Senua’s Saga Hellblade II test: When Xbox makes its cinema

Is Hellblade 2 the long-awaited Xbox exclusive that will help Microsoft compete with Sony again? Ninja Theory’s new game has been talked about a lot since it was announced at the end of 2019, mainly due to its impressive level of success. Is the American manufacturer finally holding its own benchmark for a narrative-driven action-adventure game, a genre dominated by PlayStation studios?

In 2017, Ninja Theory managed to make an impression with a new license, a real success in one of the richest known years of video games. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, An action-adventure game inspired by Celtic and Norse mythologies, it persisted with its weight as well as effectiveness against the psychological torture to which its eponymous hero was constantly subjected. Short but intense, almost devoid of any form of exposition that would encourage immersion, the creators of Heavenly Sword, Enslaved and DmC: Devil May Cry have opted for a very manipulative yet effective gameplay style.

Thus, Hellblade managed to find its place in an overcrowded calendar and therefore managed to create a certain enthusiasm for the announcement of the sequel, especially among fans of the American manufacturer, which was in dire need of significant exclusives. Announced at the same time as the new generation Xbox consoles, But Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II has made a rare appearance in just over four years.Allowing cutscenes in “letterbox” format, especially between these famous black bands, further strengthens the cinematographic aspect.

We are here to have fun

Do you remember The Order: 1886? Released in early 2015, long before Sony’s console adopted references like Uncharted 4, Horizon Zero Dawn or God of War, this PlayStation 4 exclusive was somewhat controversial given the poor gameplay. The studio Ready at Dawn had sacrificed the relevance of its title as a video game (and been hailed as such) on the altar of photorealism that flirted with cinema, opting for a release bet specifically using that famous “letterbox” format. If we talk about all this with you, This is because Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II also uses this image format, also called letterboxing.and that it leaves the player with no choice, unlike what other games have offered in the past (e.g. 2014’s The Evil Within).

Fatally, such a bet significantly restricts the player’s field of view. and it feels like you’re drowning a little bit, a feeling reinforced by countless voices that constantly attack the hero and give us almost no breathing space. Of course, we get used to it, but since the first title, Hellblade, offers a less scripted experience, the feeling of being imprisoned in full screen continues throughout the adventure. The alarming photorealism of the title, combined with the stunning facial modelling, immerses us in an experience far more cinematic than we could have ever imagined; Here the fun aspect is clearly pushed to the background.

Goddess of War

If you’ve already played the first Hellblade, You won’t be surprised by the very limited aspect of the gameplay. However, Ninja Theory’s title seems eager to welcome a new audience, opening with a sort of “reminder of facts” that roughly summarizes the events of the first episode. This few minutes of sequence, which tells us what kind of atmosphere we expect, is also an opportunity for us to realize that this sequel has no dubbing other than the original. This means that the majority of players will need to enable subtitles, which quickly become intrusive, given that Senua is constantly bombarded with voices in her head commenting on everything she does. It’s enough to be afraid of unsolicited progress advice, which has become increasingly popular in recent years. Fortunately, this ends up being much less terrifying than Aloy’s loud thoughts in Horizon Forbidden West or Atreus’ constant advice in God of War Ragnarök, giving the player almost no time to think.

Moreover, since the comparison comes up regularly, know that there is no God of War in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, other than the atmosphere based on Norse mythologies and… despite the armored little tricks that have to be mastered, the sequence shooting is never taken for granted. preserve the illusion. Ninja Theory’s gameplay is extremely linear, its puzzles both well thought out and very repetitive, as are the rare fights it offers. its strength lies above all in its magnificent staging.. Freeing herself from any on-screen display, Senua’s second adventure offers excellent immersion, as contextual actions must be “guessed” by the player unless clearly indicated by an on-screen icon. This isn’t really a concern, as the margin for error is huge when it comes to dodging during combat. In this footage, we really appreciate the way the medallion worn around Senua’s waist is used: it gradually fills with light throughout the dodges and strikes delivered, to act as a “special” meter that allows for a chain-destructive combination. on an enemy once charged – and therefore always without any invasive icons to spoil the immersion.

An Xbox series

Make no mistake: Even though the fights are visually stunning, enemies follow each other in a predetermined manner and The overall development of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is much more thoughtful than anything else. We’re closer to Journey than Uncharted; The exploration part is minimized, and there are at least a few collectibles that have the advantage of being pretty well hidden. What’s more, we can’t recommend it enough to find all the lore totems you need to enjoy New Game+, which adds a bit more longevity to a game that’s just as short as its predecessor. The second part of the “Senua saga” is actually no longer than the first, and if we want to caricature, we can talk about a seven to eight hour (almost) “walking simulator”; Sometimes we don’t even know if it is happening or not. if we’re in a “cutscene” or playing minimally. It’s not too long, but it’s adequate, and we can especially lament the launch price (€50), which is a bit high for a dematerialized-only game.

Divided into several chapters, the different parts of which can be replayed at any time after completion (especially to find two types of collectibles), Senua’s story resembles a giant cinema blending very basic gameplay. But this allows us to delve ideally into the twists and turns of a tortured heroine’s psyche. but also to appreciate the relationships with the rare important NPCs of an adventure with an effective script, sometimes fascinating and full of mysterywhen it’s not just touching. The quality of Senua’s facial modeling has a lot to do with this, as does the absolutely amazing quality of her traveling companions (who have sweet names like Thórgestr, Fargrímr, and Ástríðr). Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, from beginning to end, gives the impression of being an actor in a very nice heroic fantasy mini-series that does not carry the burden of any length, unless of course we feel the slowness of its somewhat sluggish gameplay.

Form before matter?

If the confusion between cinema (or TV) and video game is so important, It’s also because Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is stunningly beautiful. If you’re playing on the Xbox Series, 60 frames per second can be achieved on PC regardless of resolution, but on a machine equipped with a GeForce RTX 3060 Ti the frame rate will generally oscillate around 45/50fps at 1080p. So, if you are aiming for the “4K/60” combination and are looking for stability, you will undoubtedly need a very solid configuration, the Xbox Series experience undoubtedly remains the most ideal; This is pretty consistent considering Microsoft’s marketing logic.

In this regard, we should point out that the American giant has taken care to heavily emphasize the necessity of enjoying the game with relatively high-end audio equipment. During testing, we opted for two approaches: 5.1 home theater and 3D audio headsets (in this case Sony’s “Pulse” companion to the PS5). Xbox’s communication was right: Immersion is much stronger with headsets, even if it’s just to feel those dizzying sounds coming from all over your head, which may make gamers least receptive to the concept. In terms of sound design Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II offers many benefits to the ears, such as its careful, never intrusive soundtrack that knows how to accompany the adventure at appropriate moments. In summary, it is an absolute success in terms of form, but a much more questionable success in terms of content, but in the end, we do not need to expect anything else.