2024 so far has been challenging in the industry. This is a good time to take stock of last year's performance to gauge demand-side conditions and what direction consumer spending is going in the UK when it comes to full games (games that are paid for upfront).
Senua's Saga: Hellblade II follows closely in the original's footsteps, delivering an experience (albeit a stunning one) more than a game.
“It is a beautiful, incredibly poignant story that anyone should experience for themselves. That is why I mentioned in the headline how Senua's Saga: Hellblade II might be the perfect Game Pass experience. Even gamers who would rather prefer a more traditional game are very likely to be driven to play it since it will be on the subscription service on day one.”
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 starts incredibly strong in the first half, but after certain revelations, the story speeds up to a point where the conclusion feels rushed and half-baked.
Senua’s return is authentic to the original, only with more polish. The captivating and emotional story is thrusted forward with Hellblade 2’s hefty visuals and audio. The only thing letting it down is how repetitive some of the gameplay is.
"Although physical disc spending has continued to slip since 2021, the rate of the decline had slowed. Between 2021 and 2022, spending declined by 4% to £496 million but between 2022 and 2023, spending declined by just 2% to £487 million."
Good news.