#SENUAS SAGA

[astraphel]

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II

[13ag21k]

Hellblade 2 Rant:

This post may lack structure and a proper way of discussing the certain issues I had with this game, I'm not a critic but a dedicated fan of 5 years of the original game who waited, and waited for the release of the second one, watched every trailer with my breath held, memorized every word, downloaded every soundtrack and made edits of it, I will be discussing why I as a fan of the first game find this sequel to be absolutely horrible, don't mind me screaming, though having played the game I'm sure you won't mind it:

The story:

The first game was good due to its deep story, it was about Senua overcoming her fears, loving herself and overcoming her father's influence, seeing through his lies and realizing that she was not cursed, but just broken and a little different, the journey is heartbreaking and also climactic moments where you as a player can't help but feel sad, happy or enraged along with her, the game did such a good job at connecting Senua to the players, you could feel her fear, despair, determination and anger, you felt weak and scared with her, the realization that everything she sees was inside her head is shocking and heartbreaking that by fighting on and following her decisions you are feeding into her delusions and she will never be free till she decides to give up her quest to bring back her dead husband, because you can't bring back the dead, the curse, the Gods are all lies and trauma induced by his father that she faces head on and acknowledges them in the end finally allowing her to see through his lies and deceit.

The second game however tried so hard to be deep, they replicated these same ideas but made it worse by turning Senua into a super hero with psychic powers, where now all of a sudden, Giants and Gods are real and not just a figment of her imagination symbolizing her inner struggles, they destroyed everything the first game represented and turned a psychological horror into a fantasy game, the characters are just miserable the whole time, just a bunch of sad people that you never feel connected to and their stories are never explored, purposeless. Senua's advices and her attempts at helping others was bleak, shallow and the lines felt like they were generated by Ai, every single damn second she was screaming that she won't give up and that her father is wrong and then fall under his spell right after blaming herself for other people's miseries, she overcame those struggles in the first game just fine and yet they tried to stretch the same themes and ideas over another 5 hours of boring gameplay. They tried to turn her into a girl boss where she can do and beat anything while doing the bare minimum, they legit turned her mental illness into a superpower, like...the first game was about the danger of her condition and her delusions and now? Well it means that she can see things others don't and save the day doing so, they merged her delusions from reality and no amount of saying "that was a metaphor" can save it from the truth.

One more thing that pissed me off was Senua almost falling in love with the man who worsened her psychosis by killing her people, taking them as slaves and murdering her husband in cold blood and ripping his ribcage open and turn it into wings for Senua to see, for her to stumble upon, for her to drown in despair and such misery that it broke her completely, I wanted them all dead, each and every one of them, they did not deserve senua to help them, nor earned her loyalty, in first minute of his introduction you know he will become a semi lover interest for her and it angered me so much.

The Combat:

The first game did it so well that I got hooked, I replayed it almost 4 times for the sake of the combat, you had to be strategic, find out the enemies weak points, block, parry, sprint and kick, evade and it was so engaging, there were many options and you could tweak the settings to make things more challenging if you wished, the enemies would attack in groups and you had to act fast and wisely to avoid certain death, all the while you felt so deeply connected to Senua that her death would bring you discomfort and the rot on her arm would grow larger, the voices inside her head,helped her during combat and gave her strategic advice when needed and their silence only brought unease, the sword felt heavy and real, you could feel each strike and got tired when you attacked fast, it felt real. There was also a lot of to move away from an enemy and think strategically, to recover plan things and then attack, to align yourself in such a way that you could strike them without letting them surround you completely.

The second game did a piss poor job at all of the above, the combat was stiff, if played on Hard mode you could not parry, evade or block any of the attacks, you couldn't even recover from evading fast enough to respond to an enemy's attack or parry it, even if you did find a weakness in an enemy you couldn't act fast enough to strike them when vulnerable and if you played it on easy mode then you could just press one button and be done for, there was no room to have fun nor anything made it engaging, the enemies would attack one by one and though some scenes were just abit cool overall it was underwhelming and the opponents never instilled as much fear as those from the previous game did, all the while you couldn't feel the sword, the voices inside your head were completely useless and whiney. There was no room to move, you were backed against a wall or unable to roll around and evade, it took a lot of time for her to recover which made her vulnerable and she got hit way more than she use her sword as expected.

The Graphics:

They were beautiful but don't expect me to give them a pat on their backs for giving me the bare minimum, I do not care about graphics if the story and combat are shit. the old Mario games are more engaging than this horrific nightmare.

The soundtracks, or Heilung:

I waited and waited as an old Heilung fan to hear more from them, to get more than one soundtrack that was not even posted on their YouTube channel, one soundtrack that was as underwhelming as the game and a few background music pieces that were actually good when played during emotional scenes or combat but that was it, I was legit expecting some sort of a mini album release since I was waiting for it since 2019, but I guess I couldn't get a single good thing out of this game.

Final words:

I've never been this disappointed by anything before, it felt like a punch to the gut or having a cold bucket of iced water thrown over me, I'm legit still shocked at how bad this game is, it did not deliver a single thing right, a company that was bought by Microsoft and had 7 years, high tech gear and equipment to develop and finish this game in a leisurely pace with a dedicated fanbase that would've waited another 7 years for its release they created this monstrosity that thank God only lasted 5 hours, why do we allow this? Since when do we settle for the bare minimum? I'm legit disgusted and hurt, will never buy a single game from this company ever again.

I better leave before I start ranting for another 5 hours *screeches in anger*

[crisicsgames]

HELLBLADE II SENUAS SAGA REYKJANESTA SENUA IS BACK - MIDGGAR SCHIAVISTI 🎮XBOX SERIES X

[malicedragoness]

19 more days and I can play as an angry Pict woman again.

SENUA’S SAGA: HELLBLADE II • dev. Ninja Theory

[capsulecomputers]

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II Review

Developer: Ninja Theory Publisher: Xbox Game Studios Platforms: Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PC (Reviewed) Release Date: 21 May 2024 Price: $49.99 USD

With Microsoft Studios and #NinjaTheory continuing the #SenuaSaga series, is this #haunting take on psychological issues and #adventure worth your time? Read our full review inside to find out.

[hardcoregamer]

Hellblade 2: All Achievements Guide

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 offers a range of achievements that test your skills in combat, exploration, and puzzle-solving. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to unlock all achievements in the game. 

Check it out!

[quibbs]

some unfinished hellblade 2 paintings… senua baby you are always on my mind!!!!!

[kythwena]

Coming

May 21, 2024

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II – Official Trailer

[gallusneve]

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II

Death follows you, Senua.

[talesfromthecrypts]

We are not our fathers.

SENUA'S SAGA: HELLBLADE II (2024) dev. Ninja Theory

[astraphel]

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II

[jollysunflora]

I wanted to go more into Special denizens (there are more denizens for each aspect too but yknow there are so many cultures around the world and so on)

I figured that there are a minimum of at least 100 denizens, probably more, per aspect, per type of person and the number of special/situational denizens is least 50 or so...like there being a denizen for True Sylphs (a specific personality thing)

Spirits (which are just as numerous as people) also have denizens (the trolls-a specific type of spirit-have them, for example) but would talk with them differently (a person and a spirit would interact differently than two spirits). Beings are too few in number to have a set of denizen spirits for themselves, but I'm sure there are at least one or two situational denizen!spirits that work a lot with beings. (Beings are living sentient folk that aren't people or spirits and are very rare)

I've been wondering what would get one person/spirit/being assigned one denizen over another per their lesson Aspect (unless their personality/circumstances override that and they get a situational/special denizen) and figured that each denizen!spirit offers something unique of their own aspect and in terms of what they can teach. Furthermore, I have concluded that it can work like a "street/path" system where each Aspect has one large road but to face a Denizen you go down a specific street/path. If you bunch all of the denizen!spirits together you get a fully fleshed out portrait of the aspect lesson in all its beauty.

These paths would still be in bunches (some denizens would offer similar niches, but social/cultural stuff distinguishes them) but each denizen is unique/special/offers something no other can. For example, my denizen is Behemoth because (among other reasons I'm still figuring out) I grew up in a Christian household, need to learn to become wild/unmask, and because of a mix of personality and circumstantial things. Whereas Senua (from Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice) with a lesson in Doom would have Hela as her denizen due to being neurodivergent, her life being profoundly affected by viking raids, and being ostracized due to said neurodivergence. (Which corresponds to Hela's half rotten appearance-she intrinsically understands being an outcast)

I'm still trying to figure other special denizens, though...they're also special because they need to know a bit about every aspect lesson in order to work with those assigned to them.

Massive Multicultural Denizen List

I based them on the 12 Archetypes, and took from a variety of cultures. As a rule, I limited each Aspect to only having one Greco-Roman Denizen. There are also four special Denizens, one of which is Gnostic, two are Greek, and one is Christian; the only specifically Christian Denizen. Please credit me if you use this! (Note: Your Aspect is not necessarily what your Denizen will be aligned with! It all depends on your lesson)

(http://jollysunflora.tumblr.com/post/168098218596/thanks-to-dahniwitchoflight-for-the-aspect)

Space White Buffalo Woman (Lakota)/Ruler Nut (Egypt)/Caregiver Mangechay (Philippines)/Jester Echidna (Greek)/Creator Bedawang (Indonesia)/Magician Izanami (Japan)/Lover Xbalanque (Mayan)/Everyperson Dhruva (Hindu)/Innocent Altjira (Australian)/Explorer Buri (Norse)/Revolutionary Cipactli (Aztec)/Sage Dayunsi (Cherokee)/Hero

Time Shulawitsi Kachina (Hopi)/Sage Ogun (Yoruba)/Creator Pele (Hawaii)/Caregiver Hephaestus (Greek)/Hero Kali (Hindu)/Jester Arachne (Greek)/Everyperson Aion (Phoenician)/Lover Iah (Egypt)/Magician Tai-Sui-Xing (China)/Ruler Estanatlehi (Navajo)/Innocent Fenrir (Norse)/Revolutionary Hikule-o(Samoa)/Explorer

Light Gnowee (Australian)/Lover Amaterasu (Japan)/Revolutionary Beiwe (Sami)/Magician Anansi (West Africa)/Everyperson Hemera (Greek)/Caregiver Sumyeong Jangja (Korean)/Innocent Olokun (Yoruba)/Ruler Thoth (Egypt)/Sage Sophia (Gnostic)/Creator Saule (Baltic)/Explorer Cao-Guojiu (China)/Jester Mikula (Slavic)/Hero

Void Sedna (Inuit)/Innocent Olapa (Masaai)/Caregiver Tsukiyomi (Japan)/Explorer Yemaja (Yoruba)/Creator Leviathan (Hebrew)/Ruler Nyx (Greek)/Hero Apep (Egypt)/Everyperson Anagolay (Phillipines)/Jester Naunet (Egyptian)/Magician Moai (Rapa Nuic)/Sage Zorya (Slavic)/Revolutionary Tiamat (Mesopotamia)/Lover

Life Corn Woman (Cherokee)/Explorer Diwata (Philippines)/Revolutionary Behemoth (Hebrew)/Hero Hebe (Greek)/Caregiver Shennong (Tibetan)/Sage Lakapati (Philippines)/Magician Geb (Egypt)/Ruler Tapio (Finnish)/Everyperson Zaka-Mede (Caribbean)/Jester Aine (Irish)/Lover Inara (Hittite)/Creator Cocomama (Incan)/Innocent

Doom Uktena (Cherokee)/Revolutionary Anubis (Egypt)/Innocent Hinenuitepo (Maori)/Creator Janus (Roman)/Everyperson Latura (South Nias)/Hero Boitata (Brazil)/Lover Chernobog (Slavic)/Magician Baphomet (Mesopotamia)/Jester Vetala (Hindu)/Explorer Tarvaa (Mongolia)/Caregiver Hel (Norse)/Sage Pandora (Greek)/Innocent

Breath Anitun Tabu (Philippines)/Innocent Susanoo (Japan)/Revolutionary Ataentsic (Iroquois)/Lover Abassi (Nigerian)/Magician Ziz (Hebrew)/Ruler Typheus (Greek)/Everyperson Tawhati (Maori)/Sage Thunderbird (Kwakwaka'wakw and Cowichan tribes)/Explorer Quetzalcoatl (Aztec)/Creator Thor (Norse)/Hero

Blood Wendigo (Algonquin)/Revolutionary Yemaja (Yoruba)/Creator Somtup (Baga of Guinea)/Innocent Archon (Gnostic)/Explorer Musubi-no-Kami (Japan)/Lover Obba (Yoruba)/Hero Nuckelavee (Orcadian)/Everyperson Hestia (Greek)/Caregiver Freyja (Norse)/Ruler Suonetar (Finnish)/Jester Mbokomu (Ngombe)/Magician Mukuru (Namibia)/Sage

Heart Oochigeaskw (Mi'kmaw)/Innocent Oshun (Yoruba)/Magician Alalahe (Polynesia)/Jester Psyche (Greek)/Sage Sadhbh (Irish)/Caregiver Agape (Gnostic)/Lover Nüwa (China)/Creator Hathor (Egypt)/Everyperson Vibishana (Hindu)/Ruler Caer (Celtic)/Hero Vainamoinen (Finnish)/Explorer Holle (Norse)/Revolutionary

Mind Grandmother Woodchuck (Wabanaki)/Caregiver Orunmila (Yoruba)/Creator Tahu (Tuamotu)/Revolutionary Radigast (Slavic)/Magician Vairocana (Tibetan)/Jester Ganesha (Hindu)/Sage Doppleganger (German)/Everyperson Maat (Egypt)/Innocent Telechines (Greek)/Explorer Nous (Gnostic)/Ruler Lugh (Irish)/Hero Mergen (Turkic)/Lover

Hope Kwatee (Nootka)/Magician Itzpapalotl (Aztec)/Revolutionary Seraphim (Hebrew)/Sage Abraxas (Gnostic)/Everyperson Akshobhya (Tibetan)/Innocent Balder (Norse)/Ruler Barong (Indonesia)/Lover Enki (Sumeria)/Creator Iris (Greek)/Caregiver Boraq (Arabic)/Explorer Gilgamesh (Mesopotamian)/Hero Ditaolane (Basuto)/Jester

Rage Nuada (Irish)/Lover Lillith (Hebrew)/Creator Kuchisake Onna (Japanese)/Innocent Apikunni (Blackfoot)/Explorer Hera (Greek)/Caregiver Feng Meng (China)/Sage Ifrit (pre-Islamic Arabic)/Revolutionary Set (Egypt)/Everyperson Odin (Norse)/Ruler Guan-Yu (China)/Hero Bamapana (Australian)/Jester Oni (Japanese)/Magician

***Special*** Yaldabaoth (Gnostic)/For warriors, usually Derse Ophiotaurus (Greek)/For double dreamers Cerynitis (Greek)/For heroes, usually Prospit Raphael (Christian)/For already tiered/mature heroes

[sweeetestcurse]

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II 01/??

[jimmymcgill]

SENUA'S SAGA: HELLBLADE II (2024)

[thelvadams]

SENUA'S SAGA: HELLBLADE II • May 21st 2024

I've dreamt of this. This place of fear and fury. Do you hear it? The heartbeat of the lost ones. I can feel them on my skin. Each death inked in blood. I won't stop fighting for them. Until the very last beat fades away.

[brynnmclean]

Just wanna say... I am Into whatever these two had going on. Enemies to reluctant allies to mirrors (the mirror HURTS).