Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

Regardless, Ninja Theory ought to be praised for what it’s achieved – an adult story that’s told like no other, combat that’s skilful and harrowing, unique environmental based puzzles and light, scenic adventuring. It’s just a shame that some of Hellblade‘s gameplay components at times feel forced. Maybe it’s artistic vision that’s to blame; the will to make players feel like the journey is an uphill struggle, that the odds are stacked against them.

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is a clear example of a game as an art form with a strong message and a complex, layered narrative. It’s true that you’re sort of along for the ride and most of your interactions are through your emotional response to what is depicted rather than through the mechanics of the game, but is that such a bad thing?

Hellblade's most notable achievement is the handling of an incredibly sensitive subject matter within an engaging and well-crafted action/adventure game. At its heart, the story is about Senua's struggle to come to terms with her illness.

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It's a game whose many elements speak with one voice to address a subject and tell a story that has the potential to deeply touch those who identify firsthand with its themes, and if this game doesn't leave you feeling more civilized and empathetic toward those themes by the end of it, it's hard to imagine the game that can.

Hellblade is one such a title that asks its player to step into the role of a woman suffering from an extreme mental illness. In doing so, it offers a glimpse into a world unknown- one of suffocating dread but also, one of breathtaking beauty.

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice combines mind games and intuitive gameplay for a unique experience, but how does it stand up overall?

While the slower, methodical take on combat is welcome despite its compartmented presence, the otherwise lack of interesting puzzles or anything pertaining to organic gameplay stops Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice short of achieving true glory. Odd as it may sound to recommend a game moreso on its story, Ninja Theory’s latest is an interesting, if flawed, entrant.

Hellblade could benefit from more exploration and enemy variety, but it's a powerful portrait of the strength of will over personal demons.

It could be a whisper or a shout but Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice will stay with you. Deftly crafted with stunning detail and an expert depiction of psychosis, it's a journey that's as torturous as it is heart-breaking.

This is a game that wants to explore new subjects, and does so in a great way, as the presentation is stunning and you'll really feel like how Senua thanks to the great audio design and performances in a really atmospheric world. Some of the experiences will linger with us for a long time, which makes it so sad that the monotonous gameplay and technical problems on PS4 makes the sequences in-between fairly forgettable.

While in strict gameplay terms this lacks depth, and although it feels as if it tries to bite off more than it can chew on the storytelling side of things, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice turns out to be an epic journey through madness and Norse myth, and one that's worth a play-through or two despite its problems - as long as you aren't here for something more action-packed.

Hellblade Senua's Sacrifice es una propuesta única y especial cuyo núcleo está en el tratamiento de la psicosis y su magistral recreación. Ambientación en la era vikinga con historia y leyendas mitológicas muy interesantes, aspecto gráfico más que notable y efectos sonoros y música excelentes, recreando las voces que la protagonista escucha en su cabeza de forma escalofriante.

Aquí en la oficina, algunos quedaron súper conformes con el final; personalmente, lo encontré algo flojo, pero ello no mermó mi satisfacción con el paquete completo. Sentí algo de agotamiento con la fórmula y frustración con ciertos elementos del juego hacia el último tercio, pero para mí, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice fue una grata sorpresa.

Con la tremenda belleza y diversidad de su apartado visual, su iluminación casi protagonista de la mayoría de escenarios —que se sienten como tal: setpieces separadas de ambientes distintos— y el excelso trabajo de interpretación de Melina Juergens (sobre todo si tenemos en cuenta que no es una actriz profesional sino que es la editora de vídeo de Ninja Theory; su entrega al personaje es en cuerpo y alma), Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice se presenta como uno de los proyectos más valientes que se hayan visto en esta industria.

Fesselnder Kampf einer beeindruckenden Heldin mit ihren inneren Dämonen.

Nicht ohne Fehler, aber voller interessanter Ideen – inklusive einer vielschichtigen, sympathischen und glaubwürdigen Titelheldin.

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice ist ein ungewöhnliches Spiel, aber manchmal einfach zu wenig Spiel. Viel zu oft wanderte ich nur durch die Gegend, lauschte vielen Stimmen oder suchte die immergleichen Runen in der Landschaft. Die Kämpfe sind zwar genau richtig verteilt, eine andere spielerische Herausforderung als das Balancieren über Abgründe oder der Flucht ins Licht hätten Hellblade allerdings gut getan.

Avec ce Hellblade : Senua's Sacrifice accompli avec moins de moyens que ses précédentes productions, Ninja Theory propose une expérience prenante, oppressante, inquiétante, dérangeante de bout en bout.

Son prix raisonnable et ses visuels forts pourraient faire passer Hellblade : Senua's Sacrifice pour une aventure vaguement interactive à la faible durée de vie, façon Dear Esther ou Everybody's Gone to the Rapture. Heureusement, il n'en est rien. Ninja Theory nous offre un véritable jeu, au gameplay simple et efficace. Mais c'est surtout l'ambiance, le propos et la réalisation, tous trois fortement influencés par la maladie mentale de l'héroïne, qui marquent le joueur et font de Hellblade un titre vraiment pas comme les autres.

Une claque. C’est ce que Hellblade : Senua’s Sacrifice procure aux joueurs, en une petite dizaine d’heures de jeu, avec ses apnées contemplatives, son cadre anxiogène et le respect des mythes qu’il exploite. Loin d’être parfait dans l'ensemble et manquant d’un peu d’équilibrage au niveau de certaines phases, le titre de Ninja Theory fait ce qu’il promet : nous embarquer dans une descente progressive dans les enfers nordiques, dans la peau d’une héroïne aussi courageuse que perturbée, que l’on admire déjà pour sa prestation à l’écran.

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice dimostra che gli indie di lusso possono rappresentare un modello commerciale sostenibile, in grado di non rinunciare alla qualità a discapito del prezzo di vendita. Ninja Theory ha fatto un passo coraggioso in tutti i sensi, perché proporre una tematica così delicata e difficile da trattare merita un plauso e tutto il supporto necessario, soprattutto considerando la grande cura che la software house ha dimostrato di avere per questo aspetto del gioco.

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice başta da dediğim gibi oldukça farklı bir deneyim vaat ediyor. Yapım ekibi olan Ninja theory, bu oyunda farklı birşeyler denemek istediklerini defalarca yinelemişti. Oyunu oynamaya başladığınız ilk dakikadan itibaren yapım ekibinin bu açıklamasında ne kadar başarılı olduklarını hissediyorsunuz.

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice jest tytułem, który na długo zapadnie nam w pamięci. Niezwykle intensywna i trudna podróż głównej bohaterki wywoła u nas mnóstwo emocji.