Should you play Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice before Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2?

❘ Published: 2024-05-14T18:40:00

Ninja Theory

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 will follow the unique perspective of Senua while she tries to defend her people from Viking invasions. Here’s whether you need to play Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice to understand the new story.

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice was released in 2017, and it introduced the story of Senua, a warrior who seeks to save the soul of her dead lover from the Norse goddess Hela. With Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 around the corner, players are wondering if they need to play its predecessor first.

Here’s a quick recap of Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice before you tackle Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2.

Do you need to play Senua’s Sacrifice before Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2?

No, you can play Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 without having completed Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. This story will follow Senua in a new adventure where she’s trying to save her people from Viking invasions.

While there will be plenty of references to Senua’s Sacrifice, Senua’s Saga will expand on the main character’s personal growth and how her unique vision of the world will reflect the new battles she’ll be facing.

What happened in Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice? Plot recap

In Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, players follow Senua as she arrives at the border of Helheim, the Norse mythology version of the underworld. Set in the late 8th century, Senua is a Pict warrior who believes that she’s cursed by the Darkness, an obscure entity that causes her to hear the voices of spirits that she calls “Furies.”

Senua’s objective is to save the soul of her dead lover, Dillion, from the Norse goddess Hela, who is the ruler of the underworld. She’s guided by the words of her old mentor, Druth, which allows her to find the path to cross Helheim.

While the warrior wanders around the underworld, players get to know her origin story. It’s revealed that Senua witnessed how her father, Zynbel, burned her mother alive for having the same “curse” as her. Convinced that her daughter was also tainted, Zynbel physically abused Senua and isolated her from the rest of the village.

When she grew older, she met Dillion and left her village to be with him. Sadly, a plague ravaged Dillion’s town, and Senua blamed her curse. She chose to exile herself, leaving her lover behind. When she came back after a year, she found that the Norsemen raiders killed everybody and that Dillion was sacrificed to their gods.

Senua swears to save Dillion’s soul from the gods and looks to bargain with Hela. In her path, she discovers that the Darkness is a psychosis produced by her father’s abuse and that her journey through Helheim is the way she’s trying to face Dillion’s loss. After accepting her mourning process, she gets to banish the Darkness and accept the voices she hears as part of her talents.

That’s everything you need to know about Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice before playing Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2. If you want to know more about exciting releases coming this year and beyond, be sure to check out our guides below.