Hellblade 2: Senua's Saga has been announced for a while, but fans have hardly seen any of it in action. However, that has now changed, as Hellblade 2 got its first gameplay trailer during The Game Awards 2021, and it looks like one of the most visually impressive games ever made.
The first major reveal during the show, the new Hellblade 2 gameplay shows off protagonist Senua as she attempts to take down a giant with a group of warriors. The giant, already injured, puts up quite the fight, killing many of Senua's allies as they light it on fire with flaming spears.
Most impressively, the trailer looks like it could be a cinematic in any other game, though it's apparently all real gameplay. For those that played the first Hellblade, that likely won't come as a surprise, as it was noted for its visual fidelity. However, things have obviously been taken to the next level here, to the point that the trailer looks like an animated film.
Of course, Hellblade's story is a bit more complicated than just this trailer. The franchise had noble beginnings back in 2018, when Ninja Theory released the first game as a bite-sized but stellar experience. It was one of the first games to ever represent Psychosis in an authentic manner, making it a core mechanic throughout the game.
It doesn't seem like Hellblade 2 will abandon that element, either. Throughout the trailer, fans hear the voices that have plagued Senua since the first entry. With how central they were to Senua's development in the first entry, it'll be interesting to see how Senua handles it in the new game, and how it effects the journey along the way. Mental health issues aren't tackled in games that frequently, at least not in tactful ways, so it's good to see it handled properly in a game like this. Hellbalde 2 just needs to continue the trend.
Unfortunately, there's still no release date attached to Hellblade 2, or even a release window. However, even though there's so little known about it, it seems like it will be one of the de facto games for showing off what next-gen hardware can accomplish, at least visually. Hopefully, there will be more revealed about Hellblade 2 soon.
Hellblade 2 is in development.