The sequel to 2017’s Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice may not drastically alter the gameplay loop that Ninja Theory set up in the franchise’s debut, but makes up for that lack of new mechanics by plunging players into a story that serves as a worthy continuation of the harrowed heroines adventures, giving Senua a conclusion to her tale that validates all the pain and suffering she underwent to get there.

"It also helps that the newly introduced Performance Mode maintained a buttery smooth 60fps for the whole adventure with no stutters, crashes,or dropped frames at any point."

The shores of Iceland are an excellent stage for the cinematic experience that Ninja Theory has crafted as a labor of love, while the new Performance Mode on the PS5 does wonders for how players are able to witness its grand set pieces. However, I truly believe that Senua’s Saga is a game that could have balanced those set pieces with a more engaging gameplay loop to truly let it shine.

With that being said, you must be wondering if the new Enhanced Edition is worth your time – and money. Let’s find out.

From the very beginning of Senua’s latest adventure, the game’s new setting boasts of a visual splendor the likes of which I have only seen in Death Stranding 2. There is a frankly astounding level of detail on offer within the letterboxed presentation of Senua’s attempts to earn redemption after her acceptance of her fragile mental state in the previous game.

The lands she explores are filled with evidence of a conflict that has wrought untold havoc on the environment and its people. The dead are ever-present, serving to balance the ethereal beauty of these islands with the fact that there are forces in them that continue to bring sinister, malevolent consequences due to their actions.

Senua’s own psychosis only serves to exacerbate that contrast, and you never know when her mind is about to throw a curveball at you, the player. I once stopped to take in a particularly beautiful view only to find that Senua’s inner demons soon took control of her eyes, and the camera, plunging my surroundings into a darkness that was almost suffocating to behold.

That moment, along with every other one in the game, was made all the more real thanks to brilliantly designed character models that were very effective at conveying the desperation, panic, and sometimes sheer terror of each character depending on the situation at hand. Every emotion that a character was feeling during this adventure was evident in the weariness in their eyes or the furrows in their brows. It’s a level of realism that had me spellbound, a fact made all the more satisfying thanks to this being my first time playing the game since its release.

It also helps that the newly introduced Performance Mode maintained a buttery smooth 60fps for the whole adventure with no stutters, crashes,or dropped frames at any point. As far as visuals go, Hellblade II is a benchmark, and I truly hope that more studios aim to craft experiences that are this immersive.

The newly introduced Photo Mode is sure to find many takers, considering the breathtaking visual quality on offer in Iceland’s desolate shores.

"Credit must also be given to Steven Hartley for his sinister portrayal of The Shadow."

Complementing the incredible graphics on offer, the game’s audio design and voice acting were another highlight of the experience. I would go as far as to say that this is the best cast of voice actors I’ve seen in a video game since my time with Baldur’s Gate 3.

Melina Jürgens’ portrayal of Senua is spot-on, effectively conveying her fears and insecurities while managing to convey her determination to see her quest through. In moments of terror, her gasps, screams, and labored breathing make the tension so palpable you feel like you could reach out and touch it.

Abby Greenland and Helen Golan are equally brilliant, returning to their roles as the Furies and just knocking it out of the park. They flit between suspicion, scorn, disdain, curiosity, measured optimism, and pure terror with reckless abandon, making their inner monologue in Senua’s head a reflection of the world she sees around her. They play the role of echoes of Senua’s self-doubt with aplomb, elevating the entire experience as a result.

Credit must also be given to Steven Hartley for his sinister portrayal of The Shadow. He is ominous and sinister, his guttural declarations of her ineptitude serving as a humbling reminder of how her acceptance of her flaws is simply not enough to ensure that he properly heals from the trauma he inflicted on her.

While playing the game on a home theater was quite immersive, I must say that Ninja Theory’s insistence on playing this game with a good set of headphones is definitely the way to experience this adventure. I was able to get a solid audio loop through a pair of wireless earbuds hooked up to my TV, and the difference was evident.

Every other character in the game sells the material they were given to work with, conveying a distinct personality to the NPCs that Senua meets along her journey.

And what a journey it is! If you’re already familiar with the game’s story, you know that it is an excellent take on how one’s trauma could either serve to inspire them to a better path or drown them entirely in their perceived sorrows.

If, like me, this is going to be your first time with Senua on the PS5, know that this is an experience that no other game comes close to matching. Ninja Theory must be commended for its sensitive yet bold approach to presenting Senua’s hallucinations and psychosis. There were several points in the story where I put down my controller to reflect on what had just unfolded on screen, lost in somber reflections on the complex themes that this tale tackles with style and substance.

The stories of the people Senua encounters, as well as some of the antagonists she must defeat, are deeply rooted in poignant histories, their actions being a response to events that left them feeling devoid of hope and powerless to avoid the dark paths that they were forced to take.

"The game’s combat is so absurdly easy that it almost negates the newly introduced Dark Rot Mode."

Hellblade II’s Nordic inspirations serve as the perfect material to ground this narrative, allowing Ninja Theory to present Senua’s inner conflict as a lens through which we, as players, live through all of the pain she must endure in her quest to end the oppression of the Northmen once and for all.

The story on offer in Senua’s Saga works well with its visuals and stellar cast of actors, and is certainly among its strongest points. However, playing through it means engaging with the game’s most glaring weakness.

That brings me to an aspect of this experience that I’m almost sad to call disappointing. The core gameplay loop on offer simply does not do enough to be exciting in comparison to everything else on offer.

You spend a lot of time guiding Senua from one location to the next, solving fairly simple puzzles to clear obstacles in her path. They do not pose any sort of challenge, simply requiring the intelligent use of the returning Focus mechanic, or perhaps lighting a few torches to dispel pesky shadows blocking the way.

When Senua is beset by enemies hell-bent on bringing her adventure to a premature end, all she needs to do is dodge their attacks, waiting for the right moment to initiate a parry that throws them off balance, eventually using Focus to slow the action down and deal a flurry of strikes before ending things with a finishing blow.

While I do understand Ninja Theory’s aim to present combat as part of a seamless experience, it’s truly baffling to see the action in an action-adventure title fall so flat. There is no variety to enemy types and their attacks, with slightly altered animations requiring you to adjust the timing of your parry to gain the upper hand.

It’s a combat loop that’s so simple, my first real death came at the hands of a particularly memorable monster that incorporated fire into its repertoire of skills, and a poorly timed evade that had me on the backfoot for the rest of the fight since my reflexes failed to keep up with the action. However, my next attempt against that enemy saw Senua swat aside its attempts to hurt her with ease, plunging her sword into its gut almost disdainfully.

The game’s combat is so absurdly easy that it almost negates the newly introduced Dark Rot Mode, a returning feature from the first game, entirely. For those among you who don’t know what that is, think of it as the game’s version of New Game Plus where Senua is touched by Hel’s darkness. It’s a curse that spreads its effects every time she falls in battle. Die enough and you lose all of your progress and will have to begin your adventure anew.

"There’s a lot to love in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II Enhanced Edition."

Since that mechanic is designed around dying frequently, its presence in the Enhanced Edition only serves as a reminder to just be more cautious in a fight and master your parry timings. It could have been a lot better if Ninja Theory had tightened up evade and parry windows, adding some real stakes to the equation in order to make dying more impactful with Dark Rot Mode active, but it is what it is.

The gameplay loop could have been a whole lot better, with complex puzzles and a more challenging combat loop being sorely missed in an otherwise stellar experience.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

SENUA’S SAGA: HELLBLADE 2

Following up on one of 2017’s most acclaimed games, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 has a lot to live up to, but Ninja Theory seems equal to the task based on everything we’ve seen so far. With the promise of another captivating story and some much-needed gameplay improvements with combat and exploration, Hellblade 2 is looking like the ideal sequel, especially with Ninja Theory confirming it to be another 7-8 hour experience. Add to that the technical and visual accomplishments it looks like it’s boasting, and it looks set to be one of 2024’s standout games.

INDIANA JONES AND THE GREAT CIRCLE

We’ve been waiting for MachineGames’ next game for a while now, but the Wolfenstein studio is set to return to the spotlight sometime this year with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. The famous archaeologist hasn’t had the best luck with his big screen revival attempts, but everything that we’ve seen of The Great Circle has looked incredibly promising, from its mix of combat, traversal, exploration, and puzzles, to how well it seems to be capturing the Indy aesthetic.

LITTLE NIGHTMARES 3

Unlike the series’ first two instalments, Little Nightmares 3 isn’t being developed by Tarsier Studios, with Supermassive Games of Until Dawn and The Dark Pictures fame taking the reins this time, but the developer seems like a great fit from what’s been shown of the game so far. That simultaneously charming and creepy aesthetic of the series looks present and accounted for in Little Nightmares 3, while having two central protagonists with unique gameplay abilities is sounding like an intriguing wrinkle for the series’ formula. There’s also the addition of co-op, which should shake things up in interesting ways as well.

SILENT HILL 2

The Silent Hill franchise has certainly been through the wringer, but Konami is gearing up to at least try and give it another shot in the arm with multiple upcoming games. The Bloober Team-developed Silent Hill 2 remake will be one of those, and it’s fair to say that it’s going to have a lot to live up to. Not only does it have to properly bring Silent Hill back from the dead, it’s also the remake of one of the most beloved games ever made. Whether it will prove equal to the pressure or buckle under its weight remains to be seen, but it’s fair to say that there’s no shortage of people who’ve got their attention fixed on it like the Eye of Sauron.

METAL GEAR SOLID DELTA: SNAKE EATER

Silent Hill 2 isn’t the only legendary Konami game that’s getting a remake. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is going to bring the beloved stealth series’ third entry back into the limelight in hopes of breathing new life into the dormant franchise- and given the stature of Metal Gear Solid 3 (and Metal Gear as a whole), it’s hard not to be curious about how things will shake out. We’ve seen very little of the game so far, but if the remake can successfully capture the design and narrative genius of MGS 3, it’s going to be a hell of a game.

UNTIL DAWN

Until Dawn is nine years old this year, but its popularity remains high, which is something that Sony is looking to capitalize on with a new, enhanced version of the game. With one foot in remake land and the other in remaster kingdom, the upcoming PS5 and PC version of Until Dawn will boast a number of improvements over the genre-defining original, including overhauled animations and audio, new narrative content, a third-person mode, and more, all rebuilt in Unreal Engine 5 by British studio Ballistic Moon. To date, Until Dawn is probably Supermassive’s best game, so the chance to experience it in enhanced form is an exciting one.

SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS

Sega has declared 2024 the year of Shadow the Hedgehog, and while the upcoming film Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will obviously have a big role to play in that, everyone’s favourite edgelord will also be looking to steal the spotlight with Sonic X Shadow Generations. The chance to play a remastered version of Sonic Generations, one of the best 3D Sonic games ever made, is an exciting one in and of itself, but when you throw an entirely new and standalone campaign focused on Shadow on top of that, that becomes an infinitely more irresistible package.

STILL WAKES THE DEEP

The Chinese Room has plenty of experience with psychological horror games, from Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs to Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, so it’s no surprise that so many fans of the genre have their eye on the studio’s next game, Still Wakes the Deep. Set on an oil rig in the 1970s, the game tasks you with surviving the onslaught of everything from catastrophic failures aboard the rig to the hard weather of the North Sea to a terrifying creature stalking you through the rig’s cramped interiors. For anyone that enjoys a good scare, it’s a mouthwatering setup.

MARVEL 1943: RISE OF HYDRA

Marvel fatigue is at an all-time high where movies and TV are concerned, but in the world of games, there’s still plenty of demand for good, single player Marvel games. Skydance New Media’s Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra is looking like it’s going to scratch that itch. Led by Uncharted creator Amy Hennig, Rise of Hydra is promising a fascinating narrative-driven blockbuster with two of Marvel’s most widely beloved heroes sharing the spotlight. We’re yet to see any gameplay, but what little we’ve seen so far has certainly caught our attention.

THE WOLF AMONG US 2

Even after Telltale Games’ resurrection and the re-announcement of a new and overhauled The Wolf Among Us 2, questions about whether or not the long-awaited sequel will ever actually release remain relevant. Delayed from 2023 to 2024 to accommodate a switch to Unreal Engine 5, The Wolf Among Us 2 hit another major roadblock last year when Telltale was hit with significant layoffs in October. Even though the studio said the game was still in production, former Telltale staff reported at the time that most of The Wolf Among Us 2’s dev team had been let go as part of the layoffs. The project’s status is, as such, murky (at best) right now. Hopefully, we’ll be getting a concrete update in the not-too-distant future (and hopefully it’ll be a positive one).

THE PLUCKY SQUIRE

Even though we’ve seen very little of The Plucky Squire, the action-adventure title has been high on our list of anticipated games ever since its announcement in 2022. Its charming art style and storybook aesthetic have obviously done a lot of the heavylifting on that front, while snippets of gameplay showing seamless transitions between 3D and 2D have only piqued our curiosity that much more. Publisher Devolver Digital says The Plucky Squire is due out this year, so hopefully we’ll be seeing more of it soon.

JURASSIC PARK: SURVIVAL

How has a media franchise as wildly popular as Jurassic Park had such a poor track record in the gaming medium? That remains as big of a mystery as it ever has been, but Saber Interactive is nonetheless looking to remedy that with Jurassic Park: Survival. Set a day after the classic first film and putting you in the shoes of an InGen scientist who got left behind on Isla Nublar, Jurassic Park: Survival is being billed as a first-person action-adventure experience that will have you exploring familiar and iconic locations while avoiding a bloody death at the claws and fangs of vicious prehistoric beasts brought back to life. Given that we’ve seen no gameplay so far, it’s hard to be too confident, but we’re certainly intrigued by the premise.

WARHAMMER 40,000: SPACE MARINE 2

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine fans have been waiting for a sequel for a long time, and Saber Interactive is finally set to deliver that sequel later this year. The original was an excellent Gears of War-style shooter that captured the Warhammer universe’s unique aesthetic perfectly, and expectations are high that Space Marine 2 will be similarly successful in those areas and more. What we’ve seen of the game so far has been quite promising, so hopefully it’ll be worth the wait when it finally launches this September.

UNKNOWN 9: AWAKENING

From its period setting to the high-flying magical abilities it will let players unleash to its promise of a focused, cinematic, narrative-driven experience, Unknown 9: Awakening seems to have all the pieces in place to deliver exactly the sort of linear action-adventure game that we just can’t get enough of, especially in an age where games insist on being multiple dozens of hours long. Developer Reflector Entertainment is billing the game as an entryway into a larger, interconnected multimedia franchise, so hopefully, the game will have the narrative weight to back those lofty ambitions.

MAX PAYNE 1 AND 2 REMAKE

Remedy Entertainment keeps touching new heights with every game it releases, but Max Payne 1 and 2 still hold a special place in the hearts of the studio’s many fans- which is why it’s so exciting that the studio is now developing a combined, ground-up remake of the two games with the full financial backing of IP owner Rockstar Games. We’ve seen and heard nothing of the game so far other than the fact that it exists and is being worked on, but given Remedy’s track record and the high demand for the franchise to return, we’re still incredibly excited to see what this remake is going to look like.

INSTINCTION

Touted as a “wide-linear” game, Hashbane Interactive’s Instinction sees players controlling Izzy, who discovers a gorgeous hidden world where dinosaurs roam free. As with any Jurassic-sized adventure, there are plenty of prehistoric creatures to encounter in the Valley of the Rift, with puzzles to solve and mysteries to unravel. There’s combat as well, as Izzy can use melee and ranged weapons on top of powerful abilities. Of course, if you want to sneak around or escape from any fights that aren’t in your favor, that’s also an option. Instinction will receive an alpha in Q3 2024 for PC, with the full game expected to arrive in Q4 2025, but further details are still pending.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2

Ninja Theory delivered an emotionally charged narrative with 2017’s Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, a game that not only tackled heavy themes like psychosis in an appropriate fashion but also paved the way for many AA games in the future. The developer is hard at work on the sequel Senua’s Saga, which looks to be one of the best-looking games with its excellent use of Unreal Engine 5. The game will continue the story of Senua as she faces all manner of dangers like towering giants in an Icelandic setting, and we can’t wait to dive into it when it releases for Xbox Series consoles and PC sometime this year.

Everwild

Rare is one of the most well-known developers thanks to its ability to consistently deliver innovative games time after time again. Everwild looks to be a really ambitious game for even a developer with such a pedigree, but the development itself hasn’t been the smoothest with multiple direction changes and reboots in just a couple of years. Everwild’s release date isn’t set in stone at the moment, but it will be releasing for Xbox Series X/S and PC sometime in the near future.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl

The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series is marching towards a grand return with the imminent release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. GSC Game World’s upcoming post-apocalyptic adventure has all the markings of a great sequel, ranging from spectacular visuals to smooth modern gameplay and a brutal-looking post-apocalyptic world. It will be released for Xbox Series X/S and PC sometime this year.

The Elder Scrolls 6

Now that Bethesda has rounded up work on Starfield, the developer will now be focusing its efforts on the next entry in The Elder Scrolls series. Rumored to be set in Hammerfell, The Elder Scrolls 6 will thrust players into a fantastical world brimming with quests to do, people to meet, and factions to befriend – much like how is the case with its predecessors. It’s still in the earliest stages of development, so it’s wise to not expect much from the game in the coming months – but we do know that it will be releasing exclusively for Xbox Series X/S and PC.

Contraband

Currently in development at Avalanche Studios of Just Cause fame, Contraband is an upcoming co-op game that is set to feature an open world along with systemic game design. It’s being built using the developer’s in-house Apex Engine and will include elements like tactical vehicular combat among others. If the developer’s previous works are anything to go by, Contraband will be a beautifully chaotic game when it releases for Xbox Series X/S and PC sometime in the near future.

Marvel’s Blade (Likely Exclusive)

Arkane Studios has announced that it is working on a Marvel-licensed game called Blade, but all we have seen from the studio is a brief teaser showcasing its art style. The gameplay will be in a third-person perspective, which is a big departure from Arkane’s previous titles. We also know that the game will feature an original story, but details other than that are clouded in mystery at the moment. Marvel’s Blade will be released for Xbox Series X/S and PC sometime in the future. There may be a PlayStation 5 release but nothing is confirmed at this point.

Clockwork Revolution

Clockwork Revolution is the latest project from inXile Entertainment. It’s a game set against the backdrop of a steampunk city by the name of Avalon, and you must embark on a journey to free the city from its many troubles. The gameplay is best described as a mix of Prey and Fallout, and it looks amazing to say the least. Clockwork Revolution is slated to release in 2025 for Xbox Series consoles and PC.

OD

Hideo Kojima’s Kojima Productions recently announced its upcoming project OD which is being developed in partnership with Xbox Game Studios. OD is a survival horror project that will leverage cloud technology to create a unique experience that’s apparently against the current of modern gaming trends. It will also be using Unreal Engine’s MetaHuman technology for facial models and animations, and the trailer definitely looks impressive with its cryptic messages and awesome visuals. OD will be released for Xbox Series X/S and probably on PC sometime in the near future.

State of Decay 3

State of Decay 2 might not have had the perfect start, but Undead Labs was able to turn the game’s fate around with a consistent influx of meaningful updates. With State of Decay 3, the developer will most likely be taking important lessons from its past pitfalls and will deliver a game that’s bigger and better than what came before in almost every regard. Of course, not a lot is known about it at the moment – so we are keeping our fingers crossed for now.

Perfect Dark

A number of developers are hard at work on a Perfect Dark reboot, a game that will supposedly tell an “eco sci-fi” story in a futuristic dystopia. The announcement trailer doesn’t give much away, but it definitely looks intriguing nevertheless. It’s also in the earlier stages of development, so it’s going to be quite a bit of time before we get to see more about the gameplay and other details. Perfect Dark reboot releases for PC and Xbox Series X/S sometime in the near future.

Fable

Playground Games has been delivering one racing hit after another, but the developer is also entering uncharted territory with the upcoming Fable reboot. The announcement trailer showcased a fantastical world brimming with thick jungles along with a generally sarcastic tone in the writing department. Much of what the game would entail is still shrouded in mystery, so we will be keeping an eye out when Fable will release for PC and Xbox Series X/S sometime in the near future.

South of Midnight

Compulsion Games, the team behind We Happy Few, is working on a dark action-adventure game called South of Midnight. It takes place in a dreary world dominated by all sorts of creatures, and the story will put players in the shoes of Hazel as she rises to the call of duty when her hometown is invaded by evil. Gameplay details are scant at the moment, but the art style and the concept look pretty impressive nevertheless.

Towerborne

Towerborne is all about embarking on an epic adventure with your friends in a highly stylized environment that pops brightly with color. It’s a 2D game with a simple combat loop, but Towerborne will also feature elements like different enemy types and consistent player progression in an effort to make it a fresh experience. Towerborne is being developed by Stoic and will be releasing for Xbox and PC at some point in the future.

Robots at Midnight

Robots at Midnights revolves around the protagonist Zoe trying to regain her lost humanity in a brutal world inhabited by all manner of mechanical monstrosities. Featuring a cartoony art style, Robots at Midnight’s gameplay is all about exploring the vast world and fighting a whole host of different robots that stand between you and your goal. It looks simple yet solid, and Robots at Midnight will be releasing for PC and Xbox Series consoles at a future date.

Starfield: Shattered Space

While Starfield is far from a perfect game, it was a compelling space odyssey with plenty of merits to its name. Fans are obviously having a good time exploring the furthest reaches of space, and Starfield is set to receive an expansion in the form of Shattered Space sometime this year. The DLC will include new story content, locations, gear, and much more – so there’s quite a bit to look forward to with this expansion.

Project Odyssey

Developer Blizzard is hard at work on a survival game that’s currently codenamed Project Odyssey. Details on what the game might entail are shrouded in mystery, but there are rumors that it would include first-person combat and a cartoony art style similar to Overwatch. It’s quite some ways out from release, so it might be better to not expect much information to be released in the coming months – but it is definitely something worth looking out for. According to rumors it may be coming to Xbox and PC.

Ark 2

Ark: Survival Evolved was an excellent survival game that managed to capture the hearts of thousands upon thousands of loyal fans, and Ark 2 looks to be building upon that already-established goodwill with a star-studded cast of Hollywood actors like Vin Diesel and a bevy of improvements in the gameplay department. Ark 2 will be released in 2024 for Xbox Series X/S and PC.

Among some of the reveals include the first gameplay for Indiana Jones from MachineGames, a behind-the-scenes look at the development of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, a deep dive into Obsidian Entertainment’s Avowed, and gameplay for Oxide Interactive’s Ara: History Untold. Following the Direct, ZeniMax Online Studios will reveal the next chapter, story, and zone for The Elder Scrolls Online at 1 PM PT/4 PM ET.

Unfortunately, there won’t be any updates for Activision Blizzard titles, but Microsoft has teased news from its teams for later in the year. Additionally, while the Direct’s lineup looks solid as it is, there are also rumors of a shadow-dropped title, not unlike Hi-Fi Rush last year. Time will tell, so stay tuned for more details when it airs