Senua's Sacrifice is a game everyone should at least attempt playing. It's not a game for everyone, and it's not even really much of a game, but if it clicks for you it will be an extremely rewarding experience.

Empathy is the word. If you have a shred of heart, and are willing to look past some gameplay flaws including: monotonous puzzles, a rather basic and not all that enjoyable combat system, and not all that much variety in the enemies during combat, you will bear witness to one of the most unique games ever created with possibly the most human character I've ever seen. You will not watch what she experiences, you will experience it, in a way no other game has done. And you will be glad you did.

I picked up this game and played about the first 10% over the course of a couple days and 2.8hrs out of my 7.0hr playthrough. I moved slowly, taking frequent breaks, not really having a drive to continue. I misunderstood what this game was meant to be, to its very core. I put the game down for roughly two months. I thought about it a lot, kept telling myself that I needed to sit down and play it at some point. I avoided all spoilers and all discussion about the game during that time. When I finally picked it back up, I played the next 85% of the game in one sitting. I played the last 5% the day after.

Hellblade is not really a very fun game. It doesn't have a lot of gameplay depth. It's mostly walking, cutscene, combat, puzzle, repeat in varying orders. I don't think it was meant to be. I don't think it has to be, or even should be. The meaning and enjoyment you will derive out of Senua's Sacrifice isn't about its gameplay loops. You derive it through empathy, feeling yourself become attached to the story and to the quest and desperately needing a conclusion, tension about losing your save file completely and having to start all over once more, and pressing Focus for a minute just to get a break from the voices, realizing Senua could never do that herself. You derive it from watching another person in shambles, desperately trying to piece herself back together, and push forward against all odds. You derive it from watching the pain and torment Senua's condition inflicts upon her, and knowing that's what real people deal with every day of their lives. You derive it from the best final thirty minutes to a game I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing.

It's been half a week now and all I can think about is the story. I'm listening to the same two songs over and over just thinking about what I witnessed. I've probably watched something like five hours of documentaries and YouTube videos on the topic of psychosis. Empathy is most certainly the word.

Play it. I promise you won't regret it. Knowing what I know now, I'd easily pay sixty for this game. You'll be thinking about it for years to come. I know I will.

10/10