Just a further point to add to the Sea of Corpses section (it just came to me while this was rendering, oops.) This consistent motif of Senua believing she has "blood on her hands," is seen in the LEVEL DESIGN at the start of the Sea of Corpses. If we see that whole section as a living nightmare, the first thing she sees is both a river of BLOOD, and mutilated HANDS reaching out to grab her.
I wonder if the reason Dillon(or Senua’s subconscious idea of Dillon)never tells Senua that he loves her is because there’s a part of Senua that doubts that he truly loves her. It’s clear that from his dialogue that Dillon loves Senua but even in her own mind Senua never gets confirmation of that love.
As someone who deals with that specific anxiety...that makes sense. Ive been abandoned by romantic partners to many times and it causes me to regularly question if im good enough. Those doubts can be hard to shake.
Not sure, but I definitely noticed as well that I’m not sure they ever were a couple or she just liked him from afar or ran into him randomly and fixated at the idea of him and eventually that fixation becomes a voice as well.. Make’s the ending far more difficult to determine.
After fighting the Hela fight long enough, Senuas relationship with the furies also takes a new turn, as the furies support Senua with compassion: Softly telling her that it is ok and that she doesn't have to continue fighting. To me this felt like reconciliation, a first step of Senua starting to accept and learn to live with her illness.
I played the last section for 2 hours and around 30 min because I just refused to give up. I knew what I had to do but it’s never been in my fibber to ever give up.
I had to revisit this video. Something really stuck with me - the part where you said something like "I don't even know how many deaths it would take to lose your data, the game never tells you" and this I think is something that is somewhat glossed over for many players. It'll be in the back of your mind for the entire game. "I can't die, or else I lose all my progress" and adds a level of unnecessary stress - a huge part of downward spirals - when in fact there probably is NO "permanent information loss" or whatever they call it as
My partner suffers from mostly mild psychotic symptoms intermittently, but it means he really hates interacting with horror content of any kind that tends to trigger his symptoms; he really loved sitting with me and watching me play through this game despite the gruesome visual elements. He felt seen in a way that media mostly fails to accomplish. I adore this game, and I still anticipate the sequel. Awesome breakdown.
You're putting tons of effort to make such long vid. Critiques like this usually have milions of views, and usually deserve such numbers. You are doing long vids despite you have ten thousand times smaller amount of viewers. Smaller than you deserve and you should have. Damn, what a devotion. I think I will stay here
As someone who professionally works with severe and persistent mental illness, this game is a great representation of how mental illness is experienced. But another great aspect of this game, is the rejection of the stigma and the strength in those that are suffering.
Monty, I discovered you a while back with the Noobus Humanus and one thing was clearly different about you: my GOD YOU KNOW HOW TO KEEP SOMEONE’S INTEREST. I am in awe of the way you tell a story, how you break down a game only to put it back together with revealed symbolism, how you are capable of making 2 hours seem like minutes, and most importantly how well you FREAKING LOOP BACK TO THE BEGINNING. I don’t like commenting on videos, but this is just something on a whole different level and I am so happy to see these videos. You communicate so damn good (and your off comments are so funny as well). Can’t wait to see more of you.
Hey Monty, this is quite the Freudian slip man, 1:23:58 "Every enema is in Senua's mind" Also, it's incredibly brave of you to share the tragic tale of Thatcher's campaign to drive the noble Speckled Northern Haggis to extinction.
As someone who recently found out they deal with a mental health issue that shares some similarities with Senua’s psychosis, the end of this video made me have to take a break from work, sit down, and just. sob. Thank you. You approached this with a lot of grace and compassion, and I doubt I’ll ever be able to form the words to adequately express my appreciation. Just keep going. Thank you Monty.
Sea of Corpses gives me straight up terror. I couldn't finish this game - the intentional sound design triggered my anxiety so badly my spouse had to finish it for me while I watched, but I wish I had been able to! It's an excellently planned and executed story based in mental illness and it was incredible.
"Shut up ya spanner" This is my new favourite insult. Monty, love your critiques. There's something about them. Maybe they're an echo chamber for me, maybe they're just so well thought out that they just sound like an echo chamber, but are just appealing to my sense of reasoning. Either way, they're fantastic.
When you have nothing left, you have nothing stopping you either. If you've lost everything, you can start something else anew. Zero is both devastating but also freeing. It's nothing both in content but also obstacles.
What stuck by me most from the Sea of Corpses is how, while it's essentially a dressed-up gauntlet of more and more enemies, it delivers the feeling of determination. Yes, the combat can be lengthy but it's paced in such a way that it's easy to get into a flow and when you do, the music overtakes the sound of combat. It feels like an in-game out of body experience, like you're Senua who sees herself fighting in the distance, hearing the swords clanging from miles away. The scene had such a profound effect on me that when you played a snippet of the soundtrack, I felt a slew of emotions overtaking me and had to take a minute away from the video.
Also a very important note about Garm: because of the binaural sound design, you can _hear_ from which direction he will attack. The best way to experience this game is with headphones on, it makes a world of difference. Also in the darkness trial, you can locate the monsters by their shuffling and moaning.
thank you for putting the ASMR warning at the beginning lol. The game sounded interesting, but as someone with misophonia I am definitely gonna pass on this one. makes my skin crawl
This game is probably in my top 2 favorite games, so glad you did an amazing video on it! And so many scenes in this game give me chills like the one where Senua discovers Dillion’s body or even just the music in the scene where Senua and Dillion are under a sunny tree and Senua has a happy hallucination for once. I played the game fully two times back to back and I love how you brought up points that I haven’t even thought of like Valraven being a twisted version of Druth. I wonder what they will do with the second game they announced?
Absolutely excellent video Monty, super interesting and informative. So glad I stumbled across your channel, super keen in catching up on the other stuff you've put out.
just finished playing this game and it has risen to already be one of my favourites. I loved your analysis although I interpreted some bits differently, and I agreed with almost everything you said regarding the skill and craftsmanship of this story. In fact I think this might just be one of my new favourite game analysis videos on youtube.
Another awesome video thanks. By the way, one incredible part in this game for me came when you cross the bridge in the middle of the storm feeling senua’s anger and with that feeling you face the enemies coming at you. It felt like facing her fears with a renewed feeling of power; I am a warrior, now you will fear to me
I mostly just thank you for the mercy of not fully playing that end credit song because I was about to start sobbing and I was saved from puffy eyes by the song (and video) ending before I could start crying lol. Great video! :D
Relying on the Furies in combat is essential. You suggest that this is a flaw, but later in the game they express how they do not want to do, and fear that if Senua dies, they do as well. This supports the importance of their reliability in combat. Also, Senua's ability in combat was referenced in game as though she had an intuition profound even for a warrior of similar skill. The Furies are her, they are an extension of her.
Beautiful video! I agree with your points, it is truly an immersive experience. The last battle is my favorite gaming moment ever! the music and the hopelessness as the enemys begin to overpower you ..
Super late to provide this hint (I avoided all Hellblade essays until I played it myself which only took years of me saying "I'll do the VR version but that'll take some setting up" before giving up and finally just playing mouse and keyboard recently). For the Garm boss fight, when he hides in shadows, he'll always give off a growl shortly before he charges and since you need to be using headphones for this game, you should fairly easily be able to pinpoint the direction in time to be able to face him and dodge his charge. Love your videos, Monty, and glad to see how much your channel has grown since the early days!
I came here bc of the fallen order video but this video solidified my interest. My notifications will be on for ALL your future video game essays, thank you so much for this stunning video.
I'm impressed to see how much you've improved in two years. Not to say this was a bad video by any stretch - I did enjoy this one - but I can definitely see how you've managed to refine your process in your more recent videos.
The cut to the Hellblade 2 clip absolutely freaked me the fuck out, especially after having spent the last two hours on this journey of reconciliation with her. What could have POSSIBLY happened?!
@ 28:10 (roughly), your breakdown of the combat sequence is probably one of my favorite pieces on breaking down combat sequences in gaming, going by micro decisions, allows you to explore your input moment by moment. Always due to this, I was able to notice you perfect dodge the enemy's attack, I haven't played hell blade in two years, but this could have led to another micro decision great idea
@@MontyZander I would hope so as you deserve many more views! Although I didn't find it in recommendations, but rather by specifically searching for Hellblade related videos. And I'm glad I somehow stumbled across it! Cheers :)
Hey, I love the video, and I know this is way late, but I haven't seen anyone else point this out. First, when Senua burns herself with her sword, she's actually cauterizing her wound. You can see the big gash over her eye is already there, so she's using the heated sword to staunch the bleeding. Though I do agree that there is a bit of ritual to it, a "you deserve this pain", but the action is mainly utilitarian. Also in one of the trials, the one you attribute to being Dillion's house, it's actually supposed to be a burial mound. I don't remember if the game itself says anything but the story from the stone outside of it basically hints at the fact. Though I do think it's cool and in a way cozy lol.
I loved this video so much. It’s comprehensive and touches on all the most important parts of this game. I wish I knew people in my life that also played this game or are at least interested in it because then I’d force them to watch this video and ramble endlessly about the game. There are honestly no words to describe how much Hellblade means to me and what an impact it had and still has on me. I’m diagnosed with depression, social anxiety and Borderline Personality Disorder and have a father who is emotionally and verbally abusive. Playing Hellblade was empowering, comforting and deeply disturbing at the same time. Hearing the furies berate me in the game for a mistake I made while my own thoughts were berating me for the same reason was incredibly unsettling. At so many points during the game it honestly felt like someone took my fears and my thoughts put them in Hellblade. And then, when I reached the end, Illusion by VNV Nation started playing. A song that I discovered long before Hellblade was released, a song that brought me comfort in a time where I wasn’t in a good place at all. Hellblade is such a fucking masterpiece and I don’t think I’ll ever shut up about it
Oh my god VNV Nation You are amazing, Ronan Harris is my favorite musician. Heck yeah. And your choice of song there is absolutely stellar. I hope you've had the opportunity to catch a VNV Nation concert, because they're unlike anything else
I used to listen to VNV Nation a lot in the 2000's and have seen in concert. I just finished this game and when Illusion came on at the end, it was perfection. I couldn't remember who it was at first, but once he started singing, it all came back to me. It was a very fitting choice for the end of this great game.
I understand your fear of being rejected but you seem to be a pretty great person and frankly i'm sure i'm not the only one here who would sincerely like to know you better and be your friend after this opening up, not out of pity but to have your internal richness in our lives.
You could also say the voices being 100% reliable during combat is less so to help Senua and more about self-preservation. Granted, I recall some of the voices being a bit suicidal so maybe not, but that's how I would think about it.
It's more of a necessary gameplay concession. The voices are an important part of the combat system, getting constantly baited by a mechanic you have to rely on gets old real quick.
I notice you missed that you can charge up the godslaying blade. Once you have it holding heavy attack charges it and makes it glow and far more powerful, so it does actually do a lot more damage than the original sword. On top of that, charging it allows you to hit Garm without bouncing off his skin or needing to slow time, it made the fight a lot more doable, to the point where I never had the screen turn fully dark because I was on him so effectively
My favorite moment in Hellblade is when senua walks through the field and the fury tells her “never forget what it is to be a child, Senua” while the calming score swells and the lighting and color becomes a warmer, more comforting shade. My favorite moment in the game, and in any game for that matter.
Around the 55min mark you say Senua self-harms. I don’t think that’s correct. She had a slash on her face and she uses her broken sword to cauterize the wound. At least that’s how I remember it.
Something that I’ve always found awesome with the combat is how free-flowing it is. Most if not almost every action can be followed up with another. The counter alone is fascinating, cause from it you can seamlessly follow it up with either a light attack combo, a heavy attack overhead, or even a bash to break guards. With enough practice and experimentation, the player can cobble together their own personal combos to fit the combat scenario. Take Gramr itself, I had no idea that you could chain together flashy dodges while charging up its heavy attack with simple input of the analogue stick until I got my hands on the bloody thing! And there’s so much many more combo routes a player can take with the various different dodge attacks and oh my GOD I can just talk about this game’s combat for ages.
I played this game 2 years ago and never knew the perma death thing wasnt real until now. When I died in the end I just assumed I got the bad ending because of it and never looked it up. Game was truly wasted on me lol
Man, I played this game the first time through in the VR version, and uh... Some of the more intense sections made me consider buying some more brown pants.
Damnit. There's a sequel 😵 I wasn't going to play it. But... Damn Fine Work My Friend! I've seen 4 of your critiques now and my hat is off to you brother. But, if you truly "praise the parry" I gotta see a SEKIRO Critique before I name you the goat of game psychology breakdowns. Haha. Great Work Man!
When she is bythe fire after the first interaction with Hela, she is not self-harming. I saw this as her heating up her blade and using it to cauterize the wound on her face.
I totally agree with the other comments. You show real passion in your videos and should keep following your dreams, looking forward to the next upload. (Your girlfriend is hilarious 😂)
Excellent review and analysis. I find I enjoy playing the game until my own head voices try to carry on a conversation with her voices. Then I take a break. They say it takes about eight hours, but I find those eight hours take many days to complete, much like four 15-minute quarters in a football game end up taking a whole day. You have a new fan.
Thank you for mentioning misophonia in the part about the sound. I was literally just about to comment on that when you brought it up. Personally I absolutely detest ASMR and the idea that people can find it relaxing is utterly unbelievable to me. The type of whispers in this game is a major trigger for me, making me feel physically unwell and throwing me straight into an inexplicable rage. I even had to mute this video several times just to get through it. Good times.
I mean, its no lovers but Frigg was so upset when Baldr died that his brother Hermodr went to Hel, to talk to Hel and ask her to let Baldr back because the Aesir was so sad. Hel responded with: "Unless everything cries for Baldr I will not let him go." And this story is just a set piece in Lokis treachery, it kinda feels like the most hardcore "go to Hell" story is the norse one imo.
This is really good content, thank you so much for sharing such a fantastic critique of a game I’ve recently found and thought it was no where being properly discussed. You did so well with this, best video I’ve seen on Hellblade. And can’t wait for the sequel (fuck Microsoft for making it an exclusive though). Great job!
15:00 The Doors were never locked. But just like the OCD kid that felt the need to open and shut a door (insert number, usually 3) times, Senua felt a NEED to 'unlock' the way by finding a pattern in the chaos.
One of your howevers with the combat system and how the furies shouldn't have been so reliable is a bit weird considering the furies have never wanted her to die (As far as I remember. Yes they have their remarks and at times do tell her to give up and die, but because the furies are a part of Senua it's when she's at her lowest moments and she doesn't think she can go on, not when she's actively fighting), just as she doesn't wish to die, and sabatoging combat with lies feels like exactly that, sabatoging herself when she usually wants to win. By always being reliable it not only makes us reliant on the furies like you mentioned, but also shows that through everything Senua, when she has a sword in her hand during the game, wants to live, to fight, and the furies helping her without fail supports that.
I love this game, I love the mythology, I love its themes and ideas, I love the story. But, I can’t, play it. This is one of the few psychological horror games themed around mental illness that I haven’t been able to finish. I genuinely think it executes its immersion a little too well for people like me, who struggle with some of these things. I played the first part of it, but the game genuinely started setting off triggers and every time I had to stop (I also tried playing it in vr once which admittedly wasn’t the best idea).
As someone with bipolar psychosis, i understand her sentiments and logic paths but not as literally and not as vividly. You really do try to make connections and i still literally cant say with certainty that they arent there. Sure the psych and the real world are different places, but both are equally as relevant and impactful to one another. Its when you completely lose touch with one or both that your truly insane. Even a schizophrenic can be sane, and a perfectly lucid person can be so detached internally that they destroy the world and themselves. You know how someone with turrets compulsively says whatever they feared saying most? As though your mind is literally a spec in a glass of water that flows away whenever you grab at it? Its like that and its a result of ptsd 90% of the time and not even a genetic thing like outright schizophrenia. The world is truly cruel to these people as well, imposing theyre equally insane ideas of reality onto they're fragile and vulnerable perceptions. There is help out there, but to some degree, listen to what your instincts have to say and try to use deductive reasoning over the "grounding" method that has never worked in the history of ever. Stop struggling, and adapt. Psychosis is like the part of you that doesn't give up, wont give up, and always has a "why" to bare any how. Its sad because it occurs when someone is traumatized beyond recovery. It WILL create a reason, from thin air, from things that arent real, and reality becomes irrelevant. You cant run from you.
Thank you for posting this, your view on the game and on mental health in general. 5 years ago I lived in constant terror and it was so bad that my psychologist at the time stated that I was showing border-symptoms of psychosis. It showed up from a monday to tuesday situation and it was just. There. It was brewing for about 20 years at that point and it hit a flash point. What I learned is that there is a way forward and that there is something like acceptance of ourselves and of our current reality. I stopped resisting my situation and I started to actually feel my emotions. Sometimes I still get triggered. I notice that my hands tighten with the goal of 'snapping me back' to the present. I breath. I accept the anxiety and I run the checks. 'What will happen when I let go of control?' and when I do, I realize that nothing really happens. When I let go of control it feels like easing into a comfortable chair instead of sitting straight up. It takes time to unwind from (c-)ptsd. And that is ok.
@@keithragin89 Why would you take offense to someone opening up about themselves? Simple. It has nothing to do with them. It has everything to do with *you.*
The Furies don't lie during combat because they want to live. As horribly abusive as the voices in my own head get, they want to live and understand that they live through me.
Easily one of my favorite games ever made, despite its somewhat surface level understanding of psychosis that has been shown, it is not inaccurate none the less. I only played it once, some games just feels like an experience you go through once and be glad you made it on the other side. I could go on a tirade on the psychological philosophy that this is derived from but I think others have already done so. This game has SOOO much packed into it, every little thing feels much bigger and longer than what it is.
i know your comment is quite old by now, but if you haven't played it, you should. Ninja Theory (the developers of the game) consulted with various psychological professors and practitioners AND also consulted with groups of people that have suffered from delusions and other schizophrenic illusions. They did this throughout the entire dvelopment of the game, and different people experience different hallucinations. one particular individual suffered from a voice that constantly shouted angrily at them, and they also hallucinated a hanging corpse which they even tried to help sometimes, which is where the game's hallucinations of many hanging bodies everywhere comes from.
This was by far the most beautiful and emotionally resonant video game I have ever played. It might take that spot for fictional story across all mediums. The endless horde at the end had me sweating. Every time I went down I actually felt as if I had to keep going. And that final song 🤯🤯🤯 What are your thoughts on the sequel?
When I first played this game, I viewed the combat as fairly simple. Yet, this video proves the opposite and gives me reason for what I felt, despite the seeming simplicity of the combat. It's very, very engaging and fun. And imposing, at times.
I played this game this fall, and have never been as immersed before! The sea of corpses with its droning vocals was my absolute favorite part. I didn´t like the ending "follow me to my sequels" pitch though (as I perceived it at the time), it felt as if the game came to a screeching halt, Senua´s "actor" kinda got up on the theater stage, bowed to the audience and broke the immersion for me... I really don´t know if I want to have a sequel though, I´m afraid it will be more of just an action adventure with a person like Senua as its main character, more than more of the same immersive experience that this game was. But I suppose I will find out soon... 🙂
I LOVE THIS GAME!!! I’ve been a huge fan for years and I’m so hyped for the 2nd game! Edit: I gotta say Senua’s combat system is simple but sooo effective. It’s my favorite parry in a video game ever. Full stop. It’s just so instinctual and I love it. And I’m terrible at most parry systems, ala Jedi first order or Kena.
Just a further point to add to the Sea of Corpses section (it just came to me while this was rendering, oops.)
This consistent motif of Senua believing she has "blood on her hands," is seen in the LEVEL DESIGN at the start of the Sea of Corpses. If we see that whole section as a living nightmare, the first thing she sees is both a river of BLOOD, and mutilated HANDS reaching out to grab her.
I wonder if the reason Dillon(or Senua’s subconscious idea of Dillon)never tells Senua that he loves her is because there’s a part of Senua that doubts that he truly loves her. It’s clear that from his dialogue that Dillon loves Senua but even in her own mind Senua never gets confirmation of that love.
As someone who deals with that specific anxiety...that makes sense. Ive been abandoned by romantic partners to many times and it causes me to regularly question if im good enough. Those doubts can be hard to shake.
Not sure, but I definitely noticed as well that I’m not sure they ever were a couple or she just liked him from afar or ran into him randomly and fixated at the idea of him and eventually that fixation becomes a voice as well.. Make’s the ending far more difficult to determine.
He doesnt directly say the words "I love you" but he does refer to her abilities as "just another part of the person I love"
After fighting the Hela fight long enough, Senuas relationship with the furies also takes a new turn, as the furies support Senua with compassion: Softly telling her that it is ok and that she doesn't have to continue fighting. To me this felt like reconciliation, a first step of Senua starting to accept and learn to live with her illness.
I played the last section for 2 hours and around 30 min because I just refused to give up. I knew what I had to do but it’s never been in my fibber to ever give up.
@@sainuudotcom jesus
I had to revisit this video. Something really stuck with me - the part where you said something like "I don't even know how many deaths it would take to lose your data, the game never tells you" and this I think is something that is somewhat glossed over for many players.
It'll be in the back of your mind for the entire game. "I can't die, or else I lose all my progress" and adds a level of unnecessary stress - a huge part of downward spirals - when in fact there probably is NO "permanent information loss" or whatever they call it as
Exactly, it gives you this sense of urgency to pay attention and not mess up.
My partner suffers from mostly mild psychotic symptoms intermittently, but it means he really hates interacting with horror content of any kind that tends to trigger his symptoms; he really loved sitting with me and watching me play through this game despite the gruesome visual elements. He felt seen in a way that media mostly fails to accomplish. I adore this game, and I still anticipate the sequel. Awesome breakdown.
❤
You're putting tons of effort to make such long vid. Critiques like this usually have milions of views, and usually deserve such numbers. You are doing long vids despite you have ten thousand times smaller amount of viewers. Smaller than you deserve and you should have. Damn, what a devotion. I think I will stay here
Thanks man! Appreciate it!
As someone who professionally works with severe and persistent mental illness, this game is a great representation of how mental illness is experienced. But another great aspect of this game, is the rejection of the stigma and the strength in those that are suffering.
Agreed! Well said, as someone who lives with it.
Monty, I discovered you a while back with the Noobus Humanus and one thing was clearly different about you: my GOD YOU KNOW HOW TO KEEP SOMEONE’S INTEREST. I am in awe of the way you tell a story, how you break down a game only to put it back together with revealed symbolism, how you are capable of making 2 hours seem like minutes, and most importantly how well you FREAKING LOOP BACK TO THE BEGINNING. I don’t like commenting on videos, but this is just something on a whole different level and I am so happy to see these videos. You communicate so damn good (and your off comments are so funny as well). Can’t wait to see more of you.
Hey thanks so much dude! Appreciate it!
Hey Monty, this is quite the Freudian slip man, 1:23:58
"Every enema is in Senua's mind"
Also, it's incredibly brave of you to share the tragic tale of Thatcher's campaign to drive the noble Speckled Northern Haggis to extinction.
As someone who recently found out they deal with a mental health issue that shares some similarities with Senua’s psychosis, the end of this video made me have to take a break from work, sit down, and just. sob.
Thank you. You approached this with a lot of grace and compassion, and I doubt I’ll ever be able to form the words to adequately express my appreciation.
Just keep going.
Thank you Monty.
Sea of Corpses gives me straight up terror. I couldn't finish this game - the intentional sound design triggered my anxiety so badly my spouse had to finish it for me while I watched, but I wish I had been able to! It's an excellently planned and executed story based in mental illness and it was incredible.
"Shut up ya spanner"
This is my new favourite insult. Monty, love your critiques. There's something about them.
Maybe they're an echo chamber for me, maybe they're just so well thought out that they just sound like an echo chamber, but are just appealing to my sense of reasoning. Either way, they're fantastic.
Hey thanks!
i got this game for the halloween sale last week, it tore out my heart and scrambled it like an egg
When you have nothing left, you have nothing stopping you either. If you've lost everything, you can start something else anew. Zero is both devastating but also freeing. It's nothing both in content but also obstacles.
What stuck by me most from the Sea of Corpses is how, while it's essentially a dressed-up gauntlet of more and more enemies, it delivers the feeling of determination. Yes, the combat can be lengthy but it's paced in such a way that it's easy to get into a flow and when you do, the music overtakes the sound of combat. It feels like an in-game out of body experience, like you're Senua who sees herself fighting in the distance, hearing the swords clanging from miles away.
The scene had such a profound effect on me that when you played a snippet of the soundtrack, I felt a slew of emotions overtaking me and had to take a minute away from the video.
Also a very important note about Garm: because of the binaural sound design, you can _hear_ from which direction he will attack. The best way to experience this game is with headphones on, it makes a world of difference. Also in the darkness trial, you can locate the monsters by their shuffling and moaning.
thank you for putting the ASMR warning at the beginning lol. The game sounded interesting, but as someone with misophonia I am definitely gonna pass on this one. makes my skin crawl
This game is probably in my top 2 favorite games, so glad you did an amazing video on it! And so many scenes in this game give me chills like the one where Senua discovers Dillion’s body or even just the music in the scene where Senua and Dillion are under a sunny tree and Senua has a happy hallucination for once. I played the game fully two times back to back and I love how you brought up points that I haven’t even thought of like Valraven being a twisted version of Druth. I wonder what they will do with the second game they announced?
Absolutely excellent video Monty, super interesting and informative. So glad I stumbled across your channel, super keen in catching up on the other stuff you've put out.
Thanks my dude! Majorly appreciate it.
You are so good at making these videos. Thank you!
This was so beautiful, thank you Monty
Thanks so much! You're very welcome, thanks for the thanks!
just finished playing this game and it has risen to already be one of my favourites. I loved your analysis although I interpreted some bits differently, and I agreed with almost everything you said regarding the skill and craftsmanship of this story. In fact I think this might just be one of my new favourite game analysis videos on youtube.
Thanks a lot man ❤️
glad to see an analysis of this amazing game :D
great video, i really emjoyed it!
Another awesome video thanks. By the way, one incredible part in this game for me came when you cross the bridge in the middle of the storm feeling senua’s anger and with that feeling you face the enemies coming at you. It felt like facing her fears with a renewed feeling of power; I am a warrior, now you will fear to me
I mostly just thank you for the mercy of not fully playing that end credit song because I was about to start sobbing and I was saved from puffy eyes by the song (and video) ending before I could start crying lol.
Great video! :D
Relying on the Furies in combat is essential. You suggest that this is a flaw, but later in the game they express how they do not want to do, and fear that if Senua dies, they do as well. This supports the importance of their reliability in combat. Also, Senua's ability in combat was referenced in game as though she had an intuition profound even for a warrior of similar skill. The Furies are her, they are an extension of her.
Excellent video Monty! Thank you!
Great video! Well done!
What a touching finale to your video, thank you
Beautiful video! I agree with your points, it is truly an immersive experience. The last battle is my favorite gaming moment ever! the music and the hopelessness as the enemys begin to overpower you ..
A game like no other, an incredible experience.
Super late to provide this hint (I avoided all Hellblade essays until I played it myself which only took years of me saying "I'll do the VR version but that'll take some setting up" before giving up and finally just playing mouse and keyboard recently). For the Garm boss fight, when he hides in shadows, he'll always give off a growl shortly before he charges and since you need to be using headphones for this game, you should fairly easily be able to pinpoint the direction in time to be able to face him and dodge his charge.
Love your videos, Monty, and glad to see how much your channel has grown since the early days!
I came here bc of the fallen order video but this video solidified my interest. My notifications will be on for ALL your future video game essays, thank you so much for this stunning video.
Dude you're great at what you do Monty.
Thanks my dude!
That was an impressive analysis
I'm impressed to see how much you've improved in two years. Not to say this was a bad video by any stretch - I did enjoy this one - but I can definitely see how you've managed to refine your process in your more recent videos.
A great video on one of my all time favorite games
Fantastic breakdown ❤
The cut to the Hellblade 2 clip absolutely freaked me the fuck out, especially after having spent the last two hours on this journey of reconciliation with her. What could have POSSIBLY happened?!
Great review!
This video is a heck of an accomplishment. I'm going to be interested to hear your thoughts on the sequel!
@ 28:10 (roughly), your breakdown of the combat sequence is probably one of my favorite pieces on breaking down combat sequences in gaming, going by micro decisions, allows you to explore your input moment by moment. Always due to this, I was able to notice you perfect dodge the enemy's attack, I haven't played hell blade in two years, but this could have led to another micro decision great idea
Awesome video! Keep em coming! I'll be sure to pass your channel along! I'm so excited for the sequel to this game, hopefully another masterpiece?
...ok I sobbed at the end of this video even more than after finishing this game, thank you very much.
these videos are literally keeping me going through a-level revision- gonna credit you if i pass
“Half a dozen Regina George’s cackling in senuas ear” is an incredible line
Thank you for doing this video, excellent work man. Hellblade is in my top 3 games of all time next to Prey and Metro Last Light.
Whaaa... That was SO good. Why don't you have more views? Great work, truly!
Has someone shared my stuff recently? I've had a wee boost in views! Thanks!
@@MontyZander I would hope so as you deserve many more views! Although I didn't find it in recommendations, but rather by specifically searching for Hellblade related videos. And I'm glad I somehow stumbled across it! Cheers :)
Hey, I love the video, and I know this is way late, but I haven't seen anyone else point this out. First, when Senua burns herself with her sword, she's actually cauterizing her wound. You can see the big gash over her eye is already there, so she's using the heated sword to staunch the bleeding. Though I do agree that there is a bit of ritual to it, a "you deserve this pain", but the action is mainly utilitarian.
Also in one of the trials, the one you attribute to being Dillion's house, it's actually supposed to be a burial mound. I don't remember if the game itself says anything but the story from the stone outside of it basically hints at the fact. Though I do think it's cool and in a way cozy lol.
this video reminds me, the short time i spent in the Scot highlands was really nice. Thanks Monty :)
I loved this video so much. It’s comprehensive and touches on all the most important parts of this game. I wish I knew people in my life that also played this game or are at least interested in it because then I’d force them to watch this video and ramble endlessly about the game. There are honestly no words to describe how much Hellblade means to me and what an impact it had and still has on me.
I’m diagnosed with depression, social anxiety and Borderline Personality Disorder and have a father who is emotionally and verbally abusive. Playing Hellblade was empowering, comforting and deeply disturbing at the same time. Hearing the furies berate me in the game for a mistake I made while my own thoughts were berating me for the same reason was incredibly unsettling. At so many points during the game it honestly felt like someone took my fears and my thoughts put them in Hellblade. And then, when I reached the end, Illusion by VNV Nation started playing. A song that I discovered long before Hellblade was released, a song that brought me comfort in a time where I wasn’t in a good place at all.
Hellblade is such a fucking masterpiece and I don’t think I’ll ever shut up about it
Love the video and the game:3
best usage of the last 2 hours possible
Damn, cheers dude!
I cried so much on this game. Worthwhile but only if you are able to.
Thank you ❤
Oh my god VNV Nation
You are amazing, Ronan Harris is my favorite musician. Heck yeah.
And your choice of song there is absolutely stellar.
I hope you've had the opportunity to catch a VNV Nation concert, because they're unlike anything else
I used to listen to VNV Nation a lot in the 2000's and have seen in concert. I just finished this game and when Illusion came on at the end, it was perfection. I couldn't remember who it was at first, but once he started singing, it all came back to me. It was a very fitting choice for the end of this great game.
I understand your fear of being rejected but you seem to be a pretty great person and frankly i'm sure i'm not the only one here who would sincerely like to know you better and be your friend after this opening up, not out of pity but to have your internal richness in our lives.
You could also say the voices being 100% reliable during combat is less so to help Senua and more about self-preservation. Granted, I recall some of the voices being a bit suicidal so maybe not, but that's how I would think about it.
It's more of a necessary gameplay concession. The voices are an important part of the combat system, getting constantly baited by a mechanic you have to rely on gets old real quick.
I notice you missed that you can charge up the godslaying blade. Once you have it holding heavy attack charges it and makes it glow and far more powerful, so it does actually do a lot more damage than the original sword. On top of that, charging it allows you to hit Garm without bouncing off his skin or needing to slow time, it made the fight a lot more doable, to the point where I never had the screen turn fully dark because I was on him so effectively
After the Hela encounter, it is not the first time she interacts with us.
My favorite moment in Hellblade is when senua walks through the field and the fury tells her “never forget what it is to be a child, Senua” while the calming score swells and the lighting and color becomes a warmer, more comforting shade. My favorite moment in the game, and in any game for that matter.
This game was really trippy in VR with ray tracing 11/10
Please do a video on Outer Wilds
Around the 55min mark you say Senua self-harms. I don’t think that’s correct. She had a slash on her face and she uses her broken sword to cauterize the wound. At least that’s how I remember it.
Such a brilliant idea that they tell the player that dying too much will wipe the save file- the voices are catastrophizing FOR us.
I just finished this game. 10/10 masterpiece. And this analysis makes it a 20/10
Something that I’ve always found awesome with the combat is how free-flowing it is. Most if not almost every action can be followed up with another. The counter alone is fascinating, cause from it you can seamlessly follow it up with either a light attack combo, a heavy attack overhead, or even a bash to break guards.
With enough practice and experimentation, the player can cobble together their own personal combos to fit the combat scenario.
Take Gramr itself, I had no idea that you could chain together flashy dodges while charging up its heavy attack with simple input of the analogue stick until I got my hands on the bloody thing!
And there’s so much many more combo routes a player can take with the various different dodge attacks and oh my GOD I can just talk about this game’s combat for ages.
I played this game 2 years ago and never knew the perma death thing wasnt real until now. When I died in the end I just assumed I got the bad ending because of it and never looked it up. Game was truly wasted on me lol
Man, I played this game the first time through in the VR version, and uh... Some of the more intense sections made me consider buying some more brown pants.
Damnit. There's a sequel 😵 I wasn't going to play it. But... Damn Fine Work My Friend! I've seen 4 of your critiques now and my hat is off to you brother. But, if you truly "praise the parry" I gotta see a SEKIRO Critique before I name you the goat of game psychology breakdowns. Haha. Great Work Man!
amazing video, can anybody tell me where that Valravn story is from? it sounds amazing but i couldn't find it anywhere unfortunately :(
I really liked the story in this game
When she is bythe fire after the first interaction with Hela, she is not self-harming. I saw this as her heating up her blade and using it to cauterize the wound on her face.
A bit late to the party but love your work an what an incredible game!
Thanks so much!
Yes! Absolutely, this is my favorite game ever
Appreciate it my dude!
I was confused by the Garm fight because that's what my mind originally went to, but on defeat my achievement told me Fenrir. Now I am just conflicted
I totally agree with the other comments. You show real passion in your videos and should keep following your dreams, looking forward to the next upload. (Your girlfriend is hilarious 😂)
I just beat this game and I absolutely loved it
The combat in this game is like Blood & Glory.
Just want to comment that the audio was also fantastic in 5.1 surround sound. Stereo speakers wouldn't do the game justice.
Excellent review and analysis. I find I enjoy playing the game until my own head voices try to carry on a conversation with her voices. Then I take a break. They say it takes about eight hours, but I find those eight hours take many days to complete, much like four 15-minute quarters in a football game end up taking a whole day. You have a new fan.
Thank you for mentioning misophonia in the part about the sound. I was literally just about to comment on that when you brought it up. Personally I absolutely detest ASMR and the idea that people can find it relaxing is utterly unbelievable to me. The type of whispers in this game is a major trigger for me, making me feel physically unwell and throwing me straight into an inexplicable rage. I even had to mute this video several times just to get through it. Good times.
I mean, its no lovers but Frigg was so upset when Baldr died that his brother Hermodr went to Hel, to talk to Hel and ask her to let Baldr back because the Aesir was so sad.
Hel responded with: "Unless everything cries for Baldr I will not let him go."
And this story is just a set piece in Lokis treachery, it kinda feels like the most hardcore "go to Hell" story is the norse one imo.
If you ever get the chance, Hellblade in VR is quite an experience!
I couldn't get through this game. Thanks for your analysis.
This is really good content, thank you so much for sharing such a fantastic critique of a game I’ve recently found and thought it was no where being properly discussed. You did so well with this, best video I’ve seen on Hellblade. And can’t wait for the sequel (fuck Microsoft for making it an exclusive though). Great job!
Thanks so much my dude! Appreciate it.
15:00
The Doors were never locked.
But just like the OCD kid that felt the need to open and shut a door (insert number, usually 3) times, Senua felt a NEED to 'unlock' the way by finding a pattern in the chaos.
I wait for a tea break.
But then I remembered I'm from USA. Now I don't know what to do.... I guess I'll just keep watching.
One of your howevers with the combat system and how the furies shouldn't have been so reliable is a bit weird considering the furies have never wanted her to die (As far as I remember. Yes they have their remarks and at times do tell her to give up and die, but because the furies are a part of Senua it's when she's at her lowest moments and she doesn't think she can go on, not when she's actively fighting), just as she doesn't wish to die, and sabatoging combat with lies feels like exactly that, sabatoging herself when she usually wants to win. By always being reliable it not only makes us reliant on the furies like you mentioned, but also shows that through everything Senua, when she has a sword in her hand during the game, wants to live, to fight, and the furies helping her without fail supports that.
I love this game, I love the mythology, I love its themes and ideas, I love the story. But, I can’t, play it. This is one of the few psychological horror games themed around mental illness that I haven’t been able to finish. I genuinely think it executes its immersion a little too well for people like me, who struggle with some of these things. I played the first part of it, but the game genuinely started setting off triggers and every time I had to stop (I also tried playing it in vr once which admittedly wasn’t the best idea).
holy crap; VNV Nation - Ilusion as the outro... my man...
I own this game. Played the first part never went back
As someone with bipolar psychosis, i understand her sentiments and logic paths but not as literally and not as vividly. You really do try to make connections and i still literally cant say with certainty that they arent there. Sure the psych and the real world are different places, but both are equally as relevant and impactful to one another. Its when you completely lose touch with one or both that your truly insane. Even a schizophrenic can be sane, and a perfectly lucid person can be so detached internally that they destroy the world and themselves. You know how someone with turrets compulsively says whatever they feared saying most? As though your mind is literally a spec in a glass of water that flows away whenever you grab at it? Its like that and its a result of ptsd 90% of the time and not even a genetic thing like outright schizophrenia. The world is truly cruel to these people as well, imposing theyre equally insane ideas of reality onto they're fragile and vulnerable perceptions. There is help out there, but to some degree, listen to what your instincts have to say and try to use deductive reasoning over the "grounding" method that has never worked in the history of ever. Stop struggling, and adapt. Psychosis is like the part of you that doesn't give up, wont give up, and always has a "why" to bare any how. Its sad because it occurs when someone is traumatized beyond recovery. It WILL create a reason, from thin air, from things that arent real, and reality becomes irrelevant. You cant run from you.
Thank you for posting this, your view on the game and on mental health in general.
5 years ago I lived in constant terror and it was so bad that my psychologist at the time stated that I was showing border-symptoms of psychosis. It showed up from a monday to tuesday situation and it was just. There. It was brewing for about 20 years at that point and it hit a flash point.
What I learned is that there is a way forward and that there is something like acceptance of ourselves and of our current reality.
I stopped resisting my situation and I started to actually feel my emotions. Sometimes I still get triggered. I notice that my hands tighten with the goal of 'snapping me back' to the present. I breath. I accept the anxiety and I run the checks. 'What will happen when I let go of control?' and when I do, I realize that nothing really happens. When I let go of control it feels like easing into a comfortable chair instead of sitting straight up.
It takes time to unwind from (c-)ptsd. And that is ok.
No one asked, truly, no one cares
Thank you for sharing your experience. It is truly interesting how the mind works and how past experiences can shape us. I hope you are doing well!
@@keithragin89 Why would you take offense to someone opening up about themselves? Simple. It has nothing to do with them. It has everything to do with *you.*
The Furies don't lie during combat because they want to live. As horribly abusive as the voices in my own head get, they want to live and understand that they live through me.
Easily one of my favorite games ever made, despite its somewhat surface level understanding of psychosis that has been shown, it is not inaccurate none the less. I only played it once, some games just feels like an experience you go through once and be glad you made it on the other side.
I could go on a tirade on the psychological philosophy that this is derived from but I think others have already done so. This game has SOOO much packed into it, every little thing feels much bigger and longer than what it is.
i know your comment is quite old by now, but if you haven't played it, you should. Ninja Theory (the developers of the game) consulted with various psychological professors and practitioners AND also consulted with groups of people that have suffered from delusions and other schizophrenic illusions. They did this throughout the entire dvelopment of the game, and different people experience different hallucinations. one particular individual suffered from a voice that constantly shouted angrily at them, and they also hallucinated a hanging corpse which they even tried to help sometimes, which is where the game's hallucinations of many hanging bodies everywhere comes from.
This was by far the most beautiful and emotionally resonant video game I have ever played.
It might take that spot for fictional story across all mediums.
The endless horde at the end had me sweating. Every time I went down I actually felt as if I had to keep going. And that final song 🤯🤯🤯
What are your thoughts on the sequel?
My thoughts are I'm disappointed it'll be an xbox and pc exclusive soon won't get to play it 😭 my PC's a piece of shit haha
When I first played this game, I viewed the combat as fairly simple. Yet, this video proves the opposite and gives me reason for what I felt, despite the seeming simplicity of the combat. It's very, very engaging and fun. And imposing, at times.
your video quality is up there with whitelight, and you deserve the same amount of positive attention
Thank you!
criminaly underperforming channel!
I played this game this fall, and have never been as immersed before! The sea of corpses with its droning vocals was my absolute favorite part. I didn´t like the ending "follow me to my sequels" pitch though (as I perceived it at the time), it felt as if the game came to a screeching halt, Senua´s "actor" kinda got up on the theater stage, bowed to the audience and broke the immersion for me... I really don´t know if I want to have a sequel though, I´m afraid it will be more of just an action adventure with a person like Senua as its main character, more than more of the same immersive experience that this game was. But I suppose I will find out soon... 🙂
Beautiful inclusion of VNV there
I LOVE THIS GAME!!! I’ve been a huge fan for years and I’m so hyped for the 2nd game!
Edit: I gotta say Senua’s combat system is simple but sooo effective. It’s my favorite parry in a video game ever. Full stop. It’s just so instinctual and I love it. And I’m terrible at most parry systems, ala Jedi first order or Kena.
You need to kick the shield guys to get them to drop their guard.