Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is among the most highly anticipated first-party projects currently in development for the Xbox. The title has been in this spotlight since 2019, as Hellblade 2 was the first title confirmed for the Xbox Series X. Since then, the game has appeared at various Xbox presentations, each showcasing a new feature or technology set to debut in the title. With this week's Xbox Showcase, fans were given their first glimpse at Hellblade 2's gameplay, which featured an extensive look at Senua's motivations and current mental state. With its new trailer, Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 played its ace cards, which include the return of the original title's standout feature.
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is the sequel to 2017's Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. Hellblade follows Senua, a Pict warrior who goes on a nightmarish quest to save the soul of her dead lover from Helheim. The game's story serves as a deeply impactful exploration of Senua's psychosis, which she wrongly believes is a curse. This psychosis manifests in Senua being haunted by an entity called The Darkness, and constantly hearing a group of voices in her head, each trying to pull her in a different direction. Hellblade's developers worked with neuroscientists, doctors, and actual patients to portray Senua's disease as accurately as possible, leading to the title's unique audio design. In this week's Hellblade 2 trailer, developer Ninja Theory confirms that this superb feature is set to return, with the now-accepted Furies playing a major role in Senua's decision-making.
Hellblade's Breakout Feature Returns in Hellblade 2
Hellblade featured absolutely incredible audio design, with its environments, enemies, narrator, and Furies fighting for Senua's attention at all times. The voices in Senua's head are a major driving force in the narrative, and their implementation demonstrates the research and care put into Hellblade's sound design. Many early adopters of the title were awestruck by the way in which these voices could manifest, with the most unique requiring the use of both television speakers and headphones. If fans opted for this option, all game audio was delivered through the television, while the Furies spoke exclusively in the player's ears.
Hellblade 2 is set to shift the way Senua experiences psychosis, and, while audio options have yet to be confirmed, the Furies' return indicates that audio design will once again play a major role. This week's trailer featured a lengthy conversation between Senua and the Furies, as the latter urge her to converse with a mysterious voice in a visually-shifting cavern. Once the conversation gets underway, a growing number of voices personify Senua's fear, urging her to leave. Senua takes these comments to heart, as her perception of the Furies differs significantly from that of the original title.
The Furies Play A Renewed Role in Hellblade 2
In Hellblade, the voices in Senua's head manifest as part of her psychosis, and she views them as an extension of The Darkness. At the story's end, however, she accepts that The Furies are a part of who she is, embracing them for the journey ahead. This week's gameplay trailer for Hellblade 2 offers a glimpse at this redefined relationship, with Senua listening to the various opinions of The Furies, before choosing which statement to utilize in her conversation with the voice in the cavern. It appears that this relationship will play a renewed role in Hellblade 2, opening up new explorations into Senua's psychosis, while offering her foes a new area of vulnerability.
Hellblade 2 is set to feature stunning visual design in addition to the return of its landmark audio, and that may be just the beginning. While this week's trailer offered fans their best glimpse yet, much of the title's greater details are still a mystery. When the title is finally released in 2024, it promises to offer fans one of the most technologically advanced experiences of this console generation. Hellblade 2 fans should keep an eye on future Xbox Showcases, as the title may be saving its biggest reveals for a later date.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is set to release on PC and Xbox Series X|S in 2024.