I'm still unsure about giving it such a high score but... My reasoning is this: I hate the archetype that Hellblade is a part of. It does everything I hate the most about games. It's light on gameplay. Has that godawful close over-the-shoulder camera that doesn't allow for a dynamic fight nor is it immersive as going first-person entirely. It can be painstakingly slow. It's full of metaphors and unexplained shenanigans you never know what it meant. And, probably the worst of all, it intentionally lies to the player about its systems.

And yet... I feel like this game is the only one that justifies these design choices. For a game where you play as someone with schizophrenia, all of this really works in tandem to create a "faux" madness to you. Of not being in control and not knowing what the fuck is happening.

And even despite this gimmick there's still plenty to compliment here. There's a pretty thorough retelling of the Norse-myth as collectibles. The combat is actually pretty slick. The audio design for everything is top notch. The story... While not what I personally like in a narrative, I can't point any flaw in it either. It does exactly what it's supposed to do in a pretty great way.

So even though I can't say the game "touched" me, I can't help but be amazed at the idea at play here. Even if it technically does a lot that I hate in game design, it also justifies those decisions perfectly.