It’s safe to say that the sequel to 2017’s Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice was divisive, with the graphical fidelity of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II being up there with some of the best, yet many felt gameplay was severely lacking.
With our team giving Hellblade II a perfect 5/5 score, it’s clear that we were hotter on this narrative adventure than others, praising improvements in combat amongst other key improvements compared to the first game.
Now, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II makes itself known to a whole new audience, alongside a significant free update for all players.
Hellblade Enhanced!
With the period of just over a year of console-exclusivity on Xbox elapsed, finally PlayStation fans can get their hands on Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II and take in what is one of the most detailed stories to be illustrated in recent years.
Following up from the mind-bending adventure Senua embarked on in Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, the sequel continues to build upon a world inspired by Viking lore, introducing some additional characters that either support Senua in her quest, or add to her mental torment.
And now all players – whether playing on Xbox, PlayStation or PC – can benefit from a suite of improvements as part of the Hellblade II: Senua’s Saga Enhanced update.
This is a major free update that not only introduces a Performance Mode that optimises for 60fps (albeit with a slight downturn in graphics expected), but the return of Dark Rot Mode from Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice introduces a brand-new way to play. This mode sees a rot make its way through Senua’s body, which increases upon every death. If it reaches her head, you lose all progress made throughout your save, and are booted back to the very start.
Behind the Scenes
As well as Dark Rot Mode and Performance Mode, returning players will be delighted to see a completely renovated Photo Mode, allowing you to make use of an expanded photo toolset, as well as a ‘Motion’ tab for video capture, to perfect your shots in what is one of the most beautiful-looking games on current consoles.
Finally, over four hours of developer commentary has been recorded for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II Enhanced, allowing fans of the game to understand how it was created, and why certain decisions were made during development.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II Enhanced Key Features
- Performance Mode – Where the original release was optimized for 30fps to deliver an immersive, cinematic experience, the Enhanced update will include a ‘Performance Mode’ to optimize for 60fps. On PC, the game will offer a “Very High’ preset to push fidelity even further based on personal hardware.
- Dark Rot Mode – The Dark Rot from Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice has returned and offers an additional challenge for Senua in this optional game mode. The Dark Rot will grow each time you fail, and if it reaches Senua’s head, her quest is over and all progress will be lost.
- Enhanced Photo Mode – the Enhanced update will include an expanded and improved toolset, including a new ‘Motion’ tab for custom cinematic video capture.
- Developer Commentary – for those interested in the craft and creative decisions behind Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, the Enhanced update includes over four hours of developer commentary from a variety of voices involved in the making of the game.
Play Now!
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II has grown into a new beast altogether with the introduction of these enhancements. It comes as a free update for those on Xbox Series X|S, PC and, with the release of the game over in Sony-world, PS5!
There’s many ways to purchase a copy of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. On Xbox, the game will cost you £49.99 as a Standard Edition, or as part of The Hellblade Bundle, which packages in the original Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice for £67.48. Remember that both games are also available for free via Game Pass, too!
For PlayStation, things are a bit different – over on the PlayStation Store, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II costs £49.99, whereas the £69.99 Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II Deluxe Edition contains the original game, as well as the Senua’s Sacrifice Original Soundtrack.
