4/5 ★ – ManWithAMovieCam's review of Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice.

Do you like Norse mythology? How about deep explorations of psychosis? Do you like a rewarding melee combat system, with flashy slow-mo mechanics? How about a perma-death indicator whose progress is connected directly to your character's appearance? Hellbade has all of these. The world is rich and fantastic. Mostly, this felt like an action/psychological thriller, with some interesting puzzle elements that still have me scratching my head. And the mysticism allows for truly breathtaking moments to overwhelm the player. Not to mention, an anxiety inducing pseudo perma-death mechanic. AND IT'S GORGEOUS. So why wouldn't I give this a perfect score? Don't get me wrong, if any of this sounds like it's up your alley, I definitely recommend you pick it up. However, I have a few small criticisms that may ruin the experience for some gamers, so if none of what's ahead deters you, please play this game. And with that, here we go. First off, you are highly advised to play with surround sound. If you don't have that, you best get yourself some headphones. A lot of the game takes place in an audio landscape, so if you can't immerse yourself in it, don't bother. Trust me. There are moments where Senua's inner voices will guide you to solutions you'd otherwise miss, and it's all directional. You'll hear "what's that?" from behind you, turn, and boom: solution. So get headphones if you don't have surround sound. I used Skull Candy ear buds, they worked just fine and cost about $10. The other complaint is that some of the puzzles are really not intuitive, and the targeting system for the visual rune matching minigame is wonky. I'll be looking at what I think is a solution, only to have the camera snap to the real solution nearby. And when I know I'm looking at the real solution, I had trouble snapping the camera to get the right reveal. Lastly, there doesn't seem to be a real tutorial. It's almost like they are expecting players to know how this game works based on how other similar titles are. For instance, I got knocked down during combat. There is a sequence where the voices say "get up," but I don't recall the game telling me how. I think it was the "A" button. Side note: I play a lot of For Honor, and the combat is remaniscent of that, so I had an easy time dispatching my enemies. Lastly. If you yourself experience psychosis in any amount, this may be a game that is a little too much to handle. It definitely messes with your head. The developers make a note in the beginning about how they consulted with various psychologists to build an experience that accurately emulates psychosis, and I have to agree they did a convincing job. I believe they provide resources for people who may have some of Senua's symptoms, which is nice. But somehow finding out one has psychosis because they identify with a character in a game feels all kinds of fucked up, so be warned. Overall, the game was an absolute pleasure. I was so excited to see it ported to the Xbox, and at the time of this review it's on Gamepass. I give it 4 head demons out of 5.