Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

When I first heard that there was game being developed with help from clinical psychologists and neuroscientist in order to craft an experience that simulates the feeling of psychosis, I was hooked. As a horror fan (in basically any and all mediums and formats), this gaming element seemed so, so cool. A few months ago, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice was release. And after I got my hands on it as a birthday gift, I dove right in.

First impressions of the game is that it's stunning. Visually speaking. Making use of that Unreal 4 game engine certainly helps, but the game's attention to aesthetic details immediately captivates you as your character, Senua, lands ashore of this Scandinavian-looking forrest to begin her journey.

What's her journey, you say?

Simply put, Senua is seeking to save the life of her deceased true love by venturing into the deepest reaches of Hell in order reclaim his soul. Almost immediately, you release she has a whole host of voices talking in her head -- sorry, talking in MY HEAD (works best if you're wearing headphones) -- that are sort of leading her throughout this adventure. As you journey into Hell, the voices constantly contribute to the banter of self-doubt, fear, hope, and even sometimes used as almost a Spidey-sense to warn you of imminent danger. 

This leads me into the gameplay. It's a blend of puzzles and combat that are completely divided from one another. The controls in this game are utterly simple. There is no HUB to indicate a life bar. No items to keep track of. Just a joystick for moving and a zoom-in feature to activate shit. It's only when you enter a battle area that your character automatically draws her sword that you know it's time to fight (otherwise you never have to worry about someone sneaking up and attacking you unless Senua has drawn her sword). I really liked the combat system. It demands a strategy that involves frequently parrying your opponents' attacks to charge up this bullet-time feature that will allow Senua to launch some vicious combos on these badies. 

Oh, I should also warn that this game has a perma-death feature. In other words, if you die too many times (how many times that is, I do not know), you lose your save file and are forced to start the game all over again. I was fortunate enough to never test the game to see if this feature does in fact exist. If you're curious to call the game's bluff, by all means, go for it. 

My final verdict on the game is that it's good. Really good. While not all that challenging, I loved the puzzles, and the combat sequences were fairly satisfying. I would say if the game was any longer than ~6 hours it took me to beat it, I would have become bored with the fighting system, but luckily it does not outstay its welcome. 

What I really applaud is the game's atmosphere. While this is a story about a person's journey to Hell... you spend most of the time in the woods, which are creepy in their own right. You might find yourself walking and feeling at peace with nature then all of sudden the sun shrinks behind some dark clouds and you feel your world start to unravel into a nightmare. With it's beautifully crafted visual design and immersive audio mechanics, I feel as though a game like this doesn't come around too often. So take advantage of it while you can. Especially if you fancy horror games.

Side note: I would have talked more about the story, but anything else I say might ruin the ending. It's best to talk about the story -- especially the ending -- only after you've experienced it for yourself. 

Oh... and of course, here are my rankings. I'm a little torn with how this compares to Resident Evil 7. One has a far better opening. The other a far better ending. It's a draw... For now.