YouTuber Cycu1 has created a new comparison video that shows the visual and performance differences between Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, among other things. In a presentation at the 2019 Game Awards, developer Ninja Theory formally introduced the Hellblade sequel, promising another harrowing adventure with the eponymous character in the lead role.
Since the reveal of Hellblade 2, the studio and publisher Xbox Game Studios have released information in bits & pieces over the course of two years. Fortunately, fans who were looking forward to the event were presented with six minutes of footage in the Game Awards 2021, which was held last week. Along with highlighting Senua’s constant battle with her mental health, the new trailer showcased the film’s visually astounding production design. Such a struggle was emphasized even further in the video by the sound design, which appears to be even more amazing in the next sequel as well. Other important components of the game, such as the character models and animations, have also undergone significant changes since Hellblade’s first appearance.
An “early graphics comparison” video, released by YouTuber Cycu1 (via Wccftech) in response to Hellblade 2’s Game Awards teaser, compares the game’s first and second installments in terms of graphics. According to the video’s title, this also acts as a comparison between Unreal Engine 4 and Unreal Engine 5, given that the former was used to power Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice and the latter is currently powering Senua’s Saga. For example, the leading lady’s character model appears to have been significantly upgraded, as evidenced by the higher quality textures that make up her face. Senua’s jog appears to have undergone a significant improvement in terms of animation, as evidenced by the latest film, which shows considerably more fluidity in her stride. Aside from that, her hair looks to have lost the tight bounce that used to accompany the majority of her motions. Furthermore, the reflections in Hellblade 2 demonstrate that Ninja Theory is still experimenting with ray tracing.
For getting the most out of the remarkable Unreal Engine 5 technology, Ninja Theory has gone to tremendous lengths, as evidenced by their extensive testing. The evidence, as they say, is in the pudding. Hellblade 2 is one of the most aesthetically gorgeous new-gen games that has been demonstrated so far.
Despite the six-minute presentation at The Game Awards, one important fact of Senua’s Saga remains a mystery – the game’s release window. Despite the fact that many people expect the sequel to be released early next year, the latest gameplay clip did not conclude with a tag that said “Coming in 2022.”
