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Narrative action-adventure game Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II arrived on PC and Xbox on May 21, 2024. It features a focused story covering a wide variety of emotional and societal themes that are fascinating to turn over in your mind. The challenge, to me, of Senua’s Saga isn’t so much succeeding in its puzzles or combat (though the combat can be fun), but is rather found in understanding the ebb and flow of Senua’s trip through Iceland and the people she meets.

The density of its text and dialogue is what’s waiting for you to unpack, not skill trees and reaction-based timing challenges. And given its relatively short runtime compared to other games, that makes it perfect for multiple playthroughs to revisit key moments, or come to understand the significance of how the game begins and ends, and what exactly the challenges are that Senua must overcome in this new chapter. After you reach the end of Senua’s.



..um, saga, you will unlock narration from “The Others,” the three NPCs who accompany Senua on her journey.

They’ll narrate sections of the game based on which chapters you’re in, starting with Viking slaver, Thorgestr. Hellblade II is a game about many things, but it’s especially about the characters Senua meets (with Thorgestr, perhaps, being the most changed by his journey with Senua). Getting insight into how these characters see Senua and their world is a really great way to understand the different nuances and emotional contours of this game.

Astrid.

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