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.

Heavenly Sword (Review)

As someone who greatly enjoyed Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice a few years back, I’ve been meaning to check out some of developer Ninja Theory’s previous work for some time now. After looking through their back catalog of games, I landed on an early PlayStation 3 title called Heavenly Sword. The setting, story and combat all seemed to pique my interest, but I honestly ended up choosing this one due to its protagonist being a redhead like myself, because why the hell not?

Heavenly Sword tells the story of a young woman named Nariko. Nariko’s birth falls in line with the prophesy of a divine warrior, but, due to being a woman, her clan refuses to believe her claim to the prophesy. When the evil King Bohan invades their land with his group of grotesque generals and a massive army, it’s up to Nariko to prove her role in the prophesy by wielding the mythical Heavenly Sword and saving her clan from complete and utter destruction. It’s an admittedly straightforward tale, but it’s backed by solid writing and takes a few unexpected twists and turns that keep things interesting.

One of the strengths of the game lies in its cast of characters and the actors who bring them to life. Nariko is a fiery spirit, full of kindness to those she cares about, but quickly able to slip into ferocity when encountering her enemies. One of Nariko’s only friends is a young girl named Kai, the only remaining survivor of a clan wiped out by King Bohan’s army. Kai suffers from severe emotional and mental damage from witnessing the eradication of her clan, with Nariko being the only person who can help her cling to sanity. Anna Torv (of Fringe fame) plays Nariko excellently, providing warmth when needed, but also a playful taunting tone to her foes. Likewise, the lesser known Lydia Baksh (who hasn’t been in much outside of this game) captures the emotionally fractured state of Kai wonderfully, including some of the most realistic and heart-wrenching screams of terror you’ll ever hear. Lastly, the one and only Andy Serkis (Gollum from The Lord of the Rings) portrays King Bohan and is an absolute delight. He delivers a performance that’s slimy and disgusting, while also dramatic in an intentionally over the top manner.