Launch of Enhanced Version of Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 Expands to Additional Platforms, Including the PS5 as Surprisingly Confirmed
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2, the highly-anticipated sequel to the 2017 action-adventure game Hellblade, has been released on PlayStation 5, with an enhanced version now available for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, and Steam. The Enhanced edition boasts graphical improvements, performance enhancements, and new gameplay options, providing an immersive and challenging experience for players.
The main differences between the original and Enhanced versions of Senua's Saga: Hellblade II focus on graphical improvements, performance enhancements, and new gameplay options. The Enhanced edition adds a 60fps performance mode (compared to the original’s 30fps on consoles), CPU optimizations, and higher graphical presets, especially on PC with a new "Very High" preset that improves shadow resolution, post-processing, draw distances, and volumetric clouds. Additionally, it includes a challenging new difficulty mode called Dark Rot, where dying progressively consumes Senua, increasing stakes for survival.
On consoles, especially PlayStation 5 Pro and Xbox Series X, the Enhanced version offers better frame rate stability and visual fidelity, making combat feel more fluid and immersive, without altering the core narrative or gameplay beats. Photo mode options have also been expanded, and a developer commentary feature has been added.
PC benefits from NVIDIA-specific enhancements such as DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation and NVIDIA Reflex to improve performance and responsiveness, further elevating image quality and smoothness over the original release.
Here's a comparison of the features between the original and Enhanced versions of Senua's Saga: Hellblade II:
| Feature | Original Version | Enhanced Version | |-----------------------------|---------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| | Frame Rate | 30fps on consoles | 60fps mode on PS5, Series X and optimized PC | | Graphics Quality | Standard presets | New Very High preset (PC), improved shadows, post-processing, draw distances, volumetrics | | New Game Mode | None | Dark Rot mode (punishing difficulty) | | Audio & Story | Same narrative and audio design | Narrative unchanged, immersive audio retained | | Performance Optimizations | Base CPU and GPU use | CPU optimizations, better resource adaptation | | Additional Features | Photo mode, no commentary | Expanded photo mode, developer commentary added| | PC-specific Tech | No DLSS 4 or NVIDIA Reflex | DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation, NVIDIA Reflex |
The Enhanced edition is the definitive way to experience the game, especially on newer hardware, by boosting fluidity, visual fidelity, and adding new challenges without changing the fundamental story or gameplay.
Meanwhile, Hellblade 2's PlayStation release comes just a few weeks before Helldivers 2 is scheduled to launch on Xbox. This cross-platform strategy is seen as a sign that Sony is dipping its toes into the multiplatform-friendly strategy Microsoft has adopted, with a Halo 3: ODST crossover teased by the developer of Helldivers 2.
For those interested in purchasing Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2, the Xbox/Xbox on PC version is currently available for $33.69 at CDKeys, a considerable discount from its original price of $49.99. Additionally, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 1-month memberships are available for $16.19 at CDKeys.
In conclusion, Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2's Enhanced edition offers an immersive and challenging experience with improved visuals, performance, and gameplay options. With its cinematic storyline and new features, it is a must-play for fans of the action-adventure genre.
[1] Metacritic: Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 [2] IGN: Hellblade 2 Review [3] GameSpot: Hellblade 2 Review [4] Polygon: Hellblade 2 Review [5] NVIDIA: DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation [6] NVIDIA: NVIDIA Reflex
