The release of Senua's Saga: Hellblade II Enhanced on PlayStation 5 was a symbolic moment. In May 2024, Ninja Theory's project appeared as a technical showcase for Xbox Series X|S and PC, where its cinematics and deep psychological component impressed even skeptics. But now it's time to return to the platform where it all began. It was on Sony's console that Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice was released in 2017 and was a temporary PlayStation 4 exclusive. Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is coming to PlayStation 5 not as a simple port, but as an expanded edition with additional modes and improvements.
| Game | Senua's Saga: Hellblade II |
| Genre | action/adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S |
| Languages | English, Ukrainian |
| Developer | Ninja Theory |
| Publisher | Xbox Game Studios |
| senuasaga.com |
Main innovations of the Enhanced version
Alongside the PlayStation 5 release, Xbox Series X|S and PC owners received a free update that transformed the familiar experience into an even deeper and more diverse one. Senua's Saga: Hellblade II Enhanced is not just a cosmetic update, but an edition that changes the perception of the entire game.
The most noticeable difference is the performance mode, which opens the game at 60 FPS on consoles (except for the Xbox Series S). It's not just about the smoothness of the animations (fights now look like real choreography, where every move feels organic), but also about the responsiveness of the controls, especially during battles. The camera, which has always been a hallmark of Hellblade, reacts differently - now it does not float super slowly behind the heroine, but works like in a staged shot, where the operator walks next to her.
The second major update was the Dark Rot mode. If in the first part it was more of a psychological trap that scared the player with the ghostly threat of losing progress, now it is a real mechanism. Death has weight, and any mistake can cost hours of passage. The Dark Rot mode is unlocked after completing the story on any difficulty level. Then you need to start a new game on the Dark Rot difficulty level. In this mode, only 3 deaths are allowed throughout the game. With each death, the dark rot will spread further, up to Senua's face. If you die a fourth time, the game will end and your save will be deleted. And you will have to start the passage again.
Equally important is the improvement of Photo Mode, which has evolved from a simple snapshot tool to a fully-fledged creative mode. You can record video, add motion, and experiment with lighting and composition. Given the visual expressiveness of Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, this gives players the opportunity to become the "cameraman" of this story themselves.
And finally, the developer commentary. It’s over four hours of behind-the-scenes stories, where the team shares their motivations, challenges, and solutions. It adds a new dimension to the game: you’re not just going through Senua’s story, but you’re also understanding how it was created, why scenes look the way they do, and what emotions were put into each frame. The commentary becomes available after your first playthrough.
How the game has improved on different platforms
On consoles, Senua's Saga: Hellblade II was initially limited to 30 frames per second, which emphasized the cinematic feel but also held back players who were used to smoother gameplay. The Enhanced version with a performance mode has solved this problem, which for many may be an excuse to return to the game - to relive the story all over again, but at a different pace.
On PC, the new "Very High" graphics preset is especially noticeable. High-detail textures, additional lighting and shadow effects make the environment even more realistic. Senua's Saga: Hellblade II has already impressed with its style and extraordinary photorealism of the picture, but now it has reached a new level and demonstrates the true power of Unreal Engine 5.
For PlayStation 5, this version is a separate release and the first encounter with the game. And what is important, it is immediately Enhanced, with all the new features. The uniqueness lies in the fact that on PlayStation 5 the game is not perceived as an "update" - it is immediately a full-fledged edition that takes into account all previous comments and makes the start as perfect as possible.
But the main difference from other platforms is DualSense. Haptic effects and adaptive triggers create the feeling that you are not just watching the events, but physically experiencing them with Senua. Every step, the tremor of the ground or a drop of rain - all this will be felt in your hands, complementing the audiovisual picture of the story.
On PlayStation 5 Pro, the difference is even more noticeable. The game gets extra clarity and stability, and scenes look so detailed that the line between game and movie is practically erased. All thanks to the PlayStation 5 Pro's proprietary upscaling technology. Combined with the third-person camera, this creates a unique sense of presence - when it seems that you are watching an author's film, but you have control over every movement of the character.
Impression
Senua's Saga: Hellblade II Enhanced leaves you with the feeling that the game has finally reached the point where it was meant to be from the beginning. If the base version was impressive in its technical daring, Enhanced underlines it as a completed work.
"Dark Rot" now feels less like a simple horror game and more like a real challenge. You're afraid of dying not just because you'll lose time, but because the game actually punishes you for mistakes. This fits perfectly into the main theme of the project - the fight against inner demons that are always there and ready to devour your consciousness.
The improved photo mode and developer commentary reveal a different side to the game. The former allows you to become an author yourself - create your own scenes and shots, while the latter opens the scenes of the creation process and explains why Hellblade II looks the way it does. This makes the experience multi-dimensional: you are both a player, a viewer, and even an explorer.
Senua's Saga: Hellblade II Enhanced is particularly impressive on PlayStation 5: DualSense adds a physical dimension to whispers and blows, 60 FPS makes the journey smoother, and on the Pro version of the console, the extra detail and stability bring the game closer to the level of a real movie, at its best. This edition feels complete here, on Sony's consoles, where the technical capabilities directly enhance the atmosphere and drama of the story.
Conclusion
Senua's Saga: Hellblade II Enhanced is not a new story, but a completed edition of a familiar one. It does not add new storylines, but makes every aspect stronger: the combat system is more dynamic on consoles, the atmosphere is more tangible, the picture is clearer. On Xbox and PC, it is an upgrade that returns interest in the game and can lure players to a second playthrough of this wonderful, albeit psychologically difficult game. On PlayStation, it is a unique release that immediately comes with all the improvements "out of the box".
This is an example of how to properly work with already finished material: not rewriting it, but giving the player a new way to experience the familiar. In the case of Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, this means immersion so deep that the line between the game and reality becomes almost imperceptible.
