Summary
A new side-by-side video comparatively shows thatSenua’s Saga: Hellblade 2has seen a substantial graphical upgrade since its first gameplay reveal. With its May 21 launch right around the corner, Microsoft has actively ramped up the marketing forSenua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, and developer Ninja Theory is in the final stretch of polishing the game.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2was first revealed at the 2019 Game Awards alongside the Xbox Series X, as an in-engine showcase for both the capabilities of the then-next-generation console and Unreal Engine 5. The lifelike visuals stunned many at the time, but Ninja Theory went quiet on big trailers for two years. The studio then returned to the2021 Game Awards to reveal a segment ofHellblade 2gameplay, which yet again shocked viewers with its near photorealistic graphics. Ninja Theory sporadically featured the game for another two years, until it finally confirmedHellblade 2’s release date at the 2024 Xbox Developer_Direct.
Leading up to its release on May 21,Hellblade 2’s marketing has started in full swing, withXbox even releasing aHellblade 2dynamic backgroundfor console users. Ninja Theory has also been doing its bit to put the limelight on the game, with a new20-minute mini-documentary on YouTubecentered around protagonist Senua’s psychosis, which features a clip of the same gameplay segment from the 2021 trailer. Twitter user Okami13_ uploaded a video that compares the same clip from the 2021 build with the undoubtedly more recent build from the mini-documentary, and the differences are staggering.
Hellblade 2’s New Build is a Verifiable Jump in Graphics
The overall lighting improvement is immediately apparent. The darker, gloomier atmosphere, and the light from the torches reflecting off Senua’s face in the beginning, are big enhancements in comparison to thegraphics in the 2021Hellblade 2gameplay reveal. In addition to softly lighting up the area with an incredible degree of precision, the flickering of the torches can also be noticed on the cave’s walls, and the orange light reflecting off Senua’s headband is very realistic as well. Textures also look much sharper, and the slightly overdone chromatic aberration of the 2021 build has been toned down.
ConsideringHellblade 2’s 2021 gameplay trailer was already one of the closest a game has ever gotten to true photorealism, Ninja Theory somehow improving over it in such a major way speaks to the studio’s immense talent. Furthermore, the newer version is still a pre-release build, so it’s entirely possible that the final release code could end up looking even better.Hellblade 2’s PC requirementsare also reflective of the demands of hyperrealistic graphics, requiring an RTX 3080 to run the game at Recommended settings and a hefty 4080 to push it to Very High, but the visual showcase will no doubt be extraordinary.
