Any sense of direction in Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is intentionally vague, whispered by an often conflicting chorus of voices, known as Furies, that serve as an ever-present reminder of the Celtic warrior Senua's psychosis.

Flaws and all, "Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice" is a one of a kind video game experience, providing an experience that hasn't been seen in gaming before.

They council me, they understand, they talk to me

Stunning environments; Melina Jeurgens' performance of Senua; Combat is satisfying; Story in interesting

Puzzles can become laborious

The makers of Heavenly Sword create a game with graphics to rival Horizon Zero Dawn and a story that demands to be take seriously.

The core combat is fantastic and the incredible visuals are amongst the best on the PlayStation 4; Ambitious and well-researched narrative

The puzzle elements are horribly dull and the game eventually runs out of interesting things to do with the combat; Poor pacing and confused storytelling

Hellblade is a remarkable game. Despite some frustrations in execution and some design decisions that are likely to drive some players away, Hellblade is a superb exploration of mental illness told with poise and poignancy.

After Enslaved: Odyssey to the West and 2013's Devil May Cry , developer Ninja Theory has taken a more intimate route by deciding to self-publish their new, ‘AAA', third-person action game.

Simple and deep combat system; Enthralling story; Gorgeous landscapes

Repetitive puzzles

In a world where mental illness is still very much a keep-hush conversational taboo, Ninja Theory must be applauded for tackling the issue with great passion and ferocity, placing it centre-stage in what is an incredibly hands-on medium. That's before even considering Hellblade as a game.

It's frustrating how close to a masterpiece Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is. It has the looks, the atmosphere, the swordplay and the heart. If only it had more focus on the storytelling and gameplay. First, it's the burdensome narrative that almost drowns all the sensibility stored in Senua's tale.

Exactly what the title says, honestly. The combat is somewhat graphic; blood spurts when you hit an enemy and environments can have corpses strewn about, but definitely NOTHING that a teen (even 11 or 12) couldn't handle.

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, based on Celtic myth, is an experience focused on delivering a deep character in a twisted world, with brutal uncompromising combat.