Arguably, video games provide an escape. There are dragons to slay, princesses to rescue, and worlds to conquer; all seeming peaceful enough. Yet what of the battleground within? Hellblade II provides us an immersive look into such an inner struggle; one fought by Senua against Psychosis whispered around her neck.
Senua's battle is brutal, yes - an ongoing war with her demons born from her broken mind. The world once filled with vibrant hues has now turned dark; whispers like vipers in the night spread fear and doubt through her thoughts; monstrous figures born of myth and madness approach her as terrifying manifestations of their fear that consume her soul.
However, within this brutality lies an unexpected beauty: resilience. Senua's resolve remains firm as she desperately clings onto what remains of her sanity despite madness enveloping her world - with each swing of her sword serving as an act of prayer against its rise, while each memory flickers into darkness.
No grand heroism here; no killing dragons to appease an ever-shifty god. Instead, Senua fights her battles on intimate battlefields in her mind, with victory often temporary before another wave of doubt rolls in and crushes it all away again. It seems to me a different type of Xbox adventure game, more realistic and human-like. I like it so much that it does not offer easy solutions (like shooting them all in action movies and video games, or even the superheroes crap that is everywhere nowadays, where the heroes get victorious in the end).
Players join Senua reluctantly on her journey of emotional turmoil, and developers did a very good job (consulting psychologists and therapists but also having the experience of the first Hellblade video game) to immerse them and join her fractured mind; whispers echo throughout, blurring reality from delusion.
Hellblade II is not simply an exercise in voyeurism; rather it serves as an affirmation of human resilience and hope in times of great despair. It is not commercials that push the game forward either, and even if it is not one of the cheap Xbox games, it is fairly priced as well. Senua's journey does not unfold linearly but rather follows her battle against madness cyclically with occasional respites that provide glimpses into who lies underneath: an intelligent woman of strength with unwavering resolve.
How It Ends [Spoilers]
The game's finale, free from fireworks and pomp, maybe its most impactful element. Senua does not emerge from her journey "cured;" rather, the voices remain, though they no longer control her life as quickly. Yet somehow she managed to form an alliance with them that brought about peace between them; something which led her to stand atop a windswept cliff gazing out over an immense ocean expanse with these voices still echoing in her mind but no longer holding power to consume her entirely - like Staring into an Abyss without blinking either; neither had she changed her gaze at that moment but neither did either party blink!