Screenshots & trailers
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (Metacritic) | – | 81 | 30 |
| Creator reviews (4 tracked) | – | 78 | 6 |
| All-time Steam reviews | – | – | 0 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 77 | 750 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | – | – | 0 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 0 reviews sampled · 0 total reviews in window · weighted 0 up / 0 down · computed 1h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (93)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 80
“Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 can be a mentally taxing experience by design, especially if one already has their own litany of mental health struggles. It is a necessary part of a game that explores its themes touchingly and tastefully, a beautiful and astoundingly stylish production. Like its predecessor, the presentation outstrips the gameplay, which suffers from repetition and a lack of escalation or variety. It’s a damn fine thing in totality though, one well worth digging into.”
read full review ↗ - 60
- 60
“Ninja Theory has failed to take a noticeable step forward since the original. In Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, the developers buried the original idea of mixing mythology and mental disorders, giving their own variation of God of War. The sequel turned out to be linear and very colorful. However, the primitive gameplay and absolutely empty ending leave the player exhausted and disappointed.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“If Senua’s saga is indeed what counts for therapy in her blood-soaked world, far too much of Hellblade II feels like she walked out of her sessions with time left on the clock.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Ninja Theory hits its apex with Hellblade 2, combining decades of cinematic experience with a thought-provoking action drama that you’d never expect to see as a console exclusive.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is the best-looking video game we've ever played. It sounds incredible, Melina Juergens acts herself inside out, and on a purely technical level this is just next-level stuff all round. However, we still don't feel as though extending Senua's plight into a Saga is a good idea. We remain unconvinced, and it's because this sequel feels like diminishing returns, as we had worried it might. It's not as vital or as unique in 2024, and it goes for bombast as a means of smoothing things over, resulting in a good game, an interesting eight hour romp, but nothing that screams must-play. Weak combat and dull puzzles are just more salt in these wounds, unfortunately.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“In the end, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is a firm and safe step. Ninja Theory kept things simple and honored their own idea of creating a sequel for fans of the first game, not someone else. As a work with an indie essence and AAA production values, it fulfills its purpose, and although its flaws and limitations are evident, they do not diminish its concept and the strong potential it has to generate emotions, demonstrating that the medium can take other paths beyond the traditional. Yes, Hellblade II is more than a video game, it is a great audiovisual experience that does not betray itself; a work that deserves your time and your feelings.”
read full review ↗ - 98
“Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is the game that Xbox has been looking for for so long. A masterpiece on par with its predecessor that shines through its sound, its graphics and a memorable performance by Melina Juergens. A candidate for Game of the Year.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Hellblade II: Senua’s Sacrifice is an amazing achievement visually. The performances are second-to-none and the music is just as impressive as the visuals. For anyone that loved the original and knows what to expect going in, this will be a treat on so many levels.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is essentially an interactive arthouse action movie that combines potent gameplay elements with a visceral psychological journey.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is a cinematic masterpiece that raises the bar of narrative games.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is a beautiful but ultimately hollow game. The fantastic presentation props up a story that is less personal and engaging than in the first game, and the gameplay feels like an afterthought. It was great to see Senua again and to see her outside of the grief-misery she was enveloped in during the first game, but beyond that, there's not much to Hellblade II. It's a short and less memorable experience that shows off Ninja Theory's visual craft to its fullest, but it achieves little else.”
read full review ↗
The Jimquisition
Stryftek
GameMAG
Slant Magazine
Gfinity
Pure Xbox
LevelUp
SomosXbox
ZTGD
PCMag
Siliconera
Worth Playing…and 81 more tracked reviews.