Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Enhanced now has an official release date, and a few new details have been revealed, too. But the important thing is it will launch on August 12 for PS5, and as a free update on Xbox Series X/S and PC.
For the sum of $49.99 (or free, if you already own it on Xbox, or play it via Game Pass), you’ll get a new performance mode which brings the action up to 60fps. It’s not available on Xbox Series S, mind you, so keep that in mind.
If you’re a PC player then performance mode will be replaced with a new “Very High” preset that promises to “push that fidelity even further.”
The Enhanced version/update will also bring official Steam Deck Verified status.
The Dark Rot from the first game is also making a comeback, meaning each time you fail the Rot will creep towards Senua’s head. Should it reach her noggin, she’ll be a goner and all your progress will be lost.
Photo mode is going to get some upgrades, too, including a “all-new ‘Motion’ tab for custom cinematic video capture.”
Finally, you get a developer commentary offering over 4 hours of insights into the game.
There’s also going to be a Deluxe Edition for $69.99 that adds the original Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, which has been “optimized” for PlayStation 5. No details about what this means were offered, but I’d imagine it might take the PS4 Pro mode from the first game, which provided 60FPS at lower resolution, and lock it at both 60FPS and 4K.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 launched to mixed reviews and the player reception seemed completely flat. Xbox barely advertised the game prior to its release, and all discussion about it faded after just a couple of days. Reports suggested its sales were extremely low, which, combined with weak Steam player counts and poor chart position, all indicate that it likely underperformed.
But could it find an audience on PlayStation? Honestly, probably not. The first game sold well enough for a small, double-A title that focused on a very niche (but very awesome) concept, and it seems like the audience didn’t want more. Still, it might surprise me and manage to sell decently on Sony’s platform.