The first bit of gameplay for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is here and it feels like things are shifting from the Hellblade we once knew
The gameplay reveal for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is finally here and we have a solid taste to see how Ninja Theory could be pushing things forward in the industry again. The first title made some huge strides when it came to visuals and audio out there, as well as a bit of inclusivity to show somewhat others have to deal with mentally. Now that the team has some of that Microsoft money out there and will be bringing Hellblade 2 only to the PC and Xbox Series X|S, it should be making massive leaps again. The teaser for it all made it feel that way and now we can dive into the gameplay to make sure that will still be the case.
You can see it all below, but this is where I am going to start speaking on what we have for Hellblade 2 here. The visuals and audio are just as to be expected if not better. The odd part here, though, is that it looks like the team is focusing more on the action style of gameplay from this segment over the thing that made the IP special in the first place. That is, all of the things that felt supernatural or otherworldly in Hellblade felt like they could have been in Senua’s head and part of the mental illness they were trying to shed light on. That was one of the other massive elements the game brought to us to truly give us a look at things some have to deal with. Now it is all relegated to gameplay mechanics as Senua leads a charge against some giants out there.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 — Gameplay
Debuted at The Game Awards 2021, watch the Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 gameplay reveal. Coming exclusively to Xbox and Windows PC from Ninja Theory. Captured in-game by the development team.
Sure, it all fits the era and culture that the team is going for with Hellblade, but it feels like the business daddy has stepped in more to make a mass appeal title instead of letting the team focus on what they were passionate about before. It could all be based on the segment we have here for the gameplay and Hellblade 2 could be holding things back for the core release, but this does feel like just another action title we will see in the mix. I would rather see the character dealing with and overcoming the haunted memories of the past and fighting her figments than seeing giants coming for her and others that could lead into things being more fantastical than the story of a woman overcoming the hardships. I hope we do not have to wait long to see and that I am wrong on my assessment with the early gameplay.
Do you agree that this does not feel much like the Hellblade we knew before or are you holding reservations until you get a better gameplay segment? Is it odd that they are going with a higher bit of action here or could this be the signs of the business daddy placing expectations they have to meet? If they deviated from what made the first title so special, do you think it would hurt or help the IP in the long run of it all? Give us all of that feedback down in the comments and then feel free to discuss it all. There will be more for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, and when it is here, we will share it. Please keep an eye on the site for all of that and much more.