Summary
- Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 focuses on vengeance turning into hope, revealing deep connections between Senua and Illtauga's dark origins.
- The game highlights themes of darkness and hope, showing that everyone has the potential to become a monster or find redemption.
- Senua's journey in Hellblade 2 mirrors Illtauga's path but diverges at a crucial point where Senua confronts her guilt and finds forgiveness.
Just like the first game, Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 puts a strong focus on narrative, but that doesn't mean that all of the story is told to the player directly. In the first Hellblade, it was heavily implied that much of the game's events took place in Senua's mind, but developer Ninja Theory has never confirmed exactly what was real and what was a symptom of Senua's psychosis. Much of the story of Hellblade is up to interpretation, and that's the case again with the recently released sequel.
At a fairly reductive level, Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is a story of vengeance that eventually gives way to a story of hope. Senua begins her second journey already on the hunt for the men who killed her husband and ransacked her home village. But after learning that Giants are terrorizing this new land, Senua sets off on a journey to stop them. The first Giant Senua meets in Hellblade 2 is Illtauga, an angry being capable of burning entire settlements to the ground. But there's more to Illtauga's story than meets the eye, and it's a story that echoes a lot of Senua's own past.
Hellblade 2's Illtagua Shares Some Big Similarities with Senua
Illtauga and Senua Share a Similar Origin
After coming face to face with the Giant Illtauga for the first time, Senua vows to do everything she can to get rid of the murderous monster. Her journey takes her to the cave of the Hiddenfolk, a mysterious unseen people who decide to help Senua reclaim the land. In an effort to do that, the Hiddenfolk reveal Illtauga's origin. Once a young human woman named Ingunn, Illtauga's story begins when a volcano erupts and brings destruction and famine across the land. In an attempt to evoke the aid of the Norse gods, Ingunn takes her newborn baby to the mouth of the Hiddenfolk's cave, and offers it as a sacrifice.
This sacrifice seemingly fails to appease the gods, and the famine continues to rage on across the land, turning people into the crazed cannibalistic Draugr that now threaten Senua and her newfound group. As time goes on, Ingunn's self-hatred only grows deeper, and eventually, she allows her grief and guilt to consume her, turning her into the Giant Illtauga, a being still fueled by that same rage.
Though it isn't immediately obvious, Senua's own origin actually mirrors Illtauga's quite a bit. Much like Illtauga/Ingunn, Senua fell into a deep depression when her husband died and blamed herself for his death, as she had banished herself from the village in an attempt to overcome her psychosis. But Senua and Illtauga's journeys diverge quite dramatically.
Senua and Illtauga's Paths Diverge At a Key Point
While Ingunn allowed herself to be swallowed up by her grief and guilt, Senua managed to reconcile with her own self-loathing. While Hellblade 2 makes it clear that Senua still harbors a lot of internal guilt over her husband's death and her inability to save him, her entire first journey revolved around her coming to terms with his death, and in the end, she was able to forgive herself slightly.
One of the most important themes in Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 - and one that players are constantly reminded of via dialogue - is that everyone is capable of becoming a monster. Illtauga and the other Giants show this theme quite literally. But they also highlight the game's theme of hope, as Senua is able to overcome her own darkness to help lay the Giants to rest.
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2
- Released
- May 21, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
The sequel to the award winning Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Senua returns in a brutal journey of survival through the myth and torment of Viking Iceland. Intent on saving those who have fallen victim to the horrors of tyranny, Senua faces a battle of overcoming the darkness within and without.
A crafted experience of cinematic immersion: Sink deep into Senua’s world and story, with beautifully realized visuals and encapsulating sound.
Senua’s unique perspective: Experience the world through Senua’s eyes and ears, as a Celtic warrior who experiences psychosis.
A journey into Viking Iceland: An epic journey across 10th century Iceland, recreated from real locations in stunning detail.
Every fight tells a story: Brutal and visceral combat as Senua battles for survival.
- Developer(s)
- Ninja Theory
- Publisher(s)
- Xbox Game Studios
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
- How Long To Beat
- 7 Hours
