Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is much more than a game featuring a character suffering
from psychosis.
The psychosis isn't just part of Senua's backstory, a character trait, or a gimmick.
Hellblade is all about psychosis.
It's evident in the story, Senua's characterization, the graphics, the combat, the puzzle solving,
and even the sound design.
Hellblade doesn't include mental health issues for shock value, unlike a certain overhyped
2017 release I could mention.
I expect the emphasis on a severe mental health condition puts off as many people as it attracts.
People suffering with mental health issues may not want to put themselves through what
could be a traumatic experience in their free time, while people who have a clean bill of
mental health (God only knows how in 2018), might assume Hellblade isn't for them and
skip it altogether.
Regardless of where you stand on the mental health spectrum, I recommend you give Hellblade
a try.
A playthrough will last you between six and eight hours and the game is often available
for $20 on sale, so it's affordable both in time and money.
With Hellblade, Ninja Theory does an admirable job in making the player think about psychosis
and how it might impact those who live with the condition.
Ninja Theory's YouTube channel has thirty development diaries, which include videos
on working with mental health professionals and those who suffer from psychosis to make
the experience as accurate as possible.
However just to be clear, playing Hellblade in no way makes me an expert or even especially
knowledgeable on the subject.
For that reason, I'm going to try to stay away from discussing anything too specific
about the condition outside of how it how plays out in the story.
If you do want discussion of the mental illness side of Hellblade, then I highly recommend
you watch the video that Leonardo Da Sidci did on the game.
I'll link to it in the description, and hopefully on screen now, if I remember.
It's an excellent video from someone much more qualified to talk about the topic than
I am.
His videos are always excellent, so you should subscribe to the channel while you're there.
This video is going to be split between story discussion and gameplay analysis.
I know not everyone likes straight up story commentary, so fair warning, that's what
you're going to get for about eight minutes.
I happen to think the story is interesting enough that it's worth recounting, plus
I didn't entirely understand the story after one playthrough so it's possible some of
you didn't either.
This obviously means there will be full spoilers and those spoilers will start shortly, so
close the video now if you want to play the game.
If you want to skip the straight up story commentary then you can skip to the time on
screen now where I start digging a little deeper into the lorestones and other more
subtle parts of the story.
Finally If you want to skip all story related discussion then skip to the time that's
on screen now to go straight to gameplay.
There's a spoiler-free written review of Hellblade on my website, once again linked
to in the description.
I ended up giving the game four stars out of five.
It wasn't quite a five star game for me, but it is a special one nonetheless.
There was a little too much downtime and moments that I found a touch boring.
Many people will argue that the tedious moments are essential to the story Ninja Theory is
trying to tell and I won't dispute that.
People defending the combat and puzzle solving aren't wrong by any stretch, I just don't
happen to agree in this instance.
While I didn't love a lot of the gameplay, I did love the story and Senua as a character,
so let's dig into that.
Much of Hellblade's story, and certainly the most interesting parts, take place before
the events of the game.
The backstory is revealed through flashbacks and lorestones that are scattered throughout
the world.
Senua also has conversations with people who aren't there.
In fact, there's a lot going on in Senua's head, so let's clear that up quickly.
Senua suffers from psychosis.
The most obvious way this manifests is through four voices, known as the Furies, that talk
to Senua throughout her journey.
If you're wearing headphones when you play, and you really should be, you'll hear the
Furies as if they are all around you.
It can be pretty intense at times.
The Furies sometimes help you out, such as stating that "you're going the wrong way,"
although they tend to feed more into your self-doubt and insecurity, becoming more something
you should try to ignore than seek guidance from.
In addition to the Furies, Senua hears from a man called Druth.
He guides her on the journey and is the voice you'll hear reading out the lorestones.
There's also the Shadow, who pops up regularly to tell Senua that her quest is hopeless and
that she should give up.
So what is her quest?
The short answer is that she's seeking redemption for the soul of her lover, Dillion, by taking
Dillion's head to Helheim to visit the Norse God Hela.
The longer answer requires a trip back to her childhood.
For the sake of simplicity I'm going to talk through the story in chronological order,
not the order we uncover it in the game.
Senua is a Pict warrior from Orkney, an island off the north coast of Scotland.
The Pict warriors were a fierce bunch and the women would fight alongside the men.
The Pict were so feared that the Romans built Hadrian's Wall in what is now the north
of England to keep them from moving further South into Roman territory.
We're never officially given a year that Hellblade takes place in, however given the
story's focus on Vikings invading Orkney, it's presumably set around the late 8th
or early 9th century.
From a young age, Senua suffered from what we now call psychosis.
Essentially, she saw and heard things that weren't there, including the Furies who
lived in her head.
I'm sure it's more complicated than that, but that's the way it manifests in the game.
Her mother, Galena, also suffered from psychosis.
Galena tried to reassure Senua that the voices were a gift from the Gods and not a curse.
Her father, Zynbel, didn't agree.
Zynbel abused both his wife and Senua, believing they were consumed with darkness which would
bring trouble to the town.
When Senua was still a child, Zynbel convinced the townsfolk that his wife was a witch and
they burned her alive.
Senua witnessed her mother's death but promptly repressed the memory and believed her father's
lie that Galena killed herself to escape her curse.
Senua spent most of her childhood locked up in a small room, although she was occasionally
allowed out to complete chores.
Her father physically and emotionally abused her and she continued to be haunted by the
voices competing for attention in her head.
On one of the rare occasions she was allowed out of the house, Senua wandered into the
woods and saw a young man training with a sword by a large tree.
She watched him train and returned to do so at every possible opportunity, memorizing
his movements and practising in her own time.
One day, the man spotted Senua observing and introduced himself as Dillion.
Dillion was impressed at how much Senua learned just by watching him, so he offered to teach
her.
They practiced regularly and eventually fell in love.
A plague hit Senua's town, killing many of the townsfolk, including Dillion's father.
Zynbel blamed Senua, saying that the plague was evidence of her curse.
Senua started to think her father might be right and thought Dillion also blamed her
although that wasn't the case.
Dillion was incredibly supportive, but Senua decided to leave the town anyway, hoping to
get rid of the darkness that haunted her.
While in the forest, she met a man named Druth.
Druth used to be a captive of the Northmen but he escaped, albeit with serious injuries.
He told Senua everything he learned about the Northmen and their religious beliefs and
rituals.
As you might have guessed, the Northmen are basically Vikings.
Druth eventually died from his injuries.
There's one more piece to Druth's story, but I'll save that for later.
After Druth's death, Senua returned to her village only to find it decimated by the Northmen.
Some of the villagers were captured and taken as slaves, however many were murdered outright,
including Dillion.
Senua found Dillion's body hung up as part of the gruesome blood eagle ritual that Vikings
were rumored to have used around this time.
Whether they did or not is debatable, but it's horrifying to think about.
The victim's ribs were broken and the lungs were pulled out of the chest and spread out
to represent wings.
Senua knew about the Northmen's beliefs and rituals due to her conversations with
Druth.
One of those beliefs is that the Blood Eagle execution meant Dillion's soul cannot find
rest.
She must head to Helheim, Hall of the Dead, and bargain with Hela, daughter of Loki and
lord of the underworld, to ensure Dillion's soul can move on.
This is where Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice begins.
It's not clear exactly how much of what happens from here on out is real and what
is just in Senua's head.
It's certainly not all real.
At the very least, the enemies she encounters are imaginary and some of the locations clearly
are as well.
However, whether she actually travels across the sea on a raft to reach what she believes
is Helheim is debatable.
The version I'm going with is that she sets sail from Orkney on a raft, taking Dillion's
head with her, and reaches an island that she believes is her destination just outside
Helheim.
Her mind does the rest.
Helheim is guarded by two creatures: Surt and Valravn.
Each has its own thematic level that must be completed before a boss fight against the
beasts themselves.
Surt is a fire beast, so naturally his level involves lighting a couple of sacrificial
fires and then escaping before Senua succumbs to the flames.
Valravn is the God of Illusion.
He's actually a Danish legend, not a Norse one.
I doubt this was an oversight.
Ninja Theory probably just wanted to include an illusion theme in the levels and the God
of Illusion was the best fit.
It's hardly a stretch to imagine that Druth might have picked up on some other legends
which he then passed on to Senua.
The illusion levels have Senua using portals to make parts of the environment appear and
disappear.
I'll discuss these mechanics later in the gameplay section.
After defeating Surt and Valravn, Senua makes it to the gates of Helheim, however before
she can enter, Hela appears and forces Senua off the bridge, breaking her sword in the
process.
This middle act is where the story drags on a little too slowly for my liking.
Senua finds a sword stuck in a tree.
In the myth, the sword, named Gramr, was thrust into the tree by Odin.
Whoever could free the sword could keep it.
A man named Sigmund ended up as the chosen one and released the sword, however he was
captured and ended up in a fight against Odin.
Odin's spear broke the sword and Sigmund accepted his fate.
Sigmund's final wish was for his son to rebuild Gramr out of the remaining pieces.
Senua can't free Gramr until she's completed four trials.
These sections are all puzzle-focused because without the sword Senua can't fight.
You can do the trials in any order and they don't add a great deal to the story.
The labyrinth trial is a maze that has you stumbling into rooms you've already visited
if you don't pay close attention to the map on the floor in the shape of a tree.
The presentation of the map is pretty good.
There's a clear starting point and end goal, so you just have to memorize whether you need
to take the right or left exit from each room.
It's obvious enough that most people will figure it out but still obtuse enough that
you feel vaguely accomplished for following the hint.
My only minor complaint is that the map isn't at the starting point.
You have to backtrack one room and start again.
It feels like this should have been at the entrance and there's nothing to indicate
that it's not.
Still, going the wrong way leads you to one of the lorestones you need to collect, so
no real harm done.
The Tower Trial has probably the most satisfying puzzles in the game.
You have to look through large faces to change the world around you and access new areas.
The Swamp trial has similar illusion mechanics and ends with a fiery beast chasing after
you.
Finally, the Blindness Trial takes place in almost complete darkness as you try to avoid
beasts lurking in the shadows.
I've gone through the trials pretty quickly, but they make up a substantial part of the
game.
Once the trials are complete, Senua grabs Gramr from the tree and is ready to enter
Helheim.
Before she can do this, she has to work her way through the sea of corpses and a couple
of relatively tough combat encounters.
Once in Helheim, Senua must overcome the Shadow that's been whispering doubts in her ear
the entire way through.
Senua initially believes the Shadow is the curse that's part of her illness, however
it's actually a representation of her father.
After defeating the Shadow and facing off against a beast called Fenrir, Senua can enter
Hela's Sanctum.
There's another puzzle that requires piecing together a bridge by standing in the right
position and focusing to make sure all the pieces are properly aligned and then Senua
finally confronts Hela.
Kind of.
We see Hela but never get to fight her.
Instead, Senua fights waves of enemies, including the bosses we fought previously, and eventually
Senua falls in combat.
You can't win the final fight, although you can keep going for some time.
Senua begs Hela to save Dillion's soul, but Hela refuses.
Senua remembers Dillion talking about accepting loss.
We see Hela toss Dillian's head over the edge, although it's then revealed that this
is Senua as she accepts Dillion's death and the presence of the Furies inside her
head.
The ending is perhaps a touch predictable.
Dillion was never going to come back to life, nor was that Senua's plan.
It also never seemed likely that the game would end with Hela granting Dillion peace.
That left Senua's acceptance of Dillion's death as the most probable outcome, although
given the use of the word "Sacrifice" in the title, I did wonder if it might have
a darker ending.
I enjoyed unravelling the story and Ninja Theory did an excellent job of rewarding players
who dug into the lorestones a little more, while ensuring the plot still made sense in
its own right.
Digging into the information contained in the lorestones helps flesh out Senua's journey
a little further.
There are 44 lorestones in Hellblade.
None of them are really hidden as such, although you'll occasionally need to look around
a corner to spot them.
I missed five on my first playthrough, however they carry over so you don't need to collect
them all in one run.
Each lorestone provides a little snippet of story from Druth.
The stories are split into chapters so if you collect all the lorestones in a given
chapter then you'll get the complete story for that chapter.
The stories generally tie into the theme of the chapter, but in some the link is more
apparent than others.
For example, the story of the sword, Gramr, is told in the chapter in which you find it,
however the last chapter has a generic story about Ragnarok which doesn't really fit
except that Ragnarok is thematically linked to endings.
For the most part, Senua is remembering the stories as Druth told them.
However, at the start, she imagines him speaking to her in a way which can't be a direct
memory because he specifically tells her about the journey she needs to take to save Dillion's
soul which he couldn't have known at the time.
For me, the most interesting part of all this is that Senua wouldn't have gone on this
journey at all, nor endured most of the hardship, had Druth not told her the Northmen myths
in the first place.
Senua had to fight Surt and Valravn to reach Helheim because Druth told her they guarded
it.
She had to endure trials to get Gramr because Druth told her about the mystical sword that
would help her defeat Hela.
Even Hela is part of the myth that Senua wouldn't have known about if it were not for Druth.
If she'd never met him, she might not have believed Dillion's soul needed saving at
all and wouldn't have gone on the journey.
Of course, given Senua's illness, combined with years of abuse at the hands of her father,
there's a good chance her mind would have snapped upon seeing Dillion's body and come
up with another way to torture her.
While on the topic of Druth, there's a little more to him than he initially lets on.
If you collect all the lorestones, there's a secret cutscene right before the confrontation
with Hela.
Here you learn that Druth used to go by the name Findan.
He was captured by the Northmen and kept alive because he could speak lots of languages,
including their own.
Findan hoped to broker a peace between the Pict and the Northmen, but instead he caved
under torture and told the Northmen where they could find treasure and more slaves.
While with the Northmen, Druth saw a man in black come to the Northmen and make a bargain
for free passage.
The man in black is almost certainly Senua's father.
We don't know exactly what Zynbel told the Northmen, however I suspect he gave them information
that led them to the Pict village which in turn led to Dillion's slaughter.
We don't know what happened to Zynbel, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if he was
with the Northmen in some fashion.
This extra scene is a fitting reward for finding all the lorestones.
It's not too much that you miss out on a huge part of the story if you don't get
it, but it's a tiny little snippet of information you wouldn't otherwise have which makes
you hate Senua's father even more and perhaps feel more conflicted about Druth, or just
sorry for him.
The lorestones have one final secret left.
There's a message if you translate them.
I have no way of verifying any of this, however there are multiple reddit threads and blog
posts that translate the runes in the same way, together with discussion and correction
of errors, so I see no reason to doubt it.
The lorestones read: Seek Hela's Truth in Mirror Gods Betray Us Unmask Fear.
It seems reasonable to split this into three parts.
Seek Hela's Truth in Mirror.
Gods Betray Us.
Unmask Fear.
I'm not sure how much to read into this.
Unmask Fear could just be a general term for overcoming your fears and doubts.
It also might tie into the level where Senua uses masks to create changes to the environment.
Gods Betray Us seems to run counter to one of Hellblade's important messages which
is that it's not god's who cause the suffering, but those closest to us.
Seek Hela's Truth in Mirror seems a little more clearcut.
Senua carries a mirror with her the entire game.
She uses this to focus which slows down time in combat.
She also looks through a large mirror right at the end to uncover Hela.
And of course a mirror shows your own reflection which is likely a reference to Hela and Senua
being one and the same at the end.
Runes are a recurring theme in the game.
As well as being linked to the lorestones, Senua also has to find runes in the environment
to unlock doors.
I desperately wanted to find some concrete reason for why Senua's mind concocted these
runes.
It's obvious why her mind created Northmen as enemies to defeat, but the runes seemed
so random by comparison.
I've come up with three theories and I'm not entirely happy with any of them.
The first would be the most uninteresting answer.
In one of the lorestones near the end of the game, Druth tells Senua that, like Sigurd,
she must learn the secrets of the runes to defeat the Gods in Hel.
This seems straightforward enough, I guess, however in this myth the runes are described
as taking various forms such as victory runes, ship runes, persuasion runes, healing runes,
perception runes, etc.
In the game, Senua just finds runes to open doors.
They certainly don't give her any special powers, although I could be trying to read
it too literally.
One of the first stories Druth tells us via the lorestones is that of Odin, the Allfather
and foremost of all Gods.
Odin craved knowledge of the runes, however he knew that knowledge required sacrifice.
Odin hung himself from the world tree and stabbed himself with a spear.
He stayed there for days without food or water until at last the runes revealed themselves
to him.
Given the Senua's Sacrifice part of the game's title, I'm inclined to think that
Senua's mind concocted the runes to remind her that she won't get anywhere without
sacrifice.
Odin's physical pain was perhaps a little more obvious, however Senua is clearly still
putting herself through an ordeal in her bid to reach Helheim.
She has to suffer for the runes to appear.
Of course, that doesn't entirely fit with the way these puzzles are placed in the game.
When you're looking for runes, the area is nearly always devoid of enemies and you're
in no immediate danger.
It's relaxing.
I imagine hanging from a tree and stabbing yourself with a spear is not comparable.
It's likely somewhere upwards of six point five on the discomfort scale.
My final theory is probably the weakest, but it's also the one I hope is correct.
Late in the game, we get a brief glimpse of Senua in a small room.
I'm pretty sure this is a flashback to the times her father locked her up.
The walls have runes on them, so perhaps Senua associates these runes with being trapped
behind a locked door and finding the right combination is her way out.
Told you it was a stretch.
If you have another theory, or if you can support or counter my theories, then please
do let me know in the comments.
I have a few more minor points on the story and characters but they're tied in closely
with gameplay mechanics and are better discussed as part of that section.
So without further adieu…
Gameplay in Hellblade is easily split into two separate sections: combat and puzzles.
There's a tiny bit of exploration required to find all the lorestones, however it's
so minimal that it's barely worth mentioning.
You'll likely fully explore each area in the process of solving the puzzles and for
the most part Hellblade is fairly linear.
Let's start with a quick overview of the combat.
Senua can do a light attack, heavy attack and a melee attack.
She also has a block and dodge.
Successful attacks build up Senua's focus gage which is represented by a blue light
on her mirror.
You can use this whenever you like to slow down time which is obviously useful for getting
out of tight spots.
If you time a block just right, you'll do a successful parry which gives you an opening
for an attack that deals extra damage in addition to providing additional focus.
There isn't much in the way of enemy variety.
Although they come in various sizes, with the larger enemies dealing more damage and
taking more hits to go down, there's only one standard enemy that encourages the use
of tactics beyond timing blocks and counters.
The enemy with the shield is unsurprisingly good at blocking attacks.
You can knock his shield out of the way with a quick melee attack and then get in a couple
of hits before he regains his composure.
Or you can just use your focus ability to get behind him, which is what I tended to
do.
Everything is present and correct as you'd expect.
Hellblade also has a trick up its sleeve.
The furies that continually whisper in Senua's head, and yours if you're playing with headphones,
will alert you to an enemy that's about to attack you
from behind.
You don't have to turn around.
Just hit the block button and Senua will block the incoming attack, probably with near-perfect
timing.
The combat looks damn good in motion.
Pulling off a perfect dodge gives a lovely blue flash as time slows down briefly.
If you attack while running, you do a leaping thrust into the enemy's belly.
It's not difficult to get into a rhythm of blocking one attack countering to kill
the enemy, running to another enemy, stabbing them in the chest, blocking another attack
in response to a shout from one of the furies, going into focus mode and then finishing them
all off.
It looks impressive, but it never feels particularly fun.
The major problem is Senua's speed of movement and it's a problem that pervades the entire
game.
Senua is slow.
Her running speed is more akin to a quick walk for most characters and her actual walk
is unbearable.
Whenever you're not in combat, you'll be holding down the run button.
In my case, I kept pressing it harder, subconsciously hoping Senua would move a bit faster.
It's possible that the slow speed was a conscious decision to add to Hellblade's
atmosphere, however I suspect it was more to do with achieving a stable framerate.
I encountered a few framerate drops in larger areas although given the nature of the game
it wasn't a huge deal.
It just added to the feeling that Senua was always walking through a thick sludge, desperate
for the day when she would finally get the chance to stretch her legs.
I've noticed this problem a lot in games from smaller studios, who are clearly capable
of creating incredibly detailed environments but struggle to get the game running smoothly
and force the player to walk slowly lest the framerate take a dive.
The camera is also really close to Senua.
According to Ninja Theory's developer diaries, this was necessary due to the smaller team
size.
A free roaming camera or a camera that follows a particular path as the protagonist moves
through the world, requires a hell of a lot of coding time that Ninja Theory didn't
have.
An over the shoulder camera is much easier to program and avoids the problem of it getting
stuck on scenery.
I understand why the camera is this close, but I don't particularly like it.
The slow movement makes combat far too easy because in any one on one fight you can easily
block attacks and get a couple of counters in.
In fact, it's so slow, that when I did get a beating, it was typically because I'd
dodged or blocked far too early.
Hellblade only gets reasonably challenging when multiple enemies come into play and that's
when the close camera is a problem.
You only need two or three enemies around you to completely clog up the screen.
The combat arenas are small and you often end up against walls and completely unable
to see what's going on.
The fight still won't necessarily be all that tough and you can always use the focus
ability to get out of danger.
It just isn't much fun.
I typically button mashed my way out until I could see some of the environment again.
Hellblade was initially going to have directional combat, with the player able to choose which
direction Senua attacked from.
However, this was tough to program for with lots of animations required and it was considered
too hard when multiple enemies were on screen.
What I found particularly frustrating is that Ninja Theory seems really close to a more
entertaining alternative.
It's even kind of in the game already, Ninja Theory just didn't fully embrace it.
I can't quite believe I'm saying this, but the solution is… more quick time events.
My favorite part of Hellblade's combat is already effectively a QTE, it's just that
instead of responding to a visual button prompt, you respond to an audio one.
When you're in combat, if an enemy comes up behind you and is about to attack, one
of the furies will typically whisper in your ear and say "behind you."
If you react quickly and press the block button then Senua will turn around and pull off a
perfect block.
Once again, this isn't challenging and yet it feels incredibly satisfying.
I wish the concept had been taken further.
Due to the close camera, you often can't see enemies when they're either side of
you.
Or if you can see them, you can't see exactly when they're going to attack.
There are some subtle audio cues, but in the heat of battle it can be tough to pick them
out.
It would be great if the Furies in Senua's head had also warned me of attacks coming
from other directions.
If Ninja Theory wanted to go all out, it could have required Senua to respond to these voices
throughout combat encounters.
Instead of just pressing the block button, you could be required to tap left, right,
or down, to spin Senua around first and then get the block in.
The combat wouldn't need to be entirely QTE based of course.
You could still have the same combat when fighting enemies.
Using the Furies to help Senua would not only fit thematically with the story, but would
also help with Hellblade's otherwise problematic camera while spicing up the combat a touch.
If Ninja Theory wanted to go all out, it could even have one of the Furies trying to mess
with Senua by tricking her about the enemy placement.
For example, what if one of the Furies regularly misled Senua by saying, for example, "on
your left" but whispering it in your right ear.
You'd have to act quickly so you might panic and go to the right because that's where
the sound came from.
A few added features like that would have been enough to keep combat interesting for
the entire playthrough.
As it is, I quickly got bored.
A change like this would pretty much necessitate the use of headphones or a decent surround
system, but I'd argue that's almost essential to the experience anyway.
In my videos, I quite often suggest changes I'd like to see in games and people criticise
this as a case of reviewing the game I want to play not the one I'm actually playing.
It's a fair criticism and one I often struggle to find the right balance on.
I'm not anywhere near arrogant or naive enough to believe that developers are even
aware of who I am, let alone watching my videos and taking notes.
The goal of offering up these suggestions is to develop the criticism a little more.
Instead of just saying, I don't like the combat because it's too slow, I want to
offer up small ways in which it could be improved to better illustrate what I mean.
Hopefully, with these comments, I'm keeping within the spirit of the game and the budget
of a developer like Ninja Theory while also making it clear what I think Hellblade could
have done better.
I don't just want the combat to be like Bloodborne.
I mean, I do, but that's not realistic.
I just think Ninja Theory missed a couple of opportunities here.
And unfortunately I feel much the same way about the puzzles.
They start off showing promise, but by the time you've made it a third of the way through
the game, you'll have seen all they have to offer.
Progression through the levels is often blocked by a locked door.
To open the door, Senua has to find a rune in the environment that matches the one on
the door.
Some doors have up to three runes, in which case you need to find them all.
The runes aren't typical collectibles.
You won't have to explore every nook and cranny of the level.
Instead, you just need to look around you and take in the environment.
It could be a satisfying puzzle system.
Early on, you find yourself staring at two separate trees and wondering whether Senua
could stand in just the place so that they make the shape you're after.
Or maybe there's a shadow on the ground that looks a bit like the rune, if you could
just get to high ground and look at it from a different angle.
Some complexity is added over the next couple of hours, but not a lot.
In addition to looking for runes in the environment, you also have to stand in the right place
to create staircases and paths to new areas or look through portals to change the world
around you.
For example, in this section you have to look through this portal so that a gap in the wall
appears, then go through the wall to unlock the door, then return to the previous portal
and turn things back the way they were.
Using the now open door, you can return to this area and access the path across to where
you need to be.
One level takes this a step further by changing the entire world around you when you look
through the portals.
This was probably the highlight of Hellblade's puzzle system, but I would have loved to see
it taken further.
I suspect one of the reasons it wasn't is once again due to Senua's slow running speed.
While I liked the style of these puzzles, the need to run back and forth between portals
quickly gets tedious.
If Senua moved a bit quicker then running around to figure out puzzles wouldn't be
a problem.
As it stands, if you make one or two mistakes, or get briefly confused and have to backtrack
a bit, you're going to be doing that thing where you squeeze the run button as tightly
as possible in the vain hope that it will unlock Senua's hidden sprint mode.
The puzzles are also a touch easy and there are a few too many hints for my liking.
When you're looking for runes and you get near the correct location, the rune in question
will appear highlighted on the screen to tell you you're in the right place.
It's then just a case of spinning around until you see the correct shape.
Hellblade's early game testers regularly got lost, however the environments were changed
to make the desired path a bit clearer.
That should have been enough, but instead Ninja Theory might have played it a little
too safe with the difficulty.
One late game puzzle heads in the right direction, but still stops before it really challenges
the player.
Senua has to avoid the darkness.
She can carry a torch, however to get to where she needs to be, she must walk through a waterfall,
which or course extinguishes the torch.
Most people will likely get caught once figuring this out.
You need to go to another area first and light a torch to provide a safe zone.
Senua can then run to the light, knock down a bridge and create a clear path.
Another late game puzzle has you fixing a bridge by standing in the correct spot to
align its separate parts until you can walk across.
At one point, you have to walk onto the still incomplete bridge and look back towards where
you were standing before to create a new area you can then head to to complete the bridge.
I enjoyed these two puzzles, but they're about as taxing as the game got.
Even a couple of Uncharted-esque puzzles where you have to pull levers and move objects around
would have provided a welcome bit of challenge.
I'm not convinced the hints that appear on screen were necessary.
Most of the puzzle areas are small and there's only so much space for you to move around.
I suspect the main reason for these is to prevent people focusing on the wrong shape
which may otherwise look correct.
I did this once myself.
Getting frustrated probably doesn't enhance the experience and so Ninja Theory added in
the hints to ensure everyone had a smooth playthrough.
The option to turn the hints off would have been appreciated though.
Finally, I have to wonder whether the Furies could have been incorporated into puzzles
a little more, ideally as a replacement for the hint system.
They occasionally chip in to tell Senua that she's going the wrong way and they constantly
doubt her ability to succeed, but I'd have loved it if they'd messed with her a bit
more.
As with my suggestion for the combat, the Furies could offer tips of where to go, but
one of the Furies could lie and try to lead Senua astray.
This feels much more fitting with Senua's journey than lots of bright runes appearing
in her vision when she happens to be close to the right spot.
It's quite possible that everything I've listed as a problem with combat and the puzzles
was intentional.
Ninja Theory didn't want people to struggle with puzzles, Senua is supposed to be slow
to move around, and the combat is supposed to be a bit of a slog.
That could all have been done to better get across the atmosphere that Ninja Theory was
going for.
There's nothing wrong with that of course, but for me it slightly took the edge off the
experience.
It's what stops Hellblade from being a five-star game in my eyes.
It won't bother everyone and some people will see it as absolutely crucial to the experience.
There's plenty in Hellblade that even a contrarian nitpicker like myself can enjoy.
Hellblade won awards for its sound design and they were well-deserved.
I knew before I started playing that Senua had voices in her head, but I had no idea
they'd be so effective.
Even during normal sections, they taunt Senua, filling her mind with doubts and encouraging
her to go back.
With a decent set of headphones, these voices will fill your mind in much the same way,
inflicting you with all those same doubts.
Ninja Theory used binaural recording to capture the voices of the furies and its efforts paid
off.
One moment was especially effective.
During one of the trials, Senua is almost blind.
She can just about make out some light and is aware that there are monsters nearby.
As she sneaks through, one of the furies whispers in your left ear.
It's so subtle that I was sure I could actually feel the breath on the back of my neck and
I shivered a couple of times even when on my second playthrough.
Special mention should also go to the HUD, or lack thereof.
There's nothing on screen.
Enemy health is displayed by the number of cuts they have on their bodies while Senua's
health is visualized through filters that make the screen darker and blurrier as she
takes damage.
Senua's focus gage is displayed on the mirror she carries around that is visible at all
times.
Hellblade often looks gorgeous and borderline photo-realistic.
The lack of a HUD lets you fully appreciate that without having to constantly go into
a photo mode.
Upon its release, Hellblade got a lot of negative attention due to its permadeath system.
Early on in the game, you end up in a fight you cannot win.
Senua is killed before coming back to life with a black rot spreading up her arm.
You're told that the black rot will continue to spread with each death.
If the rot reaches Senua's head then she will die permanently.
Your save file will be wiped and you'll be forced to start the game from the beginning.
There are two issues to this.
First, was it a good idea to include this permadeath message considering it isn't
actually true?
Second, would permadeath be a good addition anyway?
Hellblade doesn't have permadeath.
Or at least, if it does you must have to die so often that no one will ever discover it.
I tested it myself, but got bored around the twentieth death.
I've seen reports online of people dying over fifty times and not triggering it.
I can't find any video evidence of it actually happening.
This generated a lot of confusion around release and while to a certain extent all publicity
is good publicity, I have to wonder how many sales were lost to people put off by the idea
of permadeath.
Overall, the decision to include the lie about permadeath doesn't seem to have been worth
the risk.
Hellblade sold well, however it was a digital only release and most purchasers are those
already attuned to the video game industry.
They would have found out about the misleading permadeath before playing and therefore the
only people who experienced Hellblade with the permadeath in mind were journalists who
got early review copies.
It all ended up being a big fuss about nothing and was probably a steep learning experience
for Ninja Theory, publishing their first game as an independent studio.
A permadeath mechanic adds tension.
Potentially quite a lot, depending on how far into the game you are and how close you
are to losing your save.
There are reviews of Hellblade that comment on the added tension they felt knowing they
could lose it all at any minute.
The tension would make you worry about every combat encounter and stop you treating them
like a chore.
That sounds good.
When you finish Hellblade under those circumstances, you'll no doubt breathe a sigh of relief
and probably feel like you've truly overcome something, much like Senua.
So what's the problem with permadeath?
Well, while it's great for those who overcome the tension and win, it's a big punishment
for those who don't.
Lots of things in life are tense.
I imagine tightrope walking between two buildings is tense, but there's a reason you won't
catch me doing it.
I'm terrified of heights.
But also because the punishment is too great.
Some people likely crave the tension and relief they get from making it to the other side,
however those who fail are in a spot of bother.
Despite Hellblade's frequent combat encounters, it's generally something people play for
the experience, not the gameplay.
I found a second playthrough rewarding because it helped clear up the story, however the
experience of playing it again was a slog.
So no, Hellblade should not have a permadeath mechanic.
It's not worth the frustration it would impart on those who fail.
Ninja Theory's tiny budget also rears its head in some of the cutscenes as well.
As you may already know, the actor playing Senua, Melina Juergens, started off with Ninja
Theory as a video editor and was only filling in until a professional actor was hired.
She ended up getting the job and deservedly won an award at TGA 2017 for her performance.
Unfortunately, Juergens was the only character whose performance was motion-captured.
Characters like Druth, Galena, and Dillion pop up in full motion video which looks jarring
alongside Senua.
Dillion's character is especially weird because he has a trendy and well-kempt beard
which I'm fairly sure was beyond the capabilities of whatever the ninth century version of Gillette
might have been.
It's also hard not to notice the restricted space that Ninja Theory worked with for its
motion capture.
Every big moment is accompanied by the camera panning around Senua as she stares into space.
This could have been an artistic decision, however I'm sure Ninja Theory would have
done a little more with Senua if it had more space to work with.
Those are obviously minor niggles, but I've never talked about a game without nitpicking
and I'm not about to start now.
Really, these complaints do more to emphasize what a phenomenal job Ninja Theory did with
a limited budget.
The team was between twelve and fifteen people.
One guy designed the environment.
One woman designed most of the enemies.
Epic Games chipped in to help with the engine and other contractors were used to help with
motion capture, however everyone at Ninja Theory had to fire on all cylinders for Hellblade
to be this good.
The development diaries are a fascinating watch and I highly recommend checking them
out.
There are thirty in total, around five to six minutes each.
In addition to showing behind the scenes footage of motion capture, environment design, and
storytelling, you'll also see the ways the team was able to save money by turning a meeting
room into a motion capture studio with wardrobe poles from Ikea and £20 lighting equipment
from Amazon.
Ninja Theory has shown it can save money with a bit of creative thinking however I hope
it gets a bigger budget for its next project because it's earned it.
Mind you, I remember thinking much the same thing after playing Enslaved: Odyssey to the
West and Ninja Theory's next game ended up being Devil May Cry.
Make of that what you will.
Large parts of Hellblade are excellent.
It's atmosphere, story, and sound design are all top quality.
There are moments when gameplay and story intersect perfectly, such as the chapter when
Senua is trying to escape the Shadow haunting her mind by literally staying out of the shadows.
The rest of the time, however, the gameplay is just kind of bland due to Senua's slow
pace of movement and combat.
If you think of Hellblade as an experience akin to a cross between a walking simulator
and an action game then you should have a good idea what to expect.
If you have higher expectations then you're likely to be disappointed.
Everything I've complained about could be argued as an important part of Hellblade's
experience that shouldn't be changed.
You may well be one of the many people who disagree with my complaints, so I highly encourage
you to give it a try if you can.
And that's it.
Thanks for watching.
If you enjoyed the video please consider hitting the like button and subscribing if you want
to see what I'm doing next.
Please let me know in the comments if you can clarify any parts of the story that I
got wrong or was uncertain about.
My next video should be on Fallout 2 for the next part in my Isometric CRPG series.
I'm not sure exactly what's coming up after that, but I've got a fair few ideas
in the works.
I'm not going to say exactly what, because I've made that mistake before.
In the meantime, I'm still streaming on Twitch.
I've been playing a lot of Kingdom Come: Deliverance and Okami HD recently and will
probably keep going with those for most of March.
I should be starting a playthrough of Far Cry 5 when it's released on March 27th.
Okay, that's it from me.
Cheers.
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