What an amazing experience. There is so much that could be said about Hellblade. The visuals are amazing. Everything about the sound design is superb, from the voice actors to the mixing to the sound effects. While the puzzles and the combat are simple, they fit so well into the story that I didn't find myself wanting anything more. Making the puzzles more difficult would have ruined the flow of the story.

The story also does a good job of not hitting you over the head. It's comprehensible, but it's not shoved in your face when one character represents something else, for example. It's obscure enough to be engaging.

I also respect Ninja Theory's treatment of mental illness. It is not represented as a super power, but it is also not entirely negative. Sometimes it's horrifying, but other times it's helpful. And Ninja Theory gets a bunch of points for being able to create all this without a publisher. I hope others appreciate it as much as I have.