Senua's Saga: Hellblade II Review & OT "The hardest battles are fought in the mind, not with the sword".

Gamernyc78

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Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is an upcoming action-adventure game developed by Ninja Theory and published by Xbox Game Studios. The game is the sequel to Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. It is scheduled to release for Windows and Xbox Series X/S on 21 May 2024.

Available on day one with Game Pass!

Embargo is set for 1 hour before it’s official release on May 21.



Release times:


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Trailers:



Previews:

IGN | “Hellblade 2 is Shaping Up to Be Another Beautiful Nighmare 8

Per Simon Cardy 8 over at IGN, “Its ambitious narrative and accomplished cinematic framing far outweigh whatever shortcomings may be hidden underneath, and the incredible technology powering its beautifully ugly world is a sight to behold. It’s all shaping up to be another riveting, haunting, and uncompromisingly immersive nightmare of both Senua’s and Ninja Theory’s creation, and one I can’t wait to both enter, and escape, later this year.”


GamesRadar | “6 years after its acquisition, Ninja Theory is ready to set a new standard for Xbox Series X exclusives” 3

Per Josh West 3 over at Gamesradar, “From what I’ve played of Hellblade 2, it’s clearly on track to be one of the most important exclusives that the platform has hosted this generation. Not only is it a fluid and responsive action-adventure game, boasting best-in-class visual fidelity, it’s also an experience with something meaningful to convey.”


Gamespot | “Hellblade 2’s Combat Looks Beautiful And Feels Badass 2“​


Per Jordan Ramée via Gamespot – “Truly, May cannot come soon enough. I can’t remember the last time a game preview left me so excited to dive into the full experience. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is set to launch for Xbox Series X|S and PC on May 21 and will be available day one on Xbox Game Pass.”


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Polygon | “Hellblade 2 will finally show us what an Unreal Engine 5 game can do 5“​

Per Oli Welsh over at Polygon, “There’s no doubting the craft on display, or the immersive sense of presence this game has. It may be a sequel, but it feels like the start of something — like a true next-gen experience should.”

Reviews:

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100
Gamer.no
MAY 21, 2024
Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is something of a rarity; a linear, story-focused game of reasonable length for just one player. It offers something different, something thought-provoking, and it is insanely impressive.
FULL REVIEW
XBOX SERIES X

100
Hardcore Gamer
MAY 21, 2024
Whether you’re a fan of the original Hellblade or a newcomer to the series, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 offers a deeply engaging and unforgettable experience. Its blend of realistic graphics, compelling narrative and innovative sound design makes it a standout title of the year.
FULL REVIEW
XBOX SERIES X

XBOX SERIES X

100
Twinfinite
MAY 21, 2024
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is a work of art from start to finish. It is a pleasure to play, with intriguing characters, a captivating story, and awe-inspiring creatures to fight. This is certainly one saga I won’t forget in a hurry.
FULL REVIEW
XBOX SERIES X

100
XboxEra
MAY 21, 2024
Despite the backing of a company as large and as well-funded as Microsoft, Ninja Theory have, in my opinion, nurtured their independent spirit and kept it well and truly alive in every facet. It's brutal. It's breath-taking. It's brilliant. If this is “Independent AAA”, sign me up for more.
Read More
FULL REVIEW
XBOX SERIES X

100
Eurogamer
MAY 21, 2024
Hellblade 2 continues Senua's story with grace, confidence, surprising brutality and thundering conviction.
FULL REVIEW
XBOX SERIES X

XBOX SERIES X
100
TheXboxHub
MAY 21, 2024
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is nothing short of stunning and more than capable of taking your breath away by some of the set pieces.
FULL REVIEW
XBOX SERIES X

100
GamesRadar+
MAY 21, 2024
Haunting, confrontational, and deeply cathartic all at once, Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is a stunning feat of video game art. Ninja Theory doesn't tiptoe around its heavy themes but welcomes them with well-honed empathy, tempered by an even keener creative edge this time around to deliver an unforgettable narrative adventure experience that's hard to watch, yet harder to turn away from.
Read More
FULL REVIEW
XBOX SERIES X

98
SomosXbox
MAY 21, 2024
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is the game that Xbox has been looking for for so long. A masterpiece on par with its predecessor that shines through its sound, its graphics and a memorable performance by Melina Juergens. A candidate for Game of the Year.
FULL REVIEW
XBOX SERIES X

95
SECTOR.sk
MAY 21, 2024
Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is, at its core, a short game, but an excellent one. But it's not for everyone. It's a bloody and often disgusting experience based on strong emotions and immersion in a character that just won't let you go. It's more of an artistic experience than a traditional game.
Read More
FULL REVIEW
XBOX SERIES X

95
GamingTrend
MAY 21, 2024
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is a stunning and immersive storytelling experience that really puts the player into the mind of its titular character. It’s even more narratively-focused than the first game (not to its detriment), with a bigger emphasis on how Senua sees and interacts with the world around her. The whole experience from start to finish has been beyond memorable.
Read More
FULL REVIEW
XBOX SERIES X

93
Generación Xbox
MAY 21, 2024
Ninja Theory manages to place Senua in the Olympus of videogames with the most visually and sonorously powerful game we have seen so far. A spectacular, stunning and awe-inspiring journey.
FULL REVIEW
XBOX SERIES X

80
PCMag
MAY 21, 2024
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is essentially an interactive arthouse action movie that combines potent gameplay elements with a visceral psychological journey.
FULL REVIEW
XBOX SERIES X

80
TrueGaming
MAY 21, 2024
Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is a very impressive technical showcase for current hardware generation with its varied, realistic visuals and terrific audio. However, not everyone will like Senua's Saga as gameplay elements are deployed to serve the experience here; the puzzles are repetitive and the combat is limited. Story is strong but the game feels darker than what we would've liked. More than feeling a connection with Senua, we felt the game was outright depressing.
Read More
FULL REVIEW
XBOX SERIES X

80
IGN
MAY 21, 2024
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is another Viking-worthy feast for the senses that meets the high bar set by its predecessor, even if it never really manages to clear it.
FULL REVIEW
XBOX SERIES X

XBOX SERIES X

80
GamesHub
MAY 21, 2024
Though the combat and puzzles didn’t feel new enough to really lift to the next level, and devotees of the original might feel a bit let down by the lack of a real leap forward when it comes to those elements, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II dazzles in the mere existence of a full, well-rounded world – a world where reality and fantasy collide just as often outside Senua’s mind as it does inside.
Read More
FULL REVIEW
XBOX SERIES X

80
Everyeye.it
MAY 21, 2024
There isn't the enchantment of the first whisper in Hellblade 2. There is no astonishment of the first revelation. You shouldn't even have expected them. However, there is the dismay of an unparalleled visual and sound framework. There is a witty mix of psychosis, superstition, reality and imagination. There is a wisely different story, perhaps not as powerful as that of Senua's Sacrifice, yet driven strongly by its overwhelming uniqueness. Intimately epic, Hellblade 2 wears out quickly, perhaps too quickly, and once again prevents its playful personality from reaching full maturation. However, it remains a giant of its kind. Listen to him.
Read More
FULL REVIEW
XBOX SERIES X

80
Jeuxvideo.com
MAY 21, 2024
Dim the lights, turn up the volume and put out the candles. Senua's Saga: Hellblade II succeeds in its crazy bet of being the “next-gen” visual slap in the face so much hoped for, even if the traces left by its hand bear the marks of the 100% narrative game of 2017 with simplistic gameplay and online exploration RIGHT. More condensed, more brutal too, the creation of Ninja Theory ultimately changes little from the original formula but strengthens all its cogs to the point of making it a beautiful war machine. If you are a Game Pass subscriber, give it a try, you should have a great time.
Read More
FULL REVIEW
XBOX SERIES X

XBOX SERIES X
70
New Game Network
MAY 21, 2024
Senua's Saga: Hellblade II keeps the basics intact, and while a strong lead character, great animations, and simple but enjoyable combat continue to deliver, the poor pacing and performance issues prevent this sequel from breaking free of its past.
FULL REVIEW
XBOX SERIES X

70
Slant Magazine
MAY 21, 2024
If Senua’s saga is indeed what counts for therapy in her blood-soaked world, far too much of Hellblade II feels like she walked out of her sessions with time left on the clock.
FULL REVIEW
XBOX SERIES X

70
Pure Xbox
MAY 21, 2024
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is the best-looking video game we've ever played. It sounds incredible, Melina Juergens acts herself inside out, and on a purely technical level this is just next-level stuff all round. However, we still don't feel as though extending Senua's plight into a Saga is a good idea. We remain unconvinced, and it's because this sequel feels like diminishing returns, as we had worried it might. It's not as vital or as unique in 2024, and it goes for bombast as a means of smoothing things over, resulting in a good game, an interesting eight hour romp, but nothing that screams must-play. Weak combat and dull puzzles are just more salt in these wounds, unfortunately.
Read More
FULL REVIEW
XBOX SERIES X

XBOX SERIES X
60
NME
MAY 21, 2024
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is one of the most visually impressive games of its generation and contains gripping performances from both Juergens and O’Reilly. Unfortunately, repetitive combat, lacklustre puzzles, and dull traversal hamper the experience, as does a lack of focus in the wider story.
Read More
FULL REVIEW
XBOX SERIES X

60
GameSpot
MAY 21, 2024
Based on its new naming convention, the use of "saga" in Hellblade 2's title, and Microsoft's acquisition of developer Ninja Theory following the success of Senua's Sacrifice, it seems as if Hellblade is slated to be a series as well as a staple in Xbox's first-party lineup. That said, at this point, I don't exactly understand where the series is headed, if not to the box office. There are plenty of games that prove games can be art, but as some studios lean harder into proving that in one specific way that cribs from Hollywood, we're seeing some games that feel afraid of being games. With too much focus on cinematics and too little on creating an experience that is engaging, Senua's Saga fails to reach the same highs as its predecessor--even if it does look stunning whilst trying.
Read More
FULL REVIEW
XBOX SERIES X

50
Metro GameCentral
MAY 21, 2024
A joyless slog of barely interactive entertainment and a muddled portrayal of mental illness… that just so happens to have the best graphics ever on a video game console.
XBOX SERIES X
 

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Sunrise Ninja

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5 Feb 2024
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In the 70's but the Microsoft money will probably prop it up to the high 80's.

I don't really care about scores but this will be interesting.
 
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Nhomnhom

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I think Xbox is about to get some tax refunds in this one, the game media is too dependent on Xbox and they'll try to help in any way they can given the dire current situation. This needs to be a 90+ for Xbox to finally have some sort of good news.

The game itself looks like a low 80s title, low 70s if they take into account how short it is.
 
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OP
Gamernyc78

Gamernyc78

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I think Xbox is about to get some tax refunds in this one, the game media is too dependent on Xbox and they'll try to help in any way they can given the dire current situation. This needs to be a 90+ for Xbox to finally have some sort of good news.

The game itself looks like a low 80s title, low 70s if they take into account how short it is.
It might keep the energy going and crash and burn in the 70s lol but nah I think low 80s.
 

quest4441

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27 Feb 2024
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Oh this game is gonna bomb so bad, it will be glorious. These ninja theory guys have been on my shit list since DmC : Devil May Cry, hope they are shut down and Sony to not fuck up and hire these bums
 
OP
OP
Gamernyc78

Gamernyc78

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Oh this game is gonna bomb so bad, it will be glorious. These ninja theory guys have been on my shit list since DmC : Devil May Cry, hope they are shut down and Sony to not fuck up and hire these bums
I think it'll just be another Starfeild scenario but let's see.
 

saltyashell

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11 Feb 2024
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I have a sneaky feeling that reviewers are gonna overcompensate and inflate their scores because they'll think they'll be helping Ninja Theory stay open. I'm betting this has a chance to sneak into the high 80s to low 90s and a few loud Xbox morons will champion for it to be GOTY.
 
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peter42O

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82-85 on Xbox, 90+ when it hits PlayStation 5 at 60FPS, no black bars and dual sense features.
 

saltyashell

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11 Feb 2024
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Like it always happens with any Xbox exclusive.
Yes, but there's levels to it now after they shuddered Tango. You're gonna see crazy some over the top and cringe inducing praise for HB2 regardless of how good it is. Reviewers and gamers think they'll be sending a message to Microsoft executives to keep Ninja Theory open.

Now that I think of it, I'd love for the game to get a shit ton of awards and high MC scores, GOTY awards, yet still sell like shit. And after all that Microsoft still closes Ninja Theory after the PS5 port a year or two from now.
 

arvfab

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23 Jun 2022
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Yes, but there's levels to it now after they shuddered Tango. You're gonna see crazy some over the top and cringe inducing praise for HB2 regardless of how good it is. Reviewers and gamers think they'll be sending a message to Microsoft executives to keep Ninja Theory open.

Now that I think of it, I'd love for the game to get a shit ton of awards and high MC scores, GOTY awards, yet still sell like shit. And after all that Microsoft still closes Ninja Theory after the PS5 port a year or two from now.

All of the Xbox aligned sites can't give more than a 10, the score usually reserved for their exclusives.