Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is a carefully paced cinematic game – almost like the logical conclusion of those early 90s FMV experiments. I mean that in the best way and I’m fascinated by its existence – in an era where it feels as if publishers are pushing to fill their games with arguably too many features, Hellblade 2 is a tight, pure experience more so than a typical video game. The focus is so tight, in fact, that some may be put off by the lack of interactivity, but let’s be clear – it’s this singular focus that allows it to shine, becoming its own thing that you won’t soon forget. It’s a masterpiece in audio-visual design from developer Ninja Theory and an astonishing demonstration of Unreal Engine 5’s core technologies.
As a story-focused game, characters and character rendering play a significant role in the presentation. However, while the pre-release media largely focused on Senua herself, Hellblade 2 features a surprisingly large number of other humans. It’s without doubt one of the games defining visual features – the character rendering in Hellblade 2 sets new standards, delivering sequences that, at times, almost resemble actual filmed scenes with real actors. This is one of the first examples of a game that stands up against the promise of the UE5 demo The Matrix Awakens. The scenes feel very natural and realistic in a way that manages to somewhat sidestep the uncanny valley almost completely.
When the camera zooms in for a close-up, the level of detail is such that it left me guessing whether I was looking at real-time graphics or a pre-rendered cutscene. Thankfully, with Photo Mode being available at any time, you can easily confirm that they are, in fact, real-time.Of course, it’s really the animation you experience while playing that impressed me the most. The expressions visible while engaged in combat or simply exploring really help bring the characters to life.
If you stop and zoom-in with photo mode, there’s a remarkable level of detail to appreciate at close range. Looking at Senua’s face, the skin rendering is remarkable – the layers of dirt clogging her pores, the light penetrating the top layer via sub-surface scattering, the nearly perfect ambient and direct shadows – it’s superb. Senua’s bloodshot eyes simulate the layer of viscous fluid protecting it with just the right amount of specular – her eyes have actual depth. Then there’s the fine details on her lashes or the small grouping of hair spilling out from her headdress. Without a doubt, Hellblade 2 features one of the best depictions of a digital human we’ve ever seen.