Summary
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2is finally out, and its initial reception has been a bit of a mixed one. While some outlets and fans have given the sequel a great deal of praise for its stellar visuals, sound design, and overall presentation, many others have pointed toHellblade 2’s short length, repetitive combat, and simplistic puzzles as glaring shortcomings that hold the game back.
But by far the biggest underlying issue withSenua’s Saga: Hellblade 2is that it doesn’t feel like much of an evolution from the first game. While the graphics are technically much better and the game’s cinematic nature has been turned up to 11,Hellblade 2’s actual gameplay and narrative feel like a mere continuation of what fans experienced in 2017 rather than the full step-up fans would expect from a sequel released seven years later. Still,Hellblade 2’s divisive reception is just one cog in a much larger industry wheel.
Hellblade 2 Should Mark The End of Games Being Announced Too Soon
Hellblade 2’s Journey to Launch Has Been a Long and Overhyped One
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2was first announced alongside the Xbox Series X duringThe Game Awards' December 2019 ceremony. At the time, some fans believed that this announcement suggested thatHellblade 2would be a launch title for the Xbox Series X, with it being the first exclusive confirmed for the new console. Many fans also thought that developer Ninja Theory had been working on the sequel since the firstHellblade’s release in 2017. But neither of these beliefs would turn out to be true.
During a recentinterview with Kinda Funny, Ninja Theory head Dom Matthewsconfirmed thatSenua’s Saga: Hellblade 2didn’t enter full development until after March 2020, after the release of Ninja Theory’s multiplayer gameBleeding Edge. This means thatHellblade 2was officially announced quite a while before Ninja Theory started full production on the sequel, which is an all too common practice in the video game industry, and one that has never worked out well for the game in question.
Over the last decade or so, it’s become common to see big publishers put pressure on their developers to announce a game before it’s even entered full production, and long before its eventual release date. This usually has one of two primary effects on the game. The first is that fans start to get sick of the game long before it’s launch, having seen it countless times over the years at various annual showcases and events. Alternatively, slowly drip-feeding a game over the course of a few years can raise expectations far beyond what the game was ever capable of achieving, resulting in disappointment upon its eventual release.
Hellblade 2’s End Product Hasn’t Lived Up to Some Fans' Expectations
Unfortunately,Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2has fallen into the latter camp. For the last four years,Hellblade 2has been shown off at almost everyannual Xbox Showcase, and each time it appeared, fan expectations grew loftier. A few months before launch Ninja Theory tried to get ahead of these lofty expectations, confirming that the game would have a shorter length and would be locked to 30fps, but that hasn’t stopped fans from being disappointed in the final product regardless.
After over four years of waiting, fans have been given a five-hour experience, and whileHellblade 2definitely has its strengths, those strengths are overshadowed by the expectations that have been built over the last few years. Though players will never know for sure,Hellblade 2’s receptioncould have been a lot different if the time between its announcement and launch was shorter.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
WHERE TO PLAY
The sequel to the award winning Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Senua returns in a brutal journey of survival through the myth and torment of Viking Iceland. Intent on saving those who have fallen victim to the horrors of tyranny, Senua faces a battle of overcoming the darkness within and without.A crafted experience of cinematic immersion:Sink deep into Senua’s world and story, with beautifully realized visuals and encapsulating sound.Senua’s unique perspective:Experience the world through Senua’s eyes and ears, as a Celtic warrior who experiences psychosis.A journey into Viking Iceland:An epic journey across 10th century Iceland, recreated from real locations in stunning detail.Every fight tells a story:Brutal and visceral combat as Senua battles for survival.
