Hellblade 2: psychosis, blood and nightmares. Senua's return is unforgettable

It was exhausting to finish Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, the sequel to Ninja Theory's masterpiece for Xbox and PC. Imagine something similar in impact to the first time you saw Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now. Imagine a suffocating journey into your own guilt over the loss of loved ones, into a hellish land of human sacrifice, redolent with blood and violence. Hellblade II will take your breath away as only a few video games have done. This is thanks to a technical and artistic excellence never encountered on Xbox, but not matched by an excellence in gameplay. The game is linear, appearing to be a walking simulator interrupted by some combat and a few puzzle games. You will finish in less than six hours a game that will remain etched in your memory for a long time.

What we liked.

This is not the first time that video games have tried to portray malaise, mental health disorders such as alcoholism and addictions. Sometimes in an inspired way, sometimes for educational purposes. Ninja Theory focused on psychosis. Senua suffers from a severe form of psychosis that causes her to believe she hears voices, which she calls Furies, which react according to her emotions. Voices that whisper, giggle and dispense often contradictory advice will accompany you throughout the game. Visually, too, you will be called upon to search for symbols in the reality around you that will come to life, tearing apart the boundary between what is happening and what is stirring in your mind. This second chapter of the game was also designed with the team of Professor Paul Fletcher Professor of Neuroscience at Cambridge University. An introductory video features the testimony of a psychotic patient who talks about his condition. This is just to say that there is a study behind this video game. And it is also good to raise the reading level of this medium. Then the choice of declining psychosis in a setting of bloodthirsty Vikings is something I do not judge.

What we didn't like.

Perhaps we would have expected something more on the gameplay front. After seven years of development and with a team of 80 developers, the expectation was for a more ambitious project. Instead, we are faced with a product that is perfect for the Game Pass (the game is available from the first day of release), short but intense. Truly one of a kind.