Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

I absolutely love this game. It's everything I hoped it would be so far. The atmosphere is perfect - tense, with breaks of stunningly beautiful scenery. The female character is human and flawed, not objectified as some games that have female protagonists are. The combat is simple enough on easy mode with an xbox controller plugged into my PC, but I'm still terrified and challenged througout the fight. As a not-so-great under pressure player I've only died twice having played several hours since I quickly learned the importance of blocking and dodging. I love that the creators worked with mental health professionals to create an accurate experience - knowing this is educational to some degree and also helps with empathy for those suffering. You will love this game if you enjoy atmospheric games that tell an intense story, enjoy occaisional sword combat, and aren't triggered by voices constantly whispering at you (they're unsettling and quite negative, but give tips!)

Just finished this game and feel more affected by it than by a lot of recent titles I paid twice as much for. Occasional frustrations are overshadowed by a unique pacing of exploration, puzzles and battles, a combat system that gets especially satisfying in the back half of the game, an energizing soundtrack and emotionally convincing voice acting. Also, just beautiful graphics throughout. I regularly felt I was experiencing something very fresh.

I have not been this captivated by a game in a long time. It's a torturous journey I could not stop myself from continuing, a sweet suffering. I'm blown away by the atmosphere, the storytelling and the acting. This game could not have been what it is without the facial capture technology at work, and gods, is it good. If you're expecting a God of War, this is not for you. Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is about the journey of a woman suffering from mental illness, and carries with it greater depth than what trailers portray it as- it's not a game centered around combat, put just a part of the storytelling. I'm still shivering from the last hour of gameplay and credits, and I just want to ask everyone to play it. It's a difficult experience- not always enjoyable, and not something everyone will find to their taste- but I stll think it's a game everyone should have played. I think my only criticism of the game is the combat, and the repetitive nature of it- but I can overlook it, and still give it a 5/5. A 9/10. Near perfect this game, and while it's "short" at 8 hours, it's well worth its asking price of 30$.

It looks great, runs great and is more or less like what the publisher is saying, an AAA looking title. The story is immersive, but not unheard of. The madness and psychosis are explored well, in my opinion, and the binaural sound really stands out as the game's defining feature. It can be rough around the edges - area sounds and music cut off and start unnaturally at very obvious in-game borders, bugs are present (doors you can pass through, focusing on runes through objects and similar). By far the worst part for me was the fighting. While at times immersive and clever, by the 50th same opponent (there are only a few different types) I was yawning and waiting for it all to end. All in all, minor grievances aside, it is an excellent effort and I sincerely recommend it.

This game was a impulse by but far beyond anything I expected. I was a completely enthralled by the store and I found myself thinking about the who, what, when, where and why of Senua through the game. The cost of the game compared to the length of the game is far outweighed by the content of the story. I would gladly pay for the game again and will urge others to buy it as well. Thank you for a great game!