Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

 PlayStation 4
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1461 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,097 out of 1461
  2. Mixed: 178 out of 1461
  3. Negative: 186 out of 1461
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  1. Coshiloco28
    Jun 22, 2020
    10
    Un juego lleno de apantallantes escenas, tanto de la historia como del modo de combate, una gran experiencia de la cual no te arrepientes.
  2. Joshs2d
    Jun 20, 2020
    8
    Senua’s journey fighting through her personal demons and psychosis is beautifully represented in this 6-8 hour experience. The graphics, artwork, story and combat all come together for a game I’ll definitely remember even though the puzzles are overdone and at times frustratingly annoying.
  3. imerudo
    Jun 20, 2020
    8
    More than a game it is a very interesting audio experience, also the graphics section, but it is not a game for everyone, it is a bit tiring looking for objects to open doors and repetitive enemies
  4. DespairZz
    Jun 18, 2020
    9
    Wonderful original game with interesting features and deep idea.
    Great sound, indescribable atmosphere, cool plot, and savvy of developmenters. This game must show everyone that when you can have don't much money but have much mind and savvy, you can create something more than just ordinal game. It can become an art.
  5. ZoltonMD
    Jun 13, 2020
    10
    Прекрасная работа Ninja's Theory. Просто поражает созданная атмосфера и особенно звуковое сопровождение.
  6. harchilava
    Jun 9, 2020
    10
    Great game! One of the best in my list. Story and immersion level makes it a piece of art. Gameplay is balanced, its not various, though it`s arguable point, but you won`t get tired of it due to the length of the game. Worthy of separate attention is sound, both effects and music, I`ve enriched my playlist with several very good tracks.
  7. XxAlbertoBuzzxX
    Jun 2, 2020
    8
    HELLBLADE: SENUA'S SACRIFICE
    ................................................................
  8. MinorT1769
    May 5, 2020
    9
    This is a great game. It is intended to be played with headphones, and I agree. The voices in your head really do start to mess with you. There is no tutorial for this game, it just expects you to figure it out. (Hint: Press L1 to sprint.... LOL it took me way to long to realize that...) Great Story, smooth gameplay, beautiful graphics... Should I keep going? Only downside is it is veryThis is a great game. It is intended to be played with headphones, and I agree. The voices in your head really do start to mess with you. There is no tutorial for this game, it just expects you to figure it out. (Hint: Press L1 to sprint.... LOL it took me way to long to realize that...) Great Story, smooth gameplay, beautiful graphics... Should I keep going? Only downside is it is very repetitive at times, but even then it keeps you going with its fun combat system. Definitely worth checking out.… Expand
  9. ElObjetivo89
    Apr 17, 2020
    7
    Great atmosphere but a bad gameplay and irregular narrative.

    Senua tiene cosas buenas. Es una experiencia bastante inmersiva y muy disfrutable.
    Pero mando en mano es un mal juego, que no se siente fluido y solo tiene 3 o 4 tipos de enemigos.
    El final me ha parecido muy malo, pero eso es cuestión de gustos.
  10. simon574
    Apr 12, 2020
    6
    TL;DR: Atmosphere is good, gameplay is bad. This would work better as a film.
    I really like the theme and presentation of this game. The graphics are beautiful, and the main character has a very wide range of facial expressions. The story is so-so, the game tries to portray psychosis and mental illness. Senua is constantly hearing voices, and very convincingly so. At the same time she is    TL;DR: Atmosphere is good, gameplay is bad. This would work better as a film.
    I really like the theme and presentation of this game. The graphics are beautiful, and the main character has a very wide range of facial expressions. The story is so-so, the game tries to portray psychosis and mental illness. Senua is constantly hearing voices, and very convincingly so. At the same time she is portrayed as a warrior in a weird norse mythology fantasy world, which sometimes gets in the way of the "mental illness" theme, I feel they want to show me two different things at once.
    Speaking about gameplay, it's terrible for the most part. The surroundings look accessible at first glance, then you discover all the invisible barriers. Sometimes Senua can duck under a wooden bar or crouch under a rock (scripted!), but generally the tiniest rocks can act like an unsurmountable wall because the level designer said so. I managed to soft-lock the game once when I tried to go somewhere I wasn't supposed to and Senua was stuck between invisible barriers.
    There are about 5 different enemies you have to fight over and over again. The game expects you to fight like a robot, you have to press the right button on cue or you're dead. In my RL experience (martial arts) you have to be creative and try different things to find your opponent's weaknesses. In Hellblade, the enemies are primitive state machines which don't take the player's actions into account.
    Then there are some rune puzzles, where you have to "find" certain patterns in the level geometry or have to align shapes by altering your position and camera angle. I feel this is completely scripted too as in more than one occasion I have aligned the shapes correctly but the game wouldn't accept it. When I moved around a bit, and ended up with a slightly worse solution the game would happily spawn the missing part of a bridge or light up a rune. I then figured out the controller vibrates when you stand at the "right" position, making this a lot easier but at the same time less enjoyable. If you want to see a game where a similar mechanic is executed masterfully, play "The Witness".
    I still played through the game and had a good time for the most part, just lower your expectations when it comes to gameplay mechanics.    … Expand
  11. Rukru
    Apr 8, 2020
    9
    Ninja theory's take on a warrior dealing with her mental illness and the journey she experiences is a sight to behold it is a beautiful game and with the use of headphones makes the experience so much more mesmerising
  12. Alucardcastle13
    Apr 2, 2020
    1
    STOP! This game is TRASH!

    This game is by far the worst game I ever played in my life! It sucks! I bought it, played it for couple hours and hated it, here is why: *The voices in Senua's head sound so stupid and dumb, actually sounded like someone with lack of talent reading a godamn script and so freaking repetitive. *So much unnecessary shaky camera movements that pissed me off    STOP! This game is TRASH!

    This game is by far the worst game I ever played in my life! It sucks!
    I bought it, played it for couple hours and hated it, here is why:

    *The voices in Senua's head sound so stupid and dumb, actually sounded like someone with lack of talent reading a godamn script and so freaking repetitive.

    *So much unnecessary shaky camera movements that pissed me off because they made me feel dizzy and about to puke! Literally, the camera shakes so much it makes your head spin, plus so much intense bright lights will give you a headache, a headache that for me lasted all night.

    *Plus all those stupid nonsense puzzles, nothing but walking, then more walking around, every place looks the same... OMG SO BORING MAN!!! So boring and annoying that I found myself retuning it back to the store right next day. I felt better by leaving this comment here. Rated 1 to show comment but deserves ZERO. Thank you!    … Expand
  13. superfreshal
    Apr 1, 2020
    9
    The concept of psychosis is interesting. But the game has annoying puzzles and a complicated story. When you are done it's important to take a moment to digest it and review the "ending explained" videos to truly appreciate the game. This game is an experience, it's not fun, but it's not made to be fun. It looks amazing. The performance of senua is absolutely amazing. She is making. YouThe concept of psychosis is interesting. But the game has annoying puzzles and a complicated story. When you are done it's important to take a moment to digest it and review the "ending explained" videos to truly appreciate the game. This game is an experience, it's not fun, but it's not made to be fun. It looks amazing. The performance of senua is absolutely amazing. She is making. You play this game to appreciate what psychosis is.… Expand
  14. ViperXT
    Mar 28, 2020
    10
    A great game. Photo realistic graphics are amazing. Ninja Theory did an amazing job depicting the struggles of the mental illness Senua was dealing with. The story was great, the game play was great, puzzles were fun to figure out. My 2nd favorite game this gen.
  15. VokrugVostok
    Mar 20, 2020
    1
    Boring plot, soapy graphics, strange and the same time gameplay, disgusting protagonist, very short storyline, poor and boring history introduction, psychosis is completely implausible.
    But very very easy platinum.
    Скучный сюжет, мыльная графика, странный и однотипный геймплей, отвратительный протагонист, очень короткая сюжетная ветка, исторические факты бедны и скучно внедрены, психоз    Boring plot, soapy graphics, strange and the same time gameplay, disgusting protagonist, very short storyline, poor and boring history introduction, psychosis is completely implausible.
    But very very easy platinum.
    Скучный сюжет, мыльная графика, странный и однотипный геймплей, отвратительный протагонист, очень короткая сюжетная ветка, исторические факты бедны и скучно внедрены, психоз представлен совершенно неправдоподобно.
    Зато очень очень лёгкая платина.    … Expand
  16. zwolsa
    Mar 16, 2020
    7
    This is an awesome game. The story is great, so is the presentation, the acting and the sounds. I would give it a 10 if there wouldn't be some parts, that i found terrible and that finaly prevented me from finishing the game. I love the puzzles in sometimes unreal surroundings and the story. When i'm playing, i'm interested to hear/see/experience a story, like a book or a movie. HellbladeThis is an awesome game. The story is great, so is the presentation, the acting and the sounds. I would give it a 10 if there wouldn't be some parts, that i found terrible and that finaly prevented me from finishing the game. I love the puzzles in sometimes unreal surroundings and the story. When i'm playing, i'm interested to hear/see/experience a story, like a book or a movie. Hellblade does a great job here. But as a story driven player the fights are simply too difficult for me, even on "easy" setting. Some of them lasts for 12 minutes or more with wave after wave of enemies, that attack you oftentimes from behind, while you fighting against another one. And some parts are just trial and error, like escaping a maze under time pressure. I hate that. That's bad game design, there is no excuse for this. And there are no hints or anything that makes it easier after x attempts. This was were I stopped playing it and i watched the rest on youtube. Summarized, when you not bothered by the parts that bother me, you're getting an awesome game. For future games the developers should think about the balancing. Why not make it really easy for players like me and really hard (what it is anyway) for the soulslike players. This what the difficulty settings are for.… Expand
  17. Lukasovooo
    Mar 10, 2020
    9
    It has its flaws, but otherwise it's absolutely amazing game with deep and emotional story. I just couldn't stop playing it. Thank you, developers.
  18. Alexnhchong
    Feb 27, 2020
    7
    This is a game that I really wanted to love - after all, who doesn't like an underdog success story: a small indie studio taking on greedy corporations like EA and Activision Blizzard with a AAA title that shows there is still a market for single player games. Unfortunately, for every good I could identify, there always seems to be some fault that, in my opinion, hold this title back.This is a game that I really wanted to love - after all, who doesn't like an underdog success story: a small indie studio taking on greedy corporations like EA and Activision Blizzard with a AAA title that shows there is still a market for single player games. Unfortunately, for every good I could identify, there always seems to be some fault that, in my opinion, hold this title back.

    Graphics for instance: the character models are EXCELLENTLY DONE but the environment (short draw distance, texture pop-ins etc) is surprisingly shoddy. I played it on a PS4 Pro so perhaps you can attribute this to the hardware (or the lack thereof) but if God Of War managed to look stunning (both character models and environment) on the exact same PS4 Pro, then I think the blame lies squarely on the developers. Don't get me wrong, it is still miles better than anything Ubisoft could produce but that's also why I bought Hellblade at full price and Watch Dogs at 95% off.

    Another example: combat. When I first began my journey as Senua, I loved the combat mechanics. I wouldn't say it's the best but it was surprisingly solid (and not just a button-mash fest). But as I fought more and more enemies, it became apparent that most of them have only been programmed to perform 3/4 actions (some in a certain sequence as well). What that meant was that fights became boring and (especially if you manage to not die, which is not hard considering the repetitive AI mechanics) extremely laborious. What was initially fun ended up feeling like a chore.

    The voice acting as well. Usually when voice actors/ actresses fail to perform, we blame it on the script. But in this instance, I feel the blame lies either on the sound director (or whoever chose the voice actors/ actresses) as well as the actors/ actresses themselves. The two that caught my mind in particular are Dillion and Senua (great visual performance for the latter, the voice though I felt didn't carry enough weight).

    I can go on and list other observations I've made but I think by this stage (if you've managed to read through what I've written) you should already have a gist of what I'm talking about. So all in all, I am disappointed. The game is not a bad game, not at all. But it had so much potential to be so much greater. Reminds me a bit of The Order 1886.    … Expand
  19. triple_co
    Feb 16, 2020
    8
    I really enjoyed most of Hellblade. I's a grim, intense tale, one that never lets up and can feel suffocating in just how dark it is. There's plenty of death, existentialism, darkness, corpses, and visual effects that keep things endlessly surprising throughout.

    As many have mentioned, the combat can feel a bit frustrating and under cooked, particularly in the last quarter. Often it    I really enjoyed most of Hellblade. I's a grim, intense tale, one that never lets up and can feel suffocating in just how dark it is. There's plenty of death, existentialism, darkness, corpses, and visual effects that keep things endlessly surprising throughout.

    As many have mentioned, the combat can feel a bit frustrating and under cooked, particularly in the last quarter. Often it felt like enemy waves were chucked in to increase the length of the game and the limiting camera meant that many times I was struck in what felt like unfair circumstances. You can easily wind up stuck in a corner and getting flustered. The puzzles are quite simple, and a little repetitive, but they were still very enjoyable.

    Overall it's a great game that anyone should play. I really commend Ninja Theory for keeping it short and sweet, and the production values are almost unprecedented. I was often a little confused at the ambiguity of the storytelling, but it kept me playing nonetheless. A fantastic effort with a few flaws that are easy to look past.    … Expand
  20. morse
    Feb 7, 2020
    3
    There are bad games, and then there are boring, pretentious non-games like Hellblade. The graphics, presentation and atmosphere are great (if you ignore the excessive use of effects) but where is the game? The puzzles (if you can call them that) mostly involve searching for different angles to look at things, and combat is extremely repetitious and tries (and fails utterly) to challengeThere are bad games, and then there are boring, pretentious non-games like Hellblade. The graphics, presentation and atmosphere are great (if you ignore the excessive use of effects) but where is the game? The puzzles (if you can call them that) mostly involve searching for different angles to look at things, and combat is extremely repetitious and tries (and fails utterly) to challenge the player simply by throwing waves and waves of similar enemies at them. Initially, the idea of mental illness as the focus of the game's story seems intriguing, but it becomes apparent very quickly that this topic is ill-suited for a video game as it weakens player immersion greatly. This happens mainly because at every turn, we are reminded that Senua's experiences are a result of her mental illness, and are not "real". Furthermore, Senua's backstory is mostly not "shown" but just "told", which makes it even more difficult for the player to identify with the character. Honestly, given the gameplay and story deficiencies, I am quite surprised at the good score this game gets here in Metacritic.… Expand
  21. Frygh2
    Feb 4, 2020
    9
    Un vero capolavoro. Il gioco è un qualcosa di mai sperimentato fin'ora a questo livello. Consiglio anche di vedere il documentario allegato nel gioco (dopo averlo finito) per notare come nulla sia lasciato al caso. Una meraviglia che non potrà che lasciarvi scossi. Do 9 a causa della brevità del gioco (ma giustificata anche da prezzo e comunque...va bene così) e per il comparto tecnicoUn vero capolavoro. Il gioco è un qualcosa di mai sperimentato fin'ora a questo livello. Consiglio anche di vedere il documentario allegato nel gioco (dopo averlo finito) per notare come nulla sia lasciato al caso. Una meraviglia che non potrà che lasciarvi scossi. Do 9 a causa della brevità del gioco (ma giustificata anche da prezzo e comunque...va bene così) e per il comparto tecnico dove a 2 anni dall'uscita presenta bug tipo compenetrazioni che poco si vedono su questa generazione di console (magari le altre versioni vanno meglio. Da giocare per forza!… Expand
  22. painava
    Jan 15, 2020
    9
    Such a great game. I really liked the cinematic approach, visuals, fantasy-horror atmosphere and the story. More variety with fights and puzzles would've been great.
  23. bskierys
    Jan 12, 2020
    8
    8,5/10. Intriguing, immersive story. The game has excellent atmosphere with emphasis to the protagonists feelings and thoughts. The combat is not brilliant, but it is enough to keep your adrenaline at enough level to continue Senua's journey. The game has a few environment-based riddles that puts a little variety to the gameplay. Overall - recommended.
  24. Oz_Momotaro
    Jan 6, 2020
    8
    This is one of those experiential games that you'll either love or just not get. It's got brilliant graphics and mo-cap on the main character (she comes alive, almost literally in front of your eyes) - and is supported by some excellent writing and voice acting. The story is at once soft and personal - exploring the deep recesses of a persons' soul (with all its colour and texture) - butThis is one of those experiential games that you'll either love or just not get. It's got brilliant graphics and mo-cap on the main character (she comes alive, almost literally in front of your eyes) - and is supported by some excellent writing and voice acting. The story is at once soft and personal - exploring the deep recesses of a persons' soul (with all its colour and texture) - but at the same time its a good ol combat slasher. It features some novel environmental and pattern recognition problem solving, as well as a basic exploration aspect - though it is quite limited being a very linear game. The combat is simple enough that anyone can pick it up quickly, though has its own nuances. Perhaps the only downside to the combat is that the enemies are relatively repetitive - once you know their patterns and weak points, its just a matter of combating more of them simultaneously. It would have been better if they had more dynamic AI. What knocks a further few points off is the game size - its relatively small,. In someways this is a blessing as it means you don't need to invest 50+ hours into it to complete it - and the platinum is quite easy. However it also feels like part of the game was pulled out - perhaps because of the cost of development. There is also a bit of a pacing issue - at some points you'd swear that you were nearing the end, only to be dropped back into the same old foes for prolonged 'grinding' (without the incentive of collecting things).And the ending, while perfect within the confines of the story, still leaves you wanting something more.

    Overall - this is an amazing game - with lots of quality in almost every part. Senua such a strong character - perhaps let down only by some lacklustre 'sword fodder' for foes.    … Expand
  25. Phased
    Jan 4, 2020
    5
    Sound design and graphics: great. Boss fights and illusion mechanics are kind of cool but... fighting overall is too repetitive and boring, and even though the game is short it feels like most mechanics overstay their welcome.
  26. darthcooper
    Dec 14, 2019
    0
    After 2 hours of pure boredom, and even more, long winding tedious gameplay where I actually wanted to wake up from the nightmare of having actually spent money on this game. Each has their own opinion and I really have nothing good to say about this game. Thumbs down for me.
  27. turbosnail
    Dec 2, 2019
    3
    Perhaps my expectations were too high, but after an hour of gameplay I realized "this is it; nothing happened so far, and nothing more is going to happen."

    If you are looking for an action / adventure game, *this is not it*. Stay far away from this! If you are looking for an audio-book about the inside of schizofrenic people and a video of rocks, rocks and more rocks (and some wood)    Perhaps my expectations were too high, but after an hour of gameplay I realized "this is it; nothing happened so far, and nothing more is going to happen."

    If you are looking for an action / adventure game, *this is not it*. Stay far away from this!
    If you are looking for an audio-book about the inside of schizofrenic people and a video of rocks, rocks and more rocks (and some wood) and you don't mind the absence of any gameplay; go buy this.    … Expand
  28. garbalau
    Nov 27, 2019
    0
    Unplayable **** I only resisted first 2-3 hours and then you know, I'm done. 90% of game-play we try to visual connect some branches, top of the roof and some crap like that, to form a sign that opens door to next location with dull boss and another "genius" logic game. Yes, maybe story is stunning, kind of nice graphic, sounds are also very good, if you want to play - play in headphonesUnplayable **** I only resisted first 2-3 hours and then you know, I'm done. 90% of game-play we try to visual connect some branches, top of the roof and some crap like that, to form a sign that opens door to next location with dull boss and another "genius" logic game. Yes, maybe story is stunning, kind of nice graphic, sounds are also very good, if you want to play - play in headphones to get maximum of it, but still, for me really boring, simple and not interesting.… Expand
  29. ilovelawforever
    Oct 27, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. What a wonderful experience.Great graphics and immersion.Must play game for single player game lovers and those who love story driven games.… Expand
  30. Ararat
    Sep 4, 2019
    10
    Крайне красивая игра, интересные головоломки и невероятная атмосфера.
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Awards & Rankings

50
#50 Best PS4 Game of 2017
17
#17 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2017
26
#26 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 68 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 61 out of 68
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 68
  3. Negative: 1 out of 68
  1. Screen Rant
    Dec 20, 2018
    90
    Both proof that small development teams can make great games, and that video games can handle heavy themes in their own way.
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  2. Critical Hit
    Dec 20, 2018
    80
    Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is a prime example for anyone making the case that video games are a powerful art form. Creatively ambitious, it’s exceptionally well-thought-out and implemented – making it striking at both a sensorial and psychological level as it delves deep into an exploration of life with psychosis. It has its gameplay flaws but remains must-experience for adult audiences. An instant classic for this generation.
    Read full review
  3. 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
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