‘To fall into the wild and perhaps never return. Do you know how to leave everything behind you, your house, and your loved ones behind? Senua knows. Because when he speaks dark, he changes everything, transforms houses into a foreign realm, and translates their loved ones into foreign people. When he realizes that he is not at home in the first place, it makes more sense to get away. ‘
Senua also turns out to be such a character that darkens his eyes. With a carved log on a narrow river with the character that starts to glide, you step into the game. But as soon as we set foot on land, it feels that things are going wrong, and from that moment on, you’ve started your journey through both the story and the darkest spot in Senua’s mind.
First of all, the story of Hellblade is presented in a way you have never experienced before. So if you’re looking for a normal adventure game or if you’re hoping to see a classic game, this game may be a disappointment to you, I have to say it from the beginning. Because the game progresses in a very different structure, but at the same time on a thin bridge is positioned. In short the game will either love you too or it will come to you boring and ordinary. In normal productions, this line is much smoother and in Hellblade it is painted as hard as a sharp knife. I am in the game-loving side and the purpose of this article is to transfer the reasons for this and the main dynamics of the game.
A LIFE THAT DISAPPEARS
Actually, I don’t want to go into too much detail on behalf of the story. Because as I start to tell, I’m going to go on and on the other hand, I’m going to ruin the best part of the game. The only thing you need to know is the journey theme given in the first minutes of the game. Senua draws a portrait of a character that has lost someone very precious to himself and tries to open the gates of hell just as he had defied the gods in order to save him. As you progress in the game, you are coming up with a little bit of light, but also important details. When the main story begins to shape, your interest in the game begins to increase. Already the element of curiosity is positioned at the most important point of the game, and together with the dynamics it has always keep this feeling up. From the very first minute you start to wonder about the details of the story, and dive into the darkness of this dark journey, just like Senua.
In Senua, he is an outsider because of darkness. Therefore, during the game you both feel unstable and you are trying to find answers to his cries. I can even say that he reminds me of Gollum at some points. As you begin to descend deeper into your mind, you begin to encounter madness with various kinds of delusions, including character division. This situation is one of the most important factors that connect you to the game as much as it bothers you. Senua is getting angry, the place comes to him, and he comes to the place for the encouragement of the keys you press. As if you are talking to the camera as if confronting you and the moments that you are speaking to you, you can prick your feathers but ‘what is going on?’ it causes you to say.
The fact that the game has such an intense narrative has a few reasons. First of all, the highly experienced Ninja Theory is a great work for Motion Capture. Earlier in the Enslaved: Odyssey to the West game, such as Andy Serkis, working with one of the most experienced on this issue, the company, Hellblade proved pretty in the middle. Of course, at this point, we should not forget Melina Juergens who gave life to the character. In the game, he had a remarkable performance. In most scenes I’m able to support him because he gets a sense of pity over the course of the game, and even though you cannot identify yourself with the character, you try to share his feelings.
Another reason is that the game tries to keep you fit. The story goes so intensely that you don’t want to miss the stories and dialogues that are told for a moment. Moreover, each particle of these pieces of dialogue contributes to both the general functioning of the story and to the traumatic construction of Senua. By the way, let us remind you that Senua is a character that is not psychotic, that is mental and mental health. Who knows, maybe this psychosis situation has caused many people who were similar in those ages to get lost in superstitions. Because Senua’s condition is identified with darkness in this situation. Of course, the production team did not use these facts well. the necessary authorities, universities were consulted and the support of the experienced and expert people was also received.
Hellblade’s combat system is innovative, or rather has some dynamics that may be popular in the coming periods. We have seen this in a game called For Honor. As a team, we believe that God of War will use this kind of intense and character oriented combat system. Although the combat system is sometimes inadequate, its logic and character-centered structure is nicely sited. It takes the feel of the beat to the end and you find yourself completely in fights because of the camera angle used.
If we had already stepped on this issue and the freedom of both gameplay and fights were offered, we could say that Hellblade was the perfect game of its kind. But both the trend and the linear structure of the fighting system are among the rare points that we can criticize. Another reason why the game is so beautiful and uncomfortable is that it has whispers being played to your ear. At every moment of the game, you are constantly whispering in every second. These whispers sometimes become a clue and make you progress in the game, and sometimes you are more distracted by the fact that you are already falling into a dilemma. In some moments, you are grateful to these sounds, and in some times you find yourself rebelling for silence like Senua. In addition, the counter-attack system to be built on these whispers was a wise choice. In other words, when you encounter a group of crowded enemies, you are whispering like ‘Watch out, behind you’ while you are attacked from behind and try to avoid enemies.
One of the most different aspects of Hellblade is that it can somehow add to the dynamic of Rogue Like. This situation has been successfully ingrained in both gameplay and story. The first death of the game automatically starts to cover your body in the dark. The more you die, the more you’re buried in the dark and when you reach the limit you’ll be lost in the dark and say goodbye to your records. Obviously I have not encountered this situation, but throughout the game I have progressed with the dilemma of this warning. Trying not to die, to stay in blood sweat in front of the enemies have triggered the state of adrenaline too. I have to admit that I feel as far as I can in a few boss struggles that I have poured. On the other hand, when I look at a certain part of the game after I delete my records, I probably would not struggle to play again for a long time. Because Hellblade is not a game you can play again and again after you finish the story.
So far, aside from Nordic Mythology, described as ‘Tales from La Fontaine’. Hellblade was founded on a solid foundation because it was founded on these foundations and already passed through the Viking period. In addition to the mythological elements in every moment of the game, there are Runes, which you find in various parts of the playing area and tell the events that support the story. When you focus on these runes, a character we can call narrator tells you the important events of this mythology. These events, which are told poetically, have something to do with our story.
Speaking of the focus of the game’s progress, I also need to mention. Senua’s Sacrifice uses a system of focus dynamic. There are some icons on the doors you need to open and you are trying to find shapes similar to those icons in that area. The game is of course enough to help you at the point but after a few rounds, “Where is this icon?” you also encounter moments. Thanks to the focus, there are also dynamics in the combat system.
REAL LIFE
There are music that is not so shiny in the game, but is so solid. I can say that especially the rhythmic music fits exactly the style and stance of the game. The Unreal Engine 4 graphics engine displays all the beauties in this game. Wonderful backgrounds, instant changing and chilling atmosphere, light beams flowing through tree branches, and dozens of details that I can’t count on. Using the advantage of being in tight spaces, the Hellblade has a visually solid workmanship. The PC version of the game, which runs as 60 FPS in the PS4 Pro, is quite robust in 4K resolution. Of course, another reason for these solid foundations is the design of the playground and the artistic perspective used in the game. At some points, you can be confident that you will encounter scenes such as a table, and you will not be able to take a look around.
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice promises quite a different experience, as I said at the beginning. The production team, Ninja theory, has repeatedly reiterated that they want to try something different in this game. From the first minute you start playing the game, you feel how successful the production team is in this statement.
As a result, Senua’s Sacrifice turns into an adventure that every player who wants to get a taste of the game must definitely experience it. Of course, I also have to remind you that the game has some disturbing scenes and themes. So you have to consider the age limit. The game is uncomfortable and the structure that keeps you on your toes while leaving a taste that will remain on your palate for a long time..
