Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

One of the best recent experiences: a creepy, riveting game that weaves psychosis and hallucination directly into its mechanics, with no HUD or objective markers and voices guiding the player. The roughly eight-hour journey is gripping, haunting, and only gets better as the combat grows more intricate and tactical. It's narrow in scope but AAA quality at a budget price, and comes wholeheartedly recommended.

A masterpiece of storytelling that portrays psychosis with phenomenal, deeply immersive voice work, gorgeous visuals, and a gripping, emotional journey. The puzzles and basic combat are weaker spots, but the immersion and acting more than compensate, proving a small self-published studio can craft a truly great game. Highly recommended for anyone who loves story-driven experiences.

An earnest but overwrought attempt to dramatize psychosis that takes itself far too seriously, undermined by overblown performances and a cartoonishly tragic backstory that's hard to connect with. The environmental rune puzzles fit the paranoia theme well, but the obligatory hack-and-slash combat is dull and trivially easy, and the permadeath gimmick rarely bites. The individual ideas are decent, yet thrown together the game feels at odds with itself.

A unique and deeply immersive experience built around Norse mythology and Senua's psychosis, where the real enemy is fear itself. Its handcrafted story, symbolic visuals, and binaural audio are standout achievements, even if the combat lacks variety and the puzzles can drag. An interesting, memorable take on the third-person action genre that leaves you wanting more of the same.

A well-crafted, story-heavy linear experience of about seven hours, anchored by a grim Norse-inspired world and Senua's psychosis, which the 3D binaural sound design uses brilliantly. The visuals and voice acting are excellent and the combat is satisfying if light and shallow. The rune-shape puzzles can grind the pacing to a halt, but the moving, high-quality story carries it.