Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

game2017

85%

WISE Score

84%

IGDB

A visceral, voices-in-your-head descent into Norse hell that makes most 'dark' games look like a Saturday morning cartoon.

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

game

2017

85%

WISE Score

84%

IGDB

A visceral, voices-in-your-head descent into Norse hell that makes most 'dark' games look like a Saturday morning cartoon.

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Screenwise Verdict

Hellblade is essentially a 'psychosis simulator' wrapped in a Viking action game. It’s brilliant, but it’s a lot. It’s the opposite of brain rot—it’s brain-expanding, but it might give you a headache from the sheer emotional weight.

This isn't a game you play to relax on a Friday night. It’s a 10/10 experience that you might only ever want to play once because of how much it takes out of you. If your teen is mature enough for R-rated themes and wants to see how games can be high art, this is the one.

Age Fit

15 and up. This is strictly for the mature teen or adult who wants a heavy, meaningful experience. It’s too intense for middle schoolers and anyone looking for 'fun' escapism.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

This is a grueling, grim journey through trauma and mental collapse. It is the literal opposite of lighthearted or 'wholesome' entertainment.

Imaginative

The use of binaural audio to simulate auditory hallucinations is a masterstroke of creative immersion that hasn't been topped since its release.

Safe

Mechanically, it’s very safe—no microtransactions, no toxic online chat, no gambling. However, the psychological intensity and gore make it 'unsafe' for a younger or sensitive audience to stumble upon.

Enriching

It offers an unparalleled look into the experience of psychosis, developed with neuroscientists. It’s a deep dive into empathy and Norse mythology.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

The audio design is legendary; the voices in Senua's head actually whisper from different directions if you wear headphones.
It's a rare, respectful look at psychosis that was built with actual medical experts and patients.
The story doesn't treat mental illness as a superpower or a villainous trait—it's just Senua's reality.
Visually, it remains a stunner with facial animations that put modern blockbusters to shame.

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What to Watch For

It is incredibly stressful. The atmosphere is designed to make you feel uneasy and claustrophobic.
The imagery is bleak. Think rotting bodies, sacrificial rituals, and a lot of mud and blood.

Conversation Starters

"Which of the voices did you trust more—the ones that encouraged you or the ones that doubted you?"
"Why do you think the game uses Norse mythology to tell a story about grief?"
"How did the visual distortions change the way you looked at the environment?"

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