Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II Launches on May 21, 2024
Jan. 18, 2024Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II release date revealed, plus an overview of new and enhanced gameplay elements.
It seems that Ninja Theory is sticking to its guns when it comes to the gameplay length of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. Instead of a massive, sprawling game that will take dozens of hours, they describe the sequel to be roughly the same amount of playtime as the original. Based on data on Howlongtobeat, this can run from roughly 7 to 9 hours, depending on your playstyle.
But what we can expect is an extremely tight, hard-hitting adventure filled with memorable moments and outstanding performances. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II will again feature Senua as its main protagonist, though she has made peace with her terrifying past in the first game. While the signature furies and voices in her head will still play a massive part, they won’t be the main deterrent to her success anymore.
Instead, Senua will embark on a journey to get revenge on the sadistic Vikings that have raided her village before the first game. She finds herself on the shores of an ancient Iceland that is grounded in reality but still maintains a mystical element to it. Ninja Theory says that their setting this time around will be quite accurate, as they had a very fruitful on-site research gathering in Iceland itself, and tried to make a playable landscape that looked and felt like the source material.
Senua is being treated as a “Beacon of Hope” by her people in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. She can use her unique perspective on life to find patterns and uncover things that might not meet the eye of most people. Senua will use this perspective to solve riddles and puzzles, just like in the first game.
Ninja Theory is also working closely with Professor Paul Fletcher from the University of Cambridge to truthfully and effectively portray how one would perceive psychosis. The knowledge, alongside the game’s excellent binaural audio, haunting music, and amazing performances by Melina Jurgens will help pull the players right smack dab into the middle of Senua’s world, and experience the harrowing journey as if they were right beside her.
Combat is also getting a bit of an upgrade in the sequel. Fights were already a tense affair, especially since the first game teased that if you fail too many times, it may mark the end of Senua’s journey. Ninja Theory describes combat as being “very brutal”, especially since Senua is a survivor and not truly a warrior. She will struggle in many places, but that will essentially make victory oh-so-sweeter once it’s attained.
Ninja Theory started Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II when it was still an independent studio, and it will be releasing the game under the Microsoft Games banner. However, they are confident that they consider themselves an “Independent AAA” studio, where they are still afforded creative freedom in crafting their perfect vision despite being under a publisher as big as Microsoft.
Purchasing separately via Steam or the Xbox store will cost $49.99, or your regional equivalent. The game can also be pre-installed already as of writing. IT will also be available in 26 different subtitled languages, including, but not limited to, Arabic, Ukrainian, and Icelandic (of course, as the setting is in Iceland itself).
The first game, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, is actually on a huge 90% discount over on Steam, bringing it down to a mere $2.99. This would be an excellent opportunity to see what the game series is about, and to experience the harrowing original tale that Ninja Theory has crafted.
Auberon
Writer at Fextralife. I really like vanilla ice cream.
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