Hellblade 2: Senua’s Saga has been released. And it is not looking great. Storytelling through gameplay was one of the core objectives of Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, a game that was released back in 2017. The hack-and-slash adventure game is about the quest to save the spirit of lost love, with elements of psychological horror thrown in.
It was a unique game that did something different, almost for the sake of appearing so. And it did, based on mixed reviews, to varying degrees of success. Whilst the first game in the series was not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, it received enough praise for doing something different. This brings us to the next edition in the series: Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2.
Hellblade 2: Short but Not Necessarily Sweet
Well, an argument can be made that games set in the Hellblade universe were never meant to be the most pleasant. As per the title of the game, the cinematic character of storytelling that the game embraced certainly resonated with certain segments of the gaming community receiving a solid 9/10 on IGN. Whilst the game was able to carve out a market for its unique style of cut-scene heavy game with its brave exploration of psychological issues was noteworthy.
The trouble with the first game is that it was rather short: between 7 – 8 hours. It was a game that invested heavily in realistic graphics, the complexity of the world, and the element of puzzle solving. Whilst the inner conflicts and goals of the main character were interesting enough, the trouble lay in the depth, or the lack thereof. The world-building, while solid from a visual standpoint, was badly in need of layers to add meaning and depth to the narrative.
Now with the entry of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 it appears that developer Ninja Theory (owned by Microsoft) has doubled down on the very elements that seemed acceptable in the first, but repetitive in the next. The biggest problem of all for Hellblade 2 is that the game is short. That is to say, it is shorter than the first game coming in at a measly 5.5 hours, give or take another hour or two depending on the player.
Hellblade 2: All Too Cinematic
Early reviews of the game indicate what gamers, well at least hardcore gamers who value gameplay above anything else, feared: a title that has doubled down on the cinematic aspect of the game with long cut scenes, and ‘visual storytelling’ with cut-down combat mechanics that play out scripted movie scenes, giving even more reasons for classic gamers to anger.
This downgrade, which is what it is, in terms of gameplay, and length is concerning at a time when top game developers recognize and place value on the gaming experience. The good ones, like CD Projekt Red, go far and above what is needed in providing additional gameplay value to gamers.
On the negative side, one can say this is partly a function of big studio interference (i.e. Microsoft). One must be careful in reading too much into this, but the shift towards cinematic games, and the tendency or apparent goal to merge gaming and television that emerged at the dawn of the Xbox One era, with games like Quantum Break (2016) a philosophy that seems to shape Microsoft’s vision towards gaming.
Where to From Here for Ninja Theory?
The question that gamers need to ask themselves is: Is this enough? Is this sort of cinematic game, which are filled with cut scenes, combined with elements of walking simulators albeit with a complex story thrown in, the way forward? The answer, from the standpoint of the hardcore gamer, ought to be obvious. Senua’s Saga Hellblade 2 can be purchased for $ 49.99 on Steam. Though, gamers are better off waiting for a serious price drop before paying that kind of cash. Or try to get it off Microsoft’s Game Pass, where prices could be going up.
The concern for Ninja Theory, the game’s developer is that it can no longer count on the rather fresh and unique approach to storytelling that the first Hellblade game took. The exploration of psychological challenges and self-discovery may have been groundbreaking for its time, but this game, like all video games needs to put gameplay first. And with Microsoft in the habit of shutting down game studios Ninja Theory needs to be on its game.
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