10 Things to Know Before Playing Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2

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00:00 Welcome to Mojo Plays and today we're going over the most important details to know before

00:11 playing Senua's Saga Hellblade 2.

00:16 Before we begin, we publish new content all week long, so be sure to subscribe and ring

00:20 the bell to get notified about our latest videos.

00:25 Case info.

00:34 First let's get some of the more obvious information out of the way.

00:37 Senua's Saga Hellblade 2 is right around the corner, releasing May 21st, 2024.

00:42 It's been a somewhat long wait since the game was first announced in 2019 alongside the

00:46 Xbox Series X.

00:48 Speaking of which, it will also be exclusive to Xbox and PC since Microsoft purchased developer

00:54 Ninja Theory in 2018.

01:05 Players can expect it to be around as long as the first game, which was relatively short,

01:09 and it will be slightly discounted at $49.99.

01:12 Those who don't want to pay can enjoy it on Game Pass, where it will launch on the same

01:16 day.

01:17 Not bad news for physical collectors though, as Hellblade 2 is a digital-only release.

01:28 Unreal Engine 5 The newest iteration of the Unreal Engine

01:40 is still fairly new, and we're only really beginning to see what it's capable of in games

01:44 like Tekken 8.

01:46 Hellblade 2 was built in Unreal Engine 5, and the trailers show the immense difference

01:50 in visuals.

01:51 Not that the original Hellblade looked bad by any means.

01:57 Additionally, it's being touted as a key reason for players to pay attention.

02:05 With certain outlets allowed to preview the game, many of them have declared Hellblade

02:09 2 as the strongest use of the engine we've seen thus far.

02:13 Not just from a pure visual standpoint, but from a mechanical one as well.

02:24 Changes to Combat If you've played the original game, you

02:33 know its combat can be a bit basic.

02:36 It isn't bad, of course, it's just that Ninja Theory placed more emphasis on the game's

02:39 thematic and cinematic qualities.

02:42 That is naturally an aspect the team has improved upon with the sequel, with combat designer

02:46 Juan Hernandez speaking very highly of the team's work.

02:54 Not only are they expanding on enemy types, which allows for different approaches to fighting

02:58 them, but there are significantly more animations in Senua's fighting style to make it look

03:03 and feel different.

03:04 Melina Juergens, the actress behind Senua, has also shared behind-the-scenes videos of

03:08 her training, which looks intense and promises more dynamic encounters.

03:18 A Story of Justice The first Hellblade followed Senua as she

03:29 entered the underworld, seeking to reclaim the soul of her lost love Dylan from the goddess

03:33 Hela.

03:34 While there was no saving him, Senua did find some peace within herself, coming to terms

03:39 with the voices in her head known as the Furies.

03:42 However, Dylan didn't just die.

03:45 He was murdered by Vikings during the destruction of Senua's home, and sacrificed to their

03:49 gods in a blood eagle, which is definitely not a good way to go.

04:00 Although specifics are unknown, we do know the sequel will take Senua to Iceland, where

04:04 she and her allies will work to save other victims of the Vikings.

04:08 We also know Senua's father, who played a villainous role in flashbacks during the first

04:12 game, will return in some way.

04:19 Navigating Iceland

04:33 As we said, the sequel will be set in Iceland, but it isn't just a simple recreation of

04:38 the country.

04:39 Director Tamim Antoniades was first inspired to create a sequel by a trip he took there

04:44 following the first game's release.

04:45 For Hellblade 2, he and many other team members returned, scouting around 40 unique locations.

04:57 Antoniades wanted everyone to get a real, immersive sense of what Iceland could offer.

05:02 More than that, the team scanned various parts of the environment to use as assets in the

05:06 game, and recorded audio as they went to blend the natural world with that of their fictional

05:11 one.

05:12 Additionally, Ninja Theory is using flow maps to make clouds move, form, and dissipate naturally

05:17 as you play.

05:26 Immersive Audio

05:34 The first game did an incredible job at immersing players through binaural audio.

05:39 Best represented through surround sound or headphones, it simulates 3D audio in games

05:43 by having sounds come at you from all directions.

05:46 It was primarily used for the Furies, the voices in Senua's head, who would often give

05:51 hints or warnings during combat while also tying in with her mental state.

06:00 The sequel is looking to improve the already impressive work here.

06:04 Not only is the Furies dialogue going to be enhanced, as we've glimpsed in trailers,

06:08 but it will also be used to make the environments more detailed and engrossing.

06:12 Honestly, the first game's audio was such a high point that seeing how Ninja Theory

06:16 improved it for Hellblade 2 has us giddy with excitement.

06:27 A Focus on Realism

06:35 One of the biggest benefits of Unreal Engine 5, at least that Ninja Theory is taking advantage

06:40 of, is its use of photogrammetry.

06:42 Essentially, it's the process of taking pictures of real objects and scanning them

06:46 exactly as they are to bring them into a digital landscape, here a video game world.

07:01 We've already touched on how Ninja Theory has done this with Iceland, but there are

07:05 other elements of the game it will be used for that will only make it more realistic.

07:09 The studio has crafted era-accurate clothing and even set fire to some of it to capture

07:13 realistic burn marks.

07:16 Hellblade 2 already looks to be a visual powerhouse, and photogrammetry will only help.

07:31 Trick of the Eye

07:38 In addition to combat encounters, another way players progressed in the first Hellblade

07:42 was through visual puzzles.

07:44 It played into Senua's psychosis, with players using her point of view to match up pieces

07:48 of an object or symbol, usually a rune, allowing her access to new areas.

07:59 Those types of puzzles make a return in the sequel.

08:02 Based on preview footage, it looks like they'll include other objects or parts of the environment.

08:06 It's unknown if puzzles will expand much more beyond that, however, so fans who weren't

08:11 too keen on them in the first game may be disappointed in that regard.

08:22 An Authentic Soundtrack

08:24 Clearly, Ninja Theory is intent on delivering as real and accurate of an experience as it

08:35 can, and music plays a big part in that.

08:38 For the first game, composer David Garcia teamed with Norwegian singer and musician

08:42 Andy LaPlegue.

08:43 Just like everything else, the studio is digging a little deeper here.

08:58 It has enlisted Scandinavian folk group Heilung to compose the score.

09:02 Not only was the group brought along on the Iceland trips, but they seem to be a perfect

09:06 choice both culturally and thematically.

09:09 Much of their music focuses on folklore and mythology, including the Viking Age and Norse

09:13 figures like the Valkyrie.

09:26 Expanding the Mythos

09:27 In addition to Hela, the first game had Senua contend with the fire giant Surtr, the god

09:41 of illusions Valravn, and dark, twisted representations of Norsemen.

09:46 Players can expect elements of Norse mythology to be expanded on here.

09:50 Previews have already shown more variety in enemy types, one of the ways in which the

09:53 sequel's combat has been improved.

10:03 In addition to the Vikings Senua will be seeking justice against, trailers have also shown

10:08 Draugr and a giant.

10:10 While whichever gods might show up is obviously being kept secret, we'd be shocked if none

10:14 of them did.

10:15 Blood Eagles were typically performed in service to Odin, so maybe we'll even get a fight

10:20 against the Allfather.

10:29 Are you excited to play Ninja Theory's sequel?

10:31 Share your thoughts in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to Mojo Plays for more great

10:35 gaming videos every day.

10:39 Thanks for watching!

10:52 -Elite Snipers-

10:54 -Elite Snipers-

10:55 -Elite Snipers-

10:55 (dramatic music)

10:58 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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