Senua’s Saga Hellblade 2 review: Perfect but padded

The past is a promise, not a prison. This line is the core of Senua’s Saga, which starts with revenge but evolves into a tale of empathy. Like its predecessor, it is a character study that immerses you in Senua’s mental headspace and maintains its grip no matter how uncomfortable it becomes. The commitment to portraying Senua, with all her strengths and faults, succeeds largely because it is a game. While it fully utilizes the gaming medium, Hellblade 2 also adjusts its pacing to be more recognizable as a traditional game. It is not a long game. However, if it had committed to trimming all the unnecessary elements around the core themes, they would have shined even brighter.