Hellblade II trailer analysis: digging for gameplay and story details

Hellblade II Source: Microsoft

Microsoft stunned the world when it debuted the Xbox Series X at The Game Awards 2022 prove, showcasing an in-engine trailer for Senua'due south Saga: Hellblade 2 right alongside information technology.

The first game, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, was an incredibly impressive title built by, at the time, a insufficiently small indie studio. Ninja Theory has since been picked upwards by Microsoft, and the team is already hard at work, taking the sequel far beyond the original, with visuals that look utterly basis-breaking.

The original game was somewhat limited in scope, with relatively simplistic light puzzling combined with some linear melee gainsay segments. What Ninja Theory utterly nailed with Hellblade was the atmosphere, prepare in a ghoulish vision of Helheim, equally Pict warrior Senua hunts downwardly various heathen entities in an attempt to redeem the soul of a lost lover.

Without giving away as well much about the original for those who haven't played, the Hellblade Two trailer does seem to offer some hints near the management Ninja Theory may be moving both the story and gameplay towards. Permit's have a wait.

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Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

Play Hellblade with Xbox Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass gives you admission to over a hundred games for i monthly fee. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate also adds Xbox Live Gold to the package so you tin can play online with your friends. The outset Hellblade game, Senua'due south Cede, is available equally office of the subscription.

Disclaimer: This article may incorporate mild spoilers for the previous title, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. This is besides pure speculation and theory-crafting. And so, don't accept anything posted hither as indicative of what may be coming in Hellblade Ii, information technology's just for fun!

The road to Hel

Hellblade II Skulls Source: Microsoft

The first game took place in Hel, practically in its entirety, with Senua traversing various challenges from malevolent spirits. The game is relatively ambiguous virtually whether or non the events transpiring are truly happening, or simply metaphorical of Senua'south mental country every bit she wrestles with her past. The game examines perceptions effectually mental illness in the iron historic period, where such things were oft considered to be a "curse" or some other type of magical malady. Ninja Theory was praised for this aspect of the game, and it certainly seems likely that Ninja Theory will continue to explore this attribute of Senua throughout Hellblade Two.

Hellblade II Limbs Source: Microsoft

The trailer may depict the road to hell, or Helvegr, with paths paved with skulls and hanging limbs. The significance of the limbs could exist a reverence to Odin, who is also known as "the hanged god." Odin is associated with hanging and gallows often in folklore, about the tale Hávamál and other stories, which reference how the cognition-seeking Odin sacrificed himself in multiple ways to gain arcane knowledge. This includes hanging himself on the Yggdrassil tree, specifically in exchange for the cognition of runes.

The possible reference to Odin is meaning, given the choice of song used for the trailer — more on that in a moment.

Hellblade II Trailer Volcano Source: Microsoft

Briefly, we can as well see a volcano erupting. If we're bold the game takes place in the real earth, this volcano is about likely Hekla, in Republic of iceland, which became famous in the Iron Age for a truly gargantuan eruption which would have covered most of the island in ash.

Hekla map Source: Wikimedia Commons, 1585 Advertisement

Recent assay has discovered that ash from Hekla fabricated its way all around Europe, including the islands of Orkney off the north coast of Scotland, which is where Senua'south tribe is from. Hekla became known equally the "gateway to hell" beyond much of Europe as a issue of this eruption, which took place around 1000 AD. Hellblade is said to take place at around 900 Advertizing, but Ninja Theory has a lot of room to play around with the specific timelines hither, given that very fiddling is actually known near the Picts.

Information technology certainly looks like it could exist Hekla from the trailer, and before and so, the photographic camera is seen panning across the ocean, perhaps up to Iceland from Senua's domicile at the Orkney isles.

Senua goes to war?

Hellblade II Warcry Source: Microsoft

Even without knowing the song and its lyrics, the thudding drums and chanted nature of the song Senua sings in the trailer is clearly a call to war. The song is In Meidjan by Heilung, who is also working with Ninja Theory on the full soundtrack. They may well accept chosen this song for the trailer but because it sounds cool, but the lyrics specifically call upon Germanic/Norse gods of Tyr and Odin to join the invokers in battle.

Proto-Germanic: "Tawol Athodu Ek Erilaz Owlthuthewaz Niwaremariz Saawilagar Hateka Harja."

English language: "I, the Rune Master, servant of Odin, call upon the one of the Sun to aid our regular army."

Afterwards completing the chant, nosotros can meet Senua is flanked by an regular army, presumably on her side, who all get bathed with light as runes course upon a hamlet. The aforementioned rune tin can be seen upon warrior shields who stalk beyond a coastal expanse at dark as well.

The warriors agree their position as some kind of giant emerges from the rock, which appears black and peradventure volcanic. This may exist Hellblade's interpretation of a troll, which are sometimes depicted as domicile inside rocks, likewise as in caves and such. Is Senua's tribe invading other lands? Or are they peradventure defending their own?

Does Senua have a "base"?

Hellblade II Village Source: Microsoft

Multiple times throughout the trailer, we're shown a hamlet on a colina, which appears to accept significance both in terms of the plot and speculatively, almost gameplay.

The runic pattern that Senua appears to invoke is a stylized version of the Captain of Awe or Ægishjálmur. The Poetic Eddas described the Helm of Awe pattern as such.

The Helm of Awe I wore earlier the sons of men In defense of my treasure; Among all, I alone was strong, I thought to myself, For I constitute no ability a match for my own.

The helm is constructed of Algiz runes, which are frequently associated with protection. To grade this around a hamlet implies the need to protect it from something. The soldiers that assault the coastal giant also conduct the Helm of Awe blueprint on their shields, linking them to the village we come across a few times in the trailer.

Helm of Awe Source: Microsoft

I don't think information technology'due south a coincidence that Ninja Theory shows united states this hamlet multiple times, while as well ending the trailer on it. It could betoken that information technology has some real gameplay significance, or forms a major plot point for Senua.

What do you retrieve?

Of course, this is all speculation. It could be a simple case of overthinking (but hey, it'south fun), and that Ninja Theory simply incorporated diverse mythological references to make a trailer that is inarguably damn cool. However, Ninja Theory has shown a specific amount of appreciation and respect for what we know nearly the sometime ways, injecting plenty of boosted lore for players to observe in the original game.

There are also a few unknowns that I wasn't able to really figure out. The druidic looking fellows who announced to cede a human on a giant wicker Algiz rune, are they allied with or against Senua? Are they all in the same scene from different angles? There are a lot of unknowns to exist unpicked fifty-fifty now.

Without spoiling the catastrophe of the original game, Senua has enough of reasons to go on the warpath in Hellblade Ii, and this time it looks like she may have aid.

Related: Everything nosotros know and then far nigh Hellblade 2

Xbox Series X/South

Principal

Xbox Serial X: Everything we know
Best games coming to Xbox Series Ten/Due south
List of Xbox Series X specs
What is the Xbox Series X release date?
How much does Xbox Series X price?
Why you can't preorder Xbox Series 10 yet
All-time Xbox Serial 10 Headsets

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