Hellblade 2 shows its face for the first time in 9 months, but it's literally just a face

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Nonetheless, this is extremely impressive

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 has reared its gloriously detailed head after nine months of silence, but after all this time, I was hoping for more than a facial animation showcase.

That being said, the new Hellblade 2 footage from GDC 2023 is impressive as hell, showing the titular, wild-eyed protagonist Senua up close as she emotes through a range of intense expressions. "We're pushing the boundaries of realtime facial animation in Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, as showcased at GDC23 with Unreal Engine," reads a tweet from developer Ninja Theory.

"I see through your darkness now," Senua says through gritted teeth in the new video. "I see through your lies. I will show them how to see as I do. I will not appease your gods. I will destroy them."

The last time we saw Hellblade 2 was for its fabulous gameplay reveal back in June 2022 during non-E3. Since then, we've seen some deliciously moody concept art of a violent coastal storm, and we got a neat little Starfield-like demo from one of Hellblade 2's artists. We also heard series creator Tameem Antoniades say "Hellblade 2 will make Hellblade look like an indie game," which is highly enticing indeed considering the first game is a certified looker.

Still, this is the first time in many months that we've actually seen new footage of Hellblade 2, even if it isn't terribly different from what we've already seen. Hopefully we'll get another proper trailer in the near future, or better yet, a release date.

Hellblade 2 is just one of many upcoming Xbox Series X games we can't wait to play, and for everything on the horizon, don't miss our extensive guide to new games of 2023.

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick
Staff Writer

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.