Hellblade 2 is probably one of the most divisive games in recent years, rivaling Death Stranding (A fitting comparison in more ways than just reception). There is an almost equal proportion of scores above 9 and below 7.5 if you check review aggregates, and not that many scores between 8 and 9. And after finishing this game, I can understand why things are like that, and I have picked my side: I love it!

Up until a couple of weeks ago, I had no idea about anything Hellblade related. I knew the trailers looked gorgeous and that Senua had voices in her head, that's about it. Then I played the first game, which was a big positive surprise for me, as I'm a very gameplay inclined person over story and narrative. With everything fresh in my mind and tempered expectations (Expectations are part of why I think it's a very divisive game), I had a wonderful time with this game, and it hit me much harder than the first one.

Starting with one of the biggest reasons I've seen people complaining: The gameplay. Outside of combat, it plays exactly like its predecessor, it's not an exaggeration to call it a "walking simulator" (People like to use that with a negative connotation, which it isn't). This time however there is better puzzle variety, which was one of my complaints for the first game. The rune perspective puzzles are still here, but there's also light puzzles and reality shift puzzles. They are overall easier than in the first game, which is not really a problem, just a fact (Actually, the whole game is easier including combat, more on that later). There are more collectibles too besides the lorestones, which encourages you to pay more attention to the environment.

The combat in this game is not exactly the same as in the first game, but also not really a downgrade or upgrade. It's a sidestep, a change in direction, it serves a different purpose than it did in Senua's Sacrifice. For example, this time there won't be multiple enemies attacking you at once, but each duel feels much more involved. That, along with visual and story aspects, makes it evident that Ninja Theory's vision for this game was a cinematic masterpiece, with presentation above all else. In comparison to the first game, HB2 has better enemy variety (Another one of my complaints with the original), and each one of them has more attack patterns. The animations are fantastic, and you can see each face expression in detail. It's harder to make perfect parries (Which was very easy in the original), but windows to hit enemies are more generous. Most important of all, in my opinion, is that the hits and impacts are even more noticeable. For as simple mechanically as the combat is, it feels amazing, you could make an entire game with duels like these.

I can understand why some people don't like it, for the same reasons as some people wouldn't like the combat in the original: It's not flashy, there's no move variety or skills, and now you only fight one enemy at a time. Add that with unrealistic expectations, and you'll understand the disappointment. But that's not the point of this game or this combat system, this is a narrative game first and foremost, and the combat is meant to support that. Hellblade 2, and Senua's Sacrifice for that matter, are better paired with games from Telltale or QuanticDream, they're interactive narrative experiences, it just so happens that Hellblade is more interactive than games from these studios, falling in an uncanny valley between a full action game and a full story game. To me, that's a positive, I consider it a full story game but more involved gameplay-wise (Which is great as a gameplay-centric gamer), but I understand why people wouldn't like or know where to place their expectations.

But what is a narrative game without its story? It seems that even this has become a reason for disagreement, but it's easy to explain why. Senua's Sacrifice story was almost entirely laid out for the player, with not a whole lot left for interpretation. It was also much more personal, it was all about Senua. Hellblade 2, however, is a much more allegorical game, the player must think and interpret what each aspect of it means, and what are the messages Ninja Theory wanted to send. There's also the fact that, contrary to the original, Senua isn't physically alone this time (Metaphorically, she's never truly "alone"), we have companion NPCs that will share Senua's journey.

By leaving a lot of the story and set pieces up for the player to figure their meaning, it's not only possible but likely that many things flew right past these players. Without them, this game would be an incohesive dark fantasy, a weird sequel for Hellblade, but that's not what this game is. By the end, I was a lot more invested than in the original, because while Senua's Sacrifice was a very personal story about grief, acceptance and internal darkness, none of it really resonated with me, I couldn't relate to any of that. To me, Hellblade 2 was much more relatable and beautiful, and while I think it would've benefited from having an extra hour or so, Ninja Theory was able to craft a logical sequel in terms of meaning and message for Senua's Sacrifice.

As mentioned, Senua isn't alone this time, three other people are following her. I won't go into much detail to avoid spoilers, but while they're all good, only one of them really shines besides Senua. The other two clearly have more going on for them than what we know, based on a specific section of the game, but not a lot is shown (We're playing from Senua's POV after all), their purpose is mostly to help push the message of the game by how Senua interacts with them. It makes them feel a little disconnected from things, but thankfully not enough to be a major narrative issue. As for the character that does match well, he's fantastic, and to me one of the main vehicles for the narrative, can't say more without spoiling. The acting from these characters is superb, no matter how fitting characters are or not, with Melina Juergens once again showing unbelievable talent, especially from someone without an acting background.

The only indisputable, and probably best aspect of this game, is the technical quality. This game is a technical masterpiece. Visually, this may be the best looking (As in photorealistic) game so far, it uses everything Unreal Engine 5 has to offer to a masterful degree. It's almost as if the entire game is a top tier CGI, some parts bordering live action. They also implemented a robust Photo Mode, which is a feature I rarely engage with in other games, but I couldn't avoid it this time, even if it was mostly just to check textures and characters from up close. The lighting is also impeccable, and it adds a lot to the set pieces. But it's not just about textures and lighting, the art direction is amazing, and a big improvement compared to the grayscale of the first game. Couple that with the top tier animations and cinematic camera, and the presentation becomes the strongest I've seen in a game in years.

And even with all that, somehow they made it perform very smoothly. My PC is a mid range build, and even at max settings with DLSS Balanced I was able to play one of the best looking games ever with over 60fps, and the effects of DLSS were barely noticeable. At its worst, there was a moment in which the frames dropped to 45fps, and I didn't notice it, it felt equally as smooth and responsive. I even tested it at 30fps to see how it'd be, and it was probably the smoothest 30fps I've ever seen. It's the kind of black magic I'd expect from The Coalition, and now Ninja Theory has proved that they are as competent.

And just like in the original, you cannot mention the technical aspects of Hellblade without mentioning the sound design, and the sequel managed to be even more of an achievement in that regard. The quality of individual sound effects, ambience, the Furies and mixing is unbelievable. Examples being hearing Senua's sword scrape the walls as she crawls, or when at a certain point of the game I heard steps moving behind me, and I actually turned around in real life to see what was there. The soundtrack is also a lot more noticeable and relevant this time around, carrying a heavier emotional weight and sometimes being synchronized to the set piece.

Both Hellblade games, the sequel more than the original, are not the kind of games to be appreciated by everyone. It is, at its core, a very hit or miss experience, dependent on your appreciation of the gameplay and understanding/personal impact of the story. If it hits, which for me it did, Hellblade 2 is nothing short of a masterpiece. If it doesn't, then it'll be a decent experience at best. And you can only gauge your enjoyment by playing it, which is why I recommend playing the first game to see if this is the kind of game for you. Knowing my own tastes, I thought there was no way I'd enjoy something like Hellblade, and yet it hooked me. I wish this game was longer, it took me a little less than 7 hours to finish it (Got about 75% of collectibles), the ending is a little sudden but also a decent setup for a sequel. If you liked Senua's Sacrifice, chances are you'll like Hellblade 2, but it's important to keep in mind that it's a cinematic game above all else, and not a God of War-like as some people expected (And then went on to call this a disappointment, or in the most egregious cases, "A Make-A-Wish kid that wanted to be in GoW"). Regardless of the weirdly negative reception of some parties, I believe this game is a massive achievement for Ninja Theory, Xbox - and when it comes to technical aspects - the games industry in general, and even though it's been only a couple of days since I've finished it, I already want to play it again, and to discuss my interpretations and feelings about the story.

SCORE: 9.5/10