Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is an action-adventure game developed by Ninja Theory and released to the public on August 8, 2017. It took players on a dangerous journey across a cursed land, guided by a brave Celtic warrior Senua. Hellblade told an emotionally gripping story, coupled with high-quality graphics, making it a fan favorite game.
But Hellblade is not the only game that can generate a powerful emotional connection. Here are 10 other games like Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice that will take you on a journey of dark fantasy, let you explore a fantastical, cursed land and make you feel strong emotions.
1. The Last Guardian
The Last Guardian is an action-adventure game developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, featuring Trico, a giant half-bird half-cat creature who is Senua’s companion during her journey. The game tasks you with controlling Trico and helping him complete puzzles in order to progress. The Last Guardian has similar themes to Hellblade, exploring themes of loss, grief, and friendship. Gameplay-wise, the two games are also similar with puzzle-solving being a major part of each of them.
2. Inside
Inside is a puzzle-platformer game developed by Playdead for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, iOS and Nintendo Switch. The game focuses on a young boy stuck in a strange, dark and oppressive world. Players explore the game’s environment while surviving traps and trying to understand the mysterious happenings around them. Hellblade shares this in common with Inside, as both explore oppressive worlds and themes of paranoia, fear, and death.
3. Firewatch
Firewatch is a first-person adventure game developed by Campo Santo and released in 2016. Players play as Henry, a volunteer fire lookout in Wyoming, who must investigate mysteries and strange occurrences in the surrounding forest. The game is set in an open world and the game focuses on the exploration of this world and the decisions the players make during their journey. Hellblade and Firewatch have a lot of similarities such as their focus on exploration and investigation; however, the tone of each game is vastly different, with Firewatch being brighter and more optimistic.
4. Subnautica
Subnautica is an open-world survival game created by Unknown Worlds Entertainment and released in 2018. Players take the role of a survivor stranded on an alien ocean planet, exploring the depths of the world while trying to survive and craft resources. Subnautica and Hellblade both take place in mysterious, dangerous worlds, and the player is tasked with exploring and learning the secrets of their environment. The major difference between the two is that Subnautica takes place under the sea while Hellblade takes place on land.
5. God of War
God of War is an action-adventure game developed by Santa Monica Studio for the PlayStation 4. Players take the role of Kratos, a Spartan warrior charged with protecting his son from ancient gods and monsters. The game is an exploration-focused adventure, with puzzle-solving and combat elements. While the stories of both games are vastly different, God of War and Hellblade share some similarities in their themes, such as the exploration of a dangerous world and the relationship between a protagonist and an AI companion.
6. Dark Souls III
Dark Souls III is an action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware and released in 2016. Players take the role of an Unkindled, a character tasked with defeating the Lords of Cinder and reclaiming their lost souls. The game focuses on exploration and combat, with challenging bosses. Hellblade and Dark Souls III have quite a few similarities, such as a focus on exploration, puzzle-solving and combat, as well as similar enemy designs. However, Dark Souls III is much more focused on challenging combat scenarios than Hellblade.
7. Red Dead Redemption II
Red Dead Redemption II is an action-adventure game developed by Rockstar Games and released in 2018. Players take the role of Arthur Morgan, a member of the Van der Linde gang, and explore the American frontier. The game focuses on exploration, with an emphasis on hunting and surviving in a harsh environment. While Red Dead Redemption II is a much brighter game than Hellblade, both feature protagonists on a quest to survive while exploring a dangerous world.
8. Journey
Journey is an adventure game developed by Thatgamecompany and released in 2012. Players take the role of a robed figure who must explore a mysterious world and make their way to a distant mountain. The game is focused on exploration and puzzle-solving, and features no combat. Hellblade and Journey share the same philosophy of exploration, with the robed figure in Journey being similar to Senua in her journey. The major difference between the two is that Journey is based on a brighter, more optimistic tone.
9. Darkest Dungeon
Darkest Dungeon is a turn-based, roguelike RPG developed by Red Hook Studios. Players are tasked with assembling a team of adventurers and exploring the depths of a cursed estate, fighting off monsters and surviving the horrors of the dungeon. The game features a unique difficulty system that makes each run through the dungeon unique and challenging. Darkest Dungeon and Hellblade share similar themes of exploration and survival in a dark world, as well as similar enemy designs, although Darkest Dungeon has more of a focus on combat.
10. Soma
Soma is a survival horror game developed by Frictional Games and released in 2015. Players take the role of Simon Jarrett, an amnesiac who must explore an underwater facility in order to understand what happened to him. The game focuses on exploration and survival, as well as the themes of morality and identity. While Soma is much darker in tone and themes than Hellblade, the main focus of both games is exploration and solving the mysteries of the game’s environment.
Conclusion
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is an amazing action-adventure game that takes players on an emotional journey. But there are plenty of games like Hellblade out there that offer similar experiences. The games listed above will take you on unique journeys, exploring dark and dangerous worlds and making you feel powerful emotions. Whether you’re looking for a dark and atmospheric game or an upbeat adventure, these games offer something for everyone.