Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is a shining example of how to tell a story through a video game.
Accompanied by the ever-present voices in her mind, players follow Senua on a journey through her own personal hell, spawned from her twisted psyche. Hellblade makes excellent use of very subtle elements to immerse the player in the experience, and to provide just a small, personal glimpse of what the protagonist is experiencing.

🎮Hellblade can be played adequately with both keyboard/mouse and controller.🎮

I played on the “Auto” difficulty setting, which made enemy and player health vary somewhat between fights.

Hellblade isn't really a fighting game, so combat is fairly sparse. When it does occur, I found it to be a mixed bag. Combat controls are fairly basic; you have a light attack, heavy attack, shove, block/parry, dodge and a special contextual ability. These are quite satisfying to use and have very nice animations, though the targeting system can be a burden.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2132738726
The game camera automatically locks on to whichever enemy is attacking Senua, and cannot be unlocked. Players can manually switch between targets, but it's still quite awkward sometimes, especially in confined spaces.

There are a small variety of enemies with different attacks, which is enough to keep combat interesting, though their spawning can be an issue. Enemies will spawn in set places in the combat area, even if the player is standing on that exact spot. This can lead to Senua getting whacked before the enemy has even fully spawned in, which is annoying considering she can be quite squishy.

One aspect of the game's combat I particularly liked was the hints and cues given by the voices in Senua's head. They will often yell “Behind you!” or “He's finished!”. It's a clever bit of design, and one that fits very well.

Levels in Hellblade are linear and often feature clever puzzle elements. A prominent one requires players to use aspects of the environment to form a symbol that matches the one present on a door. This can be debris viewed from the correct angle, a shadow cast on a wall, and more. I very much enjoyed it every time it appeared in the game.

At some points Senua backtracks through previously explored areas, which provides a stark contrast; where her original journey was twisted by her psychosis to make areas dark and foreboding, the return trip presents a warm and peaceful atmosphere.

Hellblade's focus is entirely on Senua's psychosis. Ever-present voices follow her, judging, scolding and encouraging, and they're all hers. Senua's goal is to save the soul of her deceased lover Dillion, and she travels through battlefields, mental and literal, to reach the goddess Hela, whom she believes holds his soul.

Throughout the story, Senua suffers severe symptoms of her psychosis such as vivid hallucinations in which she witnesses everything from changes in the environment to people and events from her memories manifesting before her eyes. These provide backstory on Senua and the events of her past, offering insight into the factors influencing her severe mental illness.

Subtle efforts are made to trigger an emotional response to in-game events, for example, one section of the game features darkness that will kill Senua should she stay in it for too long. To avoid this, she carries a torch. Upon entering a dark area, one of the voices shouts “The torch is going out!”.

This instils a moment of panic in the player; fear of a danger, though maybe there never really was one. This reflects Senua's psychosis; her fear of the horrible experiences that aren't really happening.

Hellblade's story and themes are fascinating, bizarre, scary and beautiful at the same time, and make for a truly unique experience in an interesting world inspired by Celtic culture and Norse mythology. I'm left wondering if Senua's world is really a fantasy one with monsters and gods, or if it's all just her perception of it, influenced by her culture and beliefs.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2132737422

This game was played with the following PC specs:
Intel i5-4440 3.10 GHz
16GB DDR3 RAM
GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER 4GB
1680x1050 resolution
HDD

Hellblade is a very pretty game, with beautifully crafted environments and great atmosphere. A particular aspect I was very impressed by was the sense of temperature; in one instance, Senua was exploring a pleasant grassy area in warm sunlight, only for it to suddenly shift to cold and overcast. The contrast almost made me shiver.

Senua's character model and animations are excellent. A lot of time is spent looking at her face in cutscenes, and her expressions and facial detail are outstanding, as are the detail and physics on her hair.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2132741343
Despite being very pretty, there were some aspects of the graphics I didn't like as much. Film grain and motion blur are quite heavy and do not have corresponding settings in the game options. I assume this is due to the effects being part of the artistic vision, and the way the developer intended the game to be experienced.

Regarding the U.I, I took issue with the lack of button prompts; the game does not teach the player the buttons or when to use them. I realise on-screen prompts aren't good for immersion, but I missed an optional lore item in the beginning of the game because I didn't even know that I could interact with it, let alone how to do it. Only upon coming to a ladder and nothing happening did I realise I'd have to work it out myself.

Some of it can be learned by looking at the keybinds in the options menu, but other aspects are more obscure. For example, when Senua is knocked down in combat, players can repeatedly press a button to make her get up and keep fighting before she is killed. I did not know this during my entire playthrough, and only discovered it when doing research for this review.

Using the specs listed above, I got a stable 60fps on high settings, though something about the game's graphics often made it feel like it was running rough, as if I were only getting 40fps.

Hellblade's audio design is outstanding. Music is subtle and fits the atmosphere perfectly, voice acting is superb and the binaural audio is incredible with headphones. The voices can whisper right in your ears, creating a chilling and unsettling experience, and adding another level of immersion.

I encountered a couple of annoying bugs during my playthrough; the first being the game not saving after I exited on one occasion, leading to me having to do a boss fight twice. The second was mechanics triggering incorrectly in said boss fight, which was fixed by a trip to the main menu and back.

Hellblade is a unique and beautiful game. The storytelling and audio design are outstanding, and its exploration of the subject matter is fascinating and unsettling. The combat is rough around the edges, but puzzles are unique and enjoyable, and the game's length felt appropriate.

This game is work of art, and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone interested in the themes it embodies.

This review comes courtesy of the R³ curator.

[h1][i]This game is a work of art, simple as that.[/i][/h1] [h2][i]-[u]Overview[/u]-[/i][/h2] [i]Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice[/i] is a shining example of how to tell a story through a video game. Accompanied by the ever-present voices in her mind, players follow Senua on a journey through her own personal hell, spawned from her twisted psyche. [i]Hellblade[/i] makes excellent use of very subtle elements to immerse the player in the experience, and to provide just a small, personal glimpse of what the protagonist is experiencing. [quote]🎮[i]Hellblade[/i] can be played adequately with both keyboard/mouse and controller.🎮[/quote] [h2][i]-[u]Gameplay[/u]-[/i][/h2] [h3]Combat:[/h3] I played on the “Auto” difficulty setting, which made enemy and player health vary somewhat between fights. [i]Hellblade[/i] isn't really a fighting game, so combat is fairly sparse. When it does occur, I found it to be a mixed bag. Combat controls are fairly basic; you have a light attack, heavy attack, shove, block/parry, dodge and a special contextual ability. These are quite satisfying to use and have very nice animations, though the targeting system can be a burden. https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2132738726 The game camera automatically locks on to whichever enemy is attacking Senua, and cannot be unlocked. Players can manually switch between targets, but it's still quite awkward sometimes, especially in confined spaces. There are a small variety of enemies with different attacks, which is enough to keep combat interesting, though their spawning can be an issue. Enemies will spawn in set places in the combat area, even if the player is standing on that exact spot. This can lead to Senua getting whacked before the enemy has even fully spawned in, which is annoying considering she can be quite squishy. One aspect of the game's combat I particularly liked was the hints and cues given by the voices in Senua's head. They will often yell “Behind you!” or “He's finished!”. It's a clever bit of design, and one that fits very well. [h3]Level Design:[/h3] Levels in [i]Hellblade[/i] are linear and often feature clever puzzle elements. A prominent one requires players to use aspects of the environment to form a symbol that matches the one present on a door. This can be debris viewed from the correct angle, a shadow cast on a wall, and more. I very much enjoyed it every time it appeared in the game. At some points Senua backtracks through previously explored areas, which provides a stark contrast; where her original journey was twisted by her psychosis to make areas dark and foreboding, the return trip presents a warm and peaceful atmosphere. [h2][i]-[u]Story[/u]-[/i][/h2] [i]Hellblade's[/i] focus is entirely on Senua's psychosis. Ever-present voices follow her, judging, scolding and encouraging, and they're all hers. Senua's goal is to save the soul of her deceased lover Dillion, and she travels through battlefields, mental and literal, to reach the goddess Hela, whom she believes holds his soul. Throughout the story, Senua suffers severe symptoms of her psychosis such as vivid hallucinations in which she witnesses everything from changes in the environment to people and events from her memories manifesting before her eyes. These provide backstory on Senua and the events of her past, offering insight into the factors influencing her severe mental illness. Subtle efforts are made to trigger an emotional response to in-game events, for example, one section of the game features darkness that will kill Senua should she stay in it for too long. To avoid this, she carries a torch. Upon entering a dark area, one of the voices shouts “The torch is going out!”. This instils a moment of panic in the player; fear of a danger, though maybe there never really was one. This reflects Senua's psychosis; her fear of the horrible experiences that aren't really happening. [i]Hellblade's[/i] story and themes are fascinating, bizarre, scary and beautiful at the same time, and make for a truly unique experience in an interesting world inspired by Celtic culture and Norse mythology. I'm left wondering if Senua's world is really a fantasy one with monsters and gods, or if it's all just her perception of it, influenced by her culture and beliefs. https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2132737422 [h2][i]-[u]Technical[/u]-[/i][/h2] [quote][b]This game was played with the following PC specs:[/b] Intel i5-4440 3.10 GHz 16GB DDR3 RAM GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER 4GB 1680x1050 resolution HDD[/quote] [h3]Visuals:[/h3] [i]Hellblade[/i] is a very pretty game, with beautifully crafted environments and great atmosphere. A particular aspect I was very impressed by was the sense of temperature; in one instance, Senua was exploring a pleasant grassy area in warm sunlight, only for it to suddenly shift to cold and overcast. The contrast almost made me shiver. Senua's character model and animations are excellent. A lot of time is spent looking at her face in cutscenes, and her expressions and facial detail are outstanding, as are the detail and physics on her hair. https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2132741343 Despite being very pretty, there were some aspects of the graphics I didn't like as much. Film grain and motion blur are quite heavy and do not have corresponding settings in the game options. I assume this is due to the effects being part of the artistic vision, and the way the developer intended the game to be experienced. Regarding the U.I, I took issue with the lack of button prompts; the game does not teach the player the buttons or when to use them. I realise on-screen prompts aren't good for immersion, but I missed an optional lore item in the beginning of the game because I didn't even know that I could interact with it, let alone how to do it. Only upon coming to a ladder and nothing happening did I realise I'd have to work it out myself. Some of it can be learned by looking at the keybinds in the options menu, but other aspects are more obscure. For example, when Senua is knocked down in combat, players can repeatedly press a button to make her get up and keep fighting before she is killed. I did not know this during my entire playthrough, and only discovered it when doing research for this review. [h3]Performance:[/h3] Using the specs listed above, I got a stable 60fps on high settings, though something about the game's graphics often made it feel like it was running rough, as if I were only getting 40fps. [h3]Audio:[/h3] [i]Hellblade's[/i] audio design is outstanding. Music is subtle and fits the atmosphere perfectly, voice acting is superb and the binaural audio is incredible with headphones. The voices can whisper right in your ears, creating a chilling and unsettling experience, and adding another level of immersion. [h3]Issues:[/h3] I encountered a couple of annoying bugs during my playthrough; the first being the game not saving after I exited on one occasion, leading to me having to do a boss fight twice. The second was mechanics triggering incorrectly in said boss fight, which was fixed by a trip to the main menu and back. [h2][i]-[u]Summary[/u]-[/i][/h2] [i]Hellblade[/i] is a unique and beautiful game. The storytelling and audio design are outstanding, and its exploration of the subject matter is fascinating and unsettling. The combat is rough around the edges, but puzzles are unique and enjoyable, and the game's length felt appropriate. [b]This game is work of art, and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone interested in the themes it embodies.[/b] [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/40044632/][quote]This review comes courtesy of the [b]R³[/b] curator.