Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice was a monumental achievement for sound engineering in gaming when it was first released in 2017. It has retained much acclaim for its beautiful graphics. But the real power of hellblade lies in his writing. The game is dark and atmospheric, with a clear and concise story. It is a short game, taking only six to eight hours to complete. Instead of focusing on an expansive world, the focus is on the character and plot.
The gameplay of the title is quite simple and consists of environmental puzzles and hack-and-slash fighting mechanics. This simplicity, however, serves to keep the focus fully on the story. The story revolves around a young Celtic woman who travels to Helheim in Norway to save the soul of her deceased lover, who was sacrificed by invading Normans. There are no side quests, but this is not a minus. The linear story and constant cutscenes give the game a cinematic aesthetic.
Many creatures from Norse mythology, such as Fenrir, a wolf and sister of the ruler of Hell, are sprinkled throughout the game. Senua must fight against several gods, including Hela, herself the ruler of the underworld. Many of these creatures, including common Norman enemies, wear animal skulls over their faces. The skulls and faceless enemies add to the horror element of the game, while also serving to keep the focus on the main plot by hiding an aspect of their identities.
The world building is centered almost entirely around Old Norse and Viking cultures, with some references to Celtic lore. In each level, players can find lorestones that tell the player about sagas and legends straight from Norse literature and mythology. These myths align with the level to which they correspond and add depth to the procedure. For example, in one level, Senua has to go through a dark area and can’t see anything. The accompanying lorestone tells the story of Grettir the Strong, who becomes afraid of the dark after an encounter with a mythical creature. Occasionally, a character by the name of Druth, who acts as an advisor to Senua on all things Norse, makes some references to Celtic mythology, such as the Tuatha Dé Danann, a group of Irish gods.
The best feature of the game is the title character Senua. Senua is a young Celtic woman who suffers from psychosis. She constantly hears voices, which the player also hears during the game. Sometimes the voices are useful and give hints about the next action the player should take. However, they are often discouraging and bring up traumas from Senua’s past. Each new level brings new messages from the voices that expand Senua’s story and add to the tense atmosphere in the game.
Senua is a testament to the careful and respectful approach taken by the writers in creating a character suffering from mental health issues. The team consulted with both mental health professionals and people suffering from psychosis. As a result, the game has received a lot of praise for its authentic portrayal of these ailments.
Between the cutscenes and the voices, it becomes clear that Senua is struggling with her psychosis. Her mother had similar symptoms and her father treated her as if she were cursed. Senua’s love, Dillion, becomes the first to accept her and disprove the idea that she is cursed. This makes her struggle through Helheim to save him even more compelling, and the abuse she takes from the votes, blaming her for Dillion’s death, is heartbreaking. Even gamers who come to this title for the graphics or sound design will appreciate the character and her story.
The sequel, Hellblade: Senua’s Saga, is expected to be released sometime this year, but an exact date has not been disclosed. The trailer illustrates graphics and audio engineering that are right on par with The Sacrifice of Senua. However, to live up to its predecessor, the sequel must continue the writing quality of the first part.
0 Comments