At The Sport Awards 2019, Microsoft shocked all people not solely with the announcement of the Xbox Sequence X and S, but additionally with an in-engine tech demo that confirmed off the graphics that will be potential with the subsequent era of consoles. The aim was to point out off the photorealism potential, and the sport it selected was Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2. The trailer is terrifying and moody, with Senua belting out a Scandinavian folks tune and evident intensely as flames and lightweight encompass her. If Microsoft needed to make a memorable splash, it undoubtedly succeeded.
Hellblade 2 was an attention-grabbing option to announce the upcoming consoles. The primary sport, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, got here out in 2017, and whereas it made a robust influence on launch with each critics and gamers, it kind of pale from public consciousness after some time. Anecdotally, I do know lots of people who had heard of it however didn’t play it, for one purpose or one other. However since Senua’s Saga has been delayed a number of occasions, with a launch anticipated in Might this 12 months, it’s an excellent time to hop in. The sport is brief — round six hours lengthy — however it took a giant danger by placing a narrative about psychological sickness on the heart of a AAA-level motion sport. Plus, it’s solely $3 on Steam till Jan. 25, so that you nearly don’t have any excuse.
In Hellblade, you play as Senua, a Pictish warrior who has traveled to Helheim (Norse mythology’s underworld) to save lots of the soul of her useless lover and greatest buddy, Dillon. Whereas she’ll come throughout most of the creatures and beings you’d count on in such a setting, two parts make the journey extra dire. The primary is a rot that begins on her hand and spreads throughout her physique the extra you die within the sport, with a promise (and menace) to erase all your progress if it reaches her head. It not solely raises the strain of finishing an already difficult expertise, however it additionally drills into your head simply how harmful Senua’s quest actually is.
The second are the hallucinations. Typically they’ll present up within the type of environmental puzzles and collectibles, like highlighting runes, however in addition they present up as voices, often called Furies. The Furies will inundate Senua (and the participant) with commentary, most of it degrading. There’s additionally a narrator who’ll deal with the participant in a deep baritone that overpowers another Fury, and who tries to persuade Senua of her weaknesses. The sound mixing permits the voices to return in from throughout you (the sport is unquestionably greatest skilled with headphones), telling you that you just’re “pathetic” and “cursed,” and even suggesting self-harm.
Picture: Ninja Principle
A lot of the dialog round Hellblade considerations its depiction of psychological sickness, particularly psychosis. Senua has a bodily aim to free Dillon, who was her solely consolation, however she additionally seeks to search out peace from her “curse,” which takes the type of auditory and visible hallucinations. All through the sport, you’ll see flashbacks and collect clues from her actuality, and the way trauma and violence have affected her. Whereas numerous what she experiences is mythological in nature, the road is consistently being blurred between what’s actual and what Senua believes is actual. That isn’t to say the sport needs to fully minimize her off from actuality. In a means, it really works to validate her viewpoint and create an understanding with the participant concerning the nature of what she sees. Her psychosis isn’t essentially a nasty factor, even when it may be dangerous.
Builders at Ninja Principle labored with psychological well being professionals and individuals who’ve handled the situation to painting Senua’s journey in a delicate method. Whereas the outcomes didn’t all the time resonate with gamers throughout the board, and there are undoubtedly criticisms to relay about utilizing a severe situation as core narrative and sport mechanic, the actual fact it introduced up these conversations in any respect was novel in 2017. After all, the indie scene and different smaller titles had been telling these tales lengthy earlier than Hellblade got here alongside, and 2017 was truly a tremendous 12 months for considerate tales round psychological sickness and trauma (What Stays of Edith Finch and Evening within the Woods got here out that 12 months, for instance). Nevertheless, amongst bigger releases, it wasn’t fairly as widespread.
I haven’t skilled psychosis, however I understand how overwhelming psychological sickness can really feel. I cope with intrusive voices which have satisfied me quite a few occasions that I’m nugatory and trigger me to go inside myself. Senua’s intrusive ideas take a type that may truly form her actuality. Nevertheless it’s not all darkish. Senua’s psychosis provides her a reprieve within the type of Dillon, who she is touring into the underworld to save lots of. Whereas Senua had been “cursed” from delivery with these hallucinations, Dillon noticed her as an individual. She carries his head along with her, however in her thoughts, he’s very a lot current, talking to her from a cloud of blue mild. Whereas psychosis is seen each within the sport by others and in actual life as one thing to be cured, right here it gives her a way of consolation. It gives a extra multidimensional view that doesn’t power Senua to rid herself of it, which feels refreshing.
Even with out all that, the sport itself is beautiful. Ninja Principle’s advertising ran with the concept Hellblade was an impartial sport with AAA-level visuals, and the sport nonetheless seems unbelievable even by right this moment’s requirements. It makes whole sense why Microsoft would spotlight Senua’s Saga for its announcement. If a 2017 sport seems that nice, think about what the 2024 model would appear like.
