Summary
Announced all the way back in December 2019,Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2has been a long time coming, but it’s finally almost here. After the best part of five years, multiple cinematic trailers, and a handful of gameplay reveals,Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2has a confirmed release date of July 22, 2025, and fans couldn’t be more excited. While it’s a tad disappointing thatHellblade 2will still be a pretty short experience, Ninja Theory is promising that the experience will be an “impactful” one, and that promise alone is enough to keep fans excited for May.
Though it feels like fans have seenSenua’s Saga: Hellblade 2countless times over the last few years, with it often making an appearance at every major annual showcase, fans actually haven’t gotten too many details aboutHellblade 2’s storyor gameplay, with only brief snippets being shown every time. The most recent Xbox Developer Direct gave fans a more extended look at whatHellblade 2has to offer, and that included a few hints at the game’s improvements to combat.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2’s Combat Is Getting Some Big Improvements
Hellblade 2’s Combat Is Doubling Down on Being Cinematic
In the recentXbox Developer Direct, Ninja Theory’s VFX Director, Mark Slater-Tunstill, took to the screen to discuss a bit ’s Saga: Hellblade 2’s refined combat system. In the Direct, Ninja Theory states thatHellblade 2will feature a completely new combat system. This statement is a little confusing. as the combat gameplay that’s then shown looks very familiar to the firstHellbladein terms of general combat mechanics, with Senua dodging and parrying enemy attacks while also taking a few slashes of her own in the downtime.
Rather than a completely new combat system in terms of mechanics, it seems much more likely that Ninja Theory means thatHellblade 2’s combat system simply feels completely new due to the improvements Ninja Theory is making. One of these biggest improvements is a doubling down on the cinematic nature of the sequel’s combat. From what fans have seen so far,Hellblade 2’s combatis going to be seamlessly integrated into cinematics and the rest of the gameplay, with no change in camera angle or perspective when combat begins, and no awkward shift back into a cinematic when an enemy is defeated. Everything seems to flow together naturally now, whether it’s finishing off an enemy, or seeing a new enemy join the fight.
This more cinematic approach to combat will also apparently bring more variety toHellblade 2’s combat. According to the Developer Direct, Ninja Theory has tried to implement a unique feature for each fight. Though Ninja Theory didn’t really elaborate on this, the footage it played on screen at the time showed Senua engaged in a fight where fire occasionally illuminated the battlefield. It seems likely thatmany big encounters inHellblade 2will feature a unique element like this to help them stand apart and feel cinematic.
Hellblade 2’s Combat Is Doubling Down on Being Visceral
During the Xbox Developer Direct, Ninja Theory also made a big point about makingHellblade 2’s combat feel even more “brutal” than the first game, and that lines up perfectly with what fans have seen so far in trailers. Any footage showingHellblade 2’s combat has showcased a number of gruesome finishers, from impaling enemies to slashing the entire length of their back. Ninja Theory has also stated that itwants Senua to feel like a “survivor,” who’s “just scraping by,” which will likely mean that fights feel a bit more challenging this time around.
