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A Plague Tale: Innocence
Game
Game2017
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
Developer Ninja Theory
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is a 2017 action-adventure game developed and published by Ninja Theory. It is the first installment in the Hellblade series. It was released for PlayStation 4 and Windows in August 2017, Xbox One in April 2018, Nintendo Switch in April 2019, Xbox Series X/S in August 2021, and PlayStation 5 in August 2025. Hellblade features support for virtual reality, which was added in a 2018 update. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
473 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy, Mastodon) · newest Nov 4, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
79
LovedLoved
248 positive · 66 negative
95% range 74–83%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 248 | 66 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 25 | 7 | 71 |
| Lemmy * | 2 | 1 | 27 |
| Mastodon * | 3 | 1 | 22 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
30,606 of 34,221 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
81% recommend · 212 yes, 50 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 262 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (68,962 of 76,748 positive).
Players praise the game's emotional story and respectful portrayal of mental illness. [1][2][3] The audio design and voice acting are widely acclaimed, especially with headphones. [4][5][6] Some reviewers find the puzzles repetitive and the pacing slow. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [9]
Actually painful to complete. There are some good parts, the story, the voices, the acting, some of the areas are genuinely spooky especially towards the end but the game is let down by it's slow and painful puzzles. Every time I seen a 3 rune door I audibly groaned, running around a massive area, (while Senua is quite slow) looking for the runes to progress is torture. This wouldn't be so bad if the game was …
- [1]
Very fun game that you can 100% within 10-15 hours. This is a strong, emotional, and poetic message of alot of heavy themes and metaphors. This was a fun experience that I got to beat within one day and my only complaint is that I ran into a couple movement glitches. Aside from that if you are a big fan of norse mythology like me than this game right up your alley as well. Solid 9/10 for me <3
- [3]
One of my all-time favorite games. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is not a traditional game. It invites you to truly experience what it’s like to live as someone with psychosis. The final battle is a perfect example of why video games deserve to be recognized as a legitimate medium for storytelling and exploring the human experience—on par with books and films. In most games, you grow into a hero, leveling up, gaining …
- [4]
I came in expecting a simple action game, but Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice ended up being one of the most memorable psychological experiences I've played. The voices constantly talking in your head made me feel uneasy the entire time, and the game does a great job putting you in Senua's mindset. It's not a long game, but the atmosphere, sound design, and story stuck with me long after I finished it. Definitely worth …
- [7]
Would give a medium review if there was an option; but between the two options I think I recommend it. Good things: - Interesting story - Incredible graphics (from 2017, looks and runs better than games from 2025) - No items / inventory (as someone who hates minmaxing 371 addons across 95 weapons and crafting); focus on the game and story only Bad things: - It is boring at times. Like really boring; Senua is slow, a …
Summarised from 34 of the 410 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 11, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Players who liked Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice talk about strong emotional narrative and psychological depth; those who didn't talk about repetitive puzzle and combat loop. Which matters more to you?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic. Its choice to depict and revolve around psychosis was applauded as a unique and interesting choice, as was the execution of those themes, and the idea of blending its approach with Norse mythology and the grief-ridden journey of Senua. Juergens' performance, and the game's sound, artistic direction, tense atmosphere, and low price, were also praised; the quality of its production value and graphics was singled out as superior to what independent games usually offer. Reception of the combat and puzzles were more mixed, with several reviewers complaining about…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 473 · most liked firstXbox is closing down Hellblade creator Ninja Theory. > Xbox is closing down Ninja Theory, the studio behind the Hellblade series, a source tells The Verge. Staffers were told on a call on Monday about the closure. follow up to the last post just a few hours ago that they were negotiating with xbox. who knows what will happen to the other studios mentioned.
neutral · AI labelView post →Motherfuckers are really trying to close Ninja Theory after JUST ANNOUNCING a new Hellblade game? Burn Microdick go the ground, man.
neutral · AI labelView post →Congratulations to Melina Juergens for winning Best Performance and to Ninja Theory for Best Audio Design for Senua's Saga: Hellblade II at #TheGameAwards 👏🏾🏆🎉 Thank you for immersing us in Senua's World 💚
neutral · AI labelView post →Hellblade developer Ninja Theory heading towards closure in new wave of Xbox cuts, as two separate agreements collapse. > Ninja Theory - developer of the Hellblade series - is shutting down as part of today's Xbox cuts. Its proposed buyers pulled out, resulting in the closure.
neutral · AI labelView post →A Week After Revealing Its New Game, Hellblade Studio Ninja Theory Is Reportedly Under Threat of Closure by Microsoft.
neutral · AI labelView post →Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (#1) and Senua's Saga: Hellblade II (#2) are DigitalFoundry's Best Game Graphics of 2024. www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vih...
neutral · AI labelView post →Ludonarrative Harmony: what makes games unique as a medium. Lots of people have thrown the term ludonarrative dissonance at certain games, meaning that the story it tries to tell doesn't fit to it's gameplay. Often given example is the Tomb Raider reboot from 2013, which tells the story of a young Lara Croft, scared out of her mind in cutscenes because she is trapped on an island with a bunch of bad guys. Which you as player mow down by the dozen in order to reach the next check point without…
neutral · AI labelView post →Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 Enhanced! All the details you need about the game's new 60fps mode, tested on Series X, PS5 and PS5 Pro. Plus: how the Pro enhances the experience, plus the efforts @NinjaTheory made to get the game Steam Deck verified: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bfgb...
neutral · AI labelView post →Counting down to 2025! 12-days of Game Pass Countdown to the New Year ✨🎮🖥️ Thanks to everyone who shared your favorite @XboxGamePass games! 💚 Day 12 🎁 Hellblade 2: Senua's Saga 🔥🔥
neutral · AI labelView post →The indie game I made and three of the inspirations behind it ✨ Hellblade may be a surprising influence for a game without combat, but I just adore that game and learned so much from studying it.
positive · AI labelView post →I reviewed Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2. Pretty good game, that: www.thejimquisition.com/post/senua-s...
positive · AI labelView post →Congrats to the BAFTA Game Award winners and nominees 👏🏾🌟 Try out winning games Balatro, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II (from our own Ninja Theory), Still Wakes the Deep (3 wins!) and Vampire Survivors with Xbox Game Pass. Winners Metaphor: Refantazio, Neva and Tales of Kenzera: Zau, are on Xbox too.
neutral · AI labelView post →Microsoft is reportedly bringing Hellblade 2 to PS5, and it could release the game for Sony’s console “pretty soon”, it’s been claimed. vgc.news/news/hellbla...
neutral · AI labelView post →Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is $2.99 on XBL buff.ly/4ezPTLH also on Game Pass Standard
neutral · AI labelView post →> During that event, Microsoft also revealed a new Hellblade game, Senua, and its future with this change is unclear. From the article.
neutral · AI labelView post →SENUA announced, a new game in the Hellblade franchise, coming to Xbox, PS5 and PC in 2027 #Xbox #XboxShowcase
neutral · AI labelView post →The British Game nominees are: A HIGHLAND SONG LEGO HORIZON ADEVENTURE PAPER TRAIL SENUA’S SAGA: HELLBLADE II STILL WAKES THE DEEP THANK GOODNESS YOU’RE HERE! #BAFTAGameAwards
neutral · AI labelView post →Hellblade II is the latest Xbox game coming to PS5 this summer. Ninja Theory’s action-horror makes the jump to Sony’s PS5 console more than a year after its Xbox debut www.theverge.com/news/610793/...
neutral · AI labelView post →Ninja Theory reveals Hellblade 3, except it's named Senua because it's evolved into something else - a full action-adventure game www.eurogamer.net/hellblade-3-...
neutral · AI labelView post →Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is $8.99 on GOG buff.ly/xWLkjP1 also on Game Pass Standard
neutral · AI labelView post →Hellblade is very pretty and the audio design is awesome, but I think they forgot to program in a video game
negative · AI labelView post →Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II Enhanced is coming August 12. • Performance Mode (60 FPS) • Optional game mode: The Dark Rot • Enhanced Photo Mode • Developer Commentary Free update on Xbox Series X|S / PC / Game Pass. Purchasable on PS5. news.xbox.com/en-us/2025/0...
neutral · AI labelView post →Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II Enhanced comes to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Game Pass, Steam, and, for the first time, PlayStation 5 on August 12: news.xbox.com/en-us/2025/0...
neutral · AI labelView post →Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is $12.49 on Steam buff.ly/WdxkHzJ XBL buff.ly/m3fVwao $29.99 US PSN buff.ly/HJBrQNk also on Game Pass Premium
neutral · AI labelView post →"She's breathing. The head is breathing. She's getting closer. Dillion." #Hellblade #HellbladeSenuasSacrifice #Senua #cosplay #game
neutral · AI labelView post →GTA V now has DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation support, thanks to a new update today. Nvidia is also releasing a new Game Ready driver with improvements for GTA V and the enhanced version of Senua's Saga: Hellblade II. Details 👇 www.theverge.com/news/757907/...
neutral · AI labelView post →Not yet convinced Hellblade is not just a trailer that gets slightly altered for each event rather than a real game
negative · AI labelView post →The nominees for Game Beyond Entertainment are… BOTANY MANOR KIND WORDS 2 (LOFI CITY POP) SENUA’S SAGA: HELLBLADE II TALES OF KENZERA: ZAU TETRIS FOREVER VAMPIRE THERAPIST #BAFTAGamesAwards
neutral · AI labelView post →Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is $24.99 on Steam (cheaper if you own the first game) buff.ly/49yc5EU $32.49 XBL buff.ly/3Bswf6M also on Game Pass Ultimate
neutral · AI labelView post →Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is $24.99 on Steam buff.ly/49yc5EU $32.49 XBL buff.ly/3Bswf6M also on Game Pass Ultimate
neutral · AI labelView post →Senua's Saga: Hellblade II wins Best Audio Design at The Game Awards 2024.
neutral · AI labelView post →Very fun game that you can 100% within 10-15 hours. This is a strong, emotional, and poetic message of alot of heavy themes and metaphors. This was a fun experience that I got to beat within one day and my only complaint is that I ran into a couple movement glitches. Aside from that if you are a big fan of norse mythology like me than this game right up your alley as well. Solid 9/10 for me <3
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Microsoft is laying off 268 Xbox staffers and Ninja Theory may close / Deals to sell off Ninja Theory [Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, Hellblade...] fell through over the summer.
neutral · AI labelView post →'Senua's Saga: Hellblade II' is coming to PS5 this Summer. Already on Xbox Series, Game Pass and PC. youtu.be/sh4QQyM1KP0?...
neutral · AI labelView post →I don't think I ever uploaded this Hellblade 2 fanart... It's old af, drew it back when I finished the game. #Tabitha #Furryart #Hellblade2
neutral · AI labelView post →Choose 20 games that greatly influence you. One game per day, for 20 days. No explanations, no reviews, no particular order. Day 3: Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice #games #gamechallenge
neutral · AI labelView post →This is why we rolled our eyes at that StarCraft 2030 announcement: Hellblade 3 went from an announced game, to a “Actually we never intended to produce it ourselves, we’re just hyping up the studio for a sale” situation, to a “Now we’re closing the whole damn studio” situation. Xbox has no future
neutral · AI labelView post →Senua's Saga: Hellblade II picked up 11 nominations for this year's BAFTA Games Awards - we spoke to developers across Ninja Theory about what it means to see this recognition for their singular game: news.xbox.com/en-us/2025/0...
neutral · AI labelView post →Another day, another adventure! Game: Senua's Saga: Hellblade II Set 3/4. Unedited. #VirtualPhotography #Hellblade2
neutral · AI labelView post →2017: Hellblade Senua's Sacrifice launches on PlayStation and Windows, breaking even in 3 months. It sold a million units in less than a year 2018: Microsoft buys Ninja Theory 2024: MS dumps Hellblade 2 on Game Pass. Despite receiving ample award nominations, it barely gets noticed Now MS closes it
neutral · AI labelView post →All VR titles: Beat Saber Moss MOTHERGUNSHIP Forge Tinertia Ragnarock Various racing games with my wheel Zone of the Enders 2 Rez Infinite Redout Hellblade Psychonauts Rhombus of Ruin Vox Machinae Thumper Thrasher Bocce Time (I like Bocce Ball, sue me) Doom VFR Metal: Hellsinger VR Half Life Alyx Of note, Metal: Hellsinger VR is that far down the list because it's apparently a bit brutal for people new to VR. Very fast movement, not for weak stomachs. So…
neutral · AI labelView post →Never played anything like it First of all, anyone trying this game should come in with an open mind to experience a narrative that builds slowly, focusing far less on an action-oriented gameplay and much more on something deeply personal to the protagonist, Senua - a Scottish warrior afflicted with, or perhaps gifted with, the ability to hear voices. The emphasis is on her story, her emotions and the mystery of what awaits her at the end. The pacing is slow and you’ll pick up a good amount of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Another day, another adventure! Game: Senua's Saga: Hellblade II Set 2/4. Unedited. #VirtualPhotography #Hellblade2
neutral · AI labelView post →Xbox has announced the third game in the Hellblade series, simply titled Senua. www.videogameschronicle.com/news/xbox-an...
neutral · AI labelView post →Another day, another adventure! Game: Senua's Saga: Hellblade II Set 4/4. Unedited. #VirtualPhotography #Hellblade2
neutral · AI labelView post →Today is the day that gamers on PS5 can enjoy and fall in love with Hellblade 2. I played this game back in December of last year & I'm so happy I did as this game is an incredible journey & experience. Don't sleep on Hellblade 2 Senua's Saga
positive · AI labelView post →I feel torn giving a No to this game, but I feel I have to as a warning to others on performance. The game itself is actually pretty good, though very limited. There is no inventory, no secrets-gathering (save for a few stories on Norse mythology here and there), no progression and levelling, or anything you might have expected at first glance. This is an on-rails story you could experience end to end in one single sitting (4-5 hours to 9 at most). It's a pretty interesting concept,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →BUT THEY JUST ANNOUNCED A THIRD HELLBLADE GAME???
neutral · AI labelView post →Ninja Theory's experimental horror game Project Mara, which takes place entirely in a photorealistic apartment, has been cancelled, according to the studio's head. All Ninja Theory staff have instead been working on the third Hellblade game, Senua. www.videogameschronicle.com/news/ninja-t...
neutral · AI labelView post →Another day, another adventure! Game: Senua's Saga: Hellblade II Set 1/4. Unedited. #VirtualPhotography #Hellblade2
neutral · AI labelView post →Before playing this game, I'd heard some good things about it, regarding its representation of mental illness and such. While I was interested in experiencing it myself, as I've always found the subject of psychosis intriguing, I never actually did, until I saw a coworker playing it (extremely slow day at work). Well, after I got home that day, since I already had the game in my library and I also knew it was short, I decided to give it a go. Well, here I am, a week later, having finished the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Soon - hopefully next week - I’ll release a critique of Hellblade 2, a game I’m very critical of. In the meantime - here’s the remake/remaster of my Hellblade 1 critique - a game I adore! Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice Critique - Fear Unmasked youtu.be/C8j0ChJDhhE
neutral · AI labelView post →If you enjoy walking at a glacial pace and looking at doors while people screech in your ears, this is for you. It's definitely not for me. It also runs terrible.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Highly Recommended (if the weak points don’t bother you) Playtime: ~15 hours TL;DR: A dark, emotional, and unforgettable audiovisual experience with light, serviceable gameplay. If you’re looking for a gameplay-heavy action title, this may disappoint. If you’re looking for a powerful experience, this is something special. 🕵️ What You Actually Do in This Game Hellblade is a third-person action-adventure, comparable to newer Tomb Raider titles — but much more linear and narrow in scope. You…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Controls? Heavy Combat? Clunky Story, Sound and Animation? Oh my holy hell.. 50 out of 10 This is the kind of game that I didn't know developers had the guts to make. This game is carnally real while handling topics with finesse and respect that are too taboo for the rest of the industry to even attempt. This is more of an experience than it is a game and I wish I could experience it for the first time all over again; it is certainly the first game in my long gaming career to make me cry. I…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of my all-time favorite games. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is not a traditional game. It invites you to truly experience what it’s like to live as someone with psychosis. The final battle is a perfect example of why video games deserve to be recognized as a legitimate medium for storytelling and exploring the human experience—on par with books and films. In most games, you grow into a hero, leveling up, gaining power, and achieving great victories. But Hellblade isn’t about that. It’s…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I came in expecting a simple action game, but Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice ended up being one of the most memorable psychological experiences I've played. The voices constantly talking in your head made me feel uneasy the entire time, and the game does a great job putting you in Senua's mindset. It's not a long game, but the atmosphere, sound design, and story stuck with me long after I finished it. Definitely worth playing with headphones.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Announcing Senua, a bold new Action-Adventure game, set in the Hellblade universe. Coming 2027. Wishlist now at www.senuagame.com
neutral · AI labelView post →Can someone explain to me the branding of Hellblade series? Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II Senua It feels like they still haven't found what to call the game and somehow we have 3 versions of the same game, idk. But looks cool!
neutral · AI labelView post →Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is $12.49 on XBL buff.ly/1Zg5uVm also on Game Pass Premium
neutral · AI labelView post →
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