Spoilers for Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 ahead.
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 had big shoes to fill from the very beginning, as it serves as a sequel to a critically praised, award-winning game. Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice was popular with players due to its incredible depiction of mental illness and psychosis. As the sequel aims to tell a story that pulls the narrative away from Senua's struggles, it may leave players feeling like the story of the newer release isn't as hard-hitting or willing to explore the "darkness" of one's own mind. However, Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 does stick the landing, as it ends up using sympathy and understanding to conclude its story in a way that forces gamers to think about the ending's connotations.
Whereas Senua's Sacrifice was about inner peace and the acceptance of how grief and abuse can shape a person, Senua's Saga could be seen as representing the idea that one has to help themselves before they can help others. While Hellblade 2's different narrators may see things differently, this rings true for the story from Senua's perspective.
Hellblade 2: How to Save the Game
Hellblade 2 players wondering how to save the game manually may be disappointed to learn that it's not actually possible.
What Happens in the Ending of Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2
No matter what difficulty players pick in Hellblade 2, the outcome is still the same. The Hiddenfolk reveal to Senua that Tyrant used fear and lies to control his people by creating the giants. Acknowledging the similarities between Tyrant and gothi, Senua fights him one on one, aiming to kill him. However, reality fades away, and a new path opens before Senua as she questions what it makes her if she kills the leader of Borgarviki.
The Meaning of the Final Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 Cutscene
As players take control of Senua during her fight against gothi, the leader comments about how she too craves the power of a leader. This makes her muse on her father and the fact that despite facing the abuse he put her through in the first Hellblade installment, he still lingers within her. This causes Senua to hesitate on delivering the final blow, and she ends up trapped between two options in her mind.
- Killing gothi to become her father's daughter and rule through power, keeping her peoples' belief in her alive "no matter the cost" by letting go of her shadows and doubt.
- Defying the fate her mind says is destiny to spare gothi, choosing to listen to the company she now keeps and leaning on them for support.
Why Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 Leaves Players With an Open Ending
While most of Hellblade 2 avoids gameplay that belongs in Senua's mind, the ending doubles down on it. The game wraps up with two profound quotes rather than anything definite. "Her story is not yet written. There is always a choice." Players aren't left with the concrete information on whether Senua killed gothi or not, even though it's heavily implied she didn't, and what direction Senua takes appears to be open to interpretation.
Senua herself makes it seem somewhat obvious she'll choose to spare the leader given how distraught she gets when admitting it's easy to walk in her father's footsteps. With how clear the answer seems to be, it begs the question as to why the player doesn't witness her growth come to a head and make Senua into a glorious leader that differs greatly from her father. Perhaps it is open to interpretation because Ninja Theory aims to let the message of this game linger with fans.
Both Hellblade Games Hold Important Messages Within Their Gameplay
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 seems to bring home a theme of how people can only help others once they've helped themselves. In that regard, "there is always a choice" may serve to remind players that when it seems that their only option is to be cruel, they can still choose to be kind. Of course, this is only one of several meanings that can be inferred, which will likely be personal and different between fans and which parts of the story resonate with them the most. It's an experience best judged and understood personally, much like the original Hellblade was.
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
