Senua's Saga: Hellblade II - Does it deserve so much criticism? (2024)

Simple action adventures are my favourite games, and probably one of the games that impressed me the most in recent times was Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2. On the one hand, a very simple and straightforward game with a strong emphasis on high-quality storytelling, and on the other, a very complex and meaningful game, form a whole that has quickly risen to the top of my all-time favourites list.

However, after the game was released, something happened that shocked me beyond words: the game began to receive a lot of criticism, to the point where people started calling it a disappointment and even a flop. I understand that we don't all like the same things and that liking anything is a question of personal preference, but calling Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 a flop is simply unacceptable. Therefore, I decided to speak up and stand in defence of this fantastic game.

So why did people start bombing Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2? Well, I believe the reason is quite obvious: the gaming industry has become so business-oriented that people will go to tremendous lengths to earn those likes and clicks, even if it means writing things they do not actually believe and have no basis in truth or common sense.

I'll say it here and out loud. Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is a fantastic game that delivers on all of the promises that a game of this quality makes, and anyone who disagrees either lacks objectivity or is significantly influenced by some unspoken factors.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is an action adventure game developed byNinja Theory, the same small studio that developed the indie masterpiece Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. Microsoftrecognised the excellence of their work and decided to purchase the studio, giving them nearly unlimited resources for the sequel, which, in my opinion, they executed flawlessly.

The review bombings have gone so far that some reviewers assigned higher scores to last year's greatest flop, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, than Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2. I understand that a review is a matter of subjective opinion that depicts how a reviewer felt about a specific game, but saying that Gollum is better game than Hellblade 2 raises some doubts in even the most trusting minds.

To avoid making unfounded statements, here are my thoughts and reasons why I believe Hellblade 2 is an excellent game—so good, in fact, that it can easily compete with the best and even contend for the game of the year title.

Reasons why Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is a masterpiece and not a flop

One of the deepest and most profound stories ever

I do not intend to make another review out of this article, but to speak about the quality of this game is to speak about its great story, which is, no doubt, one of the best, not just regarding the video game stories but the movies and novels as well. It is so deep, emotional, and impactful that it will stay with you long after the credits roll and the game ends.

The writers of the story enlisted the real people who suffer from psychosis to make the ultimate experience and to make this health problem spoken about, showing us the everyday struggle of the people who suffer from this illness.

The story can be interpreted in a variety of ways, and you will constantly wonder what is true and what is not. To be perfectly honest, if there is nothing else to this game—if it is completely non-interactive and exists entirely for the narrative—it merits high acclaim.

Everything that was good in the first game is now much better

Common sense tells us that it's unreasonable to call Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 a flop. The original Hellblade, despite its lower production budget, delivered one of the best stories and received high praise from many of its critics. Given that the sequel surpasses its predecessor in almost every aspect, it's only logical to consider it a masterpiece as well.

The most ridiculous and illogical aspect of this situation is that the same reviewers who now claim Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is garbage previously praised the original Hellblade as one of the best games. It's perfectly fine if you don't like the game or if it's not your cup of tea, but it doesn't make sense to praise the predecessor and spit on the sequel, which is superior in every way.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 has perfected every aspect of the game. For instance, the combat, which was already good, is now ten times better. The visuals, impressive as they were in the original, have been significantly enhanced, which is understandable if you take in consideration the level of investment in the sequel.

This is not a GTA; this is Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2

The main complaints about Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 are the lack of innovation and the similarity to the original. I would argue that it shouldn't have changed much. Take this in consideration. For example, we are all quick to criticise Ubisoft when they put open-world in every game, or we're always ready to bash Call of Duty or similar games for imposing microtransactions. But, when developers create a linear action-adventure game that delivers on its promises, we suddenly expect it to be GTA, Call of Duty, Dark Souls, and all the games in one. This seems a bit hypocritical, don't you think?

My point is that Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is an action adventure game with an intriguing story, cinematic presentation, unrealistically stunning graphics, and a combat system that will constantly keep you on the edge of your seat while playing. These qualities are very real. So don't expect one action adventure to be an open-world RPG, TPS, FPS, dark fantasy, life and building simulator, or whatnot. Focus on what the game delivers, and you just might enjoy it.

Criticism always entices clicks and views

This is a well-known principle today: content that gets criticised tends to attract more viewers and become more popular. This is particularly true for video reviews on YouTube. While written reviews of Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 are generally more balanced, it's rare to find a video review that speaks positively about the game.

Why such overwhelming negative hype surrounds this game remains a total mystery to me. It's been a long time since an action-adventure game has had such influence on me and kept me glued to the screen like Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 has. While I won't claim it's a perfect game—it has its flaws—I strongly claim it is not a disappointment. Though my opinion might not carry much weight or reach a wide audience, I still want to make it clear which side I am on—the side of common sense.

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