Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice is out now on PS4 and PC.
From the makers of DmC: Devil May Cry and Heavenly Sword, the third-person action game is said to give an insight into the experiences of psychosis and was developed with the help of mental health experts.
It all revolves around lead character Senua, whose mental health difficulties were said to have been brought on by some form of trauma.
Team Ninja is said to have used state-of-the-art techniques to evoke the voices and visions experienced by those who live with psychosis.
This includes visual and auditory hallucinations within the game.
But does this translate into a compelling gaming experience? Check out our pros and cons review gallery below…
Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice is a unique game that tackles an important issue in an interesting way.
The sound design is exceptional, especially when you play with headphones on and are surrounded by conflicting voices. It’s the most powerful way of highlighting Senua’s condition and is well complemented by the distorted visual effects.
As you’d expect from a Ninja Theory game, the combat is highly satisfying, especially the more you experiment and discover new possibilities.
This is especially evident in the boss battles, which are visually spectacular and unlike anything I’ve witnessed before.
On the downside, there are a few tedious sections where nothing much happens, and the over-the-shoulder camera view definitely takes some getting used to.
It also suffers from a lack of replay value, which will be off-putting to some.
It’s offset by a cheaper price point, but there are other games out there – like Destiny 2, for example – that will give you more bang for your buck.
Of course, there are few games that truly compare to Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice, and if you’re looking for something unique and memorable that will stick with you for days, this could be the release for you.