Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice (2017)

I first started Hellblade a year or so ago. Unfortunately, back then my computer was having constant issues, and thought I managed to save my progress, I was unable to continue playing until very recently.

Because of this, my memory of the game, and my experience with is, is somewhat fragmented, though I think it is a testament to the game's execution than it all this time, the need to see the story to its conclusion never left me.

Lets get something out of the way. Hellblade is not a gameplay-rich game. From a technical perspective, a lot of people might be happy to call it a walking simulator, and yet that is a huge disservice to the game, to its execution, and to the story it tells.

This game is... a voyage, I guess would be the best way to describe it. You are both passenger and driver in Senua's quest to save her love's soul from Hel. A classic tale, when read from the tin, but this is no classic tale. This is a story where the grand scope of the immediate struggle comes not from the outside, but from the inside.

Does Hellblade succeeds in portraying mental illness in a way that is not just cinematic and engaging? I don't know. But I do know I have never experienced any game like this before. The voice acting, the writing, the arty style all comes together in a manner that is immensely arresting and poignant but without being totally deprived of hope, even if it is a hope raked inch by inch from a soil pelted by a lifetime's uncertainty and suffering.

I would recommend any and all to play this game, but to play it with an open mind, not as someone eager to get into a non-existent gameplay waiting further ahead, but as an experience to be enjoyed from moment to moment.

The graphics, sound design, voice work and sheer emotion of the game throughout both cutscenes and gameplay (and the wonderful transition between both) made for getting completely absorbed in the game. For someone who is not good with game mechanics it did not for a moment make me think of giving up when I was struggling such was the compelling design and story.

Be aware there are strong mental health and harm themes and I'd be cautious if you are not in the mindframe but as someone who struggles with mental health issues I found it, if anything, enticing and somewhat healing...

A fun 12 hour romp: set it on easy and enjoy the story. The visual puzzles are fun and the story is good too. I enjoyed hearing about Norse mythology and the boss fights weren’t terrible. The binaural audio is great especially in open-ear headphones.

HDR and his res visuals are good: they stick to the darks and the brights tend to be for really special aspects like lightning or the psychosis which really makes it feel special.

The character models need improvements to facial animation (they used some great tech to live capture the MC but it didn’t really translate in the cutscenes: expect quite a bit of dead eyes).

The only drawback is that the game does get a bit old toward the end and the combat is pretty rough but given this is more about story than gameplay I recommend.

PC Notes: Played 6k@55-60Hz using a 3090

The voices are core to the experience of Hellblade. The game's raison d'etre is to put you in the mind of a person struggling with mental illness, and it's incredibly effective when you allow yourself to fully immerse.

That said, it's also a nightmare to immerse yourself in - one of the most intense gaming experiences I've had, outside The Last Of Us: Part II. Be prepared, take breaks and believe you'll make it through. The journey is worth it.

I'd had this game on my wishlist for awhile, but was waiting for a bargain basement price to pick it up. Having just played it through Xbox Game Pass on PC, I think it could've totally justified a $60 price on release. It was just a really good game.

The entire game runs on the backdrop that your character has a form of psychosis / schizophrenia. To simulate the disorder, with various voices constantly chattering in your head, the game strongly suggests that you wear headphones. And unlike lots of mobile games that make this same suggestion only because the developers really like their music, you really should wear headphones for the full experience in Hellblade.

The graphics are excellent enough that when FMV was embedded in some scenes, they fooled me into thinking it was just more really-well-done 3D models. Some of the backdrops and characters you encounter are creepier than anything I've seen in supposed "horror" games. Also, the sound is amazing, plain and simple.

The gameplay starts out like the game is going to be a walking simulator, but then the combat is enough to keep you engaged. Once you lose that first combat sequence, your character's arm starts turning black. The game then warns you that once the black reaches your head, the game is over. Permadeath. Holy crap. (Though I was bad enough at a couple insta-fail puzzle sequences to learn that the threat of permadeath was actually a bluff).

Back to gameplay, I will admit that the "find this symbol" puzzles eventually started to wear on me. But aside from that and a couple cramped battle sequences with some unfortunately camera jank, this game was seriously flawless.

Убил первого босса и сдался. Возможно, это отличная иллюстрация психических расстройств. Возможно, история интересная, и эмоции от концовки это 10/10. А возможно и нет.

Мне видится, что это отличный перфоманс/арт-инсталляция/симулятор ходьбы или как это назвать? В общем, как кусок искусства - хорошо. Как игра - плохо. Можно, конечно, заметить, что все минусы работают на историю, помогают прочувствовать состояние психически нездорового человека. Но мне это не помогло.

Скучные бои. Простые и скучные. В начале игра обещает, что если умирать слишком часто, то придется начинать сначала. Но, как оказалось это враньё (по крайней мере, я ни одного подтверждения от игроков не нашел). Поэтому идея, что страх перманентной смерти усилит сопереживание не срабатывает.

Головоломки утомляют еще больше боёв. Все они (я прочитал в рецензиях) одного вида - на перспективу и восприятие пространства. То есть, на воротах нарисована руна и нужно найти в окружении эту руну и сопоставить изображения. Голоса подсказывают, если совсем тупишь. Места, с которых нужно искать определенный ракурс для определенной руны отмечены. И всё равно иногда тупишь по 5-10 минут, потому что игру что-то не устраивает, и всё правильно, но немного неточно.

Голоса клёвые, бинауральный звук это круто и хорошо. Голоса подсказывают тебе не только в головоломках, но и в бою. Вот только я через час устал от них. Устал не так, что "О, теперь я понимаю как это, когда слышишь голоса! Очень утомительно!". Нет, я просто перестал их замечать, как перестаёшь замечать дорожный шум.

Вообще, многие приёмы изображения психических недугов уже использовались в куче игр. И хотя в Hellblade все эти приёмы использованы грамотнее и лучше работают на идею, всё же, затасканность отдельных элементов мешает. Те же голоса, хоть и реализованы в разы лучше - тысячу раз использованная штука. Или галлюцинации, которые героиня не отличает от реальности (вроде гниющей руки).

Ещё по мелочам: героиня медленно ходит и бегает; лицо ей сделали неприятное (в жизни лучше); и прыгать, блять, нельзя! (это личное)

В общем, не срослось у нас. Все минусы вроде как могут работать на идею, но для меня не сработали, оставшись просто минусами. И даже такие безусловные плюсы, как звук, графика (игра типа инди за мало денег) и режиссура, не помогли. Hellblade отличная иллюстрация, для некоторых - интересный опыт. Но играть в неё утомительно скучно.

The main reason that this doesn't get five stars is because this game has some serious bug issues. Multiple times I had to restart a level because a door wouldn't open. Not sure if this happens a lot on steam, but for the PS4 version, it happened a lot. The character also has this deer in the headlights look throughout the whole game which got a little annoying.

But this game looks a psychosis in a crazy way. It is beautifully made and portrayed in a dark, beautiful way. Between the amount of research that went into portraying the voices in her head correctly, to the amount of research that went into being accurate with viking lore, the game is incredible. Plays very much like a dark souls game as far as combat goes, and the puzzles are clever, although a bit repetitive towards the end, along with the enemies.

Play this game with headphones, I feel like you won't have the best experience without it. The voices in her head are a huge part of this game. This is the first game I've played that forces you to experience hard core PTSD and it is done respectfully and incredibly.

Overall, gorgeous game, incredible premise and beautifully executed.

https://www.eurogamer.net/amp/2018-07-25-ninja-theorys-remarkable-hellblade-senuas-sacrifice-gets-full-vr-support-next-week

This is just about the most out of left field news to come out for a while! I know from games like Moss and Distance how good third-person VR can be, so this has me excited!

Excited, but I was really hoping my GTX 980 would be up to the task. Not according to their minimum requirements. Just going to cross my fingers there's some wiggle room!

I have been waiting to play this game for years ever since I first heard of the concept. Basically, you play a woman living with psychosis back in the viking age. Your village is destroyed and you go on a journey to hell to save your dead love's soul. In reality, she actually just goes on this journey in her mind due to her mental contidition.

Thats the basic gist and I loved it. The atmosphere, the beautiful/haunting landscapes, the voices you hear throughout your journey making you doubt every step you take, the viseral combat, the viking lore, and the great character of Senua. It was a great journey that was totally worth playing.

Cons: -the combat could have had more depth to it -the puzzles got on my nerves a couple of times

Pros: -beautiful landscapes -fun combat -great protagonist -eye opening look at mental illness

It was a great journey that was totally worth playing. Definitely give it a try.