I believe Valravn is actually a manifestation of Senua's time in the woods before she met Druth, rather than plague. We get a more blunt showcase of the plague later after all. Valravn is a manifestation of the feeling of being lost, and confused while Senua was in self-exile. That's why Valravn is the other path you can take alongside Sutr. Because while she was away in self exile lost and alone, her village was burning and her people were being butchered.

My mother suffered from psychosis. Life for her was hard, every day was a new battle, and it eventually ended her life in 2017. One year later, on the anniversary of her death, I started playing Hellblade. I played it all in a single eight hour sitting, with all lorestones included. This game changed my view towards psychosis and finally gave me a window into understanding what she went through. I have severe anxiety, but it is nothing compared to the pain she suffered on the daily. Each time I play this game, I remember her, and I appreciate how strong she was until the end.

When the world needed him the most, GamingWins returned with a vengeance

I just realised that the "when rot reaches Senua's head" line could also refer to us - the quest is over, progress is lost if the player gives up.

It's always been impressive to me that Melina Juergens was able to so such an incredible acting job as Senua, when this was the first time she acted in anything.

The smile is passing of someone you will never see again could be the reason they see another day. Jesus Christ that line is so heavy. Now I'm crying.

This game was the most traumatic 6.5 hours of my life. I laughed and cried and mostly felt terrified. Broke me. Broke me real bad. Idk if I could handle a replay. Maybe in VR….

I was so quick to click on this video and now I feel like I need to click off it just 5 minutes in. This looks like a game I should really experience for myself and not get it spoiled for. Be back when I finish the game!

I would like to point out that even though it's not the main focus of the game, the combat system is simply perfect. Although I love progression systems like skill trees and better gear, in this game they would simply distract from the story which was the most important. The combat itself perfectly serves its purpose to even more accentuate the story and Senua's struggle. It's really impactful (enemies react to hits and when Senua gets hit, you can see for a moment her face full of pain). For me the parry mechanics makes all fights even more personal and impactful. You can parry most of the attacks in game (even throwing knives of Valravan and basically all attacks of The Beast). For me it made me feel like I can really take all Senua's fears head-on. The fight in the bloody rivers of Hell was one of the best gaming experiences I have ever had.

This game is SO incredibly brilliant and it holds a very special place in my heart. Great video, thank you for showing it the love that it deserves 💜

21:38 Slight correction, that's actually the Hel-hound, Garm. In mythology, Garm guards the gates of Hel which is why Senua has to defeat him before moving onto Hel. Fenrir would be a different beast entirely, I'm hoping we see more of the Norse gods in Senua II.

This game was such an experience for me... The first time I played it, lights off headphones on, no tutorial figure everything on your own, and man the combat felt amazingly paced, completed it at one go was the most immersive feeling ever and truly an amazing experience.

24:08 no lie, I fought for a good 15 minutes straight doing my absolute best not to die before I realized oh… I’m supposed to lose here 😂

This is one of my favorite games of all time and cannot wait for the sequel and it even sparked my love for Norse mythology and culture.

How did all these damn onions get in here?! Seriously, one of the best games I've ever played and I eagerly await #2. My brother has Schizophrenia and I always had a hard time understanding what he was talking about or describing. This game truly gave me an insight into what kind of stuff he sees and experiences, obviously not everything as everyone is different. I owe a good bit to this team for helping me to understand my brother a bit better ❤

Hellblade is the kind of game you show to someone who says that games aren't art.

As some other mentioned, Valravn is about Senua's time in the woods, but I'd like to add that the point where he is pecking at paralyzed Senua, I think is meant to symbolise sleep paralysis where your brain is active while your body is still paralyzed from sleep, and you often feel the presence of a monster or a person nearby.

This is one of the rare games that I got 100 percent on…. Also the first game that humbled me about this mental illness

The exploration of mental health in this game is what makes this a good game. More so if one has or experience mental issues. RIP Syd.

MISSED YOU MY BOY

Honestly I'm disappointed forever we didn't get a marvel hel with half a skeletal face. She's a beautiful monster and deserves to be depicted as such.

BRO IM SO GLAD YOU DID THIS GAME I LOVE IT

Love this game. A spectacular experience that blew me away. Wish you had covered the poem her father recites as we see dillions death. That moment is one of if not my favorite moments in the game.

It's about time this game got some buzz! This game will forever have a special place in my heart. It was so clearly made with love and care and it covers so many different experiences. Like one of the sword trials you have to look through faces to change the world. The blue face is frowning and takes you to a broken down, overcast, overgrown version of the landscape, while the orange smiling face takes you to when the landscape was in peak condition with the sun spilling through the windows. I always thought that was a good metaphor for Bipolar and/or Borderline Personality disorder mood swings. I have so many theories about this game.

Omg you're alive! Time to win the sauce.

I could gush about the music in the last 10 minutes of that game for hours. Anyone else just burst into tears when VNV nation started?

i am so ready to watch this omg!! i came running when i saw the notification

One of my most favorite games. The first scene were she looks right into the camera or right at me sent shivers down my spine and made me think is she looking right at me and also made me step back a little because the she was so well done and the look she gave, like she is saying I can see you.

One of my favs of all time. I played it before the major next-gen update so there was no mission select. I had a fair few glitched achievements that happened on multiple occasions which made me sarcastically say to myself; "oh no.....what a shame, I have to play through it again...." lol. There's a specific part that really cut me to my core where the narrator starts with the line: "Have you ever died before? It's a serious question." I felt so understood and recognised. This game means so much to me and the fact the sequel is on the horizon is one of the very few things that is keeping me going at the moment.

It's so freakin weird! I HATE hearing people whisper (like I even had a hard time watching this without it getting to me) but I played through the game twice and I was perfectly fine Edit: Oh Jesus I don't want to imagine with Team Ninja and Kojima could do

One thing that I loved was how Hela gets smaller as you fight your way towards her at the end of the game. On the first platform, she is this enormous looming figure in the distance, but as you get closer to her central platform, she shrinks, eventually becoming no bigger than a regular human. Its all open to interpretation, but because of Hela being the physical representation of the darkness, Senua's psychosis, and a metaphor for mental health struggles in general, I see it as showing that from a distance, dealing with those struggles, be it psychosis, depression, anxiety or whatever can seem like an impossible task. But once you start getting help and trying to overcome those issues, when you get closer to them rather than running away, everything seems much more manageable. Open to interpretation but speaking from experience, thats how I saw it.

Welcome back! This game looks super interesting so I clicked off to not get it spoiled (I’ll be back), but one game I really loved recently that I think you should cover is Life is Strange: True Colors. The game was just beautiful, with an incredibly relatable protagonist (without any spoilers, playing the nightmare in Ep. 5 was heart-wrenching for me. Plus there are just so many little details that all come together for a beautiful story and one of the best games I’ve played in years

I just wanted to say I love your content and I rewatch your videos more than I probably should. Everything you make you can tell you put you’re heart and soul into your videos and it’s really nice that you put this much heart into everything you do. You’re one of my favorite KZfaqrs on the platform and can’t wait for your next video

On thing you might have brought out more (or maybe I missed it) is the respect paid to mental illness and its impact by the close work not only with Paul Fletcher but with voice hearers themselves. Education can do a lot, but nobody is an expert on the lived experience of mental illness who hasn't been through it. They got that and they literally consulted a group of voice hearers before, during and after producing the game. In a budget game, that is impressive. I could add several more points to the two I have done because as someone who has lived with mental illness (generalized anxiety and clinical depression, not pyshcosis in my case) and who held his late wife as they turned off the machines this is the game which, over 40 years of playing computer games, hits hardest, truest and most personally to me. Great review you did. Thanks.

not even going to lie, I played this game while tripping acid like when it came out and it was the best experience I've had while playing a video game to this day

I like to think Surt is a representation of his rage, ptsd, and determination and a means to an end as Surtr is that. She faces her rage, defeating it to continue for her Dillion

Freaking love your videos!!!!! thank god your back

Your videos are so good to listen to while playing games or studying

I've only recently found your channel. Watched and enjoyed quite a few. Being honest I've tried this game a few times but couldn't carry on. It was too harsh but mostly due to my own mental health issues. Thanks for your commentary on this game and your understanding tone

Who's Syd Darnaby

So..uuh... it's been a while like, 4-5 years maybe that I knew of the other Win/Sin channels, but I never thought about looking for one about video game. Even if it's the media with which I connect the most. I just stumble upon this, and watched some videos already. As always, wonderful work and writting on your part, plus the delivery and emotion of it makes it all the better. I truely loved this game, and in all honesty, I never knew the perma death wasn't real. The game is an amazing piece of art, a great story really pushed forward by the ambiance, art direction and sound direction. It's some time suffocating how anxious one can feel while playing the game. How unsettlings are the voice coming from everywhere, even if sometime they're trying to help. I'd like to add something however. It seems like every time Hellblade is mentionned, the fighting is said to be simplistic, mostly because it only involve approximatly 5 action, 2 attacks, a roll, a dodge and a shove. But it's really not. I would praise the entire game, but you did it extremely well already, so I just want to go a bit deeper on the fighting system. It's easy and simple but it's rich and deep, extremely well choreographed and fluid. Every attack flow into each other, and depending on which attack was before the next one will be different, with different combo, ending strike and effect. It's never told, at no point in the game do you learn that. But for instance I remember a sequence of attack where by ending by an heavy you impal the opponent, stunning it while you deal damage. This never happen if you do any other combinaison of attack. It's like a fighting game but with absolutly no moveset list. You have to use the tools you have, those 5 inputs, to find techniques that suit you and play with them. Will you run and open with a shove to make a superman jump or will you wait and parry. At first you could really think that it's just a set of 2-3 light animation, 2-3 heavy animation and that's it, when switching from one to the other you just change animation. But no. I'm pretty certain most player never discovered the entire range of actual strike Senua can make and I think it's great. To push your allegory, and feeding it with my ideas, if I, the player, am a voice behind Senua's journey, then we, the player, aren't the same voice, we're all the voice she ears, each different, with our own appreciation, fighting style, space awereness and "spook resistance". All in all, once again, great video. :)

if my knowledge of norse lore is accurate, hela is often said to have half of her body as that of a rotting corpse in the old stories; so no sexy cate blanchett in the myths, sorry 😂

I've never emotionally related to any character in any game i've played however, at one point in the campaign, i suddenly developed a emotional connection and complete need to help Senua, which completely blindsided me. God, i can't wait for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II

Loved this game. I also encourage you to do GRIS, that representation of Depression is outstanding.

Definitely one of the best games I ever played. I have to shout out the track on the bridge to Helheim. That track is motivating, daunting, and perfectly accompanies that fight.

I played this game over the last few weekends and man, I'm sad I slept on this and really really can say this is one of the best games I've ever played. I could barely put it down if not for adult responsibilities.

Love this just like all you’re video’s

I was mentally not in a very good place myself when I played this. I know it had a great impact on me and found it such a great work, with some great insights. Now that I'm doing better, maybe I should play it again and see if and how I may interpret some things differently.

It truly has been awhile huh? Well this game seems like a interesting come back for a video

I remember watching Gopher play this game when it came out, and I started out so excited and ended it in blubbering tears. Such an amazing game and story.

About there not being a Hud or tutorial, I didn't know I could block until nearing the end and even then I still never used it. Probably could've made encounters easier but it also made me unstoppable with the dodge. The combat is so satisfying which is strange because the combat isn't even the main focus. You encounter more puzzles than combat.

I deal with similar problems that this game tackles. I'm a not so soft man, I lost it when the credits rolled. Flat out. It's an artistic masterpiece

This really wasn’t my type of game. But I played it with surround sound headphones and oh my what an experience!!! It was soo eerie but made me want to push on at every challenge.

He's back! I'm happy now

One win I don't think you mentioned is the voice of her abusive father/shadow after Hela knocks her from the bridge. It is as usual speaking vile condemning words but as we rotate we see it's her own lips that are speaking them. As a survivor of abuse this rings so true about how we internalize the messages of abuse we suffered and make them part of us, start replaying those tapes and by doing so in some ways do worse to ourselves than they ever could. It's a beautifully horrifying portrayal of the effects of emotional abuse.

I would LOVE to see you do the Darksiders trilogy. The story and the lore of those games are mind-blowingly amazing

Great video. Always a pleasure seeing appreciation of this masterpiece in every aspect if its design and execution. One small correction, it is not Fenrir that you fight it is Garm, the defender of the gates of Helheim. No criticism 🐺❤️

I watched almost all the behind the scenes stuff and the devs did an incredible job making sure they portrayed psychosis. They consulted professors as well as actually people with psychosis to make sure it was portrayed correctly and believably. Not only did they make an incredible game, they did it while making sure they didn't demonize a mental illness.

I really wanna see this guy tackle hotline miami 1 and 2

Just beat this game and I literally fought forever at the end till I literally was mentally exhausted and just gave up and accepted death never has a game gave me that feeling where I actually was willing to just give up lol what a wild ride

Hey gaming wins for one of your video could you please do a Metro game like Metro exodus? Also love the video, thanks for showing every game the love it deserve.

Hellblade 2 makes this look more like a prequel rather than a first game, for what we know h2 is about senua taking the fight TO the Norsemen and the gods with a group of castouts like her, THAT feels like the main story, this game feels like the story of why she's doing it and how she became ready for the journey

Finally a reviewer that understood the game

I was recently diagnosed with psychosis, and I never knew that people didn't always hear things. I thought it was imagination. It's strange watching this and seeing things I've experienced

I find it interesting that we follow a Celtic woman who was raised in a tribal/iron age society who has psychological issues that (today we know how to treat, mostly) back then would have made her an outcast. She goes through the trauma of being kidnapped by Vikings & learns of their myths by another captive. Her delusions are her Celtic re-interperations of Norse myth fueled by her own psychosis. So many layers to this game.

another great video, keep up the amazing work. BUt could I ask for EGA Crysis or Crysis warhead?

I heard good things about this game and i will be picking it up on a sale. Glad to see it here

So hyped for the sequal

This game has a special place in my heart for being one of the most unforgettable experiences when i played it.

I personally always interpreted the text to be directed at us the player, should we fail enough times it'll get to your head, and likely you'll quit the game, resulting in Senua's journey ending and all her progress being lost; kinda similar to going hollow in dark souls.

Hey i'm pretty new to the channel but I'd really like if you took a look at any of the saints row games (preferably 3 or 4 though)!!! I love your content man, keep spreading positivity and showing the art of games.

Cant wait to watch this man, Im gonna give it some time and go play the game first, I look forward to watching this though

Crazy that I just beat this game. Amazing!!!

I’ve never heard of this game but from you love of it I’m gonna give it a go

I just wana say, the plague level is absolutely terrifying and I've never felt such panic while consuming a piece of media. Escaping the fire that roars and chants and growls as you scramble to find all 3 runes is horrifying and panic inducing.

It be great if you and Dartigan did a collab seeing the content you both make

He's back! Finally ❤️🤭

Great game, gets you deep in Senua's personal Hell.Great performance from the actor too!

I must continue asking for you to review both Portal games

Literally the best game I have ever experienced. Nothing else comes close.

New subscriber! Are you part of Wins & Sins family?

You need to do spec ops next

I absolutely love this game.

My condolences 🙏

A game that does a good job of showing mental degradation and human evil is Spec Ops: The Line. Possibly Nolan North's best VA performance, ever.

This game is special

2 friggin minutes!!! Les goooo

what's also amazing is how the game tells you that you're gonna loss all your progress if the root reaches her head, even if it's not really the case, it adds paranoia to the player and makes you a bit crazy just like senua.

YES

😁Hey Gaming Wins! Could you please do “The wolf among us”?

Do twd s3 next!!

ive tried playing this on a few different occasions but i just cant, its so unsettling

Do an AC origins next pls Love ur channel G. Kèp doing your thing. 🐐💯🗣👌🏽

best game I've ever played

Hey GamingWins, can you do a video on Persona 5 Royal? You'll really enjoy it, it's fantastic!

I just thought of another game you should do little nightmares 1, 2 and runaway kid DLC, it probably take a lot of time though, but I just want to say if you are going to make a video for these three there's also a game called very little nightmares which I think is completely up to you, but the character you play as in very little nightmares is called Five, The runaway kid is called Seven, the character you play as in little nightmares 2 is Mono, and the character you work with in the nightmars 2 and the character you play as in little nightmares 1 is called Six, just wanted to get that out.

108 wins…as in the 108 afflictions? I wonder if this was intentional.

Wow

Dude in the reflection at 25:58 looks like human Shrek

Hey GW. Kind of a personal question maybe, but who is Syd Darnaby?