voice acting; graphics; are all just worth playing and experiencing. I paid $11.29 CAD for Hellblade and feel that was a good price given my issues. Speaking about just the rest of the game though it was easily worth $50 had the puzzles been done differently. I finished the game in 8 hours 13 minutes on normal difficulty.

    My Score: 7/10

    My System:

    AMD Ryzen 5 2600X | 16GB DDR4-3000 CL15 | MSI RX 5700 XT 8GB Gaming X | Mesa 20.0.4 | Samsung 970 Evo Plus 500GB | Manjaro 19.0.2 | Mate 1.24 | Kernel 5.6.5-1-MANJARO | Lutris 0.5.6 | Wine 5.5 | DXVK 1.6    … Expand
  52. jelikey
    Aug 30, 2023
    8
    This is an incredible experience, but I'm not so sure that it's an incredible game. 10/10 on the visuals, voices, and exploration of psychosis. Maybe 6/10 for the puzzles and combat? At some point you realize that the only way to survive is to dodge continuously, trying to get a whack in here and there. Multiple enemies were basically hopeless. On the other hand, I haven't played a gameThis is an incredible experience, but I'm not so sure that it's an incredible game. 10/10 on the visuals, voices, and exploration of psychosis. Maybe 6/10 for the puzzles and combat? At some point you realize that the only way to survive is to dodge continuously, trying to get a whack in here and there. Multiple enemies were basically hopeless. On the other hand, I haven't played a game that has stuck with me like this one, forcing me to think about it weeks later. Flawed masterpiece, perhaps.… Expand
  53. Chaotic-Entropy
    Oct 13, 2017
    10
    Great game, great subject matter, great business model and at a great pricing point. This is a must have for anyone that enjoys third-person action games.

    On two personal notes, the subject matter of the game truly speak to me and I find it very engrossing and the game itself deserves to be successful if we want anything resembling a decent development business model to survive the next    Great game, great subject matter, great business model and at a great pricing point. This is a must have for anyone that enjoys third-person action games.

    On two personal notes, the subject matter of the game truly speak to me and I find it very engrossing and the game itself deserves to be successful if we want anything resembling a decent development business model to survive the next few years.    … Expand
  54. Theros
    Mar 24, 2019
    9
    I gave it a minus one to the score only because of easy, yet repetitive combat and simplistic puzzles. Otherwise, this was an awesome experience! Kudos to NT!
  55. shatarah
    Dec 2, 2020
    8
    greattttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt
  56. Pitonas
    Jun 10, 2018
    10
    Jesus Christ it's good, character graphics are impeccable, story truly touching, and surroundings are terrifying, I have played it only 2018 but when I think back in 2017 it probably would have been the best game I have played. Loved every second of it.
  57. muzmuz
    Apr 12, 2020
    7
    A quality game packaged in an affordable price range, with good cutscenes, impressive sound design and enjoyable combat/puzzles which all collectively brings you a distinctively unique experience. Hellblade Senua's Sacrifice is a single-player game that you don't want to miss. Unfortunately, I believe the writing in this game isn't very comprehensive, which embitters the experience forA quality game packaged in an affordable price range, with good cutscenes, impressive sound design and enjoyable combat/puzzles which all collectively brings you a distinctively unique experience. Hellblade Senua's Sacrifice is a single-player game that you don't want to miss. Unfortunately, I believe the writing in this game isn't very comprehensive, which embitters the experience for anyone looking at a game with a generally enjoyable story.… Expand
  58. ComandanteCobra
    Feb 8, 2019
    8
    Good indie. Different. Fun to play and watch. I hope in a sequel.
    It's an cinematic action-adventure game: In some way It's remind me of 90's Another World games for it's mix of puzzles and action..but without platform and with less action (and a different setting and mood of course).
    Lots of puzzles (different that the usual pull-a-level-open-a door), some fighting (few enemies, few    Good indie. Different. Fun to play and watch. I hope in a sequel.
    It's an cinematic action-adventure game: In some way It's remind me of 90's Another World games for it's mix of puzzles and action..but without platform and with less action (and a different setting and mood of course).
    Lots of puzzles (different that the usual pull-a-level-open-a door), some fighting (few enemies, few moves, only one weapon but fun and adrenalinic nonetheless), story is revealed with level progression, permadeath if you fail too many times, very good acting.
    The is no inventory; no map; no tutorial; no multi-choices dialogues; no rpg elements; no platform sequences; no open world; no free save; ..and that It's part of it's beauty....Different and simple.
    About 10 hours of gameplay if you can avoid permadeath.
    Gamepad with force feedback it's almost mandatory .    … Expand
  59. zkvarz
    Dec 30, 2017
    8
    Well done!
    For me this is one of the best games of 2017. Right from the beginning I've noticed that the game has no information on screen and it's very good for immersion. Besides that it has unique way of storytelling with background surrounding voices.It had beautiful design, greatest acting and up to date graphic. Although it's quite a depressing and dark game there is a good moral    Well done!
    For me this is one of the best games of 2017. Right from the beginning I've noticed that the game has no information on screen and it's very good for immersion. Besides that it has unique way of storytelling with background surrounding voices.It had beautiful design, greatest acting and up to date graphic. Although it's quite a depressing and dark game there is a good moral part in it.
    The gameplay is just great. I've played on high difficulty and it was just right. There are a lot of unique puzzles with changing the world surroundings and illusions which added just in the right amount.
    I'ts also a very good mixture of in-game shots with shots filmed on camera. I didn't see that experiment in other games. Also there are no pre-rendered scenes as far as I've seen.
    Some of the downsides for me is that it's relatively short, variety of enemies is not good enough and it's linear so there is little replay value for me.
    P.S. I would personally recommend playing it on HARD difficulty because it's.... just right. Even not that challenging as I expected it to be. On normal mode I would probably not die or die a few times.
    P.P.S Also, I've played with ps4 controller on my PC. With keyboard and mouse was not that comfortable. So if you have a controller I would recommend to play this way.    … Expand
  60. a999666s
    Feb 22, 2021
    10
    This is the real hell. This is the real city of death. This is the real horror. Story, music and atmosphere is amazing. I think this is top 1 single adventure game ever!
  61. Hoegaardener70
    Apr 25, 2020
    3
    I read the overwhelmingly positive reviews, I appreciated the fact that VR was provided for free, and I found graphics and story fascinating. So, the game ticked off all boxes, and many people love it. Unfortunately, I could not since I found the puzzles unengaging and the combat part also unexciting. I forced myself three times for aroud 4h to get into it. May be it works as an emotionalI read the overwhelmingly positive reviews, I appreciated the fact that VR was provided for free, and I found graphics and story fascinating. So, the game ticked off all boxes, and many people love it. Unfortunately, I could not since I found the puzzles unengaging and the combat part also unexciting. I forced myself three times for aroud 4h to get into it. May be it works as an emotional experience for many, but as a game it fell flat on its nose for me.… Expand
  62. dandalis
    Feb 19, 2018
    7
    A different kind of Ninja Theory game from what i've played before which were much more action gameplay focused, but not say thats anything for the worse, Hellblade's another solid outting for them surely.

    Right off the start you get the feeling it'll be a more a experience type of game than action packed ride, with emphasis on very well done cinematographic cutscenes and story telling.    A different kind of Ninja Theory game from what i've played before which were much more action gameplay focused, but not say thats anything for the worse, Hellblade's another solid outting for them surely.

    Right off the start you get the feeling it'll be a more a experience type of game than action packed ride, with emphasis on very well done cinematographic cutscenes and story telling. Also its a great achievement from audio and visual standpoint alone this game completed with a nice original soundtrack, knowing Ninja Theory is no triple A developer at this point, its quite an achievement. If there's anything that poked my eye, it was the passive sky box, i hate that developers dont go the extra mile to have active sky box with cloud movement for maximum immersion factor. Game boasts some amazing motion and facial capture strengthened by strong performance by main actress who turns out is a developer of the game herself, the motion capture tech was much showcased before the game's launch and it really becomes an integral part of the game's success, not just a gimmick. Story being built around mental disorder problems of Senua also woks out quite well, much of the time leaving you thinking about what you see in the game whether its real or they're the manifestations Senua's mind is making up. Game world while lacking high resolution textures in many places overall looks quite beautiful with great lighting, weather effects backed up by great art design that successfully captures the post viking invaded celtic setting.

    Where i had some issues with Hellblade were its gameplay designs. While i actually walked, not ran, through most of the entirety of the game to capture and get immersed in its world, i also couldnt help but feel that there wasnt anything really to do while these segments lasted compared to Enslaved or Devil May Cry, the developer's previous 2 games, its just, take in the pretty world and move on. The puzzles while backed up by the research developer's did on what people with psychosis experience to ensure their place in the game, felt more like padding from modern gameplay perspective, theyre nothing that ruin overall experience for the worse, but solving them didnt gave me any real sense of satisfication. Then theres the combat which is just about servicable, it simply lacks depth and fun factor from previous Ninja Theory's games like Enslaved or DmC, the lock on/swap taget system also doesnt work out as well as it should. As i said before, i know it was not intended to be a action game first, but knowing the developer's pedigree, i was expecting more finesse in that department.

    I still dont get it why Metacritic lists a 7 as mixed score for video games, for me that counts as a good game rating and i do wanna remind that in my books Hellblade is a good gaming experience worth having.    … Expand
  63. praXismaXimus
    Apr 26, 2020
    2
    Unplayable pile of miserable garbage. Nice graphics, TERRIBLE framerate issues - to the point where the game cannot be played. Unfinishable due to these technical issues not present during early game. For any developer, this is completely unacceptable. This game should never have been released in this state.
    The story is simple and unrelentingly miserable. If you get off on death,    Unplayable pile of miserable garbage. Nice graphics, TERRIBLE framerate issues - to the point where the game cannot be played. Unfinishable due to these technical issues not present during early game. For any developer, this is completely unacceptable. This game should never have been released in this state.
    The story is simple and unrelentingly miserable. If you get off on death, sickness, and depression, then this will be right up your alley. Lots of nordic mythology wank for the types that enjoy that sort of thing too. Haven't you always dreamed of playing a heartbroken warrior with schizophrenia that's on a suicide mission while being tortured by memories of their abusive parents. So much fun!
    Puzzles are straightforward perspective challenges without much imagination put into them. Combat is the high point as far as actual gameplay is concerned, but invisible walls constraining you and your dodges while fighting off hordes of enemies is ridiculously bad. One of those games where you'll be yelling "What did I do wrong!?" at the screen because your A button just stops functioning with no indication as to why.
    To sum up, it's a depressing slog of a broken pretty mess. I can't believe anyone who paid for this crap is actually satisfied. What's wrong with you people?    … Expand
  64. mag9us
    Feb 26, 2018
    10
    This game is different, this game is amazing. Combat system is strange, but good on high difficulty. Strong story, soundtrack and main character.
  65. Leo_Manzano
    Aug 28, 2022
    7
    Working.............................................................................
  66. Panica3643D
    Jul 6, 2018
    7
    Скучноватая игра получилась. Геймплей совсем не порадовал. Даже не смотря на то, что игра короткая, он успел надоесть уже через 2 часа. Всю игру нас заставляют делать одно и то же. Есть пару приятных моментов, но они теряются на общей картине.Скучноватая игра получилась. Геймплей совсем не порадовал. Даже не смотря на то, что игра короткая, он успел надоесть уже через 2 часа. Всю игру нас заставляют делать одно и то же. Есть пару приятных моментов, но они теряются на общей картине.
  67. auditbadger
    Nov 12, 2018
    9
    I think that this is truly a unique game and I would recommend that if you are a fan of this type of genre then I think you should give this game a try.
  68. JIATNSA
    Apr 4, 2020
    5
    Every great game has that moment where it all comes together to form an unforgettable experience that I will cherish forever. Unfortunately that moment never came with Hellblade and instead I question the priories of Ninja Theory when developing this game. It seems narrative and world building take a larger role in this game compared to others but unfortunately the world building was doneEvery great game has that moment where it all comes together to form an unforgettable experience that I will cherish forever. Unfortunately that moment never came with Hellblade and instead I question the priories of Ninja Theory when developing this game. It seems narrative and world building take a larger role in this game compared to others but unfortunately the world building was done in the most boring way possible. That being said the internal conflict of Senua is an interesting one and is handled fantastically throughout the game.

    Some of the puzzles reminded me of 90's PC puzzle games which would be nice if the puzzles reflected that mentality. Unfortunately most of them are about perspective and looking at a certain area of the environment and while a neat element at times the overuse of them made the gameplay become stale, fast.

    Combat was again, fun at first but doesn't develop into anything mechanically deep like Ninja Theory's previous works and instead resorts to spawning multiple enemies to give a cheap sense of difficulty. If there were more diverse enemy types along with multiple combo's and finishers maybe the combat would be more engaging.

    To conclude, I appreciate what Hellblade stands for in the games industry; it's very rare to see an independent game studio be so ambitious with it's presentation but it lacks in compelling puzzles, combat and at points story.

    5/10    … Expand
  69. aditya1101
    Dec 22, 2020
    9
    Loved this game and it's use of audio to simulate psychosis for the player. There are some weak areas in the game but overall it was a super unique, super compelling experience and I'm really glad I decided to pick this game up and give it a try
  70. aljirik1992
    Apr 17, 2020
    10
    С Хель не бахнешь эль... (Hellblade: Senuas Sacrifice)

    Чисто технически HSS выглядит так : "Доберись из точки A в точку B, между ними поочередно закликивай врагов, решай головоломки, клади на лопатки боссов. Будешь много умирать, начнёшь с самого начала."! И Фенрир меня раздери, запуская игру, я хотел проверить последний пункт, ой как хотел, но после первой же смерти это желание    С Хель не бахнешь эль... (Hellblade: Senuas Sacrifice)

    Чисто технически HSS выглядит так : "Доберись из точки A в точку B, между ними поочередно закликивай врагов, решай головоломки, клади на лопатки боссов. Будешь много умирать, начнёшь с самого начала."! И Фенрир меня раздери, запуская игру, я хотел проверить последний пункт, ой как хотел, но после первой же смерти это желание пропало. Если кончина героя в играх "from software" и им подобным, как раз таки схематичная, то в хождении по мукам "Мэла Гибсона без мотни" она - не показатель вашей неопытности, нет! Если Вы без зазрения совести позволяете умереть Сенуа, которой в отличии от охотников, нежити и прочих безжизненных болванчиков, больно от каждого пропущенного удара, то поздравляю, Вы - садист! А если Вы сможете пройти игру за один присест в наушниках и встать после неё, как ни в чём не бывало, то Богиня Хель явно пригласит такого стойкого человека на автепати попить эля из чаш в виде человеческих черепов.
    С виду может показаться, что я, дорогие мои читатели, в открытую оскорбляю вас, за то прошу простить. Однако на самом деле я подвожу к очень важной теме. К тому сколько серьёзных, ЧЕЛОВЕЧЕСКИХ вопросов поднимает игра...    … Expand
  71. johnstobbart
    Oct 16, 2018
    10
    this game is epic.most satisfiying hit sense I'ever felt.ultimate presentation and photo real visuality with magnificent story is make the game a top milestone for the video games and so that is written itself with golden letter to the game history.you definately play this game.
  72. MadBert91
    Nov 3, 2021
    5
    NO me ha enganchado nada, cuando mueres no empiezas desde el punto que cabe esperar sino que tienes que repetir lo de enfocarte y tal y aguantar la animación, lo cual es desesperante. No lo he podido aguantar y el tema de que no haya doblaje al castellano le resta 10 puntos, es un juego que te cuenta una historia muy rara y estar leyendo todo es cuanto menos conveniente.
  73. kch3691
    Apr 1, 2018
    8
    A gorgeous and unique game that deserves to be played despite it's many flaws.
  74. SarcasticSaint
    Mar 6, 2018
    10
    I play games for emotions, and Hellblade gave me more of them than any other game of all time. If you are not a child and are able to empathize, you will love this game. If you are looking for garbage for the spinal cord - just walk past.
    Great story, incredible visuals, the best in the industry sound and amazing actor play.
    10 10
  75. feather7
    Apr 28, 2018
    9
    Nice idea, really interesting story. And amazing visual quallity. One thing is wrong, only ticket is possible buy. Not BD disk.
  76. pawq
    Feb 4, 2021
    8
    In the simplest terms, an atmospheric action-adventure game with puzzle elements. But what makes it stand out is the very deep psychological layer, where we're immersed into the mind of someone with severe mental issues. The game has a strong psychological foundation and imo does a great job making the player feel just what it might be like to be in such a situation. Great story-tellingIn the simplest terms, an atmospheric action-adventure game with puzzle elements. But what makes it stand out is the very deep psychological layer, where we're immersed into the mind of someone with severe mental issues. The game has a strong psychological foundation and imo does a great job making the player feel just what it might be like to be in such a situation. Great story-telling and world design complemented this, to make Hellblade a gripping and immersive adventure into the underworld. And the combat system was surprisingly decent for a game of this type!… Expand
  77. rassaneJ
    May 31, 2018
    10
    Best ever video game experience i've ever had and trust me i played a lot of games .but this one is so unique . a BIG thank's to Ninja Theory .
  78. Grachechkovski
    Jun 29, 2019
    10
    Perfect game as a guide on Scandinavian mythology, fighting psychosis, the ability to accept yourself and fate, as well as the opportunity to kick the asses of all the gods and show who is here a mother. There will also be moments when your fart explodes, your computer crashes, but it's worth it.
    The soundtrack is magnificent, the last level and level in hell left a pleasant deep    Perfect game as a guide on Scandinavian mythology, fighting psychosis, the ability to accept yourself and fate, as well as the opportunity to kick the asses of all the gods and show who is here a mother. There will also be moments when your fart explodes, your computer crashes, but it's worth it.
    The soundtrack is magnificent, the last level and level in hell left a pleasant deep impression, as a result, the fight with the system of concentration on one enemy does not bother    … Expand
  79. llow
    Oct 8, 2020
    10
    This game is an absolute masterpiece. The story is immersive from the very opening credits. The combat is not complicated but is very enjoyable and each boss fight has a unique challenge to overcome. The environments and storytelling are what shine the most and I can't understate how amazing the game is.

    The story telling is perfect and tackles a subject that very few in entertainment    This game is an absolute masterpiece. The story is immersive from the very opening credits. The combat is not complicated but is very enjoyable and each boss fight has a unique challenge to overcome. The environments and storytelling are what shine the most and I can't understate how amazing the game is.

    The story telling is perfect and tackles a subject that very few in entertainment do and do well. I suggest playing only a few hours at a time as you experience what the Senua experiences and it can be a bit overwhelming. It took me about 6 hours total to get through in three sittings.    … Expand
  80. GarethB
    Sep 30, 2018
    8
    Different from what I am used to playing, but this is a pretty epic story that throws you in with things you are not used to. A good price point and engaging visuals!
  81. Minhoca138
    Sep 26, 2018
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Esse jogo é incrível! tem uma historia muito boa, e uma dificuldade que atrai, algumas mecânicas são repetitivas mas a historia compensa os pontos negativos!… Expand
  82. bmullenbach
    Jun 23, 2020
    10
    This game will not be for everyone. It is a slow burn, and you will have to put a lot of yourself into it to get something out of it. That being said, it is one of the most meaningful experiences I have ever had with a piece of entertainment. The puzzles and combat themselves are good enough, but the sights, the sounds, the story, and the emotion are second to none.
  83. Alenori
    May 12, 2020
    9
    As someone who has interacted with closely, and spent time with people who have psychosis, this game is a great representation. Players expecting this game to be like any others fail to see how this game is independent of any other Ninja Theory games. Every part of this game regarding puzzles, challenges, and areas are worked around the psychosis that Senua faces. Combat is good, theAs someone who has interacted with closely, and spent time with people who have psychosis, this game is a great representation. Players expecting this game to be like any others fail to see how this game is independent of any other Ninja Theory games. Every part of this game regarding puzzles, challenges, and areas are worked around the psychosis that Senua faces. Combat is good, the puzzles are implemented in a good fashion albeit some issues with them at times, and the areas that Senua faces bring into the fold or even exacerbate the areas of psychosis Senua suffers.

    This isn't a movie, it is a journey, they player isn't meant to feel like this is just another game, from the way Ninja Theory sets the camera, slightly off-putting the players giving them a sense of unease, the voices, and the Actress whom is one of Ninja Thjeory's own employees.    … Expand
  84. Rooach
    Jun 2, 2021
    10
    Absolutely incredible game. I wish i could erase my memory and play this game again.
    Senua is a phenomenal charakter with an incredible story, which the game tells in the best way possible.

    Its alot of puzzles and thinking about stuff. If you want a hack n slash play something else.
  85. fake_nikpap
    Jul 14, 2022
    9
    Really nice game with a beautiful narrative. If it's raining outside and you have a free afternoon just play this for 6 hours. It's amazing!
  86. gameking
    Feb 11, 2020
    9
    The atmosphere is amazing. You feel that they are living through the eyes of someone with psychosis. The sounds are very incredible. If you use headset you can feel coming inside your head. Mechanics are good. Puzzle is generally easy but sometimes they are pushing you. The fights are usually the same movements, but in such an interaction with the music it become impressing. And theThe atmosphere is amazing. You feel that they are living through the eyes of someone with psychosis. The sounds are very incredible. If you use headset you can feel coming inside your head. Mechanics are good. Puzzle is generally easy but sometimes they are pushing you. The fights are usually the same movements, but in such an interaction with the music it become impressing. And the graphics are very powerful. The textures, animations, character modelling etc. are amazing. In game Senua can be little slow but you can feel atmosphere because of this. Generally the game is amazing and deserves praise. If you are searching the different game with a good scenario you like that. If you can't like scenario and you want just adventure and action you can't like. The game focus the scenario and realistic experience.… Expand
  87. noahjwhite
    Apr 13, 2021
    10
    Updated: Apr 13 @ 7:15pm

    I'm at a loss to describe this experience... In VR, I felt like I was just a voice in Senua's head... I had some contol... but somehow Senua (and the voices) were also controlling me. Amazing story! I picked this up for
  88. fouserd
    Apr 23, 2020
    9
    Alright, full disclosure, I got the game shortly after it came out but kept putting it off due to my first experience with it, but after some of my friends nagged me to finish it, I manage to do so and am very glad I did. This game is not a game per-say. If I had to call it something it would be an Experience or a Simulator. This game is super immersive and the permadeath mechanic makesAlright, full disclosure, I got the game shortly after it came out but kept putting it off due to my first experience with it, but after some of my friends nagged me to finish it, I manage to do so and am very glad I did. This game is not a game per-say. If I had to call it something it would be an Experience or a Simulator. This game is super immersive and the permadeath mechanic makes you care about Senua, I could tell you how many times I got a second wind or a shot of adrenalin when she was on the ground about to get killed. The game is graphically beautiful and audio it's amazing but unfortunately, fame is not for everyone. Senua's story is one that needs to be known especially with the second game coming out.… Expand
  89. StyxWitcher
    Apr 21, 2019
    6
    #Hellblade #RPG #action
    https://vk.com/adventurestocollapse
    Том II: "Приключения в Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice завершены". -Начинаем мы за кельтскую героиню Сенуа которая отправляется в Скандинавию в мир Мертвых...ради спасения своего возлюбленного Диллиона из рук Хель, носящая с собою его голову. -Спутниками путешествия возглавляют душераздирающие голоса до видений... проклятие    #Hellblade #RPG #action
    https://vk.com/adventurestocollapse
    Том II: "Приключения в Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice завершены".
    -Начинаем мы за кельтскую героиню Сенуа которая отправляется в Скандинавию в мир Мертвых...ради спасения своего возлюбленного Диллиона из рук Хель, носящая с собою его голову.
    -Спутниками путешествия возглавляют душераздирающие голоса до видений... проклятие охватившее ее под названием "Гниль" которая разрастается с каждой смертью, черная метка.
    -Брось вызов Богам.
    -Панические страхи до взгляни страху в лицо.
    -Путь закрыт Семью Печатями открывающими с помощью Рун, вашего бурного воображения.
    -Камни Воспоминаний поведают вам историю.
    -Взгляните Зрением найдя иллюзию для преображения в материю.
    Мысли в слух.
    -Наконец то завершилось путешествие.... Cенуа убивают мечем Грама...тьма, в которой она перерождается в Хель или Хель завладела душой Сенуа .... шестое чувство подсказывает мне что Сенуа является Хелью. В конце концов она сбрасывает голову Диллиона в бездну.
    -Сюжетная игра, которую я перепроходить не собираюсь, но ощущения от испытанного не безразличны.
    Я потратил два дня в разбирательствах ради прохождения, выскакивали ошибки мешающие прохождению которые решил изменениями в файлах, спас интернет. Пиратская версия GOG 1.03. Да у меня еще компьютер горяч, в этом наверняка еще заключалась проблемка, так или иначе после изменений в файлах, прошел за два дня.

    Оценка: 6 из 10.
    Жанр: action-adventure
    Год выхода: 2017 г.
    Платформы: Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
    Режим: Однопользовательская игра
    Разработчик: Ninja Theory
    Дизайнер: Ninja Theory
    Сценарий: Ninja Theory    … Expand
  90. BaroneLaViola
    Jun 4, 2019
    10
    This game is hands down one of the best videogames I've ever played in my life. I can count the numbers of games which left me this emotional after completing them with one hand, it's not perfect but it's an emotional roller coaster.

    The protagonist, story and atmosphere, all work together to bring in probably the best psychological horror/fantasy I've ever experienced. I'll probably    This game is hands down one of the best videogames I've ever played in my life. I can count the numbers of games which left me this emotional after completing them with one hand, it's not perfect but it's an emotional roller coaster.

    The protagonist, story and atmosphere, all work together to bring in probably the best psychological horror/fantasy I've ever experienced. I'll probably have to play it again to fully understand the nuance in the story, as it can be interpreted in two different ways both of which are equally as valid given the context matter.

    Normally I hate when authors leave open ended scenarios, and even in this case I don't like it, I would have preferred the author to choose a finite ending, but that's just personal preference. The story telling is unique and definitively unconventional, which normally I dislike however given the subject matter it just works.

    I don't know if we'll see a sequel to this game, but I'm at least happy there's still some developers who care about making quality content.

    I did say the game is not perfect, it has three flaws that I can think of, two of them aren't major ones, but the third one is (at least for me)

    1. Camera. The camera in the game is sometimes locked to the character, it makes it so that the transition between cutscenes and gameplay is seamless but it does hinder movability a bit. However this is a really minor issue, during combat it does add the extra challenge of always keeping the enemies in front of you, which makes sense because the last thing you'd want is to be surrounded. But anyway, nothing too important but just something to get used to.

    2. Movement: There is no jump button in the game, the only time you can jump or climb or crawl is if there's a part of the game in which you have to do that, in modern games we've grown used to a lot more freedom of movement, which should at this point be a given on any game. This also ties into gameplay, as a large portion of it (probably the largest) is spent solving puzzles, and whilst some can be somewhat hard (although I managed to solved all of them without ever looking on the internet for solutions) they more often than not are made easier by the simple fact that: there's only one possible way to go. Also you'll often find invisible walls which look like places where you really should be able to go through, especially in Valravn's levels. The combat definitively takes some getting used to, but playing on Hard straight on my first play through of the game didn't present too much of a challenge, I died a few times at the start of the game but after beating the first boss I was confident enough in the combat mechanics that I didn't die in combat for the rest of the game. There are some other minor issues concerning some platform-like segments of the game, mostly whenever you're walking on a ledge or going through a narrow wooden beam trying not to fall, it's a bit awkward because you're realistically only pressing one button and some of them are downright impossible to fail, so they don't really feel like challenges to overcome, most of them might as well not be in the game because they ultimately make no difference.

    3. Music: This was the biggest issue for me. It ranged from being gloriously awesome and perfectly tuned into the atmosphere the game creates, especially the combat music, it's just awesome, it perfectly fits in the world the developers crafted. To being incredibly out of place and mood, but really place. I guess the reason behind that is they hired 2 different composers, or maybe it was just the direction's fault, but there are some segments in which the music becomes this modern synth-dance-pop thing in which you can CLEARLY hear clean electric guitars with delay and reverb coupled with that typical god awful EDM soft kick-drum sound. On their own the music might be good if that's your cup of tea, but it objectively DOES NOT, fit the Celtic/Viking visuals and setting AT ALL. Even if they had chosen to put Heavy Metal music (which is my favourite genre of all) I would have harshly criticised it, because modern music does not fit in a medieval setting.

    The most noticeable problem was in the final boss of the game, everything else is extremely intense and emotional, the fight is hard and the stakes are high, everything ramped up to 11. But the **** EDM-like music just ruins the atmosphere.

    So I guess this is my "short review" of this game. Do I recommend it? Absolutely.    … Expand
  91. clem666
    Feb 27, 2021
    9
    No doubt of it: 'Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice' is one of the most beautiful, authentic, ambitious and interesting game I've played for a while. The idea to work on a subject as deep and unknown to the general public is terrific and clearly carries the popularity of the game.

    Melina Juergen's facial acting is perfect for the main character Senua: she is really expressive, her hole face    No doubt of it: 'Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice' is one of the most beautiful, authentic, ambitious and interesting game I've played for a while. The idea to work on a subject as deep and unknown to the general public is terrific and clearly carries the popularity of the game.

    Melina Juergen's facial acting is perfect for the main character Senua: she is really expressive, her hole face is animated and she is able to demonstrate an impressive palette of varied emotions. The empathy is immediate and easy.

    Story and scenario also are a prowess. They take roots in the celtic and viking mythologies and are deepen by the analysis and expression of Senua's symptoms of psychosis and life as a rejected person. All of this offers us an amazing lore and a gorgeous never-seen-before atmosphere. The auditive and visual hallucinations are particularly perfectly illustrated and incorporated: the multiple voices in Senua's mind are omnipresent and almost always persecutive (the sound with a headset is so intense) while the setting and environment can change at any time as Senua dives into her memories and emotions. The parallel between Senua's mental issues and the demons we constantly fight is brilliant.

    The game is simply magnificent: the lighting is perfect, the colours are wonderful, the environment, the sound and music are all pieces of pure art totally contrasting with the violent and dark themes tackled. The attention to details is amazing.

    No spoil but I found the ending long, kind of boring, confusing and in total opposition with the rest of the game. In addition to that I watched the documentary and also found it disappointing as we can't even see how much time it lasts and we can't choose the topic treated. In the end we have a documentary of indefinite duration tackling all the subjects of the game at once (the psychosis, the making-of, the long phase of searching for information, the mythologies, the locations, etc), making it seem really shallow and unstructured. Excepted these two last frustrating points the game is definitely a must-play.    … Expand
  92. Nameless2131
    Feb 6, 2020
    9
    9/10 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
  93. GoodFellow
    Dec 27, 2021
    5
    Great game with a unique experience.
    Awful PC port, from a performance point of view .
  94. kamik
    Sep 8, 2019
    10
    There are no words to describe this game. It's a unique experience that stays with you forever.
  95. Cedoch
    Apr 26, 2020
    9
    Quelle ambiance ! Un jeu singulier qui vaut le détour. Impressionnant. Moins de 10h pour le terminer, mais des bons moments et une grosse ambiance (noire).
  96. Aifrait
    Sep 1, 2019
    7
    Los gráficos están muy bien hechos y logran junto a la música y el ambiente que han logrado crear, meterte en un mundo con tensión. La duración algo pequeña pero para este tipo de juegos lo veo bien dado que si el juego hubiera sido más largo podría llegar a cansar mucho.

    El sistema de combate es algo simple pero muy bueno.
  97. Mazhi
    Dec 4, 2019
    5
    Una buena idea pero con una pésima ejecución. El gameplay es tremendamente aburrido, incluso teniendo en cuenta las mecánicas de combate. El ritmo de juego es lento, y la mecánica de la podredumbre algo tediosa, puesta con calzador.

    Lo mejor que tiene es su sonido 3D y la facilidad con la que te sumerges en el mundo de Senua, lástima que el resto no destaque tanto.
  98. eerpsd32
    Oct 4, 2019
    3
    this is the most boring game u can play, everything sucks, i come this game to find something interisting but its so boring only hear voices, find awful nonsens hints, and kill boring and awful enemys
  99. Crimert
    May 8, 2020
    8
    If the puzzles weren't frustrating, I would give 9 out of 10 to this game. Anyway, it was a cool experience for me. I really liked the story-telling, atmosphere, environment and music. 10hrs on record.
  100. VigilanteOito
    Jan 27, 2021
    9
    Grafico 10
    Modo de combate simples e gostoso.
    Historia incrivel e tensa.
    A personagem principal é marcante, atuação incrivel dessa atriz que fez esse papel.
    Espero que lancem logo a sequencia.
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Awards & Rankings

37
#37 Best PC Game of 2017
14
#14 Most Discussed PC Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 24
  3. Negative: 0 out of 24
  1. Jeuxvideo.com
    Jun 3, 2018
    85
    Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice takes us on a long road to hell paved with contemplative yet stressful scenes, and an impressive respect for Norse myths and legends.
    Read full review
  2. CD-Action
    Oct 30, 2017
    90
    Hellblade can disappoint you with repetitive puzzles, linear structure and the fact that it was stripped down to most basic, indispensable mechanics. But Hellblade is not about gameplay. It’s about darkness and fear and despair. The emotional weight of this game is unbearable. Forget about The Last of Us, To the Moon or Telltale’s The Walking Dead. Hellblade is soul-crushing in a way I never thought a game could be. Remember Requiem for a Dream? That’s what Hellblade does to you. I will NEVER forget Ninja Theory’s masterpiece. [10/2017, p.38]
  3. PLAY! Zine
    Oct 12, 2017
    75
    If Heavenly Sword had an opposite, it would without a doubt be Hellblade. A dark, gritty, psychotic, atmospheric hell-ride through the forest of insanity. It looks great but plays like a gloomy record. Not everyone will enjoy this dark adventure. But what it does, it does great. Maybe even too great, if I may say so.
    Read full review
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