The launch of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 has created a rift in the gaming community and even among Xbox users. Ninja Theory’s sequel to the 2017 Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice has been in development since 2019, a fact people are now using against the title for a variety of reasons.
Many feel this is a far too long development timeline for what the game has to offer: a five-hour campaign that is capped at 30FPS on consoles. However, Ninja Theory has gone for the quality over quantity approach, and it shares one aspect that makes the game truly stand out from its competitors.
Melina Juergens Delivers a Fantastic Performance in Hellblade 2
While gaming has always featured stellar stories and visuals, acting and performances are a very recent phenomenon. Motion capture was not possible for early games, and even now it is not adopted by every studio out there. When used effectively, its implementation can lead to some super-realistic visuals and movements that help to make the experience more immersive.
But it’s not merely the use of this technology that leads to a memorable visual experience. The actor needs to be just as talented at conveying their emotions via their facial expression and voice. In short, it’s not all that different from acting in a movie.
The acting was one of the many factors that contributed to our very positive experience with Hellblade 2. Juergens’s performance in the first game was highly praised, and she has managed to improve upon it in the sequel. Even a glance at any of the sequences in the game is enough to show people why the title has been in development since 2019.
Ninja Theory pulled out all of the stops needed to make the game as immersive as possible, from recording hours of combat footage to learning how to build scaffolding for realistic climbing sequences. While people may say a five-hour runtime for an AAA title is too short, one cannot say the game is not well produced.
Hellblade 2 and The Last of Us Part 2 Share a Common Element
The game’s marketing was nonexistent, but it has still managed to create waves in the community due to the argument. Some gamers are bringing up the technical numbers of Hellblade 2, deriding Ninja Theory for taking so many years to put out a game that performs as a title from the Xbox 360 era.
The hate is akin to that faced by Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part 2. That too was a ‘love it or hate it’ title that was heavily discussed due to more elements than just technical aspects. But, just like in Hellblade 2, the cast of that game delivered a phenomenal acting performance, a fact that could not be denied by even the most ardent critic.
One thing Hellblade 2 can promise any player is an engaging and immersive experience that is a very strong contender to become Game of the Year. Despite the apparent limitations, Ninja Theory has created a worthy successor to their original game.
What are your thoughts on the Hellblade 2 debate? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
