Senua's Sacrifice was a masterpiece in my eyes for many reasons. While I couldn't literally connect with Senua's story and struggles, I was able to sympathize with her far more than almost any game protagonist and feel her pain, especially dealing with psychosis and how that seriously impacted her. That ending sequence still lives in my head rent-free thanks to the sheer impact and power of its futile war against overwhelming odds.
It's part of that love for the first game that leads me to feel that Senua's Saga, while far from a bad game, is a major downgrade from the previous entries.
In the spirit of fairness though, I need to draw attention the visual and auditory feast that Senua's Saga manages to execute perfectly. Barring a few technical issues and the rather annoying black bars you can't turn off, this is one of the best-looking games I've ever played. The ability for the game to switch between cutscene and gameplay with such elegance is an achievement. I know that's been known about since the 2021 trailer, but the fact the entire game uses it is insane.
I also have to give praise to the reduced focus on combat, even if for many people that is a downgrade. Hellblade is all about its narrative and visual strengths, so having the combat be more about its spectacle than any in-depth systems is ironically appreciated.
However, I can't say the same about the puzzles. Where Senua's Sacrifice had puzzles that were a bit more in-depth, all of the puzzles in Senua's Saga I had done within a few minutes, only a few moments to understand what they needed. If anything, they're more of an obstacle to progression that doesn't provide much narratively or visually. Even when it does, it never feels like puzzles were necessary to get the point across.
The story is also notably more uneven this time around. While I can praise how NPCs help Senua navigate her relation to others while dealing with psychosis, some conversations are often left one-sided with answers given by the Furies in Senua's head, but not by Senua herself. While some parts of the game are paced perfectly, some story beats take either far too long or are rushed too quickly without proper resolution. While certain characters are written well, others can change opinion rather unrealistically. It's all very flip-floppy and can cause the experience to feel rather disjointed. I wouldn't normally care about story this much, but it's hard to ignore some serious faults when it's a major selling point.
It's such a shame since it's clear the level of passion that went into Hellblade 2. Its visuals are breathtaking every step of the way, its audio design is as great as its always been, and performances are once again top-notch. However, it feels far from a great successor to the previous entry thanks to some serious missteps along the way. While it might be a personal thing, the ending to Senua's Saga also doesn't hold a candle to Senua's Sacrifice no matter how pretty it can look.
It's part of that love for the first game that leads me to feel that Senua's Saga, while far from a bad game, is a major downgrade from the previous entries.
In the spirit of fairness though, I need to draw attention the visual and auditory feast that Senua's Saga manages to execute perfectly. Barring a few technical issues and the rather annoying black bars you can't turn off, this is one of the best-looking games I've ever played. The ability for the game to switch between cutscene and gameplay with such elegance is an achievement. I know that's been known about since the 2021 trailer, but the fact the entire game uses it is insane.
I also have to give praise to the reduced focus on combat, even if for many people that is a downgrade. Hellblade is all about its narrative and visual strengths, so having the combat be more about its spectacle than any in-depth systems is ironically appreciated.
However, I can't say the same about the puzzles. Where Senua's Sacrifice had puzzles that were a bit more in-depth, all of the puzzles in Senua's Saga I had done within a few minutes, only a few moments to understand what they needed. If anything, they're more of an obstacle to progression that doesn't provide much narratively or visually. Even when it does, it never feels like puzzles were necessary to get the point across.
The story is also notably more uneven this time around. While I can praise how NPCs help Senua navigate her relation to others while dealing with psychosis, some conversations are often left one-sided with answers given by the Furies in Senua's head, but not by Senua herself. While some parts of the game are paced perfectly, some story beats take either far too long or are rushed too quickly without proper resolution. While certain characters are written well, others can change opinion rather unrealistically. It's all very flip-floppy and can cause the experience to feel rather disjointed. I wouldn't normally care about story this much, but it's hard to ignore some serious faults when it's a major selling point.
It's such a shame since it's clear the level of passion that went into Hellblade 2. Its visuals are breathtaking every step of the way, its audio design is as great as its always been, and performances are once again top-notch. However, it feels far from a great successor to the previous entry thanks to some serious missteps along the way. While it might be a personal thing, the ending to Senua's Saga also doesn't hold a candle to Senua's Sacrifice no matter how pretty it can look.