Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2

I hear voices in my head
They council me
They understand
They talk to me...
God of War felt like Disney after playing this.
The Hellblade series is a great example of what can happen when you give a female protagonist a personality instead of D cups.
This is not a game series, this is art! The most beautiful and terrifying games that l've ever played. The games just sucked me in its twisted and engaging story. Also, you get used to them (even if it probably isn't a good thing) but the voices were extra unsettling at the beginning. The fact you get used to them being part of the simulation of real psychosis. You just start trusting and taking them for granted.
This game and its predecessor are important. What Ninja theory did with these two games transcends gaming. As a person that has intimate knowledge of mental issues, not in hearing voices, but in other areas of self doubt, in losing someone close to depression and as a friend of a girl that had a dark voice following her on her right side since the age of five up until the present day, like a crying child portait by Giovanni Bragolin, this game is something special.
I can tell you that Ninja Theory has done something incredible with these games, they’re grotesque and beautiful, and most of all something real with real meaning behind it all. These are full fledged games, that they've made created because they want these to be experienced... It is a great feat. To take such a chance, and not just make damn good games and experiences, but give it such an important context...
This behavior needs rewarding, it needs to be spotlighted.
The sequel like the first one is not a gamer's game. It's a cinematic experience that overloads your audio and visual senses. If you don't particularly care for these kinds of experiences, Hellblade II will do nothing for you. If you play games specifically for the "gameplay", the Hellblade series would ultimately be a waste of time. They’re very much the "art house cinema" of video games. It requires a very specific set of tastes, specifically tastes of people who are sick of video games that are purely just about the gameplay. Sometimes it's nice to play a game where it just wants to tell a story. Having a break from collecting 100 annoying artifacts, unlocking map fast travels or having to hunt and forage materials so you can advance.
Sometimes simplicity in gameplay elements is a boon in disguise. It ensures the story and atmosphere have room to breath and take center stage. If anything else Hellblade 2 shows again people are having difficulty accepting what a "game" can be for an audience. It doesn't matter if its running time is long or short, if its open world or lineair, has replayability or not. It doesn't matter if this is a walking sim or a game filled to the brim with expected upgradable skill trees. Hellblade 2 doesn't need to be a game for everyone, but it can be a game for you. Those that liked or loved the first game know what they are in for.
Story-wise I think it’s important to adjust perspectives when trying this game. Comparing HB1 to 2 isn’t going to do either game justice. HellBlade II is focused around Senua beating back OTHER’S darkness for them, to reach them. She’s beaten back her own darkness, and now she uses that to help others. I think it’s a beautiful change in narrative direction. Another reason I love it and love Senua even more is the fact that she doesn’t have to. The first game is necessary, Senua HAS to get through this. MUST come to terms with things but cannot stop until she reaches her destination. In this new game Senua CHOOSES to help others even though it hurts her, even though she could choose not to. But she knows their pain and wants to help them end it. First game is about closure, second game is about purpose.
On a personal note these games also helped me with the suicide of my sister. I've used these games to explain to friends how it's like because they just don't get it. The way they handled such a delicate issue, and portrayed something that varies massively from person to person in such an encompassing way impressed me massively. When you really listen to what is being said it can be therapeutic.
That's what people don't get about this series. It's not a typical "gain xp, unlock this, explore this area, get new fighting mechanics" type game. It has those elements sure but ultimately it's an interactive experience that many people struggling with grief, depression, and anxiety can all relate to. It's more than a soulless product meant to get you hooked on battle passes and highscores or speed runs. It's not Dark Souls or Witcher or whatever people expect from this game.
It's strictly about emotional connection in a way that I think a lot of people can't appreciate or relate to or rather don't have the patience to. It's simply shameful that cinematic games are so absurdly criticised just because they're not littered with pointless collecting tasks, endless side quests, sprawling skill trees, thousands of combat combos and an empty open world, but instead deliberately focus on a linear narrative for once and therefore don't last 40h+.
Finally, HellBlade II is exactly what I wanted... which is more HellBlade. It's not for everyone but this one is definitely for me. Honestly one of the best games l've played in a long time. If you're a gamer that likes a story and decent puzzles, this is your game. If you get through it, you will never forget it, and you'll be glad that you did. And thank's again to Ninja Theory... Bravo. These are rare gems in gaming history, and even though they might be overlooked somewhat... I just had to tip my fedora to them. Truly something special. Special games, for special people, which are thinkers in their head and warriors in their heart.
Play it. Feel it.
100000/10

I don't quite know how to explain this game. I can't say I thoroughly enjoyed it, as I suffer from PTSD and this game, along with the first one, portrays flashbacks incredibly well. It is a beautiful game, 100%. The detail in almost every aspect is amazing. Some parts of the game I just sat and stared at for a while because it was so beautiful.

But this game is a tiny glimpse into the world that is psychosis. Voices in your head, self-doubt, irrationality, improperly perceived feelings of danger, snap reactions to nothing, flashbacks that can be utterly debilitating... this game portrays it incredibly well and I really felt everything Senua went through -when she's alone-. In games like this, it's not the combat or the puzzles, although they are quite entertaining in this. It portrays what goes through the minds of traumatized individuals when they don't have something else to focus all that high-strung survival energy on.

And how a game can show us that in the most lonely and difficult moment in life, there is always a way and always a light that can help us even in the worst times of life. ❤❤❤❤❤
It was one of the most beautiful and powerful story lines I have ever played
The sound of this game is one of the best,which makes the story of the game more beautiful
And compared to Hellblade 1, there were a lot of changes. The atmosphere of the game was completely similar to reality and I felt like I was watching a movie. And the graphics were great :))
I enjoyed it ツツツ

Beautiful game, I didn't care about the limited gameplay because every scene had me staring with my jaw wide open. The game immerses you in a way very few do, just like the first one, it's really something special. 10/10 would play again.

I don’t feel deceived by this game, even though my expectations have been somewhat not met. I don’t feel deceived mostly because I was highly skeptical of the potential contained by a sequel to what I felt was a one-off adventure, wholly constructed and finished throughout the single game we got.
Unfortunately, Hellblade 2 feels like a game made on the back of the success of the first one, without any clear direction. If there was a clear direction and idea, it was not allowed to fully flourish in time and money.j This is regrettably another fumble in what is a pretty harrowing year for AAA gaming.
The game is exceedingly pretty and has some wonderful set pieces, but it seriously overstays its welcome in order to hit a more generous runtime.

We miss games like this , It's not open world, there's no map, there's no markings on the screen , the story has a very deep meaning , the characters, the graphics 10/10 .. well done ninja theory

This game leaves me conflicted, but a tentative rec is better than indifference.
On the one hand, it is visually phenomenal, this game eschews full motion video insets of the first one because the visuals are BETTER than real, and it does a lot pf things that would have been impossible or impractical to do via FMV.
On the other hand, it simplifies the gameplay something fierce. Less puzzle variety, simpler patternized one on one combat that has QTEs written all over it instead of crowds of enemies and a pretense at tactical combat from the first one.
On the third hand, Melina Jurgens once again delivers a phenomenally haunting performance as Senua struggles with communicating What She Sees and What She Thinks to people who do not see what she does -- and accidentalies herself into the role of a spiritual leader for a people without guidance.
On the fourth hand, the first game's strongest point was the uncertainty of how much of her journey was real and how much she hallucinated. Here, the delineation is much cleaner (or is it?), as the game explores the subject of mass hysteria as a crowd manipulation tool, giving maybe-intentional social commentary on Dark Age statecraft.
It's definitely thought provoking and unforgettable, but unlike the first one I don't see myself returning to it any time soon. It's a little sad, but maybe my opinion will change on my next replay of Sacrifice.