Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

This is a a bit tricky to truly review without giving away too much. At its gameplay core, Senua's Sacrifice is a third person action adventure game about fighting through a norse underworld to get a loved one back. But, it's a *lot* more than that. The game has to be played either with headphones or a surround system to work - seriously, do *not* try it without either of those, it'll lose 90%+ of its magic. But with it, you'll get an experience unlike any other game here as voices yell at you in the back of your head, the world around you goes crazy and so do you, slowly.

Bought the game to understand the perspective of a family member with mental illness better. It was sobering and helped my understanding of her situation which simple words could never describe. Educational. Priceless. Big thank you to all the research done by the developers!

A very unique game. It is a short-ish 7-12 hours, but I found the replay value very good, not that it is much different the next time, just that I liked it that much and did not tire of it. I've played through it about 4 times and am ready for another. I'm not usually too picky about "story" but this one was very, good and well told. It is not non-stop action, it's not that kind of game, but enough to keep it moving right along. I found the combat simple, very good, and natural feeling (best on gamepad for sure, but easily played on KB+M too) once you get the hang of it. I actually wished there was a bit more "combat time". The binaural audio (crazy person voices in your ear) is super well done, and headphones really does enhance the effect.

A true contribution to the Art of the Videogame. This game is more story than game play. The game play is simple, but perfectly suited to the needs of the game itself. The true majesty of the game is it's story. Here it shines above all else. Again, not the best story ever told, but indeed the best executed for its choosen art and acting of the main character. She did an awesome job. The strength of this game is as a whole, all parts fitting together in a real masterpiece.

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is an extremely unique gaming experience! It has an incredible story, amazing graphics and the voice acting is superb. The atmosphere is intense with the voices in Senua's head and the darkness. Not having a HUD, not having a health bar, no stamina bar, not being able to heal yourself in any way, no upgrades, no items to manage all added to the realism, the tension, and the immersion in the game. I've never played a game that drew me in, made me feel the oppression, the desperation, and the agony of the main character like this game did. From Senua's facial expressions to her body language to the superb voice acting done by Melina Juergens, you feel what the character is feeling and it draws you in. The voices really add realism to Senua's psychosis. They can be helpful and warn you "watch out!", "FOCUS", "behind you" or they can taunt you "she's going to die", "she's going the wrong way, she's lost". Senua's eyes are the most realistic I have ever seen in a game. Her eyes move in a way that makes her seem alive. Looking into them is like you're looking into her tortured soul. Combat is pretty much dodge, parry, watch for the enemy to have his guard down, quick attack, dodge, wait then strong attack. There are several boss fights, which were easier than being attacked by multiples of the lesser enemies. Each time Senua dies, a black "rot" grows up her arm and if reaches her brain, death is permanent. It adds to the intensity of the combat, making you more cautious, not rushing in and hack n slash. You have to have patience, watch your enemies movements and time your hits to cause damage. Is Hellblade a perfect game? No, but almost. It could have been longer, could have had a little bit more variety, but it is an awesome gaming experience. It's a slightly flawed artistic masterpiece, with an incredible story, gorgeous graphics, and outstanding voice acting. Not perfection but close, 9.5/10