Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice was a bit of an unknown when it burst onto the scene in 2017, a new IP from Ninja Theory that did daring things with its portrayal of mental health in an unsettling period setting.
Now it's getting a sequel in the form of Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2, which was showcased in some style as the Xbox Series X and S were announced. Here are all the key details.
For more upcoming Xbox Series X and S games, check out our list of the most anticipated titles coming soon.
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 - Release date
Hellblade 2 was announced way back in 2019, albeit with almost no details attached to it, so we've been waiting a long while to find out when it'll come out.
Sadly, that's still the case - there is no release window or date attached to Hellblade 2.
While December 2021 saw a gameplay trailer that looked fairly polished come out, in June 2021 we also got an update from Ninja Theory that the game wasn't yet in "full production", so it's likely to still be fairly early in its development process.
That means we wouldn't bet on a release date any earlier than late 2023, with 2024 a very realistic possibility as well.
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2- Platforms
Hellblade 2 is being developed for the Xbox Series X and Series S, as well as for PC, and won't come out on any other platforms.
The game will hit Xbox Game Pass on day one when it does eventually release, too, so if you're a Game Pass subscriber you'll get it at no extra cost, which is always welcome.
It's also been confirmed that Xbox Cloud Gaming will mean players who are still on an Xbox One will be able to access Hellblade 2 through streaming when it comes out.
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 - Trailers
The first trailer for Hellblade 2 dropped in 2019, when Xbox unveiled its next-generation consoles, the Series X and Series S.
It's a fairly short, very enigmatic trailer that suggests Hellblade will once again be telling a dark tale when Senua returns.
That was all we had to cling on to until a couple of years later, when Ninja Theory dropped a longer trailer that's mostly gameplay.
The trailer shows what looks like a giant hunt, led by Senua, that involves a range of traps and obstacles that each get blown through in turn, with things going worse and worse for her tribe of Picts.
That's the last we heard of Hellblade 2, so hopefully it might not be too long until we get another trailer to pick apart.
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 - Story and gameplay
Senua's first game was a harrowing one, as she went on a pilgrimage in an attempt to save the soul of her dead lover, one that ultimately ended with an acceptance that he was gone forever.
With an eighth-century understanding of the psychosis that she's living with, it was a disconcerting and at times disturbing game that was nonetheless impressively understanding in its treatment of Senua's condition.
From the looks of the two trailers so far, we're set for an escalation of that same topic, with Senua still hearing voices and dealing with the "Furies" she lives with, while the world of Pictish gods and monsters around her continues to be a terrifying one.
We don't know what the main drive of the story will be, at this stage, but the gameplay trailer from December 2021 suggests that the gameplay side of things will be fairly familiar.
Senua is still controlled in third-person with a tight over-the-shoulder viewpoint, and the game looks like it's still fairly slow and deliberate, rather than a rapid-action title.
That said, given the scaling up that Ninja Theory is applying (the first game was made by fewer than 20 staff), the combat system should be more intricate and rewarding, with more enemy types to encounter and prevail over.
The visuals look astonishing, pushing Microsoft's newer consoles to their limit, and we're eager to see how much more lies in wait.
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