Doess Hellblade 2 reach new heights, or is it a saga-potatoes?
After a long development cycle, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is here, and we’ve got our review round-up to help give you the lowdown on what is looking to be one of the most visually stunning games to date.
Whether the graphics are worth the price of admission alone remains to be seen, however, but below we’ll delve into what the critics made of the rest of the game.
We have also included the Metacritic and OpenCritic scores to provide a quick cursory glance if you don’t have the time to read full reviews.
If you do decide you want to dive in, make sure to check out our Hellblade 2 achievements guide so you don’t miss out on any low-hanging Gamerscore you may otherwise have missed out on.
But we’ve certainly waited long enough for this sequel, so let’s not dilly-dally! Read on and see if Senua’s story is a saga worth experiencing.
What is the Metacritic score for Hellblade 2?
The Metacritic score for Hellblade 2 stands at 81, as of writing.
This has garnered it a “Generally Favourable” rating, and is based on 71 reviews from critics, as can be seen on the Hellblade 2 Metacritic page.
This is unlikely to change too much, as reviewers had ample time ahead of release to play through Hellblade 2, though there may be a few stragglers that bump the number up or down a little.
The User Score is currently not available as it has not been in the hands of players long enough, but you can see if the game is for you with our review round-up further down.
What is the Open Critic score for Hellblade 2?
The Open Critic score for Hellblade 2 is 83, as of writing.
Aggregated across 72 critic reviews, this has garnered Hellblade 2 an OpenCritic “Strong” rating, with 84 per cent of critics recommending the game.
No player reviews are offered, but it is easy to navigate all the reviews listed, with a short synopsis providing a quick glance at what each critic thought.
To save you a click, we have a round-up of what some notable outlets and critics had to say about Hellblade 2 just below!
Hellblade 2 review round-up
Kicking off with Eurogamer’s Johnny Chiodini, they thought that Hellblade 2 is “a game that is nothing short of phenomenal”, and awarded Team Ninja’s sequel five stars out of five, not least in part thanks to the visuals – which they describe as being “absolutely gorgeous” – and the “responsive” combat.
Tristan Ogilvie for IGN was similarly impressed, saying that Hellblade 2 “delivers a spellbinding adventure packed with cinematic spectacle and story surprises”, but notes the lack of innovation (other than with the graphics) from the previous game, finishing by saying that it “meets the high bar set by its predecessor”, but crucially “never really manages to clear it”, resulting in an 8/10 score.
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Justin Wood of CGMagazine found themselves captivated in the opening act of the game, but found that the plot met an unsatisfying end, saying: “After certain revelations, the story speeds up to a point where the conclusion feels rushed and half-baked.”
Wood did enjoy their experience, however, noting that “spending more time in Senua’s world was still a splendour”, and gave the game a respectable 7/10.
PCGamer’s review from Robin Valentine was far more scathing. Though the visuals are undeniably impressive, Valentine states that Hellblade 2 “fails to escape the shadow of its predecessor with a muddled tale that Senua herself feels out of place in”. All in all, Valentine awarded Hellblade 2 with a rating of 58/100.
Writing for GameSpot, Jessica Cogswell too felt let down by this successor. Again, the visuals, which Cogswell describes as “hyper-realistic, yet still eerie and ethereal”, are said to be incredible to behold, but they found themselves “disappointed by how pared down and shallow its story and gameplay are”. Cogswell scored Hellblade 2 with a 6/10.
But perhaps the opinion that matters the most is your own. Hellblade 2 is available on Xbox Series X/S or PC and can be played via Game Pass or purchased outright.
- Buy Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II for Xbox Series X/S on CDkeys
- Buy Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II for PC (Steam) on CDkeys
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