Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

It's hard not to rate this game 4 stars. The first thing to note is the $30 value more than makes up for the game's hours of play. There are several moments where you think its ending then it keeps going, particularly entering act 3. As for graphics, it's at the highest level. Amazing textures and lighting and the facial expression control is unmatched, The animations and mocap are solid and the combat feels smooth and precise. Particularly the parry system. The voice acting is solid and the soundscape is of the best ever made. Story is great as well, really delving into the mind of Senua and creating layer after layer of engaging content. So why the opening comment? There isn't enough diversity within two primary elements: Combat and Puzzles, despite having gone to such stellar lengths to create them. Combat is great but is limited to the same small batch of animations with no growth as the game moves into the later chapters. The puzzles are clever, at first, then they become repetitive. However, Ninja Theory is such a solid studio I am certain there must be a reason for these shortcomings and I would expect a full length release from them will be very, very hard to beat. Overall I think this game should see countless accolades for its sheer beauty and immersiveness. It is worth every penny.

Basically it's a delierous dream simulator. You might say that it is meant to be this way, but I don't think people sufferring from psychosis are opening gates by finding similar patterns in trees (this part of the game is really boring and annoying). Actually most game mechanics make no sense. This game should make up it's mind if it's fantasy or sudo realistic representation of a medical illness. I hope I am wrong and as I progress through the game it will make more sense, for now it doesn't...

I was blown away by this game. The story is very interesting and the soundtrack is so great, I still regularly listen to it months later. Graphics are great, gameplay feels satisfying. Art design is top notch. Definitely worth your money if you go into this open for a new experience. As a game, it can be sometimes frustrating or disappointing, with some fairly random puzzles and repetitive gameplay. But as an experience, it's very unique and amazing. And it does show that games can be a great format for these type of experiences. Easy 5/5, not a game I will forget.

I must stay that in my 33 years of gaming, this has been most probably my most unique and immersive gaming experience. It goes well beyond offering an interesting narrative and presentation, it employs a holistic approach that really succeeds in placing the player as closely as possible in the shoes of a young Pict woman suffering from psychosis. The devs have layered everything on top of the game's premise. Whether it's the maelstrom of voices swirling around you talking or screaming, or the audiovisual hallucinations blending with the action or the obsessive search for patterns in order to advance, it all relates to the psychosis manifestations of the protagonist. The writers have woven a grim tale of suffering, despair, loss and betrayal, masterfully delivered through the questionable reality of young Senua, a Celt warrior plagued by schizophrenia. The player is called to unravel the story that has led on her quest to restore the soul of her slain lover. Ninja Theory has done an excellent job in the game's presentation. expertly leading the player on the journey of discovery through in-game clues and brilliantly acted and directed cut-scenes. I can't stress enough what a high-end job they've done. This is auteur-level story-telling and visualization. As for the gameplay itself, in such story-heavy title, it is understandably the weaker link. In any case, the actual gaming is a mix of a walking simulator, puzzle solving and melee combat. The majority of the game is spent walking around, looking for passages in order to advance further. Puzzle solving consists of identifying patterns. Occasionally, enemies appear in the form of Viking warriors. The fighting mechanics are solid enough. Others have complained about it being monotonous. So YMMV. What NT have achieved in making is really commendable. They managed to create a thought-provoking, visually stunning and emotive experience, comparable to any AAA game out there, but on an 'indie' budget.

the game is broken, many errors and bugs, random crashes, freezes, stability problems are DESTROYING the immersion in the game. since 2017 there was no patch fixing this problem.