This game contains adult content
Hellblade is a masterpiece that brings together storytelling, atmosphere, and gameplay into one powerful adventure.

In "Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice," players journey through a dark and twisted world as Senua, a Celtic warrior suffering from psychosis. Fighting against both external foes and internal demons, Senua battles to save her lover's soul and confront her own inner darkness. Using innovative binaural audio technology, the game immerses players in Senua's haunted mindscape and offers a powerful portrayal of mental illness.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Cloud
  • NVIDIA GeForce NOW
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
  • Xbox Game Pass
  • x_box_cloud_gaming

Reviews

87%
Audience ScoreBased on 26,741 reviews
story7,426 positive mentions
grinding488 negative mentions
  • story15,979 mentions

    The story of *Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice* is widely praised for its emotional depth and unique portrayal of mental illness, particularly psychosis, as it follows Senua's harrowing journey to save her deceased lover's soul from the Norse underworld. Players appreciate the game's atmospheric storytelling, immersive sound design, and the integration of Norse mythology, although some find the pacing slow and the gameplay mechanics repetitive. Overall, the narrative is considered a standout feature, making it a compelling experience for those who value story-driven games.

    • “The story is captivating and deeply emotional.”
    • “Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is a masterclass in storytelling, visual and auditory design, and emotional engagement.”
    • “The story, while intriguing, is a complex exploration of mental illness and personal trauma, beautifully woven into the gameplay.”
    • “I can appreciate the effort to create a video game that accurately communicates and demonstrates a serious mental illness, but the story isn't interesting (yet still manages to be up its own ass), and the gameplay isn't fun.”
    • “They build the whole game perfectly and at the end they throw a random pop song and a cringe catchphrase that ruins the whole atmosphere and immersion that you had while playing the story.”
    • “The kind of game people call story-heavy while failing to mention that the storytelling devices make no sense in the context of a video game medium.”
  • gameplay6,487 mentions

    The gameplay of "Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its simplicity and repetitiveness. While the combat mechanics are generally described as straightforward and satisfying, they can become monotonous due to a limited variety of enemies and combat styles. Puzzles, primarily based on environmental exploration and perspective alignment, are often seen as engaging initially but can quickly feel tedious, leading to a gameplay experience that some players find lacking in depth and variety. Overall, the game is praised for its narrative and atmospheric elements, but the gameplay is often viewed as secondary and not as compelling.

    • “I appreciate the simpler combat mechanics, which made it accessible to these aging hands.”
    • “The gameplay, the music, the scene design, it's so perfectly orchestrated that it's not something you can properly describe.”
    • “The gameplay combines action and puzzles, with the audio design using binaural recordings to convey the feeling of psychosis.”
    • “There are like three mechanics total, none of which particularly engaging.”
    • “Hellblade seems to confuse gameplay being a chore with it being a challenge, or even remotely engaging.”
    • “The gameplay is mostly a walking sim, complemented by recurring search-and-perspective puzzles and occasional combat.”
  • graphics6,392 mentions

    The graphics of *Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice* have received widespread acclaim for their stunning quality and attention to detail, often described as breathtaking and comparable to AAA titles despite the game's indie origins. Players have praised the game's ability to create an immersive atmosphere through its visuals, which effectively convey the protagonist's psychological struggles, enhanced by exceptional sound design and voice acting. While some minor graphical issues and performance dips have been noted, the overall aesthetic experience is considered a highlight, making it a must-play for fans of visually rich storytelling.

    • “The graphics are absolutely stunning, creating a rich atmosphere filled with surreal, cerebral moments.”
    • “Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice excels in its world-building and visuals, crafting a hauntingly atmospheric Norse setting.”
    • “The stunning visuals and immersive audio design pull you deeply into Senua's journey, blending Norse mythology with a gripping, psychological narrative.”
    • “Besides the abject failure of Hellblade on a ludonarrative level, it's also just insulting on an aesthetic level.”
    • “The epilepsy-inducing graphics and constant ASMR were getting on my nerves.”
    • “The graphics are not that good; they used the color palettes well, and I didn't care about the graphics because of this event.”
  • atmosphere2,602 mentions

    The atmosphere in "Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice" is widely praised for its stunning visuals, haunting sound design, and immersive storytelling, creating a deeply engaging experience that captures the protagonist's psychological struggles. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke intense emotions through its atmospheric elements, particularly when played with headphones, which enhances the auditory experience of the voices in Senua's head. However, some players express disappointment with the gameplay mechanics, feeling that they detract from the otherwise rich atmosphere and narrative.

    • “The graphics are absolutely stunning, creating a rich atmosphere filled with surreal, cerebral moments.”
    • “Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice excels in its world-building and visuals, crafting a hauntingly atmospheric Norse setting.”
    • “They built the whole game perfectly, and at the end, they throw a random pop song and a cringe catchphrase that ruins the whole atmosphere and immersion that you had while playing the story.”
    • “The atmosphere is gripping and hearing the voices in Senua's head makes me feel like I am experiencing her in my own head.”
    • “The atmosphere, audio, and visual design are impeccable in most areas, but the gameplay itself drags what could have been an incredibly potent experience down into the muck to the extent that it becomes a slog to get through.”
  • music1,999 mentions

    The music in "Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice" has received widespread acclaim for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, enhancing the emotional depth of the game. Many players praised the soundtrack for its ability to complement the narrative and gameplay, particularly during intense combat sequences, with standout tracks that evoke a strong sense of urgency and drama. However, some criticized the choice of a modern pop song during the ending credits, feeling it detracted from the overall tone established throughout the game.

    • “The audio and music are top notch, and I highly recommend playing with a headset to get the best experience while playing.”
    • “The soundtrack is powerful, enhancing the overall mood and intensity of the game.”
    • “The music, the ambiance, the story, the amazing battle scenes, and all of these together - this game is a masterpiece.”
    • “They built the whole game perfectly, and at the end, they threw in a random pop song and a cringe catchphrase that ruins the whole atmosphere and immersion that you had while playing the story.”
    • “The song was just not fitting in with the theme of the rest of the game; it was starkly out of place.”
    • “The ending music felt unfit (too modern, not fitting what was served until then).”
  • emotional1,344 mentions

    The emotional aspect of "Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice" is widely praised for its profound depth and intensity, with players reporting a strong connection to the protagonist, Senua, as they navigate her harrowing journey through mental illness and grief. The game effectively utilizes stunning visuals, immersive sound design, and powerful voice acting to evoke a range of emotions, from fear and sadness to hope and resilience. Many players describe the experience as emotionally exhausting yet rewarding, often leading to tears and deep reflection on personal struggles with mental health.

    • “Some of the content covered and some of what the characters do in the game can be very intense and is purposely made to make you feel uncomfortable (emotionally, mentally, and even physically) - some moments I struggled to get through because it made me relive my similar mental health struggles, PTSD, and relationship issues in my own life (some of which I am still struggling with to this day).”
    • “Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is a masterclass in storytelling, visual and auditory design, and emotional engagement.”
    • “The portrayal is deeply immersive and captures the emotional turmoil with striking accuracy.”
    • “While the game has beautiful graphics, the boring story with the poor optimization and linear gameplay turned me off.”
    • “I found them to be irritating, pointless and time wasting attempts to stretch out this boring story which is supposedly all about mental health.”
    • “Very bad graphics (to the point that I was shocked) and to be honest, a boring story, and there is this storytelling lady (I think one of Senua's head voices) main one, that only talks to your left ear, that annoyed the hell out of me!!”
  • optimization832 mentions

    The optimization of "Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice" has received mixed reviews, with many players experiencing significant performance issues such as stuttering and frame rate drops, particularly on AMD systems. While some users report smooth gameplay on high settings with NVIDIA graphics cards, others note that the game is poorly optimized for certain hardware configurations, leading to frustration. Overall, while the game boasts impressive visuals and sound design, its optimization remains a notable concern for many players.

    • “The game runs smoothly on my PC (8GB RAM, GTX970) however, if you wanted a fast-paced game with deep combat then turn away.”
    • “The optimization is insane, very intriguing story.”
    • “This game is very optimized, as I have a medium config PC and can run everything on high settings and is running without any stuttering.”
    • “The PC optimization was not friendly to my gaming laptop and occasionally I would get frame rate drops and delays that would launch my character forward.”
    • “I'm not sure if this game just wasn't optimized for AMD or if it has other issues, but it had some of the worst technical bugs in any game I've ever played.”
    • “The game is a stuttering mess and nothing I tried fixed it.”
  • grinding542 mentions

    The aspect of "grinding" in the game has been widely criticized, with many players finding the gameplay to be tedious and repetitive. Puzzles often feel monotonous, requiring players to engage in the same mechanics repeatedly, while combat lacks variety and can become a chore. Despite the compelling story and atmosphere, the slow movement speed and linear design contribute to a frustrating experience that some players describe as a "walking simulator" filled with tedious tasks rather than engaging gameplay.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “A bit grindy sometimes.”
    • “Give it a go, it is good if not tedious at times, it is not a masterpiece.”
    • “The puzzles are tedious, the combat is tedious, and the walking about at an incredibly slow pace on a mostly linear path is very tedious.”
    • “The combination of the psychotic voices, tedious and rather boring puzzles, uninspired combat that interrupts it all on occasion, and even the story that constantly pushes you to hurry to your goal, unsurprisingly made you want to hurry, and then made it so that you just can't.”
    • “The gameplay consists of perspective puzzles where you need to line up parts of the environment to form certain runes interleaved with functional but clunky, tedious and above all repetitive combat.”
  • replayability311 mentions

    The game has been widely criticized for its low replayability, primarily due to its linear narrative and shallow gameplay mechanics. Many players feel that once the story is completed, there is little incentive to replay, as the experience remains largely unchanged and lacks significant branching paths or challenging puzzles. While some appreciate the unique storytelling and atmosphere, the consensus is that it is best enjoyed as a one-time experience, often recommended for purchase during sales.

    • “This design choice rewards players for their curiosity and enhances the game's replayability.”
    • “The experience becomes for this and other reasons of level design a gaming experience you will want to repeat.”
    • “While the game isn't very replayable, and I don't think this mode would be either, those were some of the most satisfying combat experiences in the game for me.”
    • “An incredibly unique experience that unfortunately lacks replayability, due to a bit shallow gameplay between combat and story events.”
    • “Limited replay value: due to its narrative-driven approach, some players might find the game has limited replay value once the story is fully experienced.”
    • “My biggest criticism of the game is that the puzzles and combat become a little repetitive/stale by the end of the game, and the game has very little replay value.”
  • stability190 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag, with many players reporting various bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, such as getting stuck in terrain or experiencing visual issues. While some users found the game to run smoothly without major problems, others encountered game-breaking glitches that required restarts or led to lost progress. Despite these issues, many players still enjoyed the game, highlighting its engaging atmosphere and storytelling, though they acknowledged the need for improvements in stability.

    • “I encountered no bugs, no glitches, no loading times... nothing of that sort.”
    • “The game ran at max settings with a consistent 60fps, no stuttering, no glitches, no crashes.”
    • “It's polished, had no glitches or issues throughout the entire playthrough, it's absolutely beautiful.”
    • “Combat is 10/10, but watch out for the trees; they can be buggy and you can get permanently stuck, forcing you to restart from the last checkpoint.”
    • “Game isn't terrible except for the fact that the last level is completely broken. I've tried over six times to get past the bridge on chapter 12, but after the cutscene, it glitches me back to chapter selection every time. I can't complete the game, which is frustrating because I wanted to see the ending.”
    • “The game has many glitches that will force you to reload, and certain aspects of the game are just unbearably buggy, making playing it a chore rather than an enjoyable experience.”
  • character development155 mentions

    Character development in the game is widely praised for its depth and emotional resonance, particularly through the protagonist Senua, whose journey reflects a nuanced portrayal of mental illness. While some reviews note a lack of broader character arcs beyond Senua, many highlight the immersive storytelling and strong voice acting that enhance the player's connection to her struggles. Overall, the character design and development are considered standout features, contributing significantly to the game's artistic and narrative achievements.

    • “The story, though convoluted at times, is intriguing and features compelling character development.”
    • “Brilliant character development, approaching sensitive themes in a delicate and subtle way.”
    • “The character development, especially the handling of mental health problems, was brilliant.”
    • “❌ lacks broader character development beyond the protagonist”
    • “You get to lightly jog around and solve puzzles to progress an uninteresting story that you should care about when there's no character development beforehand.”
    • “No character development, no choices, you just sit there and watch the film.”
  • humor72 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding moments of levity in the absurdity of the gameplay and the quirky interactions with the voices in Senua's head, which can be both helpful and mocking. While some aspects, like the ending and certain scenes, elicited genuine laughter, others felt the humor fell flat or became repetitive over time. Overall, the game balances dark themes with moments of unexpected comedy, creating a unique but sometimes jarring experience.

    • “Also, it's hilarious how this game tries to present the concept of 'limited lives' as some kind of revolutionary new piece of game design.”
    • “It is so hilariously horrible, I'm still laughing to myself while writing this.”
    • “Funny enough, I may call it a 'game' but it's truly testing the definition, being that it's more of a seven-hour exposition dump littered with riddles and other incoherent nonsense.”
    • “It's also one of the few games that I've seen in modern times that actually legitimately tries to put you into the head of someone suffering from a mental psychosis. Think of Deadpool's mental condition, except not funny at all. We're literally treated as another spectator inside Senua's head right off the bat, both by the narrator and Senua herself.”
    • “Haha, it's not funny. Why did he stop?”
  • monetization46 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game is highly praised for its absence of microtransactions, loot boxes, and additional paid content, which many players find refreshing in an industry often criticized for cash-grabbing practices. Reviewers appreciate the game's straightforward pricing model and its focus on delivering a quality experience without the distractions of typical monetization strategies, reinforcing the notion that well-crafted games can exist outside the AAA pricing and monetization norms. Overall, players feel that the developers have prioritized artistic integrity over profit, resulting in a more immersive and meaningful gaming experience.

    • “It's so nice seeing a developer not leaning into looter shooters, DRM, microtransactions, and cheap, low-effort multiplayer.”
    • “In a world riddled with microtransactions, loot boxes, and other nonsense meant only to take as much as possible from the gamer while offering as little as possible in return, this game is a shining example of how games should be.”
    • “This game is truly amazing for an indie project, and for an indie title with no publisher that means no day one DLC, no microtransactions, or tack-on multiplayer nonsense.”
    • “In a world riddled with microtransactions, loot boxes, and other such nonsense meant only to take as much as possible from the gamer while offering as little as possible in return, this game is a shining example of how games should be.”
    • “We live in an age where AAA gaming is turning into a more and more shameless cash grab with every new launch.”
    • “This game is truly amazing for an indie project, and for an indie title with no publisher that means no day one DLC, no microtransactions or tack-on multiplayer nonsense or pre-order garbage.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Buy Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

Play time

8hMedian play time
10hAverage play time
8hMain story
9hCompletionist
6-10hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 204 analyzed playthroughs

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