The Norse mythology has always fascinated video game developers, and this is evident from the multitude of titles that draw from the world of the ancient Vikings traditions, customs, or simply settings.
Basti pensare a Skyrim, which in a fantasy world created entirely from scratch introduced clear reminiscences of Norse culture, further mythologizing its epic atmospheres, or to the lesser-known but equally valid The Banner Saga: Thor and his fierce company stir the creativity of the biggest video game production houses like few other cultures belonging to the flow of History, and when the first chapter of Senua’s saga was released in 2017 it was clear to everyone that there was still much to say and discover about the mythology full of epic and legendary ballads to be told around the fire of the last bivouac, the famous Ragnarok.
Senua's Saga Hellblade II, the new, highly anticipated chapter of the third-person adventure starring the indomitable and tormented warrior, is scheduled for May 21, 2024, and those who loved the character of Senua and her terrifying and painful odyssey can hardly contain their excitement, that same skin which, as it wears away due to the corruption of the unfortunate warrior's soul, also reflects her state of mind, teetering between sanity and madness, redemption or eternal damnation.
The premise of the first title dedicated to Senua was extremely interesting, as it dealt with psychosis, mental health, and the acceptance of grief, adult themes that were matched with gameplay skillfully designed to make the player feel not only part of the story, but also and above all of the drama that Senua experienced throughout the adventure.
Al timone ci sono ancora loro, i mitici Ninja Theory who when it comes to deep stories, thunderous action and maniacal attention to detail are certainly worthy of their name, true warriors of programming capable of breaking down clichés and returning videogames to their original form, fun, without neglecting the narrative framework that after the era of the most classic Arcades has revitalized, and also ennobled, this medium so beautiful and so much debated.
Se pensiamo that usually the hack'n slash genre, to which Senua's Saga: HellBlade II will fully belong just like its illustrious predecessor, is often labeled as superficial and based exclusively on frenetic and unrestrained gameplay, sacrificing everything else, the images released by Ninja Theory so far deny all of this: the Xbox handles magnificently the level of detail needed to immerse us in the new odyssey of the Norse warrior, Senua seems so alive and real that we might fear (or wish?) that she will burst out of our screens at any moment, handing us one of her weapons and calling us to war!
The game setting will be Iceland, never so evocative and atmospheric.
What made the first game in the series so great was the contrast between light and darkness in the protagonist’s soul, the constant emergence of doubts about her supposed madness, and the assault of the Voices, the so-called Furies, which did not leave her in peace for a moment, casting doubt on everything she (and therefore we as well) saw, heard, and felt.
Un very adult title, therefore, with a cinematic style and that raises the bar of expectations to very high levels.
Simon Larocca
Mi chiamo Simon Larocca, e sono un videogiocatore, collezionista e amante della cultura pop in tutte le sue forme. Vado al cinema ogni volta che posso, leggo da quando porto gli occhiali, quindi da sempre, e ho la passione per lo storytelling in tutte le sue forme, così dirompente da farla diventare una professione. Ma come direbbe Doc di Ritorno al Futuro, non ci sarebbe presente se non si guardasse al passato con rispetto e ammirazione, ed è il Simon bambino di più di trent’anni fa, anno più anno meno.
Simon Larocca
Mi chiamo Simon Larocca, e sono un videogiocatore, collezionista e amante della cultura pop in tutte le sue forme. Vado al cinema ogni volta che posso, leggo da quando porto gli occhiali, quindi da sempre, e ho la passione per lo storytelling in tutte le sue forme, così dirompente da farla diventare una professione. Ma come direbbe Doc di Ritorno al Futuro, non ci sarebbe presente se non si guardasse al passato con rispetto e ammirazione, ed è il Simon bambino di più di trent’anni fa, anno più anno meno.
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