Discovery (Hellblade II: Senua's Saga - Written reaction)

A good piece of media, can subvert your expectations and offer an escape through storytelling.

What truly makes a piece of media great, is being able to learn something about yourself, undiscovered, something you can take away, and keep with you like a comforting hand on the shoulder.

I have been an avid follower of Senua's journey for a number of years, and each and every time I walk with her in her journey, I feel I am being given a gift. It is not always a happy one, or one of relief, but it is raw, and real.

They say the correct number of voices one should have in there head is zero.

As someone who, like Senua, has a commodity of them, it feels not only validating, but it feels like being seen through a clearing fog to have a character be so fractured, scattered, but finding solidarity within themselves.

As an on paper, physically weak and mentally ravaged woman, I can feel Senua's fear, her own weakness, against those with greater power over her. I watch her struggle and be beaten down and broken time after time. But what is also so clear is her strength in mind amongst weakness, her resilience to falter, and more than a boatload of courage.

Hers is a story of sacrifice. Of grief, pain.

Hers is a story of love, of overwhelming love, compassion and empathy, that transcends all else.

As I write it is the early hours, I have just finished playing Hellblade II, Senua's Saga, and I have all but recovered from the blackening sadness and sheer emotion that her story brings.

I have always shyed away from sharing my own experiences, because overwhelmingly, it is a sad one. But what Senua has taught me is the true value of one's story, and the strength of mind, even through weakness, that confronting one's darkness can bring.

Senua is a warrior, I am not, but with full stance I know I can meet her eyes as an equal.

The first installment in the series was intense, a confused, fiery and crumbling world, changing with each step, untold evils and mysterious whisperings.

The second installment has truly been a wonder to experience. The growth her character overcomes through these games is truly powerful, and you can feel her strength of mind growing, her thoughts untangling, and even her voices can become her allies.

The cinematography, the sound design, the performance capture. Every single facet of this series takes you on a raw and supernaturally human journey that will leave you moved, and at least for me, I know I have some away from this experience truly changed, and Senua's story with walk with me on my own.

I would ofcourse be amiss without mentioning the truly human like performance capture of Senua's actress, Melina Juergens. For someone who worked for Ninja Theory, and only initially stood in until a suitable actress could be found, Melina brings such a humanity, such a truth to her role.

The emerging technologies have also been such a wild step in bringing this story to life, in a way that I, personally, haven't experienced in such a way before with similar story-driven titles. I can truly see a vivid, and passion led future in immersive storytelling such as this.

While it covers very heavy themes, and I would thoroughly heed the content warnings before proceeding, I trulyrecommend others play these games, experience it just once. It's a true step outside of yourself, but it is also a step within yourself, and your own humanity.