Best Games Like Hellblade

It's been nearly seven years since Ninja Theory's excellent Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice was released, treating gamers to a harrowing psychological gaming experience that still resonates with many fans today.

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By  Amy Cowley

The game featured a terrific Norse story that focused on the heroine Senua, traveling to Helheim to reclaim the soul of her dead lover. The game was commended, among other things, for its uneasy atmosphere. For fans of the series, or those looking to embark on similar adventures after beating the sequel, Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2, why not read on below and see what other games offer similar experiences to Hellblade?

1 Dante's Inferno

A One-Man Trip Through Hell

Although over ten years old, Visceral Games' take on the hack-and-slash genre remains a good time for veterans and newbies alike. The game takes players on a journey through the nine circles of hell as the Templar Knight Dante journeys to rescue his beloved wife Beatrice from the clutches of Lucifer.

The game features some great hack-and-slash combat with a decent amount of upgrades to play with throughout the adventure. Dante's Inferno is also by far one of the best games set in hell, thanks to the nine varied circles and twisted creatures to fight within them.

What will appeal to fans of Hellblade, aside from the combat, is the central narrative of Dante. On his descent into hell, his soul is increasingly tortured, recalling the horrors of his past and coming face to face with the realities of his actions. It's a great story, and thanks to good enemy variety and fluid combat, this hellish adventure remains an excellent journey to embark on.

2 Tomb Raider

A Story Of Survival

The Tomb Raider series has long been a staple of many players' gaming libraries. The excellent treasure-hunting adventures provided fans with challenging environmental puzzles, great combat sequences, and, as always, a great heroine to lead an engaging adventure.

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By  Ewan Lewis

Much like Senua, Lara Croft is one of video games' most badass women. What makes the 2013 reboot an excellent choice for fans of the Hellblade games is the focus on survival, as the game sees Lara shipwrecked upon the island of Yamatai. Throughout the game's story, Lara will contend with surviving the harsh environment and Mathias's menacing cult that infests the land.

The game provides plenty of challenge and the tense personal story is a refreshing reboot, coupled with some great combat.

3 Control

An Eerie Experience

Remedy Entertainment has developed some truly amazing games. They've tackled horror, sci-fi, and an amalgamation of the two in the excellent third-person shooter, Control. The game throws players into the shoes of psychic investigator Jesse Faden, a hero entering the Federal Bureau of Control for her own personal reasons, but is quickly swept up in the descending chaos around her.

On the gameplay front, Control is simply outstanding. Its combat is exciting and engaging, thanks to the neat utility of movement and weapon mechanics that elevate the gameplay to be just as thrilling as the central narrative.

What makes it a great choice for Hellblade fans is the mind-bending narrative that's only enhanced by fantastic world design and a constant feeling of unease throughout. It's not hard to see why this is an adventure that sticks with players long after the final credits roll.

4 Sifu

The Threat Of Failure

When Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice was first unveiled, the game manipulated players into believing the rot would spread, and eventually act as a perma-death mechanic. In the end, this wasn't the case.

Sifu, however, is a game that features perma-death, a feature that's intertwined with its gameplay and progression, making it a game with a unique death mechanic. The game is a straightforward revenge tale. After witnessing a family member killed, players train and then embark on a quest to kill each member of the group that did it.

Each failure causes the player to age. As a result of aging, their experience of combat increases, meaning players will deal more damage, but as they age, their health will deteriorate, until they can no longer proceed. What makes it a great pick for Hellblade fans stems from having the very same tension and thrill running through it as Senua's adventure.

5 Dead Space

Close Quarter Fear

EA Motive's 2023 Dead Space was one of the few remakes that lived up to the hype. Coming out fifteen years after the initial PlayStation 3 title, the remake didn't just stay true to the original game, but added quality-of-life improvements, making it the quintessential version of the iconic horror game.

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For those who don't know the story, the game follows engineer Isaac Clarke as he arrives at the USG Ishimura, a mining vessel where his girlfriend, Nicole, is stationed. Things quickly go awry, and the crew is split up, leaving Isaac to help repair the ship and rescue Nicole from the ship's Necromorph infestation.

Dead Space remains one of the best sci-fi horror experiences out there for players. It features solid gameplay and an inventive dismemberment mechanic, but what makes this game an excellent choice is the haunting setting. There is a constant sense of dread, with players fearful about what could be lurking around the next corner, and that's not even touching on the excellent story that features one of the cruelest twist endings in gaming.

6 God Of War (2018)

Norse Godness

The God of War series has long been at the top of the hack-and-slash genre ever since 2005 when the first God of War title debuted on PlayStation 2. The rage-fueled demigod got a franchise reboot in 2018, with God of War, a title that saw Kratos and his son Atreus embark on a personal quest to spread their mother's ashes while pursued by Norse Gods.

The game saw a retooling of the franchise's traditional combat, one that kept the visceral impact and fluidity, but added much more weight and closer perspective to the fight, which matched the game's more intimate story. The game is packed full of dazzling moments and challenging combat encounters, especially when tussling with the endgame Valkyrie fights.

Aside from the obvious Norse mythology link, what makes God of War a great choice for Hellblade fans is the journey. Much like Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, God of War is a game that's all about the journey, not the destination. It explores the characters, takes them across stunning locales, and better yet has more of the visceral combat that made the swordplay in Hellblade feel so good.

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Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice Full Story Summary and Recap

Many look forward to Hellblade 2: Senua's Saga, and knowing the story of Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice will help prepare to continue the journey.

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