Rate top gamesThis is a unique game, and Ninja Theory cared for every detail they made. It is original, creative, beautiful. Still, it is not for everyone, it is weird. It blends a walking sim and a fighting game. It is simple, I mean, it is not complex, there are few things you do. There's no crafting, no collecting items, no leveling. You just walk, hear the voices whispering the story, solve puzzles, and, when the time comes, draw your sword.
The story is very deep and it caught me from the very beginning. It might be even disturbing because it roots in psychological illnesses and fears. I highly recommend playing in headphones, because it uses binaural sounds very effectively to place you in the surroundings.
If you like this kind of game, Hellblade is a gem. You will enjoy every minute in its terrifyingly beautiful world.
Other reviews37
combat is decent, puzzles are repetitive but level design changes it up enough to stay fresh for the couple hours it takes to finish this game.
I honestly don't have much to say about the psychosis part because I have no experience with psychosis whatsoever.
My only real gripe here is the absolute abysmal walking speed
The story, atmosphere and visuals are amazing! The game takes place in some very interesting places. But the actual gameplay... While the puzzles and combat feel OK in the beginning, towards the end I just felt annoyed when I saw a door with runes on it or Senua drew her sword. And the length of the combat phases as well as their frequency just went up in the last chapters.
As far as post-millennial awareness games go, this could've been far worse, especially considering it comes from Ninja Theory. Slow and whispery with ham and cheese acting accompanied by a stale hack and slash system doesn't make up for how pretty it looks but that's ok because it's about psychosis. I'm thankful I don't suffer from similar issues myself but I can't imagine this makes people more appreciative of how able they are when they have to deal with pretentious narrative trumping the "message." It checks off a bunch of boxes you have to expect from AAA-Indie at this point - if you love tearing up when female protags find their strength like the lyrics to Fight Song, you'll probably also enjoy this. The very definition of meh. Imagine Dear Esther but you can mash X.
«Disappointment of the year»
«Waste of time»