Summary
A sequel 13 years in the making,Alan Wake 2took a lot of the gaming world by storm when it was finally released last October. More than worth the wait,Alan Wake 2delivered acinematic survival horror experiencelike no other. While its visuals were a great strength,Alan Wake 2had plenty of standout gameplay features as well, some of which felt truly innovative. But the same can’t really be said for the recently releasedSenua’s Saga: Hellblade 2.
A sequel seven years in the making,Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2finally hit Xbox and PC last week, and its debut has been an interesting one. Even including those who lovedHellblade 2, there’s a general consensus that the sequel doesn’t really improve upon its predecessor all that much, especially when it comes to gameplay. And whereHellblade 2’s puzzles are concerned,Alan Wake 2’s shadow looms over them all.
Alan Wake 2’s Environmental Puzzles Are Better Than Hellblade 2’s
Hellblade 2’s Environmental Puzzles Are Technically Impressive
Though they definitely got a little stale towards the game’s latter half, the firstHellblade’s environmental puzzles were mostly very engaging. In fact, one ofHellblade’s most memorable sequences - Valravn’s forest - revolves around the game’s environmental puzzles. Many of the puzzles inthe firstHellbladesee players line up objects in the environment to match the shape of a specific symbol, and in Valravn’s forest, players are given a new layer to the puzzle.
During this sequence, a series of gateways are dotted around the environment. Walking through the gateway will change some aspects of the environment, such as removing a wall or adding a ramp.Hellbladeplayers need to use these gateways to find the correct pathway to the puzzle’s overall solution. It’s nothing too groundbreaking by today’s standards, but at the time it was fairly impressive to see such an instantaneous change in a video game environment.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2takes this concept and nudges it just a little further. There are several different forms of this same idea sprinkled throughoutHellblade 2’s shorter runtime. There are fire pits that can be lit or snuffed out to add or remove parts of the environment, and there are big magical orbs that can be looked at to swap two specific pieces of the environment around. It’s technically still quite an impressive feat of game design, but there’s one big elephant in the room that holds it back from feeling all that special.
Alan Wake 2 Beat Hellblade 2 to The Punch
Though a good portion of its runtime is dedicated to being a third-person action/survival horror game,Alan Wake 2has more than its fair share of environmental puzzles, and most of these puzzles involve changing the environment in some significant way. Equipped with the paranatural power to alter reality through his writing,Alan Wake 2’s titular protagonist gives players the ability to change the surrounding environment based on the different scenarios that Alan has concocted in his mind. For instance, while exploringAlan Wake 2’s Oceanview Hotel, players can change the environment to look like the site of a bloody ritualistic murder. Doing so opens up new pathways for the player, and will occasionally give them new clues they can use to progress the story.
While mechanically speakingHellblade 2andAlan Wake 2’s environmental puzzlesare quite similar, there are a few things that putAlan Wake 2above the more recent release. The most prominent example is the scale ofAlan Wake 2’s reality-bending puzzles, with each change dramatically altering the environment in terms of lighting, scenery, and atmosphere, as opposed toHellblade 2’s puzzles which simply change the placement of one or two objects in the environment.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
WHERE TO PLAY
The sequel to the award winning Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Senua returns in a brutal journey of survival through the myth and torment of Viking Iceland. Intent on saving those who have fallen victim to the horrors of tyranny, Senua faces a battle of overcoming the darkness within and without.A crafted experience of cinematic immersion:Sink deep into Senua’s world and story, with beautifully realized visuals and encapsulating sound.Senua’s unique perspective:Experience the world through Senua’s eyes and ears, as a Celtic warrior who experiences psychosis.A journey into Viking Iceland:An epic journey across 10th century Iceland, recreated from real locations in stunning detail.Every fight tells a story:Brutal and visceral combat as Senua battles for survival.
