Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

Players take control of Senua, a Pict warrior who attempts to rescue her partner's soul from the Norse goddess Hela. To do so, she must defeat monsters, travel far, and deal with the voices in her head. Elements of death, fear, illness, and abuse are found throughout the game. Senua carries her partner's disembodied head with her as she struggles with grief, depression, and internalized ableism. Her past is revealed in a nonlinear fashion, and the game uses binaural audio to emulate feelings of psychosis and audio hallucinations.

• Release date: 08-07-2017
• Developer: Ninja Theory
• Publisher: Ninja Theory
• Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PSVR, Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

Triggers for this game

Crime

• Fights

  • Can't be avoided

• Hangings

  Hanging corpses

  • Can't be avoided

• Murder

  • Can't be avoided

Death & Loss

• Death of Parent

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Senua's mother Galena died when Senua was 5 years old.

  • Can't be avoided

• Death of Spouse or Partner

  Senua's partner Dillion was murdered.

  • Can't be avoided

• Family Estrangement

  Senua distances herself from her father Zynbel after meeting Dillion.

  • Can't be avoided

• Suicide

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Senua initially believes her mother Galena's death was by suicide. She learns that her father and town burned Galena at the stake.

  • Can't be avoided

Disturbing Sounds & Sound Design

• Bone Crushing

  • Can't be avoided

• Distorted Voices

  • Can't be avoided

• Screams

  • Can't be avoided

• Wet Sounds

  • Can't be avoided

Gore

• Beheading

  Senua carries Dillion's head with her.

  • Can't be avoided

• Blood

  • Can't be avoided

• Body Horror

  • Can't be avoided

• Dismemberment

  • Can't be avoided

• Guts

  • Can't be avoided

• Viscera

  • Can't be avoided

Hate & Discrimination

• Ableism

  Sanism

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Dillion's town blames Senua for the plague. She self-exiles out of guilt. Her father Zynbel instilled heavy internalized ableism and sanism onto Senua.

  • Can't be avoided

• Dehumanization & Objectification

  • Can't be avoided

• Fantasy Racism

  Druth was a slave of the Norse.

  • Can't be avoided

Horror Themes

• Black Magic

  • Can't be avoided

• Chase & Pursuit

  • Can't be avoided

• Demons & Devils

  • Can't be avoided

• Ghosts & Hauntings

  • Can't be avoided

• Jump Scares

  • Can't be avoided

• Monsters

  • Can't be avoided

• Psychological Horror

  • Can't be avoided

• Witchcraft

  • Can't be avoided

Mental Health

• Depression

  • Can't be avoided

• Family References

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Senua's mother Galena also had psychosis.

  • Can't be avoided

• Grief

  • Can't be avoided

• Hallucinations

  • Can't be avoided

• Mental Illness

  • Can't be avoided

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

  • Can't be avoided

• Psychosis

  Senua deals with psychosis.

  • Can't be avoided

• Suicidal Ideation

  • Can't be avoided

Non-Sexual Abuse & Violence

• Bullying

  • Can't be avoided

• Child Abuse

  Discussions of emotional and physical abuse perpetrated by Senua's father Zynbel.

  • Can't be avoided

• Emotional Abuse

  Discussions of emotional and physical abuse perpetrated by Senua's father Zynbel.

  • Can't be avoided

• Gaslighting

  Discussions of emotional and physical abuse perpetrated by Senua's father Zynbel.

• Manipulation

  Discussions of emotional and physical abuse perpetrated by Senua's father Zynbel.

  • Can't be avoided

• Psychological Abuse

  Discussions of emotional and physical abuse perpetrated by Senua's father Zynbel.

  • Can't be avoided

Phobias

• Agliophobia

  • Can't be avoided

• Agoraphobia

  • Can't be avoided

• Claustrophobia

  • Can't be avoided

• Hemophobia

  • Can't be avoided

• Misc. Phobias

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Acousticophobia: Fear of noise, Agateophobia: Fear of insanity, Automysophobia: Fear of being dirty

  • Can't be avoided

• Necrophobia

  • Can't be avoided

• Nyctophobia

  In some areas, prolonged darkness exposure will cause Senua to lose her sanity and possibly die.

  • Can't be avoided

• Traumatophobia

  • Can't be avoided

Physical Health & Body Issues

• Pain & Physical Suffering

  • Can't be avoided

• Progressive Illness

  'Rot' spreads in Senua's body. It grows each time you die and can overtake Senua.

  • Can't be avoided

Religion & Sects

• Ritual Sacrifice

  Senua's partner Dillion was sacrificed by the Norse to blood eagles.

  • Can't be avoided

Sex & Erotica (Consensual)

• Nudity

  There are naked corpses, whose butts you will see but no genitalia. There is also very brief frontal nudity with Hela, who is depicted as a naked woman. Generally, this is presented without detail, with the exception of one boob glance.

  • Can't be avoided

Traumatic Events

• Accidents

  • Can't be avoided

• Mass Casualty Event

  Plague, Norse invasion

  • Can't be avoided

War & Military

• Fictional War

  • Can't be avoided

• Historical War

  • Can't be avoided

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