Gaming

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 comes face to face with past demons

Finding new meaning in suffering

Published

May 24, 2024

Gab Orlina

Imagine yourself rising from the dead with an insatiable thirst for revenge, only to carry a curse of a literal thousand voices upon returning. To deal with the burden of having an entire community of souls scream in your head about how you failed them, how they’re guiding you to where you need to be — it’s just all too much for any regular human being.

Hellblade introduced us to such a character in Senua, who was willing to go through hell and back for a person she loved. In a near twist of fate, she was consumed by darkness and the souls of her entire clan lost in her thoughts. However, she had learned to accept her reality. She hoped that this newfound power would lead her to a bigger purpose ahead.

I had zero expectations heading into Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 other than what the title screen would show me. Honestly, I saw that ominous image with a face and just thought of how horrifying this game was going to be. I didn’t realize that there was a whole lot more to this journey than I thought.

A foiled revenge plot

I didn’t get to play the first game in the series. So, the fact that the game starts off with a recap was great. Admittedly, I was still trying to sort out a lot of the details since it happened within 10-15 minutes of me playing. Still, I got caught up to what was happening pretty fast, especially to the aftermath of Senua’s actions after Hellblade.

The story begins as Senua finds herself washed ashore on an island she’s completely unaware of. In an attempt to get some clarity, she is met with the shadow of her past, reminding her of who she is and her place in the world. Her plan of revenge is falling apart, and to make it worse, the voices in her head just won’t stop talking. At the end of the opening sequence, she comes face to face with the man that took her in as a slave, and she is roaring to strike.

And then, the moment to strike was cut short because other things came into play.

One of the things I noted about the story was that it took such a short time to just get everything patted down. I didn’t feel like I got sidetracked way too many times. Every little detail made sense to what Senua will eventually do for the rest of the game. I can’t say much else about the story that would spoil things. But it does get good the deeper you go into the island.

Heaven and hell in full glory

Speaking of said island, on the Xbox Series X, the entire overworld is absolutely stunning. Yes, even the desolate areas in the game. A lot of the areas in-game popped out during the day scenes. They received proper lighting when things got dark most of the time. Even in a game with a not-so-open world map, every little detail was given enough thought.

This one area in particular with Senua exploring the fauna through the Hiddenfolk stages was a prime example of how the developers went all out with it, design-wise. Honestly, the colors were stunning and the elements you interact with on the overworld mixed well. When I went into Photo Mode to grab this, I just took time to get as many shots in this area.

Also, I have to applaud Ninja Theory for actually having a Photo Mode that you can use even in the cutscenes to capture some amazing highlights and sceneries! I wish everyone else did it like this, instead of just giving it to live gameplay.

Puzzled minds with extreme overthinking

A core mechanic of the Hellblade games involves the player solving a series of puzzles at critical moments in Senua’s journey. Even in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, the puzzle solving continues with multiple visual cues to guide you on what elements you need for each puzzle. These added another dimension to the whole experience for me, plus it even increased my stress levels too.

As you progress deeper into the game, the puzzles actually become more challenging and hard to crack. It forces you to explore the entire area. There are moments in which the game tells you you’re on the right track. That’s when you rely on Senua’s focus abilities. Also, the voices in your head can come in handy. There are times that they even tell you that you’ve been stuck in a spot you’ve already visited.

It’s overthinking at its finest, but at least you don’t have to juggle that while fighting hordes of enemies and there’s no time pressure.

Fighting your demons, literally

Combat in this game is different from what I’m used to, especially in semi-open world games with multiple enemies rushing you. Unlike other games wherein being aggressive is the name of the game, Senua’s Saga has a timing approach to it with visual cues. Essentially, you just have to know when light and heavy attacks come in, block or dodge accordingly, then fight back.

It took a while to master the timings of some enemies. It was nearly impossible to stay alive in most fights. Once you have it down to a tee, every fight scene feels less of a hassle to deal with. However, the enemies also get harder and have added gimmicks like breathing fire to stop you. Dying isn’t an option either because each death results in resetting every fight scene.

To aid you in your battles, the trusty Focus mechanic also acts as a timely boost by simply stopping time. This was super helpful to get you to do multiple attacks. It cuts the battle time and take down stronger enemies.

Confronting your past

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is a rollercoaster of emotions and controller-button mashing that was simple enough to go through every step of the way. The linear storyline with great overworld visuals and equally solid gameplay mechanics just suits this type of game well. As somebody who didn’t even get to play the first game, this was definitely something new and unexpected.

If anything, I felt that this game had too much going for it. For some people, this may not be their cup of tea. For one, the story, while linear in progression, can feel a bit rushed especially when building character relationships all throughout. Second, combat mechanics can take a while to get used to, especially on the timings of enemy attacks. These aren’t total dealbreakers in the grand scheme of things, but they do make the game a little bit frustrating.

Overall, the game is simple as it should be. But fair warning: this game has too many voices for you to listen to. If you’re not a fan of that, you can definitely tune them out and focus on the demons you have to slay!

Gaming

Life is Strange: Reunion now available on consoles and PC

Max and Chloe return for an emotional finale

Published

March 27, 2026

GadgetMatch

Bandai Namco Entertainment Asia and Square Enix have officially launched Life is Strange: Reunion, the latest entry in the narrative adventure series. Developed by Deck Nine Games, the title is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and the Microsoft Store. A physical PlayStation 5 edition is also available across Southeast Asia.

The launch comes with an official trailer, marking the return of one of the franchise’s most beloved storylines.

A long-awaited reunion

Set 11 years after the original events, Life is Strange: Reunion brings back Max Caulfield and Chloe Price as they reunite to solve a new timeline-spanning mystery. This time, the stakes center on a devastating inferno threatening Caledon University–Max’s workplace as a photography teacher.

Returning from a trip, Max discovers the campus engulfed in flames, with lives lost across the university. She survives only by using her Rewind ability, a power that allows her to reverse time.

The situation takes an unexpected turn with Chloe’s sudden arrival–an outcome tied to the timeline-merging events of Life is Strange: Double Exposure. Now dealing with fractured memories and an unstable sense of reality, Chloe once again finds herself relying on Max.

Dual perspectives, new gameplay dynamics

For the first time in the series, players can take control of both Max and Chloe, switching perspectives as the story unfolds.

Max’s Rewind power lets players revisit decisions, reshape conversations, and manipulate environments to solve complex, time-based puzzles. Meanwhile, Chloe brings her signature Backtalk ability, allowing her to push conversations in her favor and access situations Max cannot.

This dual-character approach expands both narrative depth and gameplay variety, offering different ways to uncover clues and influence outcomes.

A character-driven finale

Life is Strange: Reunion continues the series’ focus on grounded, emotional storytelling, with choices that carry meaningful consequences. The game builds toward a dramatic climax that aims to close out Max and Chloe’s journey.

As the final chapter in their story, Reunion positions itself as both a continuation and a conclusion–tying together years of narrative threads while delivering a new mystery shaped by time, loss, and choice.

Gaming

Nintendo will make it cheaper to buy digital games than physical

Physical releases will have the same price.

Published

March 26, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

The days of lining up for a newly released game are well and truly over. Though some games still experience shortages in brick-and-mortar stores, such as the widely successful Pokémon Pokopia, gamers can get their titles digitally. Now, Nintendo is making digital releases more enticing by offering a tempting discount on the eShop.

Starting in May, Nintendo will start charging different prices for the physical and digital releases of first-party games. While physical releases will still have the same prices going forward, digital releases via the eShop will enjoy a discount.

The discount, of course, will likely depend on the title itself. Nintendo has already given the upcoming Yoshi and the Mysterious Book as the first example. The new platformer will cost US$ 70 from retailers. However, it will cost only US$ 60 on the digital eShop.

The company says that the new pricing scheme “simply reflects the different costs associated with producing and distributing each format.” With the prices of chips skyrocketing, it’s no surprise that the physical release is more expensive than the digital one.

To be more technical about it, Nintendo has started skipping a physical game card for a while now. The physical release of Pokémon Pokopia, for example, has only a game-key card or a code to download the game. In this format, physical releases are just pretty cases you can display on your shelf.

Also, digital releases do carry the added risk of getting delisted on the whims of the developers, the publishers, or Nintendo itself. It is, however, still a cheaper option, especially in a world where getting any discount is a welcome thought.

SEE ALSO: Nintendo sues the United States

Gaming

Razer Blade 16 (2026) packs more cores, faster memory

Razer’s thinnest gaming laptop yet

Published

March 26, 2026

Rodneil Quiteles

Razer has officially unveiled the 2026 version of its Blade 16, doubling down on what it does best: squeezing high-end performance into an ultra-slim chassis.

This year’s refresh focuses on meaningful internal upgrades. That includes a new Intel Core Ultra 9 processor, faster LPDDR5X memory, and NVIDIA’s latest RTX 50 Series laptop GPUs — all while keeping the Blade 16 as the thinnest gaming laptop in Razer’s lineup.

Performance gets a serious bump

At the core of the new Blade 16 is the Intel Core Ultra 9 386H, featuring 16 cores and up to 4.9GHz boost clock. Razer claims a 33% increase in core count versus the previous generation, translating to stronger performance across gaming, content creation, and AI workloads.

There’s also an integrated NPU capable of up to 50 TOPS, enabling faster on-device AI tasks like image generation and live translation.

Memory gets a notable upgrade too. The Blade 16 now supports up to 64GB of LPDDR5X-9600MHz RAM, which Razer positions as the fastest available in a laptop today. The result: quicker responsiveness for heavy multitasking, creative apps, and AI-assisted workflows.

On the graphics side, NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 50 Series (Blackwell architecture) brings DLSS 4 and enhanced AI capabilities for both gaming and creator use cases.

Display and design stay premium

Razer isn’t fixing what isn’t broken. The Blade 16 retains its signature CNC-milled aluminum chassis, measuring just 14.9mm thick and weighing around 2.14kg.

The display remains a highlight. You get a 16-inch QHD+ OLED panel with a 240Hz refresh rate, now brighter and certified for VESA DisplayHDR TrueBlack 1000. It supports full DCI-P3 coverage, Calman calibration, and NVIDIA G-SYNC, making it just as suited for creators as it is for competitive gaming.

Battery life and efficiency improve

Despite the performance gains, Razer is also pushing efficiency. Thanks to Intel’s newer architecture and system-level optimizations, the Blade 16 can hit up to 13 hours of productivity use and up to 15 hours of video playback under ideal conditions.

That’s a notable improvement for a machine in this class, especially given its slim form factor.

Connectivity and audio step up

The 2026 Blade 16 gets a future-ready connectivity suite, including Thunderbolt 5, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 6.0. There’s also a full set of ports, from USB-A to HDMI 2.1 and an SD card reader.

Audio gets an upgrade too. The six-speaker system now supports THX Spatial Audio+ with virtual 7.1.4 surround, aiming to deliver more immersive sound both on speakers and headphones.

Price and availability

The Razer Blade 16 configured with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 (16GB VRAM) and 32GB LPDDR5X-9600MHz RAM is priced at US$3,499.99 / €3,599.99 MSRP.

It is available now, exclusively via Razer.com and select RazerStores worldwide.

Still the Blade, just sharper

At a glance, the 2026 Blade 16 doesn’t reinvent the formula. But under the hood, it pushes performance, memory speed, and efficiency forward in ways that matter.

It’s still the same idea: a no-compromise gaming laptop that looks like it belongs in a minimalist workspace — just faster, smarter, and a bit more future-proof this time around.