Platform: PlayStation 4

Developer: Ninja Theory  

Publisher: Ninja Theory 

Release Date: August 8, 2017 

Genre: Action/Adventure 

Nerd Rating: 9 / 10

Reviewed by Rhutsczar

Hello again everybody! Rhuts is back from a brief hiatus to shine more much needed praise on a fantastically overlooked independent title! Today we will be diving deep into Heavenly Sword developer Ninja Theory‘s epic journey into the Underworld of Norse mythology in Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. This is actually Nerd Bacon’s second review of Hellblade, so be sure to check out Nerd Bacon contributor Nip’s review of the PC version.

For those blissfully unaware, Hellblade was developed by the small team over at Ninja Theory, a team that is forward-thinking in the fact that independent games need to be made with the same detail and care as a AAA title. While the title was originally going to be yet another “adult fantasy adventure” (that sounds dirtier than it needs to be) but was taken in a different direction to give our main character’s mental illness center stage. Since mental health is such a controversial and hot topic in today’s society, it can be perceived as a breath of fresh air for a team to actually cover it with exquisite detail.

Before we dive too much into the psychological aspects of Hellblade, it would help to know what it’s about right? Hellblade tells the story of Senua, a warrior from the Pict tribe, and her quest to retrieve her lover Dillion’s soul from the Goddess of Hela after his death. Senua has been told and essentially brainwashed by the “Darkness” that follows her that she is cursed and everything malicious that has happened to their tribe is her fault. Turns out, Senua actually suffers from a severe form of psychosis, which she inherited from her mother. Senua’s psychosis only worsens over time, resulting in exile. Upon returning, she discovers Dillion’s remains, as the former had been sacrificed by another tribe via the Blood Eagle ritual. Senua, suffering from audible and visual delusions, has the only expected response. She lovingly removes Dillion’s head to use as a vessel for his soul, straps it to her hilt, and begins her journey. That’s where we come in.

As we control Senua on her journey, we do encounter various spirits of fallen warriors who block our path, not to mention the occasional fire giant or elusive spirit. The basic controls are relatively simple, you have light – heavy attacks, melee, and the option to evade. That’s it. However, what really stood out for me was the placement of the camera during fights. The camera was always placed just over Senua’s shoulder, thus limiting the player’s field of vision and making each fight feel more like an intimate duel. This is only further emphasized when you develop a “Focus” ability, as you can spend easily spend minutes hacking at just smoke.

However, much to my surprise, Hellblade‘s numerous puzzles outnumbered our intimate duels with our inner demons. The reasoning behind this is explained in the complimentary behind-the-scenes featurette released with the game, where Ninja Theory dives deep into their research on mental health and psychological disorders. The underlying theme of the puzzles is to focus on forming patterns in the environment. As explained by psychiatrist Paul Fletcher, “people begin to see patterns and develop connections that normal people wouldn’t put together”. This can add difficulty to the individual puzzles, as I spent at least an hour before figuring out I had to use forced perspective at the correct angle of a bridge for it to restructure itself.

What really makes this journey worth it is the world design, that sweet audio and visual ecstasy. Hellblade was developed using the Unreal Engine 4, and for a game that has plenty of moments that feel like just one long cutscene, you should expect the graphics to be top notch. Ninja Theory did such a great job designing Senua’s version of Hela’s territory Helheim that there soon became an odd sense of beauty on the corpse that litter the ground or in the sacrifices we come upon.

When designing the world, however, visuals are only half the battle. Hellblade uses 3D binaural sound design to really immerse the player in Senua’s mind. For example, the scariest usage of this sound is when you are playing with headphones (which is recommended to the player at the menu screen) and the voices inside Senua’s brain begin talking. None of them have an identity, and once immersed in it long enough it creates the illusion that they are your own. You can be praised, berated, threatened, and questioned all at the same time and you don’t know which voice is true if any.

Now you might be wondering to yourself, Hellblade sounds like a terrifyingly difficult game to make it all the way through. Honestly, once you learn the fighting mechanics against the normal enemies, the combat feels almost droll. The boss battles due add a bit of a spark back, but the narrative is what really drives you forward. You may find yourself simply scratching your head at some of the puzzles, but just think out of the box and you’ll succeed. What Hellblade accomplishes is that it takes a severe mental toll. To quote Nerd Bacon contributor Nips, “I  feel like I emerged from the other side of a personal war. I’m not even lying, I feel like I’ve aged several years after picking this game up.” I couldn’t say it better myself.

As I mentioned above, psychological disorders and mental health are major elements to the story of Hellblade. The most prevalent and immediate indicator that mental health and psychosis are the “furries”, in Senua’s own words, that find their home within her mind. One of the more familiar symptoms of a psychological disorder, these voices are used expertly to build tension and anxiety even in the most mundane of moments. Believe it or not, these voices are actually useful in combat, as a few of them actually have Senua’s well being at heart. They will alert you to some of the enemies strikes, especially for the ones that are off-screen.

By now, you should have gathered that Senua’s world is not exactly one that the average person would like to be a part of. Since this “curse” that plagues Senua is equally threatening yet baffling, the developers create a sense of “permadeath”. Early on in the first chapter, Senua supposedly falls to an enemy spirit. It is explained that each time Senua dies, the curse on her arm spreads like an infection. If it reaches her brain, Senua dies completely and the player’s progress is deleted. While this illusion of “permadeath” has yet to be confirmed by myself and numerous other players, it adds another layer of dread for the player to worry about. You know that you are doing something right when you can scare the living hell out of a player with just a mere threat.

I personally would like to applaud Ninja Theory for their dedication to trying to uncover and clear some of the mysteries that plague mental health victims. In the documentary short film released with the main game, Hellblade: Senua’s Psychosis, the developers explain their experiences about crafting this world with help of psychologists and actual suffers from psychosis and other mental illnesses. The development team quickly learned that not just the symptoms are terrifying, but the stigma around the topic results in isolation and mistreatment, just further harming the individual.

Overall, I recommend Hellblade to anyone who wants to experience actual art in video game form. While the title has its faults in combat and tedious yet frustrating puzzles, it makes up for it in a driving narrative that entrances me every step of the way. Never have I been so uncomfortable, anxious, and confused while diving deep into a game and absolutely loving every minute of it. If you would like to check out the game for yourself, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is available on PC and PS4 for $29.99. Also feel free to check out my let’s play of the game in its entirety on my YouTube channel.