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

"Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice" was much darker and more intense than I anticipated. I went in without knowing much about the game, but I definitely didn't expect it to be so unsettling and stressful. Despite that, I really enjoyed many aspects, particularly the lack of UI, the well-crafted puzzles, the sound design, the combat, and including that of the unsettled feeling the game evoked. The absence of a cluttered UI was refreshing, which gave me a somewhat uninterrupted view of the world and made me appreciate it more. The combat was also incredibly immersive, feeling both fluid and weighty. Every hit landed with a satisfying impact, and the movements of both Senua and her enemies were eerie yet realistic. The sound design is easily some of the best I've encountered in any game. The whispers and constant judgment from the voices created an unnerving atmosphere that heightened my anxiety throughout. The moment when I had to listen to the song to find Valravn was especially terrifying. The voice acting was also top-notch, and I was thoroughly impressed at how well everyone was acting. The lead actress did a wonderful job along with everyone else. The hellish atmosphere and audio design definitely played a huge role in making the game so intense. Hela's design was equally unsettling, and it reminded me of the mimic from "The Mortuary Assistant" which made me giggle a bit, but also reminded me of her demon-like nature. All of the enemies and bosses in the game were well-designed, even though a lot of the enemies were repeated over and over. The story felt a bit vague at times, and open to interpretation, but I found it impressive how they took such a serious subject and crafted it into a powerful, and compelling player experience. I definitely will be playing the sequel, once I rest from the addictive stress this game caused me XD. Overall, I was very pleased with the uniqueness of this game, and I'm glad it wasn't just another action adventure. There were so many moments when I felt genuinely scared or stressed, which is incredibly rare for me yet I loved it. 9.2/10