Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice (PS4)
One of the games that snatched home a few awards at this year's Game Awards was Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. It was nominated in five categories and won three of them, Best Audio Design, Best Performance for Melina Juergens, and the Games for Impact award.
Developed by a team of about twenty developers at Ninja Theory, the game is described as an independent AAA game. The production value is high but the game is a bit shorter than a full fledged AAA game. Since the price is only half of that of a "normal" game you still get a lot for your money.
Hellblade follows the story of a Celtic warrior named Senua and draws inspiration from Norse mythology. Senua suffers from psychosis and her whole journey to rescue the soul of her dead lover is a metaphor for her struggle with the condition. The game was developed with the help of neuroscientists, mental health specialists and people who have suffered psychosis in order to properly present the condition.
A good pair of headphones is vital to really experience the game fully. The audio design is superb and sounds and voices are an integral part of gameplay. Other gameplay elements are puzzle solving as well as hand to hand combat with outer worldly beings. Some might find the combat too simple or repetitive but I found it to be just right for this kind of game and it was challenging enough to keep it interesting.
The game is not for the faint hearted and while the game can be beautiful in a way, it is mostly terrifying, especially played with headphones on. The atmosphere, sound and the performance by Melina Juergens (the game studio's video editor) will give you shivers running down your spine.
The game's original price was thirty euros but I got it on sale for twenty. It's not a game for everyone so I would not recommend buying it full price if you're unsure. If you find it on sale though, give it a chance.
Developed by a team of about twenty developers at Ninja Theory, the game is described as an independent AAA game. The production value is high but the game is a bit shorter than a full fledged AAA game. Since the price is only half of that of a "normal" game you still get a lot for your money.
Hellblade follows the story of a Celtic warrior named Senua and draws inspiration from Norse mythology. Senua suffers from psychosis and her whole journey to rescue the soul of her dead lover is a metaphor for her struggle with the condition. The game was developed with the help of neuroscientists, mental health specialists and people who have suffered psychosis in order to properly present the condition.
A good pair of headphones is vital to really experience the game fully. The audio design is superb and sounds and voices are an integral part of gameplay. Other gameplay elements are puzzle solving as well as hand to hand combat with outer worldly beings. Some might find the combat too simple or repetitive but I found it to be just right for this kind of game and it was challenging enough to keep it interesting.
The game is not for the faint hearted and while the game can be beautiful in a way, it is mostly terrifying, especially played with headphones on. The atmosphere, sound and the performance by Melina Juergens (the game studio's video editor) will give you shivers running down your spine.
The game's original price was thirty euros but I got it on sale for twenty. It's not a game for everyone so I would not recommend buying it full price if you're unsure. If you find it on sale though, give it a chance.
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