Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II’s review embargo is done, and with it we now know what the reviewers think.
First things first, the game has a MetaCritic of 81, on both PC and Xbox Series X. On OpenCritic, it has received a Strong OpenCritic Rating, with a Top Critic Average of 83, and 84 % of critics recommending.
The review metascore seems to suggest a generally well received title, but the truth is more interesting. Some outlets gave Ninja Theory’s latest game perfect scores, but there are also negative scores that go down to the 50/100 range. It’s a surprisingly divisive game, with the strongest criticisms coming from fans of the first game.
So it does matter to find out what the reviewers are actually saying. There is no dispute from any of the reviewers, whether the score is high or low, that Ninja Theory have pushed the game, and potentially the industry, forward, with the high production values of its graphics, audio, and performance. As the XboxEra review states:
“If you’ve been patiently waiting for the “next-generation” of gaming to arrive, well, I can’t think of a better showcase than this.”
As we had previously covered ourselves, the game is best experienced in its native widescreen resolution. Most reviewers also recommend that the binaural audio is best experienced on headphones, even if you have a well set up media room. It’s not just that the performances are impressive, but the game really makes use of audio cues necessary to move forward.
As for everything else, reviewers are pretty divided. The Gamespot review finds the gameplay and story to be shallow and repetitive. GamesRadar finds its depiction of a managed mental condition “A masterclass in technical and thematic maturity.”
Polygon posits that the change in setting from Senua’s personal struggles in the first game to a journey with external threats is a downgrade. The Kotaku review said that the game “rarely failed to provide me with an emotionally stirring experience,” and that’s pretty much where the game is.
As a ‘walking simulator’ type of game with standalone combat encounters and environmental puzzles, instead of a full RPG, such as Dragons’ Dogma 2, or an action game with RPG elements, like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, you do expect Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II to have smaller appeal. This just isn’t the power fantasy that gamers are used to.
But at the same time, the level of technical achievement Ninja Theory achieved with 1st party publisher backing is peerless. It will be remembered as setting the real standard moving forward for what 9th generation games will look like, or as setting the bar so high the rest of the generation fails to live up to it.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II will be released on Xbox Series X|S and Windows via Steam today, on May 21, 2024. It is also Day One Game Pass.
