Update: The review embargo for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is scheduled to be lifted an hour before its official release on May 21, 2024. The exact time is 1:00 AM PT/9:00 AM BST.
Original Story: Review codes for Xbox Game Studios and Ninja Theory’s upcoming action-adventure game, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, have not been sent out, despite the game launching next week.
Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson took to Twitter/X to share that Microsoft has not yet sent out review codes for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2. Usually, the press receives game copies 2 to 3 weeks in advance, with reviews ready for publishing either on launch days or a few days prior. However, in the case of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, we are less than a week away from the game’s release on May 21, 2024. Should things remain as they are, we may not get to hear the verdict of the press on release day.
One factor that would allow members of the press to play through Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 rather quickly is its relatively shorter length of around 8 hours. Should review codes be sent out over the next few days, reviews may yet be available in time for launch. Only time will tell whether that’s the case, however. Henderson mentioned that he will provide an update once he has further information on the matter.
While not always the case, the press not getting review copies a week prior to a game’s launch is generally seen as a concerning sign by the community. On the positive side, recent footage from Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 seemed to indicate that the game has received some graphical upgrades. The footage in question is found in a new video on Senua’s psychosis. It contains a cutscene that was originally shown as part of the gameplay reveal trailer at The Game Awards 2021. This allowed us to do a visual comparison between the old and new versions of the game using like-for-like scenes, indicating graphical upgrades in terms of rendering quality, with notable improvements to the lighting and character skin and eyes.
