Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II (Review)

Developer: Ninja Theory
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Available On: PC, Xbox Series X|S
Reviewed on Xbox Series S

To quote one of the greatest musical artists of this generation, Ren, when discussing his own struggle with psychosis, “It was never really a battle for me to win, it was an eternal dance.” In Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, the sequel to 2017’s critically acclaimed Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, our heroine Senua has grown a little older and learned to accept the voices she hears as mere participants in her dance and not the guiding steps she once perceived them to be. Although her reality is still colored and informed by her inner “Furies” and the visual hallucinations that accompany them, she’s no longer at their mercy, learning to find her own voice and stand firm during their attempts to silence it. In Hellblade II, we get to see this next step of Senua’s journey unfold in a powerful and thought-provoking fashion, but more than any game in recent memory, this sequel has quickly earned a reputation as being extremely divisive and led to countless debates over what it is and what it’s trying to do. While this review isn’t the be-all and end-all of the discussion, I’m going to do my best to give you an idea of why I think it’s not only one of the best games of the year, but also a huge step forward for the medium.

Silent Hill: The Short Message (Review)

Developer: Konami/Hexadrive
Publisher: Konami
Reviewed on PlayStation 5

During yesterday’s State of Play event, Konami revealed a sneak peek at an upcoming Silent Hill game for the PlayStation 5 titled “The Short Message“. Returning to the first-person view introduced in Konami’s 2014 cult classic P.T., The Short Message looked like a terrifying and claustrophobic horror adventure with an intriguing narrative centered around social media, smartphones, and the pain and suffering modern technology adds to bullying. The trailer was quickly followed by the announcement that the game would be released for free shortly after the show, so naturally, I downloaded it as soon as it hit the PlayStation Store. I have now played through The Short Message in its entirety, and while I think some of the older fans of the franchise might have a few bones to pick with it, it’s also the most exciting thing to happen to Silent Hill in years.

Fractured Minds (Review)

Developer: EmilyMGames
Publisher: Wired Productions
Available On: Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Reviewed On: Xbox One version on Xbox Series S

With mental health finally becoming a more openly discussed subject, there’s been an influx of people crafting informative films, television shows, and video games that explore and educate on the subject. For the young Emily Mitchell, Fractured Minds is a deeply personal project that examines her struggles with anxiety, while also marking her first foray into game design. In fact, this game won Emily the BAFTA for “Young Game Design” in the 15-18 year old category in 2017, which is an impressive win for your first ever project. However, despite being Emily’s first crack at game design, Fractured Minds displays a mature grasp on turning something as complex as mental health into an informative piece of art.

Gris (Review)

Developer: Nomada Studio
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Available On: Android, iOS, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4
Reviewed On: PlayStation 4 version reviewed on PlayStation 5

Grief is a long and complicated process that can look different for everyone who struggles with it. Some can fall into depression, while others will cling to feelings of anger, and some people will even go into denial over their situation. For most, the feelings grief brings about can be varied and messy, and even if these feelings are shared, the severity and order in which they’re experienced can be widely different. Gris is an exploration of the stages of grief, using color, music, and mood to delve into denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. It’s a heavy game, but the team behind it, Nomada Studio, have done an incredibly thoughtful job of handling these themes with grace and maturity, creating a masterpiece of narrative art in the process.