Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

by Ninja Theory · published by Xbox Game Studios · Hellblade series

2017 · PC, PS4, XONE, Switch, PS5, Series X|S

Adventure Hack and slash Simulator Indie Action Single-player Fantasy Third person Historical

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is a single-player action-adventure game set in a dark fantasy world inspired by Norse mythology and Celtic culture. Players control Senua, a Pict warrior who journeys into the Norse underworld to rescue the soul of her dead lover from the goddess Hela. The game blends melee combat, puzzle solving, and psychological horror, with Senua's psychosis shaping how the world is perceived, including voices that provide guidance or attempt to mislead the player. The game was developed by a team of around twenty people and features no heads-up display or tutorials. Instead, audio cues from voices in Senua's head guide the player through combat and environmental challenges. The portrayal of psychosis was developed in collaboration with neuroscientists and people who experience the condition.

Story

Set in the late 8th century, Senua is a Pict warrior from Orkney who embarks on a journey into Helheim, the Norse underworld, to rescue the soul of her dead lover Dillion from the goddess Hela. Carrying his severed head as a vessel for his soul, she must overcome trials, defeat mythological beings, and survive the influence of the Darkness, a malevolent entity that haunts her. Senua suffers from psychosis, hearing voices she calls "Furies" and experiencing hallucinations that blur the line between reality and delusion. Guided by memories of her friend Druth, a former slave of the Norsemen who taught her their legends, Senua pushes deeper into a hostile world shaped as much by her fractured mind as by the myths she believes in.