Hellblade 2: everything we know about Senua’s Saga
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The long awaited sequel, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, is about to come out after years of waiting. Developed by Ninja Theory, the developers behind Devil May Cry, this third-person action-adventure game is poised to be one of this year’s top Xbox exclusives.
It’s been over four years since we’ve battled through the depths of Hel with Senua to save her dead lover’s soul from the goddess Hela, so we’re ready to jump into a sequel. From what we’ve seen, the wait will be worth it, and the images shown in 2021 were nothing short of breathtaking. Senua’s character model is incredibly detailed (opens in new tab)just like the beautifully bleak world itself.
Therefore, we can probably expect this to be a true showcase of what the Xbox Series X is capable of. Read on for everything we know so far Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2: to the point
- What is it? The sequel to 2017’s Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
- When can I play it? To be determined
- What can I play it on? Xbox Series X|S and PC b
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 release date and platforms
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 will be released for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and PC, while Xbox has yet to announce a release date, we hope this action-adventure game will appear around the end of 2023. It will also be available on Xbox Game Pass on day one.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Trailers
Latest trailer
The most recent video released for Hellblade 2it was one Developer Diary (opens in new tab) which documented how Ninja Theory worked around the pandemic and location restrictions to ensure it most authentically depicts the game’s location in Iceland.
More trailers
We’ve distributed a few extra trailers for Hellblade 2 in this article, but be sure to check out for more videos Ninja Theory’s official YouTube channel. (opens in new tab)
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 story and setting
The first Hellblade saw Senua travel to find her dead lover’s soul. She ventured into the fires of Helheim and fought against all odds and even against the goddess of death herself, Hella.
While the main story focused on action adventure Hellblade also saw more mature themes woven throughout the story. Filled with psychological struggles, Senua slowly comes to terms with everything that happened to her.
We hope that Hellblade 2 will continue this thought-provoking journey, but so far no solid storylines have been confirmed for this highly anticipated sequel.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Gameplay
Hellblade 2 is an action-adventure third-person game, featuring the only gameplay trailer (opens in new tab) is released on The Game Awards 2021 (opens in new tab).
In this six minute trailer, we saw Senua and a group of warriors travel to a cold and wet coastal cave. Littered with bones and debris, you immediately know something is wrong.
As with the first game, your mind doubts you as every action you take is met with low whispers of fear and discomfort. But after a short set up, we finally get to see what Senua came to find and kill here; a giant.
The battle ensues with the giant chasing Senua, calling her name and eating her fellow soldiers. The whole sequence is heartbreaking and beautifully written. If this is anything to go by, then, Hellblade 2 it looks like it’s going to be a memorable sequel.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 news
Senua’s character model is incredibly detailed
Developer Ninja Theory shared two images showing a close-up of Senua’s character model, and they’re incredibly detailed. From the snot dripping from Senua’s nose to the creases of her lips, Ninja Theory certainly doesn’t mess around when it comes to the little details that make Senua look truly realistic.
The developer cites its development of skin and eye materials using studio references for its ability to make Senua look lifelike. It certainly got us excited to see more of it hellblade 2, and Senua, in action.
Senua comes to life in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II thanks to our development of skin and eye materials using studio references. pic.twitter.com/dTX2ETJmAKJanuary 20, 2022
No tricks here
After revealing the gameplay of Hellblade 2, Ninja Theory Audio Director David García took to Twitter to provide some details about the trailer’s audio. According to García, the gameplay trailer is fully captured in the engine in real time, and “almost all” of the 3D sounds from the visuals use Project Acoustics and spatial audio.
Project Acoustics is Microsoft’s wave acoustics engine for interactive 3D experiences. Essentially, it introduces realistic acoustics to 3D environments. Spatial audio, on the other hand, is an immersive sound that comes (or seems to come) from all angles.
Some audio notes about our gameplay trailer: https://t.co/eJxBL8F3wU-Almost all 3D sounds use project acoustics and spatial audio: incredible technologies. -Everything in this demo is in the engine, real time, no tricks. This is real. As such, not everything is perfect (but still :D)December 12, 2021
Runs on Unreal Engine 5
Microsoft has confirmed that Hellblade 2 will use Unreal Engine 5 in an official Xbox thread (opens in new tab) after.
According to Xbox, “The team will build the game on Unreal 5 and leverage the power of Xbox Series X to take the Hellblade franchise to new levels.” They added that the game’s footage shown at The Game Awards in 2019 was “captured in-engine and reflects the power of Xbox Series X available to developers to deliver new universes, experiences and games in ways that you could never have imagined.”