Selling cache sets at below mentioned price:
My profile- https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198272324546
steam rep- https://steamrep.com/profiles/76561198272324546
Add me if you are interested(only serious buyers (who have read the whole post and sure about buying))
buyer goes first. Reservation is mandatory and nonrefundable.
accepting dota 2 tradable items and tf2 keys
TI8 cache 1

Hero	Price ( USD)	Quantity
Trail of the Sanguine Spectrum(blood seeker)	15$	2
Pitfall Crusader(Pangolier)	23$	1
Insights of the Sapphire Shroud(Dark seer)	10$	5
Pillar of the Fractured Citadel(Spirit breaker)	12$	3
Forlorn Descent(Undying)	15$	0
The Murid Divine(necrophos)	22$	2
Primer of the Sapper's Guile(techies)	20$	3
Molokau Stalker(venomancer)	15$	4
Morbific Provision(witch doctor)	15$	3
Raptures of the Abyssal Kin(queen of pain)	12$	4
Fate Meridian(invoker)	25$	3
Grasp of the Riven Exile(weaver)	10$	6
Visions of the Lifted Veil(phantom assassin)	35$	1
Endowments of the Lucent Canopy(shadow shaman)	100$	sold out

TI8 cache 2

Hero	Price(USD)	Quantity
Pitmouse Fraternity(meepo)	15$	8
Fires of the Volcanic Guard(Ember spirit)	20$	7
Third Awakening(Dragon knight)	35$	0
Shackles of the Enduring Conscript(AXE)	8$	10
Shimmer of the Anointed(Nyx)	6$	10
Cruelties of the Spiral Bore(Magnus)	45$	sold out
Loaded Prospects(Brew master)	15$	8
Ire of Molten Rebirth(Phoenix)	8$	6
Pattern of the Silken Queen(Brood mother)	8$	11
Dread Ascendance(Doom)	50$	1
The Rat King(Chen)	10$	9
Raiments of the Obsidian Forge(Underlord)	20$	4

TI9 cache 1

Hero	Price(USD)	Quantity
Echoes of the Everblack(Abbadon)	30$	1
Allure of the Faeshade Flower(Dark willow)	25$	1
Paean of the Ink Dragon(Grimstroke)	20$	3
Scorched Amber(Dragon Knight)	30$	2
Priest of the Proudsilver Clan(Chen)	15$	5
The Arts of Mortal Deception(Enigma)	10$	4
Poacher's Bane(Tide hunter)	20$	6
Soul of the Brightshroud(Death prophet)	20$	2
Curse of the Creeping Vine(Undying)	20$	3
Pursuit of the Ember Demons (Husker)	22$	2
Appetites of the Lizard King(Slark)	25$	3
Forbidden Medicine(Dazzle)	20$	3
Riddle of the Hierophant(Oracle)	12$	7
Glimmer of the Sacred Hunt(Drow ranger)	30$	sold out
Adornments of the Jade Emissary(Earth Spirit)	25$	1
Defender of Ruin(Disrupter)	25$	8

TI9 cache 2

Hero	Price(USD)	Quantity
Sight of the Kha-Ren Faithful(Drow ranger)	15$	21
Tribal Pathways(Warlock)	10$	26
Directive of the Sunbound(Clockwork)	10$	23
Souls Tyrant(Shadow fiend)	40$	4
Endless Night(Abbadon)	25$	8
Dapper Disguise(Pudge)	18$	16
Prized Acquisitions(Bat rider)	6$	29
Verdant Predator(Venomancer)	8$	23
Fury of the Bloodforge(Bloodseeker)	10$	27
Automaton Antiquity(Broodmother)	10$	25
Tales of the Windward Rogue(Pangolier)	30$	5
Grim Destiny(Wraith king)	20$	21
Distinguished Expeditionary(Tusker)	12$	26
Fowl Omen(Necrophos)	18$	21
Cinder Sensei(Ember Spirit))	80$	4

TI10 cache 1

Hero	Price(USD)	Quantity
Origin of the Dark Oath(Night stalker)	28$	22
Ravenous Abyss (Underlord)	15$	34
Apocalypse Unbound(Ancient appartion)	10$	36
Beholden of the Banished Ones(Warlock)	15$	5
Fury of the Righteous Storm(Disrupter)	10$	36
Lineage of the Stormlords(Juggernaut)	35$	16
Silent Slayer(Silencer)	20$	32
Mindless Slaughter(Pudge)	15$	37
Heartless Hunt(Bounty hunter)	15$	31
Herald of the Ember Eye(Grim stroke)	15$	27
Fissured Flight(Jakiro)	12$	34
Flashpoint Proselyte(Husker)	20$	34
Glory of the Elderflame(Lina)	25$	26
Signs of the Allfather(Nature's Prophet)	20$	34
Songs of Starfall Glen(Enchantress)	10$	23
Ancient Inheritance(Tiny)	25$	51
Forsworn Legacy(Mars)	40$	26

TI10 cache 2

Hero	Price(USD)	Quantity
Evolution of the Infinite(Enigma)	10$	24
Beast of the Crimson Ring(Bristle Back)	15$	23
Clearcut Cavalier(Timbersaw)	8.5$	27
The King Of Thieves(Keeper of the light)	10$	27
Horror from the Deep(Tidehunter)	20$	22
Ire of the Ancient Gaoler(Arc warden)	40$	1
Talons of the Endless Storm(Chaos Knight)	14$	22
Carousal of the Mystic Masquerade(Rubick)	12$	26
Crown of Calaphas(Shadow demon)	15$	26
Wrath of the Fallen(Doom)	15$	26
Blacksail Cannoneer(Sniper)	13$	26
Secrets of the Celestial(Skywrath mage)	10$	27
Blaze of Oblivion(Phoenix)	8$	26
Master of the Searing Path(Ember spirit)	30$	10
Steward of the Forbidden Chamber(Templer assassin)	30$	30
Claszureme Incursion(Faceless Void)	95$	1

Aghanim's cache sets

Hero	Price(USD)	Quantity
Silverwurm Sacrifice(Dragon Knight)	40$	5
Scales of the Shadow Walker(Phantom lancer)	12$	19
Perception of the First Light(Dawn breaker)	12$	16
Apex Automated(Clockwork)	10$	17
Test of the Basilisk Lord(Razor)	12$	17
Secrets of the Frost Singularity(Ancient appartion)	8.5$	20
Perils of the Red Banks(Chen)	8$	20
The Chained Scribe(Grim stroke)	12$	18
Widow of the Undermount Gloom(Brood mother)	10$	20
Forgotten Fate(Mars)	10$	18
March of the Crackerjack Mage(Rubick)	10$	19
Stranger in the Wandering Isles(Drow ranger)	55$	1
Cosmic Concoctioneers(Alchemist)	7$	19
Days of the Demon(Axe)	25$	7
Blightfall(Abbadon)	8$	21
Pyrexae Polymorph Perfected(Ogre magi)	20$	25
Wrath of the Celestial Sentinel(Chaos Knight)	50$	8

Diretide cache set

Blue Horizons(Marci)	25$	6
Dark Behemoth(Primal beast)	50$	3

2023 cache sets

Hero	Price(USD)	Quantity
Snailfire (SnapFire)	25$	10
Brightfist (Marci)	22$	10
Primeval Abomination(primal beast)	8$	10
Astral Herald(dawn breaker)	15$	10
Spectral Shadow(Abbadon)	5$	10
Taur Rider(alchemist)	5$	10
Crescent Huntress(spectre)	10$	10
Tyrant of the Veil(wraith king)	8.5$	10
Tomo'kan Footsoldier(hood wink)	7$	10
Darkwood Eulogy(death prophet)	5$	10
Sea Spirit(kunkka)	12$	10
Triumph of the Imperatrix(legion commander)	7$	10
Beast of Thunder(storm spirit)	10$	10
Ancestral Heritage(jakiro)	6$	10
Dezun Viper(dazzle)	7.5$	10

Crownfall 2024 treasure
Drow ranger(Ravencloak)=45usd
Weather Effects

Weather	Price
Ash	10$
Aurora	3$
Harvest	3$
Moonbeam	5$
Rain	10$
Spring	5$
Snow	5$
Siroco	3$
Pestilence	2$

Buyers go first, add me now if interested for 30 days cooldown, make sure to leave a comment on my profile . 30% reserve amount required at the time of reserving cache sets. fees(depends on your payment method) on you.
If you are buying more than 4 cache sets then u will get addition discount.
WHY YOU SHOULD TRUST ME:
I have more than 1000$ worth of cache sets in my inventory and i have been selling cache sets from past 2 years so why would i scam you for some small amount and you can also check the profile of the people who have given their feedback on my profile . I can also provide you with screenshots of my previous successful trades

Do you think it makes sense to say "Christ is risen, therefore he is the Messiah"? I am trying to study Jewish prophecies, given that Jesus is the Messiah in relation to Jewish prophecies (we are not Marcionites, after all).
However, to me, it makes little sense to look at Jesus and then look back and say, "Look, Isaiah 7:14 speaks of Jesus," because if we read this prophecy, it doesn't speak of any messiah but rather of something that is immediately fulfilled.
Similarly, for example, I don't understand the purpose of dedicating an entire chapter (Ezekiel 40) to the architectural description of the "Third Temple" when, for Christ and Paul, the temple "is us, the members of the Church, and not a place."
I have the impression (and I emphasize, IMPRESSION, I am not stating anything with certainty) that very few "messianic" prophecies speak explicitly and undoubtedly about Jesus and that there are many more that do not point to him at all.
At present, I absolutely believe in Jesus in light of faith in his resurrection. I believe that he has risen, which seems reasonable to me, but it still seems very strange that our hermeneutics are based more on faith in the resurrection than on everything else (Not ONLY in the resurrection, but even in the fact that it is the most important and greatest religion of all, uniting people from all over the world into one mystical body, and especially for the immense spirituality and mystical and supernatural experience of the saints (such as Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Augustine of Hippo, or Saint Thomas Aquinas).
But I don't know, maybe these things are just superstitions or weak beliefs. Matthew, in his gospel, cites "fulfilled prophecies" that aren't even in the Old Testament! If I had to base my faith on the prophecies of the Old Testament and use them to investigate Jesus, regardless of whether he is resurrected or not, I don't know if I would follow him. What do you think?

I can't seem to progress any further. My last 5-10 realities were all 1e10-5e10 rms. Are there any suggestions, or glyphs setups

I am not even talking about scriptural problems within the bible, You don't have to open a single bible to start seeing the problems,
1-) The Problem of Salvation and Faith (Why the plan of salvation is ridiculous, and has failed)
I.The ridiculousness of the plan
A. Demanding blood for remission of sins Heb 9:22 - Why is this the terms that god insists upon? Isn't he the architect of the parameters regarding sin, punishment, and forgiveness? Is he not able to forgive sin without blood sacrifice? Can he not say, “No blood sacrifice necessary, I just forgive you?”
B. God sacrificing himself to himself to save us from himself by creating a loophole in the architecture for condemnation he engineered in the first place? This is your solution for a problem in which you yourself are the problem. It’s like a doctor stabbing people to be able to operate and save them.
C. Dying for someone else's crime does not equal justice in any court.
D. The sacrifice was not a sacrifice at all :

1. Jesus is said to be eternal
2. He spent a few days in misery out of his billions of years plus of existence
3. He spent a minutiae of a fraction of his existence suffering knowing he would be resurrected after the ordeal and spend eternity in divine luxury, and that somehow provides him justification to sentence us to trillions of years of eternity suffering without end?
4. Jesus is a supernatural immortal who suffered temporary mortal punishment and then sentences mortals to supernatural eternal punishment if they do not receive his sacrifice.
5. Why is three days of punishment followed by eternity in glory sufficient for all the horrible deeds any man has ever committed, but billions of years suffered in hell by a good moral person who does not believe due to lack of evidence is not sufficient?

2-) Nature of The Christian god
I. He is supposed to be an all Powerful and All mighty being and yet he died on a cross by his own creation (If you see someone claiming to be god and then you saw him hie before your very eyes, How on earth are you supposed to conclude anything else other than "This guy is a liar"?)
Modern Christians would respond to this saying "Only the Human part died, The Divine part wasn't affected"
Which again, doesn't make any sense :
A. Even when assuming a human sacrifice is somehow necessary for salvation, The sacrifice of 1 Human being can never be Enough to atone for the sins of all of mankind since Adam and Eve till the return of jesus.
I found a Coptic pope explaining this issue in detail, Here is a link to his book, https://st-takla.org/books/en/pope-shenouda-iii/nature-of-christ/propitiation-and-redemption.html
Quoting from it : "The belief in the One Nature of the Incarnate Logos is essential, necessary and fundamental for redemption. Redemption requires unlimited propitiation sufficient for the forgiveness of the unlimited sins of all the people through all ages. There was no solution other than the Incarnation of God the Logos to offer this through His Divine Power.
Thus, if we mention two natures and say that the human nature alone performed the act of redemption, it would have been entirely impossible to achieve unlimited propitiation for man's salvation. Hence comes the danger of speaking of two natures, each having its own specific tasks. In such case, the death of the human nature alone is insufficient."
It's very clear that saying only the human part died doesn't make any sense, Even according to the Christian theology itself.
B. The Trinity is based on a false idea
I know, It's a classic Argument against Christianity but you can't deny that it's an actual damning argument against the Christian theology.

1. God is all knowing but Jesus wasn't all knowing (mark 13:32)
2. Jesus is supposed to be god, but he is praying to himself to save himself with cries and tears?? (Luke 22:41-44)
3. Jesus is god but we can't say he is good because only god is good?? (Luke 18:18-19)
4. God can't be tempted by evil (James 1:13) but yet jesus was tempted by satan?? (Matthew 4:1)
5. Jesus is god but he can't do a thing on his own?? (John 5:31) 6.Jesus is supposed to be the same as the father, But their teachings are different? (John 7:16)

And so many more, Throught the bible i can't help but notice the intense number of verses which clearly states Jesus can't be god.
3-) The Problem of a Historical Jesus (Why we don’t know the actual historical Jesus)
I. No contemporary historical evidence,
A. No historian alive during Jesus day wrote about Jesus despite ample opportunity

1. The kings coming to his birth
2. Herod’s slaughter of baby boys
3. The overthrowing of money changers
4. Jesus triumphant entry into Jerusalem where he is declared king by the whole town.
5. Darkness covering the whole earth for hours on Jesus’ Death
6. The earthquakes at Jesus’ death
7. The rending of the temple veil at Jesus’ Death
8. The resurrection of Jesus that was seen by 500 witnesses.(Only Paul claims that, even tho he never met jesus)

II. The Gospels are contradicting, late hearsay accounts
A. Mark, the earliest gospel, was written at least after 70 A.D. (referencing fall of temple) by a non-eyewitness, and makes numerous cultural and geographical errors that a Jewish writer would not have made such as locations of rivers, cultural customs regarding divorce, locations of towns or Jesus quoting from the greek Septuagint etc. (see geographical and historical errors in this link, https://holtz.org/Library/Philosophy/Metaphysics/Theology/Christianity/Criticism/Bible%20Problems%20by%20Packham%201998.htm#ERRORS )
B. The other gospels all copied from Mark. Luke and Matthew contain over 70% of Mark and mainly make changes in attempts to fix blatant errors made in Mark and to correct Mark’s poor grammar.The writer of Luke even reveals to us in Luke 1:2 that he was not an eyewitness, but that the story has been passed down to him.
C. Four where chosen by the church father Iraeneus because he believed the earth was founded on four pillars and so too, should the gospels be founded by only four accounts.
Iraenus also revealed the names of the Gospels in the late second century, without any reason to assume they where the authentic authors - no one knows who actually wrote them!
D. John was initially considered heretical by the early church because of its variation from the synoptic but was overwhelmingly popular amongst Christians and so was included.
E. The book of Revelations was also considered heretical by many :
For centuries The Revelation was a rejected book. In the 4th century, St.John Chrysostom and other bishops argued against it. Christians in Syria also reject it. The Synod of Laodicea: c. 363, rejected The Revelation. In the late 380s, Gregory of Nazianus produced a canon omitting The Revelation. Bishop Amphilocus of Iconium, in his poem Iambics for Seleucus written some time after 394, rejects The Revelation. When St.Jerome translated the Bible into Latin, producing the Vulgate bible c. 400, he argued for the Veritas Hebraica, meaning the truth of the Jewish Bible over the Septuagint translation. At the insistence of the Pope, however, he added existing translations for what he considered doubtful books: among them The Revelation. The Church in the East never included the Revelation.
4-) The early church did not seem to know anything about a historical Jesus. Huge amounts of disagreement over Jesus in the first hundred years :

1. Some churches didn’t even believe he had a physical body, prompting Paul to write about that very issue.
   
2. There was an enormous debate between all the major early churches as to whether Jesus was divine or not, this was settled at the council of Nicea by the Roman Emperor Constantine.
   

5-) Which Bible?
A. Over 450 English versions of the bible All are translated using different methods and from entirely different manuscripts
B. Thousands of manuscripts disagreeing with each other wildly in what verses and even books they contain.
C. Different translations teach entirely different things in places, some often leaving out entire chapters and verses or containing footnotes warning of possible error due to uncertainty about the reliability of the numerous manuscripts.
Take a look at this example, 1- Revised standard version 2- Revised standard version Catholic edition 3- NEW revised standard version Updated edition 4- NEW revised standard version Catholic edition 5- NEW revised standard version, Anglicised 6- NEW revised standard version, Anglicised Catholic edition
How many attempts would it take to finally get it right ?!
6-) The Morality of the bible
I don't like using Morality as an argument because i believe it's a subjective thing, But I cannot help but notice how the morals of the OT and the NT are completely contradictory
In the OT god was Angry, Vengeful, Demands war, order genocides, Ordered the killing of children and even the ripping open of pregnant women.
But in the NT he somehow became loving, a father figure, saying if anyone hits you you shouldn't even respond back.

• In Conclusion: I don't think Christianity can be accepted as the truth by any logical person (Even most convert stories i heard were basically "I saw jesus in a dream" or "The holy spirit held my hand")

There is so many Theological confusion, A salvation idea that makes 0 sense, Lack of any form of historical critirea of knowing what is true manuscripts and what is hearsays (The authors of the gospels are all Anynomous),
There is even disagreement within Christianity itself about what stories go into the bible (Many stories have been found out to be false like John 8:1-11 and Mark 16:18)
https://textandcanon.org/does-the-woman-caught-in-adultery-belong-in-the-bible/
The lack of consistency on literally everything makes it one of the least convincing religion in my opinion.

"Why Did Jesus Die on the Cross?"

The main reason Jesus died on the cross was to defeat Satan and set us free from his oppressive rule. Everything else that Jesus accomplished was to be understood as an aspect and consequence of this victory (e.g., Recapitulation, Moral Influence, etc.).
This understanding of why Jesus had to die is called the Christus Victor (Latin for “Christ is Victorious”) view of the atonement. But, what exactly was Christ victorious from, and why? To find out the answers to these questions, we have to turn to the Old Testament, as that's what the apostles would often allude to in order to properly teach their audience the message they were trying to convey (Rom. 15:4).
The OT is full of conflict between the Father (YHVH) and false gods, between YHVH and cosmic forces of chaos. The Psalms speak of this conflict between YHVH and water monsters of the deeps (an ancient image for chaos) (Psa. 29:3-4; 74:10-14; 77:16, 19; 89:9-10; 104:2-9, etc).
The liberation of Israel from Egypt wasn’t just a conflict between Pharaoh and Moses. It was really between YHVH and the false gods of Egypt.
Regardless of whether you think the aforementioned descriptions are literal or metaphorical, the reality that the Old Testament describes is that humanity lived in a “cosmic war zone.”
The Christus Victor motif is about Christ reigning victorious over wicked principalities and Satan's kingdom, and is strongly emphasized throughout the New Testament. Scripture declares that Jesus came to drive out "the prince of this world” (John 12:31), to “destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8), to “destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14) and to “put all enemies under his feet” (1 Cor 15:25). Jesus came to overpower the “strong man” (Satan) who held the world in bondage and worked with his Church to plunder his "palace" (Luke 11:21-22). He came to end the reign of the cosmic “thief” who seized the world to “steal, and to kill, and to destroy” the life YHVH intended for us (John 10:10). Jesus came and died on the cross to disarm “the principalities and powers” and make a “shew of them openly [i.e., public spectacle]” by “triumphing over them in [the cross]” (Col. 2:15).
Beyond these explicit statements, there are many other passages that express the Christus Victor motif as well. For example, the first prophecy in the Bible foretells that a descendent of Eve (Jesus) would crush the head of the serpent (Gen. 3:15). The first Christian sermon ever preached proclaimed that Jesus in principle conquered all YHVH's enemies (Acts 2:32-36). And the single most frequently quoted Old Testament passage by New Testament authors is Psalm 110:1 which predicts that Christ would conquer all YHVH’s opponents. (Psalm 110 is quoted or alluded to in Matthew 22:41-45; 26:64, Mark 12:35-37; 14:62, Luke 20:41-44; 22:69, Acts 5:31; 7:55-56, Romans 8:34, 1st Corinthians 15:22-25, Ephesians 1:20, Hebrews 1:3; 1:13; 5:6, 10; 6:20; 7:11, 15, 17, 21; 8:1; 10:12-13, 1st Peter 3:22, and Revelation 3:21.) According to New Testament scholar Oscar Cullman, the frequency with which New Testament authors cite this Psalm is the greatest proof that Christ’s “victory over the angel powers stands at the very center of early Christian thought.”
Because of man's rebellion, the Messiah's coming involved a rescue mission that included a strategy for vanquishing the powers of darkness.
Since YHVH is a God of love who gives genuine “say-so” to both angels and humans, YHVH rarely accomplishes His providential plans through coercion. YHVH relies on His infinite wisdom to achieve His goals. Nowhere is YHVH's wisdom put more on display than in the manner in which He outsmarted Satan and the powers of evil, using their own evil to bring about their defeat.
Most readers probably know the famous story from ancient Greece about the Trojan Horse. To recap the story, Troy and Greece had been locked in a ten-year-long vicious war when, according to Homer and Virgil, the Greeks came up with a brilliant idea. They built an enormous wooden horse, hid soldiers inside and offered it to the Trojans as a gift, claiming they were conceding defeat and going home. The delighted Trojans accepted the gift and proceeded to celebrate by drinking themselves into a drunken stupor. When night came and the Trojan warriors were too wasted to fight, the Greeks exited the horse, unlocked the city gates to quietly let all their compatriots in, and easily conquered the city, thus winning the war.
Historians debate whether any of this actually happened. But either way, as military strategies go, it’s brilliant.
Now, there are five clues in the New Testament that suggest YHVH was using something like this Trojan Horse strategy against the powers when he sent Jesus into the world:
1) The Bible tells us that YHVH's victory over the powers of darkness was achieved by the employment of YHVH’s wisdom, and was centered on that wisdom having become reality in Jesus Christ (Rom. 16:25, 1 Cor. 2:7, Eph. 3:9-10, Col. 1:26). It also tells us that, for some reason, this Christ-centered wisdom was kept “secret and hidden” throughout the ages. It’s clear from this that YHVH's strategy was to outsmart and surprise the powers by sending Jesus.
2) While humans don’t generally know Jesus’ true identity during his ministry, demons do. They recognize Jesus as the Son of God, the Messiah, but, interestingly enough, they have no idea what he’s doing (Mark 1:24; 3:11; 5:7, Luke 8:21). Again, the wisdom of YHVH in sending Jesus was hidden from them.
3) We’re told that, while humans certainly share in the responsibility for the crucifixion, Satan and the powers were working behind the scenes to bring it about (John 13:27 cf. 1 Cor. 2:6-8). These forces of evil helped orchestrate the crucifixion.
4) We’re taught that if the “princes of this world [age]” had understood the secret wisdom of YHVH, “they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Cor 2:8 cf. vss 6-7). Apparently, Satan and the powers regretted orchestrating Christ’s crucifixion once they learned of the wisdom of YHVH that was behind it.
5) Finally, we can begin to understand why the powers came to regret crucifying “the Lord of glory” when we read that it was by means of the crucifixion that the “handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us [i.e., the charge of our legal indebtedness]” was “[taken] out of the way [i.e., canceled]” as the powers were disarmed. In this way Christ “triumph[ed] over” the powers by "his cross” and even “made a shew of them openly” (Col. 2:14-15). Through Christ’s death and resurrection YHVH's enemies were vanquished and placed under his Messiah's feet, and ultimately His own in the end (1 Cor. 15:23-28).
Putting these five clues together, we can discern YHVH's Trojan Horse strategy in sending Jesus.
The powers couldn’t discern why Jesus came because YHVH's wisdom was hidden from them. YHVH's wisdom was motivated by unfathomable love, and since Satan and the other powers were evil, they lacked the capacity to understand it. Their evil hearts prevented them from suspecting what YHVH was up to.
What the powers did understand was that Jesus was mortal. This meant he was killable. Lacking the capacity to understand that this was the means by which YHVH would ultimately bring about the defeat of death (and thus, pave the road for the resurrection itself), they never suspected that making Jesus vulnerable to their evil might actually be part of YHVH's infinitely wise plan.
And so they took the bait (or "ransom"; Matt. 20:28, Mark 10:45, 1 Tim. 2:5-6). Utilizing Judas and other willing human agents, the powers played right into YHVH’s secret plan and orchestrated the crucifixion of the Messiah (Acts 2:22-23; 4:28). YHVH thus brilliantly used the self-inflicted incapacity of evil to understand love against itself. And, like light dispelling darkness, the unfathomably beautiful act of YHVH's love in sending the willing Messiah as a "ransom" to these blood-thirsty powers defeated them. The whole creation was in principle freed and reconciled to YHVH, while everything written against us humans was nailed to the cross, thus robbing the powers of the only legal claim they had on us. They were “spoiled [i.e., disempowered]” (Col. 2:14-15).
As happened to the Trojans in accepting the gift from the Greeks, in seizing on Christ’s vulnerability and orchestrating his crucifixion, the powers unwittingly cooperated with YHVH to unleash the one power in the world that dispels all evil and sets captives free. It’s the power of self-sacrificial love.

Why Penal Substitution Is Unbiblical

For the sake of keeping this already lengthy post as short as possible I'm not going to spend too much time on why exactly PSA (Penal Substitutionary Atonement) is inconsistent with Scripture, but I'll go ahead and point out the main reasons why I believe this is so, and let the reader look further into this subject by themselves, being that there are many resources out there which have devoted much more time than I ever could here in supporting this premise.

"Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:"-1 Corinthians 5:7

The Passover is one of the two most prominent images in the New Testament given as a comparison to Christ's atonement and what it accomplished, (the other most common image being the Day of Atonement sacrifice).
In the Passover, the blood of the lamb on the door posts of the Hebrews in the book of Exodus was meant to mark out those who were YHVH's, not be a symbol of PSA, as the lamb itself was not being punished by God in place of the Hebrews, but rather the kingdom of Egypt (and thus, allegorically speaking, the kingdom of darkness which opposed YHVH) was what was being judged and punished, because those who were not "covered" by the blood of the lamb could be easily identified as not part of God's kingdom/covenant and liberated people.
Looking at the Day of Atonement sacrifice (which, again, Christ's death is repeatedly compared to throughout the New Testament), this ritual required a ram, a bull, and two goats (Lev. 16:3-5). The ram was for a burnt offering intended to please God (Lev. 16:3-4). The bull served as a sin offering for Aaron, the high priest, and his family. In this case, the sin offering restored the priest to ritual purity, allowing him to occupy sacred space and be near YHVH’s presence. Two goats taken from "the congregation” were needed for the single sin offering for the people (Lev. 16:5). So why two goats?
The high priest would cast lots over the two goats, with one chosen as a sacrifice “for the Lord” (Lev. 16:8). The blood of that goat would purify the people. The second goat was not sacrificed or designated “for the Lord.” On the contrary, this goat—the one that symbolically carried the sins away from the camp of Israel into the wilderness—was “for Azazel” (Lev. 16:8-10).
What—or who—is Azazel?
The Hebrew term azazel (עזאזל) occurs four times in Leviticus 16 but nowhere else in most people's canon of the Bible, (and I say "most people's canon," because some people do include 1 Enoch in their canon of Scripture, which of course goes into great detail about this "Azazel" figure). Many translations prefer to translate the term as a phrase, “the goat that goes away,” which is the same idea conveyed in the King James Version’s “scapegoat.” Other translations treat the word as a name: Azazel. The “scapegoat” option is possible, but since the phrase “for Azazel” parallels the phrase “for YHVH” (“for the Lord”), the wording suggests that two divine figures are being contrasted by the two goats.
A strong case can be made for translating the term as the name Azazel. Ancient Jewish texts show that Azazel was understood as a demonic figure associated with the wilderness. The Mishnah (ca. AD 200; Yoma 6:6) records that the goat for Azazel was led to a cliff and pushed over, ensuring it would not return with its death. This association of the wilderness with evil is also evident in the New Testament, as this was where Jesus met the devil (Matt. 4:1). Also, in Leviticus 17:1-7 we learn that some Israelites had been accustomed to sacrificing offerings to "devils" (alternatively translated as “goat demons”). The Day of Atonement replaced this illegitimate practice.
The second goat was not sent into the wilderness as a sacrifice to a foreign god or demon. The act of sending the live goat out into the wilderness, which was unholy ground, was to send the sins of the people where they belonged—to the demonic domain. With one goat sacrificed to bring purification and access to YHVH and one goat sent to carry the people’s sins to the demonic domain, this annual ritual reinforced the identity of the true God and His mercy and holiness.
When Jesus died on the cross for all of humanity’s sins, he was crucified outside the city, paralleling the sins of the people being cast to the wilderness via the goat to Azazel. Jesus died once for all sinners, negating the need for this ritual.
As previously stated, the goat which had all the sin put on it was sent alive off to the wilderness, while the blood of the goat which was blameless was used to purify the temple and the people. Penal substitution would necessitate the killing of the goat which had the sin put on it.
Mind you, this is the only sacrificial ritual of any kind in the Torah in which sins are placed on an animal. The only time it happens is this, and that animal is not sacrificed. Most PSA proponents unwittingly point to this ritual as evidence of their view, despite it actually serving as evidence to the contrary, because most people don't read their Old Testament and don't familiarize themselves with the "boring parts" like Leviticus (when it's actually rather important to do so, since that book explains how exactly animal offerings were to be carried out and why they were done in the first place).
In the New Testament, Christ's blood was not only meant to mark out those who were his, but also expel the presence of sin and ritual uncleanness so as to make the presence of YHVH manifest in the believer's life. Notice how God's wrath isn't poured out on Christ in our stead on this view, but rather His wrath was poured out on those who weren't covered, and the presence of sin and evil were merely removed by that which is pure and blameless (Christ's blood) for the believer.
All this is the difference between expiation and propitiation.

The Content of Paul's Gospel Message

When the New Testament writers talked about “the gospel,” they referred not to the Protestant doctrine of justification sola fide–the proposition that if we will stop trying to win God’s favor and only just believe that God has exchanged our sin for Christ’s perfect righteousness, then in God’s eyes we will have the perfect righteousness required both for salvation and for assuaging our guilty consciences–but rather they referred to the simple but explosive proposition Kyrios Christos, “Christ is Lord.” That is to say, the gospel was, properly speaking, the royal announcement that Jesus of Nazareth was the God of Israel’s promised Messiah, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
The New Testament writers were not writing in a cultural or linguistic vacuum and their language of euangelion (good news) and euangelizomai would have been understood by their audience in fairly specific ways. Namely, in the Greco-Roman world for which the New Testament authors wrote, euangelion/euangelizomai language typically had to do with either A) the announcement of the accession of a ruler, or B) the announcement of a victory in battle, and would probably have been understood along those lines.
Let’s take the announcements of a new ruler first. The classic example of such a language is the Priene Calendar Inscription, dating to circa 9 BC, which celebrates the rule (and birthday) of Caesar Augustus as follows:
"It was seeming to the Greeks in Asia, in the opinion of the high priest Apollonius of Menophilus Azanitus: Since Providence, which has ordered all things of our life and is very much interested in our life, has ordered things in sending Augustus, whom she filled with virtue for the benefit of men, sending him as a savior [soter] both for us and for those after us, him who would end war and order all things, and since Caesar by his appearance [epiphanein] surpassed the hopes of all those who received the good tidings [euangelia], not only those who were benefactors before him, but even the hope among those who will be left afterward, and the birthday of the god [he genethlios tou theou] was for the world the beginning of the good tidings [euangelion] through him; and Asia resolved it in Smyrna."
The association of the term euangelion with the announcement of Augustus’ rule is clear enough and is typical of how this language is used elsewhere. To give another example, Josephus records that at the news of the accession of the new emperor Vespasian (69 AD) “every city kept festival for the good news (euangelia) and offered sacrifices on his behalf.” (The Jewish War, IV.618). Finally, a papyrus dating to ca. 498 AD begins:
"Since I have become aware of the good news (euangeliou) about the proclamation as Caesar (of Gaius Julius Verus Maximus Augustus)…"
This usage occurs also in the Septuagint, the Greek translations of the Jewish Scriptures. For instance LXX Isaiah 52:7 reads, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news (euangelizomenou), who publishes peace, who brings good news (euangelizomenos) of salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.'" Similarly, LXX Isaiah 40:9-10 reads:

"…Go up on a high mountain, you who bring good tidings (ho euangelizomenos) to Sion; lift up your voice with strength, you who bring good tidings (ho euangelizomenos); lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Ioudas, “See your God!” Behold, the Lord comes with strength, and his arm with authority (kyrieias)…."-NETS, Esaias 40:9-10

This consistent close connection between euangelion/euangelizomai language and announcements of rule strongly suggests that many of the initial hearers/readers of the early Christians’ evangelical language would likely have understood that language as the announcement of a new ruler (see, e.g., Acts 17:7), and, unless there is strong NT evidence to the contrary, we should presume that the NT writers probably intended their language to be so understood.
However, the other main way in which euangelion/euangelizomai language was used in the Greco-Roman world was with reference to battle reports, announcements of victory in war. A classic example of this sort of usage can be found in LXX 2 Samuel 18:19ff, where David receives word that his traitorous son, Absalom, has been defeated in battle. Euangelion/euangelizomai is used throughout the passage for the communications from the front.
As already shown throughout this post, the NT speaks of Jesus’s death and resurrection as a great victory over the powers that existed at that time and, most importantly, over death itself. Jesus’ conquest of the principalities and powers was the establishment of his rule and comprehensive authority over heaven and earth, that is, of his Lordship over all things (again, at that time).
This was the content of Paul's gospel message...

Justification, and the "New" Perspective on Paul

The following quotation is from The Gospel Coalition, and I believe it to be a decently accurate summary of the NPP (New Perspective on Paul), despite it being from a source which is in opposition to it:

The New Perspective on Paul, a major scholarly shift that began in the 1980s, argues that the Jewish context of the New Testament has been wrongly understood and that this misunderstand[ing] has led to errors in the traditional-Protestant understanding of justification. According to the New Perspective, the Jewish systems of salvation were not based on works-righteousness but rather on covenantal nomism, the belief that one enters the people of God by grace and stays in through obedience to the covenant. This means that Paul could not have been referring to works-righteousness by his phrase “works of the law”; instead, he was referring to Jewish boundary markers that made clear who was or was not within the people of God. For the New Perspective, this is the issue that Paul opposes in the NT. Thus, justification takes on two aspects for the New Perspective rather than one; initial justification is by faith (grace) and recognizes covenant status (ecclesiology), while final justification is partially by works, albeit works produced by the Spirit.

I believe what's called the "new perspective" is actually rather old, and that the Reformers' view of Paul is what is truly new, being that the Lutheran understanding of Paul is simply not Biblical.
The Reformation perspective understands Paul to be arguing against a legalistic Jewish culture that seeks to earn their salvation through works. However, supporters of the NPP argue that Paul has been misread. We contend he was actually combating Jews who were boasting because they were God's people, the "elect" or the "chosen ones." Their "works," so to speak, were done to show they were God's covenant people and not to earn their salvation.
The key questions involve Paul’s view(s) of the law and the meaning of the controversy in which Paul was engaged. Paul strongly argued that we are “justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law” (Gal. 2:16b). Since the time of Martin Luther, this has been understood as an indictment of legalistic efforts to merit favor before God. Judaism was cast in the role of the medieval "church," and so Paul’s protests became very Lutheran, with traditional-Protestant theology reinforced in all its particulars (along with its limitations) as a result. In hermeneutical terms, then, the historical context of Paul’s debate will answer the questions we have about what exactly the apostle meant by the phrase "works of the law," along with other phrases often used as support by the Reformers for their doctrine of Sola Fide (justification by faith alone), like when Paul mentions "the righteousness of God."
Obviously an in-depth analysis of the Pauline corpus and its place in the context of first-century Judaism would take us far beyond the scope of this brief post. We can, however, quickly survey the topography of Paul’s thought in context, particularly as it has emerged through the efforts of recent scholarship, and note some salient points which may be used as the basis of a refurbished soteriology.
[Note: The more popular scholars associated with the NPP are E.P. Sanders, James Dunn, and N.T. Wright. Dunn was the first to coin the term "The New Perspective" in a 1983 Manson Memorial Lecture, The New Perspective on Paul and the Law.]
Varying authors since the early 1900's have brought up the charge that Paul was misread by those in the tradition of Martin Luther and other Protestant Reformers. Yet, it wasn't until E.P. Sanders' 1977 book, Paul and Palestinian Judaism, that scholars began to pay much attention to the issue. In his book, Sanders argues that the Judaism of Paul's day has been wrongly criticized as a religion of "works-salvation" by those in the Protestant tradition.
A fundamental premise in the NPP is that Judaism was actually a religion of grace. Sander's puts it clearly:
"On the point at which many have found the decisive contrast between Paul and Judaism - grace and works - Paul is in agreement with Palestinian Judaism... Salvation is by grace but judgment is according to works'...God saves by grace, but... within the framework established by grace he rewards good deeds and punishes transgression." (Paul and Palestinian Judaism, p. 543)
N.T. Wright adds that, "we have misjudged early Judaism, especially Pharisaism, if we have thought of it as an early version of Pelagianism," (Wright, What Saint Paul Really Said, p. 32).
Sanders has coined a now well-known phrase to describe the character of first-century Palestinian Judaism: “covenantal nomism.” The meaning of “covenantal nomism” is that human obedience is not construed as the means of entering into God’s covenant. That cannot be earned; inclusion within the covenant body is by the grace of God. Rather, obedience is the means of maintaining one’s status within the covenant. And with its emphasis on divine grace and forgiveness, Judaism was never a religion of legalism.
If covenantal nomism was operating as the primary category under which Jews understood the Law, then when Jews spoke of obeying commandments, or when they required strict obedience of themselves and fellow Jews, it was because they were "keeping the covenant," rather than out of legalism.
More recently, N.T. Wright has made a significant contribution in his little book, What Saint Paul Really Said. Wright’s focus is the gospel and the doctrine of justification. With incisive clarity he demonstrates that the core of Paul’s gospel was not justification by faith, but the death and resurrection of Christ and his exaltation as Lord. The proclamation of the gospel was the proclamation of Jesus as Lord, the Messiah who fulfilled Israel’s expectations. Romans 1:3-4, not 1:16-17, is the gospel, contrary to traditional thinking. Justification is not the center of Paul’s thought, but an outworking of it:
"[T]he doctrine of justification by faith is not what Paul means by ‘the gospel’. It is implied by the gospel; when the gospel is proclaimed, people come to faith and so are regarded by God as members of his people. But ‘the gospel’ is not an account of how people get saved. It is, as we saw in an earlier chapter, the proclamation of the lordship of Jesus Christ….Let us be quite clear. ‘The gospel’ is the announcement of Jesus’ lordship, which works with power to bring people into the family of Abraham, now redefined around Jesus Christ and characterized solely by faith in him. ‘Justification’ is the doctrine which insists that all those who have this faith belong as full members of this family, on this basis and no other." (pp. 132, 133)
Wright brings us to this point by showing what “justification” would have meant in Paul’s Jewish context, bound up as it was in law-court terminology, eschatology, and God’s faithfulness to God’s covenant.
Specifically, Wright explodes the myth that the pre-Christian Saul was a pious, proto-Pelagian moralist seeking to earn his individual passage into heaven. Wright capitalizes on Paul’s autobiographical confessions to paint rather a picture of a zealous Jewish nationalist whose driving concern was to cleanse Israel of Gentiles as well as Jews who had lax attitudes toward the Torah. Running the risk of anachronism, Wright points to a contemporary version of the pre-Christian Saul: Yigal Amir, the zealous Torah-loyal Jew who assassinated Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin for exchanging Israel’s land for peace. Wright writes:
"Jews like Saul of Tarsus were not interested in an abstract, ahistorical system of salvation... They were interested in the salvation which, they believed, the one true God had promised to his people Israel." (pp. 32, 33)
Wright maintains that as a Christian, Paul continued to challenge paganism by taking the moral high ground of the creational monotheist. The doctrine of justification was not what Paul preached to the Gentiles as the main thrust of his gospel message; it was rather “the thing his converts most needed to know in order to be assured that they really were part of God’s people” after they had responded to the gospel message.
Even while taking the gospel to the Gentiles, however, Paul continued to criticize Judaism “from within” even as he had as a zealous Pharisee. But whereas his mission before was to root out those with lax attitudes toward the Torah, now his mission was to demonstrate that God’s covenant faithfulness (righteousness) has already been revealed in Jesus Christ.
At this point Wright carefully documents Paul’s use of the controversial phrase “God’s righteousness” and draws out the implications of his meaning against the background of a Jewish concept of justification. The righteousness of God and the righteousness of the party who is “justified” cannot be confused because the term bears different connotations for the judge than for the plaintiff or defendant. The judge is “righteous” if his or her judgment is fair and impartial; the plaintiff or defendant is “righteous” if the judge rules in his or her favor. Hence:
"If we use the language of the law court, it makes no sense whatsoever to say that the judge imputes, imparts, bequeaths, conveys or otherwise transfers his righteousness to either the plaintiff or the defendant. Righteousness is not an object, a substance or a gas which can be passed across the courtroom. For the judge to be righteous does not mean that the court has found in his favor. For the plaintiff or defendant to be righteous does not mean that he or she has tried the case properly or impartially. To imagine the defendant somehow receiving the judge’s righteousness is simply a category mistake. That is not how the language works." (p. 98)
However, Wright makes the important observation that even with the forensic metaphor, Paul’s theology is not so much about the courtroom as it is about God’s love.
Righteousness is not an impersonal, abstract standard, a measuring-stick or a balancing scale. That was, and still is, a Greek view. Righteousness, Biblically speaking, grows out of covenant relationship. We forgive because we have been forgiven (Matt. 18:21-35); “we love" because God “first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Love is the fulfillment of the law (Rom. 13:8, 10, Gal 5:14, Jam. 2:8). Paul even looked forward to a day when “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10), and he acknowledged that his clear conscience did not necessarily ensure this verdict (1 Cor. 4:4), but he was confident nevertheless. Paul did in fact testify of his clear conscience: “For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation [i.e., behavior] in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward” (2 Cor. 1:12). He was aware that he had not yet “attained” (Phil. 3:12-14), that he still struggled with the flesh, yet he was confident of the value of his performance (1 Cor. 9:27). These are hardly the convictions of someone who intends to rest entirely on the merits of an alien righteousness imputed to his or her account.
Wright went on to flesh out the doctrine of justification in Galatians, Philippians, and Romans. The “works of the law” are not proto-Pelagian efforts to earn salvation, but rather “sabbath [keeping], food-laws, circumcision” (p. 132). Considering the controversy in Galatia, Wright writes:
"Despite a long tradition to the contrary, the problem Paul addresses in Galatians is not the question of how precisely someone becomes a Christian, or attains to a relationship with God….The problem he addresses is: should his ex-pagan converts be circumcised or not? Now this question is by no means obviously to do with the questions faced by Augustine and Pelagius, or by Luther and Erasmus. On anyone’s reading, but especially within its first-century context, it has to do quite obviously with the question of how you define the people of God: are they to be defined by the badges of Jewish race, or in some other way? Circumcision is not a ‘moral’ issue; it does not have to do with moral effort, or earning salvation by good deeds. Nor can we simply treat it as a religious ritual, then designate all religious ritual as crypto-Pelagian good works, and so smuggle Pelagius into Galatia as the arch-opponent after all. First-century thought, both Jewish and Christian, simply doesn’t work like that…. [T]he polemic against the Torah in Galatians simply will not work if we ‘translate’ it into polemic either against straightforward self-help moralism or against the more subtle snare of ‘legalism’, as some have suggested. The passages about the law only work — and by ‘work’ I mean they will only make full sense in their contexts, which is what counts in the last analysis — when we take them as references to the Jewish law, the Torah, seen as the national charter of the Jewish race." (pp. 120-122)
The debate about justification, then, “wasn’t so much about soteriology as about ecclesiology; not so much about salvation as about the church.” (p. 119)
To summarize the theology of Paul in his epistles, the apostle mainly spent time arguing to those whom he were sending letters that salvation in Christ was available to all men without distinction. Jews and Gentiles alike may accept the free gift; it was not limited to any one group. Paul was vehement about this, especially in his letter to the Romans. As such, I will finish this post off by summarizing the letter itself, so as to provide Biblical support for the premises of the NPP and for what the scholars I referenced have thus far argued.
After his introduction in the epistle to an already believing and mostly Gentile audience (who would've already been familiar with the gospel proclaimed in verses 3-4), Paul makes a thematic statement in 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” This statement is just one of many key statements littered throughout the book of Romans that give us proper understanding of the point Paul wished to make to the interlocutors of his day, namely, salvation is available to all, whether Jew or Gentile.
In 1:16 Paul sets out a basic theme of his message in the letter to the Romans. All who believed, whether they be Jew or Gentile, were saved by the power of the gospel. The universal nature of salvation was explicitly stated. The gospel saved all without distinction, whether Jew or Greek; salvation was through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Immediately after this thematic declaration, Paul undertakes to show the universal nature of sin and guilt. In 1:18-32 Paul shows how the Gentile is guilty before God. Despite evidence of God and his attributes, which is readily available to all, they have failed to honor YHVH as God and have exchanged His glory for idolatrous worship and self-promotion. As a consequence, God handed them over in judgment (1:18-32). Paul moves to denunciation of those who would judge others while themselves being guilty of the very same offenses (2:1-5) and argues that all will be judged according to their deeds (2:6). This judgment applies to all, namely, Jew and Greek (2:9-10). This section serves as somewhat of a transition in Paul’s argument. He has highlighted the guilt of the Gentiles (1:18ff) and will shortly outline the guilt of the Jew (2:17-24). The universal statement of 2:1-11 sets the stage for Paul’s rebuke of Jewish presumption. It was not possession of the Law which delivered; it was faithful obedience. It is better to have no Law and yet to obey the essence of the Law (2:12-16) than to have the Law and not obey (2:17-3:4). Paul then defends the justice of God’s judgment (3:5-8), which leads to the conclusion that all (Jew and Gentile) are guilty before God (3:9).
Paul argues that it was a mistaken notion to think that salvation was the prerogative of the Jew only. This presumption is wrong for two reasons. First, it leads to the mistaken assumption that only Jews were eligible for this vindication (Paul deals with this misunderstanding in chapter 4 where he demonstrates that Abraham was justified by faith independently of the Law and is therefore the father of all who believe, Jew and Gentile alike). Second, it leads to the equally mistaken conclusion that all who were Jews are guaranteed of vindication. Paul demonstrates how this perspective, which would call God’s integrity into question since Paul was assuming many Jews would not experience this vindication, was misguided. He did this by demonstrating that it was never the case that all physical descendants of Israel (Jacob) were likewise recipients of the promise. In the past (9:6-33) as in the present (at that time; 11:1-10), only a remnant was preserved and only a remnant would experience vindication. Paul also argued that the unbelief of national Israel (the non-remnant) had the purpose of extending the compass of salvation. The unbelief of one group made the universal scope of the gospel possible. This universalism was itself intended to bring about the vindication of the unbelieving group (11:11-16). As a result of faith, all (Jew and Gentile) could be branches of the olive tree (11:17-24). Since faith in Christ was necessary to remain grafted into the tree, no one could boast of his position. All, Jew and Gentile alike, were dependent upon the mercy and grace of God. As a result of God’s mysterious plan, He would bring about the vindication of His people (11:25-27). [Note: It is this author's belief that this vindication occurred around 66-70 AD, with the Parousia of Christ's Church; this author is Full-Preterist in their Eschatology.]

The Scriptures seem to imply that the kingdom of God isn't exactly synonymous with what is called "the Church." The Church was a temporary eschatological community of believers that existed on earth in preparation of a kingdom where God Himself would reign, and said community had Christ reign over them in the meantime. The head of the Church was Christ, with the Father serving as his head (1 Cor. 11:3). The Scriptures teach that, when all Christ's enemies were to be made his footstool, he was to give back all authority to the Father (Psa. 110:1, 1 Cor. 15:22-28), and it is this page's belief that this happened in 70 AD.
The following quotation is from the above hyperlink:

As for the "1000 years" mentioned in Revelation, they are apocalyptic metaphor for the 40 years Christ "reigned" (triumphed) over his enemies both human and spirit, with the final triumph being the judgement of apostate Jerusalem. The "1000 years" began with his ascension, and ended with this judgement.

Thus, the community to replace the Church on earth was to be the kingdom of God. But, what even is the kingdom of God, and why did God have to reclaim authority of His own creation in the first place?
To be as succinct as possible: man sinned, and so the great level of authority God initially granted us ourselves over the creation was stripped. As a result, the human condition has suffered and it must be redeemed for God to allow us to reign with Him in the way that He originally intended for us. God has always been sovereign, of course, but He seeks the good of man to make us stewards over His world with Him, as that was His original plan and this was His original view of what a kingdom of His truly looks like: a kingdom characterized by man's love for Him and love for others.
A Biblical understanding of Adam's sin, contrary to popular thought, isn't that we are guilty of what he did personally. We simply inherit his fallen nature and a fallen world as a result of his sin, the same way a baby could leave the womb already addicted to certain substances because the mother abused said substances while pregnant. It's not the baby's fault for its condition, it was the parent's. But the baby is born with this condition and enters the world like this nonetheless.
The implication of this is that we are all only guilty of our own sins, and whether or not we ever seek to treat (or possibly cure) our condition in the first place is on us. We were dealt a bad hand due to Adam, sure, but God doesn't hold us responsible for what our forefather did. God only holds us responsible for what we do, and whether or not we seek to be liberated from the dark forces which keep us in bondage to our sinful condition (Gen. 4:6-7, Deut. 24:16, Jer. 31:30, Ezek. 18, Matt. 9:9-13).
The whole Old Testament is essentially a record of God's people constantly breaking their covenant(s) with Him. There are individuals mentioned throughout that were, of course, commended by God and the Biblical authors for their righteousness in honestly pursuing to remain faithful to their covenant with Him. But even the best of these people often faltered and, in fact, did rather heinous things in their lives at one point or another. One of the greatest examples of this is king David, who was literally called by the Scriptures "a man after God's own heart" (1 Sam. 13:14, Acts 13:22). Yet, this same man at one point committed adultery and then murdered the man he stole the wife of to try and cover it up. This was a heinous thing, and David repented of what he did with genuine sorrow and guilt toward God. God ultimately forgave him, but not without a heavy hand of chastisement and earthly consequences for his actions.
All throughout the Old Testament, you see various men of God who were deemed righteous, but these same men were usually shown to have some major flaw that prevented them from living a life that could be characterized as consistent obedience to the commandments to love God and love others as themselves. There is something deeply wrong with man's heart, according to the Bible. Something so wrong, in fact, that a whole prophecy had to be given that promised to address the issue of man's seeming incapability to accomplish fulfilling the commandment to love consistently on their own without some sort of divine help from above:

"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh."-Ezekiel 36:26

Naturalistic philosophies see the physical world as all that exists. Humans beings are the result of mindless, chance causes and processes. Humans are essentially animals – highly evolved, but no different in significance than any other living thing. Thus naturalistic views demote humans. But this view leaves a lot unexplained. Why do humans practice altruism, benevolence, or acts of heroism? And what explains acts of incredible evil? Sure, naturalistic arguments have been made that true altruism doesn't exist, and that "unconditional love" is really just an illusion that's been disguised very well by our survival instincts that we've developed over a long period of time at certain stages of our evolutionary process. However, many people have found such arguments to be unpersuasive and naive when compared to their actual experience of the world as they mature in their lives and have what they know to be truly meaningful experiences that can't simply be reduced in the way that the naturalist wishes them to be. This realization was ultimately why I transitioned from hard atheism to agnostic spiritualism at one point or another.
On the other extreme of these things, transcendental worldviews and philosophies say that the physical world is illusory. Only the spiritual world is ultimately real. Humans are an expression of the divine spirit that is the essence of all things. If naturalistic views demote humans to the level of animals, transcendental views promote human beings. God is not “out there” somewhere; we are God. God is all, thus God is us. But this view doesn’t explain real evil. Why are people selfish? Why do they hurt others? What accounts for personal acts of evil like rape or terrorism? If we are all truly "God," then why would we ever do such things to what is ultimately "ourself"? And why can't a person who practices the belief that we are all actually "God" be only loving? There are so many people who adopt this view of reality who are constantly, day by day, finding that they struggle to be as truly loving as they wish to be because they will still sometimes find themselves thinking and doing rather evil and selfish things. I can speak from experience here, remembering throwing myself into the New Age movement when I was desperately seeking what I did not know at the time was forgiveness for and redemption from my sins because of who I was as a person up until that point. I was seeking the mythic "ego death" that promised me that I could truly be loving and find the forgiveness and redemption I was searching for, because I thought that if only I truly realized I was "God" all along, I could then accomplish these things all at once and simultaneously. I eventually found even this philosophy unsatisfactory when I came to the aforementioned conclusions concerning our great capacity for evil, and also realized that forgiveness can only exist if there are two parties: forgiver and forgivee. Such a thing is impossible if there is only really one being at play at the bottom of reality, and I knew deep down that forgiving oneself (at least, on its own) will never satisfy one's pursuit for redemption that we all inherently take part in whenever pursuing to mend even our own relationships with each other as humans. Further, love would be an illusion in this philosophy too, being that there is only really one party behind and in all of existence if "everything is God." Such an idea would make true altruism a farce, as well. There would be no such thing as real sacrifice for another, because there is no "another."
The French mathematician and Christian philosopher Blaise Pascal said, “Man’s greatness and wretchedness are so evident that the true religion must necessarily teach both.” Any philosophy that cannot fully account for human greatness and human depravity at the same time should be abandoned because it misses something obvious about the human condition. The religion of the Bible has a valid explanation for human greatness: people are made in God’s image. Thus we have dignity, value, and capacity for good. The Bible also explains human evil: the image of God has been defaced by sin. Our great capacity gets used for the wrong purposes. Our creativity is placed in the service of evil and our best intentions twisted for selfish gain. Something has gone terribly wrong. While other worldviews unduly demote or promote humanity, the Bible gets the tension just right.
Thus, human nature is puzzling and conflicting. Other worldviews—both secular and religious—struggle to account for this enigma, and don't offer satisfying solutions to the problem itself. The Bible, however, explains what happened when it tells us that man rebelled against God in the paradise that was prepared for him called "the Garden of Eden." We fell into temptation and estranged ourselves from God by tarnishing the image we were created in, and now are born with a natural proclivity to do evil, despite our best efforts to do good (that is, to do good consistently).
And so, the Bible promised a solution in the prophet Ezekiel that God will literally change our natural human condition, if we simply choose to humble ourselves before Him in faith to allow for such a change. While as unbelievers our inner disposition towards God is often rebellious, we at least still have the capacity to choose to do the righteous thing in seeking God that He may change us and forgive us if we so let Him. This is one reason why Jesus, (the one who made the fulfillment of Ezekiel's prophecy even possible by his coming, sacrifice, ressurection, and outpouring of the Spirit upon his ascension), said that only faith the size of a mustard seed was required for something so miraculous as moving a mountian to happen, because so little is required from us to allow God to change us into the kind of person He's always wanted us to be, and yet changing the condition of our own heart can be compared to literally moving a mountain if we were to try and do so on our own strength alone. The mustard seed was the smallest of seeds, and yet if one simply planted it and nurtured it, it could become a bush so large that it was comparable to a tree with branches that stretched to the heavens for the very birds of the air to rest on.
It was when I came to these realizations that I prayed to God for the first time again, having been years since I did so, going so far back as to when I was a little child even. I prayed in the dead of night in my room, and asked God to show me the truth and to reveal Himself to me if indeed these things were true, and in an instant I felt His very presence in my room, and my heart was changed. To describe such an experience would be like trying to describe the taste of something to the man born without tastebuds, the color of something to the man born blind, or the sound of something to the man born deaf; there are no words, and it is only something you can know by experiencing it for yourself. Suddenly and all at once, I knew right then and there that Jesus really was who he said he was, that the one true God is the God of the Bible, and that I have been forgiven. As the time of this post, it's been 5 years since then, I'm 23 now, and I'm still walking with God.
My prayer for anyone reading this that may not know God for themselves yet is that one day, you will too.
Back to the topic at hand.
When Adam sinned, we fell under the tyranny of death, corruption, evil heavenly powers, and sin itself. When Jesus came, Jesus was the new and exalted human, the new Adam, through whom humanity could now realize their original destiny that was laid out for them in the Garden of Eden. Because Jesus, being a man, obeyed unto death, he has defeated the powers which held us so long under bondage; we are now promised liberation so long as we simply place our faith in his sacrifice to wash us of our sins and receive the Spirit of God that is also promised to all who exercise this faith.
We often think of ‘the gospel’ as the part that brings the forgiveness of sins (and of course, that is part of the idea), but ‘gospel’ is the announcement that everything has changed in the coming of Jesus and it leads us to a new kind of living.
The gospel Jesus preached and the gospel the apostle Paul preached were different, in that Jesus preached of a kingdom where God reigns directly and with all His faithful subjects as participants in that reign. The gospel Paul preached was about the exaltation and reign of Christ, and because Christ reigned, the consummation of the kingdom of God with earth could now finally take place (Col. 1:12-13). This consummation was put on hold during Christ's "millennial" reign, which transpired between his ascension and his return. However, the consummation has come to full fruition since that return.
We will be arguing for some of these claims by pointing out how central the kingdom of God actually was to Jesus' earthly ministry and message, and demonstrate what Jesus taught about how it actually looks like.
The term 'kingdom' appears 53 times in 42 places in Matthew, 17 times in 13 places in Mark, and 41 times in 29 places in Luke. When the 'kingdom' is qualified, Luke always refers to the 'kingdom of God' (32 times) and Mark follows this pattern (14 times). Matthew, on the other hand, prefers the term "kingdom of heaven" (31 times), using the phrase to refer to the same idea "kingdom of God" only four times: 12:28, 19:24, 21:31, 43.
The Gospel of Luke records an event where Jesus responds to the population that lived near Simon Peter's house who believed in him after he had done his miraculous work there, but saw that he was leaving them:

"And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them. And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore [i.e., for this pupose] am I sent." (vss. 42-43)

The Greek word euangelion is often translated as the word “gospel.” In the Bible, this word is always used whenever it concerns the announcement of the reign of a new king. And in the New Testament, the Gospels themselves use this word or the phrase "good news" to summarize all of Jesus’ teachings. They say he went about “preaching the gospel [good news] of the kingdom [of God]” (Matt. 4:23).
There’s this beautiful poem in the Old Testament, and it’s in chapter 52 of the Book of Isaiah. The city of Jerusalem had just been destroyed by Babylon, a great kingdom in the North. Many of the inhabitants of the city have been sent away into exile, but a few remained in the city, and they’re left wondering, "What happened? Has our God abandoned us?" This was because Jerusalem was supposed to be the city where God would reign over the world to bring peace and blessing to everyone.
Now, Isaiah had been saying that Jerusalem’s destruction was a mess of Israel’s own making. They had turned away from their God, become corrupt, and so their city and their temple were destroyed. Everything seemed lost. But the poem goes on. There is a watchman on the city walls, and far out on the hills we see a messenger. He’s running towards the city. He’s running and he’s shouting, “Good news!” And Isaiah says, “How beautiful are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings [news]” (vs. 7a). The feet are beautiful because they’re carrying a beautiful message. And what’s the message? That despite Jerusalem’s destruction, Israel’s God still reigns as king, and that God's presence is going to one day return with His city, take up His throne, and bring peace. And the watchmen sing for joy because of the good news that their God still reigns (vs. 10).
Jesus saw himself as the messenger bringing the news that God reigns. Jesus also claimed to be the Son of man. This was Jesus' favorite self-designation, being used some 80 times in the Gospels. Notice, not just a son of man, but the Son of Man. Jesus was directing our attention to a vision described by the prophet Daniel:

"I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him:"-Daniel 7:13-14a

At Jesus' trial, the Jewish high priest accused Jesus: "Art thou the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed [God]?" His answer left no room for doubt. "I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." (Mark 14:61-62). Because Jesus' was rejected and killed for threatening the power the religious authorities had over the people, the consummation of God's kingdom with earth had been put on hold until all of Christ's enemies would be put under his feet after his ressurection and ascension.
But again, what is the kingdom of God? What does it look like exactly?
Well, the way that Jesus described God’s reign surprised everybody. I mean, think about it. A powerful, successful kingdom needs to be strong, able to impose its will, and able to defeat its enemies in physical combat. But Jesus said the greatest person in God’s kingdom was the weakest, the one who loves and who serves the poor (Matt. 23:11-12). He said you live under God’s reign when you respond to evil by loving your enemies, and forgiving them, and seeking peace (Matt. 5). To us, this is an upside-down kingdom. But to God, it's right-side up. This was what God had originally planned for us: a kingdom where God reigns in our hearts.

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."-John 3:3

Jesus was being quite literal here. You can’t see the kingdom until you’re born again and have the life of that kingdom. When you’re born again, you start 'seeing' differently. You see what others don’t see, you hear what others don’t hear, you know what others don’t know. And yet you may be physically in the same earthly location as they.
The kingdom of God is the totality of God’s influence that covers the world and heaven. It’s everywhere, but its manifestation isn’t everywhere. It manifests on earth wherever there are those who are born again and live as if God reigns in their hearts.
Before Jesus, John the Baptist announced to all people, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matt. 3:1-2), as he saw a soon coming kingdom of God that would be ushered in by the Messiah. Notice that John the Baptist didn’t say that something “like” the kingdom would come and he didn’t say that the real kingdom might be thousands of years away. He said over and over that THE kingdom was at hand! Do you believe him? Did God inspire him to give a clear and accurate message or a mistaken one? If we dare to believe him, things might become surprisingly clear, simple and exceedingly optimistic.

"Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."-Matthew 6:10

Jesus taught his followers of his generation to pray that God's kingdom come and that His will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Why pray for something that will just inevitably come by force, unless it was actually through our willing participation? That is, unless God's will is carried out through us "in earth, as it is in heaven"?

"Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel."-Mark 1:14-15

It's very telling that these are the very first words the Gospel of Mark chooses to record Jesus as saying.
The kingdom is NOT something to wait for. Jesus says the kingdom is NOT something visible, and it is NOT something in the sky. The Kingdom Jesus taught is a spiritual reality that comes into the world through us. Considering that Jesus even said the kingdom was in and among the Pharisees in Luke 17, which seems almost offensive to consider, perhaps it is like a spiritual seed that has been planted inside each of us, and that activating faith in God makes it grow.

"Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it."-Luke 13:18-19

Jesus talked about the kingdom as if it would be a present reality, yet one that was growing in the world like a seed grows into a tree.

"And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened."-Luke 13:20-21

To Jesus, the kingdom was something growing in us like yeast through dough, increasing in effectiveness.

"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost."-Romans 14:17
"For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power."-1 Corinthians 4:20

Paul says the kingdom isn’t something you taste or touch like physical food. It’s not even saying the right words. But rather the kingdom comes in the realities of righteousness, peace, joy and power that flavor our lives when we live empowered by the Spirit of God and God's Spirit in us.
Since Jesus the Messiah returned only 40 years after his earthly ministry, putting all enemies under his feet, the complete consummation of earth with the kingdom of heaven has finally taken place.
The kingdom of God has come, and it continues to come through us as believers. It makes progress like light shining into the world and dispelling the darkness.

"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."-Matthew 5:14-16

Game Information

Game Title: Senua's Saga: Hellblade II
Platforms:

• Xbox Series X/S (May 21, 2024)
• PC (May 21, 2024)

Trailers:

• Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II – Official Trailer The Game Awards 2023
• Senua's Saga: Hellblade II - The Senua Trailer Xbox Games Showcase 2023

Developer: Ninja Theory
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Review Aggregator:
OpenCritic - 84 average - 86% recommended - 55 reviews
MetaCritic - 81 average - 34 reviews

Critic Reviews

AltChar - Asmir Kovacevic - 95 / 100

Few games in recent times have been able to do what Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 has done: make me feel so engaged and immersed that I wish the feeling would never stop. It is a game that will keep you in constant awe throughout the playtime with its fantastic and mysterious story, incredible graphic and sound presentation and realistic and brutal combat that will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time.

But Why Tho? - Mick Abrahamson - 7.5 / 10

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II won’t be for everyone. But if you are looking for a brutal continuation of a fantastic story that feels like you’re actually playing a movie, you’ll have a great time here.

CGMagazine - Justin Wood - 7 / 10

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 starts incredibly strong in the first half, but after certain revelations, the story speeds up to a point where the conclusion feels rushed and half-baked.

COGconnected - Mark Steighner - 95 / 100

It has been a very long time since I played a game as assured, polished, and emotionally affecting as Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2.

Cerealkillerz - Steve Brieller - German - 7.9 / 10

If you expect an immersive but not so interactive “game”, Senua’s Saga Hellblade II delivers a short yet intense experience. Ninja Theory has once again skillfully created an impressive atmosphere, as they did in Senua’s Sacrifice. Unfortunately, the issues remain as well: Puzzles and combat are too easy and there is no variety in either. So please keep in mind, that this is more a Hellblade 1.5 than a true sequel.

Checkpoint Gaming - Charlie Kelly - 10 / 10

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is well worth the wait and is a serious game of the year contender. Senua's follow-up journey is the best exploration of mental health that we've seen in games to date, using incredibly striking visual imagery, metaphors and immersive soundscapes to have you feel right there next to her. In what has to be the most photo-realistic game of all time, you're guaranteed to be constantly taken by the hero's adventure as you take in the beautiful and often haunting Viking Iceland. Through mud and dirt, blood and bones, Senua and Ninja Theory in turn bare all to you, the player. A masterpiece, benchmark and magnum opus, Hellblade II is crucial storytelling you won't soon forget.

Console Creatures - Patrick Tremblay - Recommended

With Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2, Ninja Theory shows that video games can be more than simple entertainment: they can be profound artistic and emotional explorations, capable of touching and transforming those who play them. This is an unforgettable journey into the heart of Iceland's darkness, where every step of Senua is a step towards self-discovery.

Digital Trends - Tomas Franzese - 4 / 5

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is a visual stunner for Xbox even if its gameplay isn't too creative.

Echo Boomer - David Fialho - Portuguese - Essential

Ninja Theory has finally delivered the long-awaited and provocative sequel to Hellblade, with one of the most impressive interactive cinematic experiences of the generation, which makes you question what is real and leaves you dreaming of the graphic potential of future games still on current consoles.

Enternity.gr - Christos Chatzisavvas - Greek - 9.5 / 10

With Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, Ninja Theory builds the game it dreamed of, creating a title on a larger scale than any other.

Eurogamer - Johnny Chiodini - 5 / 5

Hellblade 2 continues Senua's story with grace, confidence, surprising brutality and thundering conviction.

GAMES.CH - Olaf Bleich - German - 89%

The game sucks you skin and hair into its fantasy world and creates such an intense bond with the characters and their stories that you want to know at every second how the adventure ends.

Game Informer - Marcus Stewart - 9 / 10

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II’s conclusion ends on another strong note, and despite my initial reservations about continuing Senua’s story, I walked away happy to see her conquer new monsters, both literal and metaphorical.

GameSpot - Jess Cogswell - 6 / 10

Hellblade 2 is perhaps the most visually remarkable Xbox title to date, but is ultimately undermined by its emphasis on fidelity over story and gameplay.

GamingTrend - Cassie Peterson - 95 / 100

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is a stunning and immersive storytelling experience that really puts the player into the mind of its titular character. It's even more narratively-focused than the first game (not to its detriment), with a bigger emphasis on how Senua sees and interacts with the world around her. The whole experience from start to finish has been beyond memorable.

Generación Xbox - Pedro del Pozo - Spanish - 9.3 / 10

Ninja Theory manages to place Senua in the Olympus of videogames with the most visually and sonorously powerful game we have seen so far. A spectacular, stunning and awe-inspiring journey.

IGN - Tristan Ogilvie - 8 / 10

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is another Viking-worthy feast for the senses that meets the high bar set by its predecessor, even if it never really manages to clear it.

INVEN - Soojin Kim - Korean - 8.5 / 10

The game's high level of immersion makes you want to play it from start to finish in one sitting. With outstanding audiovisual presentation and effects, it gives the feeling that you're playing a movie, not watching it. However, the gameplay elements, such as combat and puzzles, still lack significant meaning, which leads to rather disappoint feelings.

Kakuchopurei - Jonathan Leo - 80 / 100

While the story & gameplay's broad strokes might be familiar, Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2's execution, perspective, and overall production values are just stellar and highlights Ninja Theory's strengths in delivering what it does best: story-heavy cinematic gaming. The characters are fleshed out and well-written, with proper focus on your main character and her turmoils that carry over from the first game, the fighting feels weighty and challenging without being completely frustrating, and the HUD-less approach to presentation is welcome.

Kotaku - Claire Jackson - Unscored

A spellbinding meditation on anguish and compassion, Hellblade II delivers one of the most gripping interactive and sensory experiences of 2024

Merlin'in Kazanı - Murat Oktay - Turkish - 89 / 100

The chaotic story of Senua continues. We set out to take revenge on the Viking raiders who have inflicted devastating losses on the people of Orkney.

Metro GameCentral - GameCentral - 5 / 10

A joyless slog of barely interactive entertainment and a muddled portrayal of mental illness… that just so happens to have the best graphics ever on a video game console.

MondoXbox - Giuseppe Genga - Italian - 9.5 / 10

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is a true masterpiece: a deep and highly immersive narrative experience that manages to make us feel all the protagonist's torment within an impressively realistic world. Ninja Theory reveals itself to be one of the most valuable studios in the Xbox stable here, reaching levels of absolute excellence in graphics, audio, narration, and acting. A must-play.

New Game Network - Alex Varankou - 70 / 100

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II keeps the basics intact, and while a strong lead character, great animations, and simple but enjoyable combat continue to deliver, the poor pacing and performance issues prevent this sequel from breaking free of its past.

Nexus Hub - Sam Aberdeen - 8 / 10

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is the best-looking game we've ever played - a true visual powerhouse backed by an emotionally charged story and gripping dark fantasy setting, if you can look past some of its shortcomings.

One More Game - Chris Garcia - 9 / 10

Hellblade 2 is a triumph in masterful storytelling and impeccable audio design for Ninja Theory. It is an emotionally powerful experience that depicts a sensitive subject that is hardly talked about in the medium.
To achieve this, the game stripped out several features and systems like combat and exploration in favor of a deeper narrative affair. This is not for everyone, but it is something I would encourage everyone to try at least try out.

Oyungezer Online - Onur Kaya - Turkish - 8 / 10

Next gen graphics and presentation is now among us, next gen game design on the other hand, will be running late.

PC Gamer - Robin Valentine - 58 / 100

Despite its greater scale and visual splendour, this sequel fails to escape the shadow of its predecessor with a muddled tale that Senua herself feels out of place in.

PCGamesN - Cheri Faulkner - 9 / 10

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is an impeccable story of coming to terms with trauma and making difficult decisions, punctuated by moments of outstanding beauty and strength.

Pixel Arts - Danial Dehghani - Persian - 9 / 10

Hellblade 2 is a stellar example of a sequel done right, building on the elements that made the original a landmark in gaming. It stays true to its roots, prioritizing depth and atmosphere over broad appeal. Fans of the first game will find much to love here, as it remains a unique and compelling experience. However, if the original didn't resonate with you, Hellblade 2 follows a similar path and might not change your mind.

Polygon - Yussef Cole - Unscored

Where the first game felt like a journey of self-discovery, both for Senua and for the player, Hellblade 2 feels more invested in creating the myth of Senua: Senua as legendary giant slayer, as mystical seer touched by the underworld.

Press Start - Brodie Gibbons - 9 / 10

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is yet another arresting, artful chapter in an adventure now two games long. Though it might approach iteration with a very safe hand, only going so far as to correct the original's shortcomings, Ninja Theory's clear strengths in story craft, audiovisual design, as well as their care for the dark subject matter manage to shine through brighter than ever before.

Rectify Gaming - Tyler Nienburg - 10 / 10

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II emerges as a visual and storytelling masterpiece, and is unquestionably the best-looking game I've witnessed on Xbox Series X since its launch.

Rock, Paper, Shotgun - Rick Lane - Unscored

A more uncompromising version of the first game, Hellblade 2 offers a well told story and immaculate presentation. But it's also even simpler, to the point where it treats interaction like an inconvenience.

SECTOR.sk - Matúš Štrba - Slovak - 9.5 / 10

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is, at its core, a short game, but an excellent one. But it's not for everyone. It's a bloody and often disgusting experience based on strong emotions and immersion in a character that just won't let you go. It's more of an artistic experience than a traditional game.

Saudi Gamer - Arabic - 10 / 10

An exceptionally well realized portrayal of Senua's struggle both real and praying on her fears, with brutal and satisfying combat and puzzles that require you to appreciate the world. It successfully continues what the first game started and improves upon almost every aspect.

Seasoned Gaming - Ainsley Bowden - 9 / 10

Senua's Saga is a journey unlike any other. It's fantastical, evocative, and demonstrative of Ninja Theory being masters of their craft.

Shacknews - TJ Denzer - 9 / 10

Hellblade 2 still does incredibly well. The new story is weighty, the audio is exceptional, the scenery is ridiculously dense and rich, and the combat feels intense and impactful in new and interesting ways.

Slant Magazine - Justin Clark - 3.5 / 5

The newest chapter in Senua’s story is powerfully told but feels like it’s missing a few pages.

Spaziogames - Gianluca Arena - Italian - 7.6 / 10

Senua's Saga is as strong as its predecessor, if not more, and delivers both in its storytelling and on the technical side. The gameplay, however, has still a lot of room for improvements and boils down to almost-QTE combat and boring puzzles. An experience more than an actual and so-called video game, but an experience worth living nonetheless.

Stevivor - Jay Ball - 9.5 / 10

Senua’s Saga Hellblade 2 is a video game only on its surface. Scratch that away and you’ll see that it’s a deep, thought-provoking, interactive experience proving games are an art form that demands skill and talent. Ninja Theory should be very proud.

TechRaptor - Robert Scarpinito - 7.5 / 10

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II features intense audio, beautiful graphics, and wonderful camera work, creating a powerful presentation that’s worth experiencing. However, the narrative doesn’t quite stick the landing.

The Escapist - Unscored

Video Review - Quote not available

The Outerhaven Productions - Jordan Andow - 5 / 5

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II sets a new bar for performances and presentation. Combined with smart improvements to gameplay, it is arguably the most cinematic, immersive, story-driven experience we’ve ever seen.

TheSixthAxis - Dominic Leighton - Unscored

Just like its forbear, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is an oppressive, powerful and haunting example of the power of video games, and one that sets its own parameters for what a digital experience can be. It is a game that must be experienced, not least because, there’s nothing else quite like it.

Tom's Hardware Italia - Andrea Riviera - Italian - 10 / 10

What Ninja Theory has achieved transcends reality, creating a work that is practically perfect for what it aimed to be: an audiovisual adventure with a strong narrative component. Beyond state-of-the-art graphics and sound that will undoubtedly set a standard in the coming years, what truly astonishes is the maturity with which the team has taken an excellent game like the first Hellblade and molded it into something so qualitatively impressive that it becomes difficult to even describe. This elevates the medium to a new communicative level, capable of evoking emotions and surprising players from start to finish. Experiences like Hellblade 2, which leave a lasting impression on the soul, are few and far between in a generation, and we can only rejoice in seeing how the beautiful artistic vision of the Ninja Theory team has become a reality.

Too Much Gaming - Carlos Hernandez - 5 / 5

Hellblade 2 feels like a living, breathing shapeshifter, manipulating its surroundings around the player with precision and consistency, making it one of the most visually stunning video games of this generation. This is an amazing title that carefully balances its artistic and gaming ambitions, a masterpiece that I encourage any gamer to experience.

TrueAchievements - Sean Carey - 9 / 10

Ninja Theory has created an outstanding sequel with Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2. An unforgettable narrative adventure that is brought to life through impeccable sound design, fantastic visuals, and a story that will stick with you long after the final credits roll. Hellblade 2 is one of the best games Xbox has to offer.

TrueGaming - عمر العمودي - Arabic - 8 / 10

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is a technical achievement for the gaming industry, the visuals are impressive and realistic in a way we haven't seen before and the audio design is very impressive. The game itself though, we think it could've offered more as puzzles are repetitive and combat is quite limited. However, the storytelling is strong in this chapter of Senua's journey, though it feels heavy and depressing.

VideoGamer - Tom Bardwell - 9 / 10

Though uncomfortably bleak and distressing, Helldivers 2 is something truly special.

WellPlayed - James Wood - 6 / 10

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is an achievement in visual fidelity but fails to define itself amid clumsy retreads and unengaging new ideas.

Worth Playing - Chris "Atom" DeAngelus - 7 / 10

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is a beautiful but ultimately hollow game. The fantastic presentation props up a story that is less personal and engaging than in the first game, and the gameplay feels like an afterthought. It was great to see Senua again and to see her outside of the grief-misery she was enveloped in during the first game, but beyond that, there's not much to Hellblade II. It's a short and less memorable experience that shows off Ninja Theory's visual craft to its fullest - but it achieves little else.

Xbox Achievements - Dan Webb - 90%

While Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 might not set any new standards with its simplistic gameplay mechanics, from an audio-visual experience standpoint, it's frankly quite a stunning experience. Hellblade 2 is as close to playing the leading role in a big budget movie as you’re likely to get, and Ninja Theory’s continued coverage on the complexities of severe mental health issues deserves to be commended once more. Bravo, Ninja Theory. Bravo.

XboxEra - Jon Clarke - 10 / 10

Despite the backing of a company as large and as well-funded as Microsoft, Ninja Theory have, in my opinion, nurtured their independent spirit and kept it well and truly alive in every facet of Senua's Saga: Hellblade II. It's brutal. It's breath-taking. It's brilliant. If this is “Independent AAA”?
Sign me up for more.

ZdobywcyGier.eu - Bartosz Michalik - Polish - 9.5 / 10

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is undoubtedly one of the best games of this year. Not only does it shine in terms of audio-visual setting, but also in terms of story. The only element that could be considered caveat is at the same time its greatest asset, namely cinematography. Sometimes one gets the impression that the developers, in an effort to achieve the best possible effect, had to make a lot of compromises, which significantly limited the gameplay possibilities. Nevertheless, for a great narrative and immersion, this is something to turn a blind eye to.

• Start date: May 15, 2024.
• Total investment: € 9996.59.
• Positions type: Long (all).
• Leverage: 1:1 (none).
• Total current return: € ? (?%).
• Total elapsed weeks: ?.
• Next update: May 23, 2024.
• End date: December 31, 2024.

Here is the .csv file ("," as columns separator):

Broker ticker,YF ticker,Listing country,Name,Currency,Type,Exchange,Sector,Industry,Last date (YYYY-MM-DD),Last price,Last price (EUR),Purchase date (YYYY-MM-DD),Purchase price,Purchase price (EUR),Quantity,Total cost,Total cost (EUR),Stop loss,Stop loss (EUR) 4BB.L,4BB.L,GB,4basebio PLC,GBp,EQUITY,LSE,Healthcare,Biotechnology,2024-05-15,1410,16.4411112956747,2024-05-15,1410,16.4411112956747,6,8460,98.6466677740485,181.99237928413,2.12076386322516 ABBN.VX,ABBN.SW,CH,ABB Ltd,CHF,EQUITY,EBS,Industrials,Electrical Equipment & Parts,2024-05-15,48.2000007629395,49.2463076080989,2024-05-15,48.2000007629395,49.2463076080989,2,96.4000015258789,98.4926152161979,30.0463815309176,30.6219409984699 ACGL.O,ACGL,US,Arch Capital Group Ltd.,USD,EQUITY,NMS,Financial Services,Insurance - Diversified,2024-05-15,97.8700027465821,90.0003736957321,2024-05-15,97.8700027465821,90.0003736957321,1,97.8700027465821,90.0003736957321,57.6807854724479,53.0540366273465 ADMA.O,ADMA,US,"ADMA Biologics, Inc.",USD,EQUITY,NGM,Healthcare,Biotechnology,2024-05-15,9.10000038146973,8.36827845079613,2024-05-15,9.10000038146973,8.36827845079613,12,109.200004577637,100.419341409554,1.47446989649493,1.35619824268739 AET.L,AET.L,GB,Afentra plc,GBp,EQUITY,LSE,Energy,Oil & Gas E&P,2024-05-15,51.5999984741211,0.601674693453668,2024-05-15,51.5999984741211,0.601674693453668,166,8565.5997467041,99.8779991133089,17.2552084436733,0.201075576151617 ALDNX.PAR,ALDNX.PA,FR,DNXCorp SE,EUR,EQUITY,PAR,Communication Services,Internet Content & Information,2024-05-15,22,22,2024-05-15,22,22,5,110,110,11.1928169792181,11.1928169792181 ALLAN.PAR,ALLAN.PA,FR,Lanson-BCC,EUR,EQUITY,PAR,Consumer Defensive,Beverages - Wineries & Distilleries,2024-05-15,46.5999984741211,46.5999984741211,2024-05-15,46.5999984741211,46.5999984741211,2,93.1999969482422,93.1999969482422,33.9247673647968,33.9247673647968 ALLOG.PAR,ALLOG.PA,FR,Logic Instrument S.A.,EUR,EQUITY,PAR,Technology,Computer Hardware,2024-05-15,1.16499996185303,1.16499996185303,2024-05-15,1.16499996185303,1.16499996185303,86,100.18999671936,100.18999671936,0.369989265252377,0.369989265252377 AROC.N,AROC,US,"Archrock, Inc.",USD,EQUITY,NYQ,Energy,Oil & Gas Equipment & Services,2024-05-15,20,18.39182,2024-05-15,20,18.39182,5,100,91.9591,9.52721949298871,8.76301263579761 ARRWU.O,ARRWU,US,Arrowroot Acquisition Corp.,USD,EQUITY,NCM,Financial Services,Shell Companies,2024-04-16,17,15.633047,2024-04-16,17,15.633047,6,102,93.798282,8.8489792646162,8.13917609086355 ARYD.O,ARYD,US,ARYA Sciences Acquisition Corp IV,USD,EQUITY,NCM,Financial Services,Shell Companies,2024-05-15,11.3699998855591,10.4557495647612,2024-05-15,11.3699998855591,10.4557495647612,10,113.699998855591,104.557495647612,10.6225484108966,9.77048193521333 BA_.L,BA.L,GB,BAE Systems plc,GBp,EQUITY,LSE,Industrials,Aerospace & Defense,2024-05-15,1363,15.8930742524856,2024-05-15,1363,15.8930742524856,6,8178,95.3584455149135,816.219675877841,9.51143778582399 BDB.MI,BDB.MI,IT,Banco di Desio e della Brianza S.p.A.,EUR,EQUITY,MIL,Financial Services,Banks—Regional,2024-05-15,4.98000001907349,4.98000001907349,2024-05-15,4.98000001907349,4.98000001907349,20,99.6000003814697,99.6000003814697,3.15504560196379,3.15504560196379 BDT.TO,BDT.TO,CA,Bird Construction Inc.,CAD,EQUITY,TOR,Industrials,Engineering & Construction,2024-05-15,22.5100002288818,15.1999072001158,2024-05-15,22.5100002288818,15.1999072001158,7,157.570001602173,106.39935040081,7.03762236613261,4.74895717230204 BPE.MI,BPE.MI,IT,BPER Banca SpA,EUR,EQUITY,MIL,Financial Services,Banks—Regional,2024-05-15,5.01200008392334,5.01200008392334,2024-05-15,5.01200008392334,5.01200008392334,20,100.240001678467,100.240001678467,2.09752578063009,2.09752578063009 BPSO.MI,BPSO.MI,IT,Banca Popolare di Sondrio S.p.A,EUR,EQUITY,MIL,Financial Services,Banks—Regional,2024-05-15,8.1899995803833,8.1899995803833,2024-05-15,8.1899995803833,8.1899995803833,12,98.2799949645996,98.2799949645996,3.57230683027942,3.57230683027942 BRBR.N,BRBR,US,"BellRing Brands, Inc.",USD,EQUITY,NYQ,Consumer Defensive,Packaged Foods,2024-05-15,58.9000015258789,54.1639113031845,2024-05-15,58.9000015258789,54.1639113031845,2,117.800003051758,108.327822606369,29.9543368800174,27.5516096558606 CAMT.O,CAMT,US,Camtek Ltd.,USD,EQUITY,NGM,Technology,Semiconductor Equipment & Materials,2024-05-15,100.389999389648,92.3177399287262,2024-05-15,100.389999389648,92.3177399287262,1,100.389999389648,92.3177399287262,13.0355686283783,11.9899465619902 CECO.O,CECO,US,CECO Environmental Corp.,USD,EQUITY,NMS,Industrials,Pollution & Treatment Controls,2024-05-15,25.1200008392334,23.1001266917515,2024-05-15,25.1200008392334,23.1001266917515,4,100.480003356934,92.4005067670059,9.5891733627488,8.81999699980263 CEU.TO,CEU.TO,CA,CES Energy Solutions Corp.,CAD,EQUITY,TOR,Energy,Oil & Gas Equipment & Services,2024-05-15,6.88000011444092,4.64572910763949,2024-05-15,6.88000011444092,4.64572910763949,22,151.3600025177,102.206040368069,1.86502711047414,1.25851223780441 CHG.FRA,CHG.F,DE,CHAPTERS Group AG,EUR,EQUITY,FRA,Technology,Information Technology Services,2024-05-15,23.2000007629395,23.2000007629395,2024-05-15,23.2000007629395,23.2000007629395,4,92.8000030517578,92.8000030517578,9.6013365799341,9.6013365799341 CIRC.MI,CIRC.MI,IT,Circle S.p.A.,EUR,EQUITY,MIL,Technology,Information Technology Services,2024-05-15,6.8600001335144,6.8600001335144,2024-05-15,6.8600001335144,6.8600001335144,15,102.900002002716,102.900002002716,4.30242335652391,4.30242335652391 CLS.TO,CLS.TO,CA,Celestica Inc.,CAD,EQUITY,TOR,Technology,Electronic Components,2024-05-15,70.8000030517578,47.8077949894401,2024-05-15,70.8000030517578,47.8077949894401,2,141.600006103516,95.6155899788802,3.54000015258789,2.38877681125436 COH.PAR,COH.PA,FR,Coheris SA,EUR,EQUITY,PAR,Technology,Software—Application,2024-05-15,6.73999977111816,6.73999977111816,2024-05-15,6.73999977111816,6.73999977111816,15,101.099996566772,101.099996566772,2.88333012866946,2.88333012866946 COOL.O,COOL,US,Corner Growth Acquisition Corp.,USD,EQUITY,NCM,Financial Services,Shell Companies,2024-05-15,11.3699998855591,10.4557495647612,2024-05-15,11.3699998855591,10.4557495647612,10,113.699998855591,104.557495647612,10.3322166375254,9.5034385443796 CPH.TO,CPH.TO,CA,Cipher Pharmaceuticals Inc.,CAD,EQUITY,TOR,Healthcare,Drug Manufacturers—Specialty & Generic,2024-05-15,8.78999996185303,5.93545901158012,2024-05-15,8.78999996185303,5.93545901158012,17,149.429999351501,100.902803196862,1.96204830367043,1.32398171987155 CPRT.O,CPRT,US,"Copart, Inc.",USD,EQUITY,NMS,Industrials,Specialty Business Services,2024-05-15,55.310001373291,50.8625794728661,2024-05-15,55.310001373291,50.8625794728661,2,110.620002746582,101.725158945732,35.3170907446316,32.4842009447324 CRS.N,CRS,US,Carpenter Technology Corporation,USD,EQUITY,NYQ,Industrials,Metal Fabrication,2024-05-15,109.550003051758,100.741196856369,2024-05-15,109.550003051758,100.741196856369,1,109.550003051758,100.741196856369,34.0476120260581,31.3165509226119 DIS.MI,DIS.MI,IT,d'Amico International Shipping S.A.,EUR,EQUITY,MIL,Industrials,Marine Shipping,2024-05-15,7.69999980926514,7.69999980926514,2024-05-15,7.69999980926514,7.69999980926514,13,100.099997520447,100.099997520447,1.48521744342503,1.48521744342503 DNG.TO,DNG.TO,CA,Dynacor Group Inc.,CAD,EQUITY,TOR,Basic Materials,Other Precious Metals & Mining,2024-05-15,5.42000007629395,3.65986216555364,2024-05-15,5.42000007629395,3.65986216555364,27,146.340002059937,98.8162784699483,2.73996555376442,1.8489169198717 DRX.TO,DRX.TO,CA,ADF Group Inc.,CAD,EQUITY,TOR,Industrials,Metal Fabrication,2024-05-15,16.3299999237061,11.0268538824693,2024-05-15,16.3299999237061,11.0268538824693,9,146.969999313355,99.2416849422234,0.816499996185303,0.550970670396969 E.TO,E.TO,CA,"Enterprise Group, Inc.",CAD,EQUITY,TOR,Energy,Oil & Gas Equipment & Services,2024-05-15,1.21000003814697,0.817054113947654,2024-05-15,1.21000003814697,0.817054113947654,122,147.620004653931,99.6806019016138,0.210420134172571,0.141990597589385 ENO.MC,ENO.MC,ES,"Elecnor, S.A.",EUR,EQUITY,MCE,Industrials,Infrastructure Operations,2024-05-15,21.2000007629395,21.2000007629395,2024-05-15,21.2000007629395,21.2000007629395,5,106.000003814697,106.000003814697,12.551528826266,12.551528826266 ENVI.AS,ENVI.AS,NL,Envipco Holding N.V.,EUR,EQUITY,AMS,Industrials,Pollution & Treatment Controls,2024-05-15,5.80000019073486,5.80000019073486,2024-05-15,5.80000019073486,5.80000019073486,17,98.6000032424927,98.6000032424927,1.67603432587419,1.67603432587419 EVISO.MI,EVISO.MI,IT,eVISO S.p.A.,EUR,EQUITY,MIL,Utilities,Utilities—Regulated Electric,2024-05-15,4.90999984741211,4.90999984741211,2024-05-15,4.90999984741211,4.90999984741211,20,98.1999969482422,98.1999969482422,1.86293823453707,1.86293823453707 FTC.L,FTC.L,GB,Filtronic plc,GBp,EQUITY,LSE,Technology,Communication Equipment,2024-05-15,58.5,0.682131213331186,2024-05-15,58.5,0.682131213331186,147,8599.5,100.273288359684,2.925,0.0340851321595671 GAMC.O,GAMC,US,Golden Arrow Merger Corp.,USD,EQUITY,NCM,Financial Services,Shell Companies,2024-05-15,11.0299997329712,10.1430884844427,2024-05-15,11.0299997329712,10.1430884844427,10,110.299997329712,101.430884844427,10.1468770873948,9.33296563558359 IDR.MC,IDR.MC,ES,"Indra Sistemas, S.A.",EUR,EQUITY,MCE,Technology,Information Technology Services,2024-05-15,20.1200008392334,20.1200008392334,2024-05-15,20.1200008392334,20.1200008392334,5,100.600004196167,100.600004196167,10.8941912325836,10.8941912325836 IGIC.O,IGIC,US,International General Insurance Holdings Ltd.,USD,EQUITY,NCM,Financial Services,Insurance—Diversified,2024-05-15,14.6700000762939,13.4904000401592,2024-05-15,14.6700000762939,13.4904000401592,7,102.690000534058,94.4328002811146,9.30404677312841,8.55774126931546 III.L,III.L,GB,3i Group Ord,GBp,EQUITY,LSE,,,2024-05-15,2966,34.5846355340222,2024-05-15,2966,34.5846355340222,3,8898,103.753906602067,1447.85882812435,16.8719519675262 IQG.L,IQG.L,GB,IQGeo Group plc,GBp,EQUITY,LSE,Technology,Software—Application,2024-05-15,472,5.50369115713367,2024-05-15,472,5.50369115713367,18,8496,99.0664408284061,114.359449092067,1.33263484991398 IVN.TO,IVN.TO,CA,Ivanhoe Mines Ltd.,CAD,EQUITY,TOR,Basic Materials,Other Industrial Metals & Mining,2024-05-15,19.9300003051758,13.4577588652472,2024-05-15,19.9300003051758,13.4577588652472,7,139.51000213623,94.2043120567304,8.61605916585422,5.81407950639264 JAM.L,JAM.L,GB,JPMorgan American Ord,GBp,EQUITY,LSE,,,2024-05-15,987,11.5087779069723,2024-05-15,987,11.5087779069723,9,8883,103.579001162751,734.693023539479,8.56140471933505 KKR.N,KKR,US,KKR & Co. Inc.,USD,EQUITY,NYQ,Financial Services,Asset Management,2024-05-15,107.669998168945,99.0123612861786,2024-05-15,107.669998168945,99.0123612861786,1,107.669998168945,99.0123612861786,51.1494689660835,47.0466166119071 KMER.MI,KMER.MI,IT,KME Group S.p.A.,EUR,EQUITY,MIL,,,2024-05-15,1.55999994277954,1.55999994277954,2024-05-15,1.55999994277954,1.55999994277954,64,99.8399963378906,99.8399963378906,0.800465071994058,0.800465071994058 KRNL.O,KRNL,US,"Kernel Group Holdings, Inc.",USD,EQUITY,NCM,Financial Services,Shell Companies,2024-05-15,10.9200000762939,10.0419337901592,2024-05-15,10.9200000762939,10.0419337901592,10,109.200000762939,100.419337901592,10.269285944972,9.44555571146799 KURN.VX,KURN.SW,CH,Kuros Biosciences AG,CHF,EQUITY,EBS,Healthcare,Medical Devices,2024-05-15,8,8.17366088441458,2024-05-15,8,8.17366088441458,12,96,98.083930612975,0.530445807104744,0.540606867796476 L.TO,L.TO,CA,Loblaw Companies Limited,CAD,EQUITY,TOR,Consumer Defensive,Grocery Stores,2024-05-15,155.139999389648,104.758488217297,2024-05-15,155.139999389648,104.758488217297,1,155.139999389648,104.758488217297,108.795430497776,73.4146865370985 LDO.MI,LDO.MI,IT,Leonardo S.p.a.,EUR,EQUITY,MIL,Industrials,Aerospace & Defense,2024-05-15,22.5,22.5,2024-05-15,22.5,22.5,4,90,90,9.15905866550776,9.15905866550776 LMB.O,LMB,US,"Limbach Holdings, Inc.",USD,EQUITY,NCM,Industrials,Building Products & Equipment,2024-05-15,50.6599998474121,46.5864799196816,2024-05-15,50.6599998474121,46.5864799196816,2,101.319999694824,93.1729598393631,3.1283030409755,2.87737246914973 MEMS.EQ,MEMS.PA,FR,"MEMSCAP, S.A.",EUR,EQUITY,PAR,Technology,Semiconductor Equipment & Materials,2024-05-15,7.75,7.75,2024-05-15,7.75,7.75,13,100.75,100.75,1.24829618687214,1.24829618687214 MEPK.N,MER-PK,US,Merrill Lynch Capital Trust I GTD CAP 6.45%,USD,EQUITY,NYQ,,,2024-05-15,25.3899993896484,23.3484149287262,2024-05-15,25.3899993896484,23.3484149287262,4,101.559997558594,93.3936597149048,23.4660902117283,21.5838047175749 MIKN.VX,MIKN.SW,CH,Mikron Holding AG,CHF,EQUITY,EBS,Industrials,Specialty Industrial Machinery,2024-05-15,16.9500007629395,17.3179447783545,2024-05-15,16.9500007629395,17.3179447783545,6,101.700004577637,103.907668670127,10.1066015477761,10.3002005739888 MLI.N,MLI,US,"Mueller Industries, Inc.",USD,EQUITY,NYQ,Industrials,Metal Fabrication,2024-05-15,59.0800018310547,54.3294379638214,2024-05-15,59.0800018310547,54.3294379638214,2,118.160003662109,108.658875927643,28.864001244309,26.5487331124992 MOD.N,MOD,US,Modine Manufacturing Company,USD,EQUITY,NYQ,Consumer Cyclical,Auto Parts,2024-05-15,109.419998168945,100.621645536179,2024-05-15,109.419998168945,100.621645536179,1,109.419998168945,100.621645536179,5.47099990844727,5.03215459279099 MSI.L,MSI.L,GB,MS INTERNATIONAL plc,GBp,EQUITY,LSE,Industrials,Conglomerates,2024-05-15,995,11.6020608079407,2024-05-15,995,11.6020608079407,9,8955,104.418547271466,299.053984032638,3.48488703199915 NBST.O,NBST,US,Newbury Street Acquisition Corporation,USD,EQUITY,NCM,Financial Services,Shell Companies,2024-05-15,10.8400001525879,9.96836658031845,2024-05-15,10.8400001525879,9.96836658031845,10,108.400001525879,99.6836658031845,10.203750702138,9.38527724706745 NGEX.TO,NGEX.TO,CA,NGEx Minerals Ltd.,CAD,EQUITY,TOR,Basic Materials,Other Industrial Metals & Mining,2024-05-15,9.57999992370606,6.46890752273802,2024-05-15,9.57999992370606,6.46890752273802,15,143.699998855591,97.0336128410703,0.478999996185303,0.323227128293172 OCAX.O,OCAX,US,OCA Acquisition Corp.,USD,EQUITY,NCM,Financial Services,Shell Companies,2024-05-15,11.1750001907349,10.2764296003981,2024-05-15,11.1750001907349,10.2764296003981,10,111.750001907349,102.764296003981,10.3482390933432,9.51817579094888 OPXS.O,OPXS,US,"Optex Systems Holdings, Inc",USD,EQUITY,NCM,Industrials,Aerospace & Defense,2024-05-15,8.56999969482422,7.8808945893631,2024-05-15,8.56999969482422,7.8808945893631,13,111.409996032715,102.45162966172,1.37396433534202,1.26375453411123 OSG.N,OSG,US,"Overseas Shipholding Group, Inc.",USD,EQUITY,NYQ,Energy,Oil & Gas Midstream,2024-05-15,6.8899998664856,6.33598186722136,2024-05-15,6.8899998664856,6.33598186722136,16,110.23999786377,101.375709875542,3.08423975967902,2.83684363583589 PLMI.O,PLMI,US,Plum Acquisition Corp. I,USD,EQUITY,NCM,Financial Services,Shell Companies,2024-05-15,11.1199998855591,10.2258518147612,2024-05-15,11.1199998855591,10.2258518147612,10,111.199998855591,102.258518147612,10.3122527077106,9.48507598126697 PMGM.O,PMGM,US,Priveterra Acquisition Corp. II,USD,EQUITY,NCM,Financial Services,Shell Companies,2024-05-15,11.0500001907349,10.1614807253981,2024-05-15,11.0500001907349,10.1614807253981,10,110.500001907349,101.614807253981,10.4066804048251,9.57192934951286 PNL.L,PNL.L,GB,Personal Assets Ord,GBp,EQUITY,LSE,,,2024-05-15,490,5.7135776843125,2024-05-15,490,5.7135776843125,18,8820,102.844398317625,205.388023341194,2.39339416053909 PSH.L,PSH.L,GB,Pershing Square Holdings Ord,GBp,EQUITY,LSE,,,2024-05-15,4058,47.3177515162043,2024-05-15,4058,47.3177515162043,2,8116,94.6355030324087,2760.24210472501,32.1652023698986 PUB.EQ,PUB.PA,FR,Publicis Groupe S.A.,EUR,EQUITY,PAR,Communication Services,Advertising Agencies,2024-05-15,106.150001525879,106.150001525879,2024-05-15,106.150001525879,106.150001525879,1,106.150001525879,106.150001525879,62.7854557332542,62.7854557332542 PUCK.O,PUCK,US,Goal Acquisitions Corp.,USD,EQUITY,NCM,Financial Services,Shell Companies,2024-05-15,10.8500003814697,9.97756270079613,2024-05-15,10.8500003814697,9.97756270079613,10,108.500003814697,99.7756270079613,10.2216440084575,9.40173527760708 PWS.MI,PWS.MI,IT,Powersoft S.p.A.,EUR,EQUITY,MIL,Technology,Consumer Electronics,2024-05-15,16.2000007629395,16.2000007629395,2024-05-15,16.2000007629395,16.2000007629395,6,97.2000045776367,97.2000045776367,3.72774791732638,3.72774791732638 QDRO.O,QDRO,US,Quadro Acquisition One Corp.,USD,EQUITY,NCM,Financial Services,Shell Companies,2024-05-15,11.0500001907349,10.1614807253981,2024-05-15,11.0500001907349,10.1614807253981,10,110.500001907349,101.614807253981,10.2946317689515,9.46886847086858 RDNT.O,RDNT,US,"RadNet, Inc.",USD,EQUITY,NGM,Healthcare,Diagnostics & Research,2024-05-15,58.2400016784668,53.556981383503,2024-05-15,58.2400016784668,53.556981383503,2,116.480003356934,107.113962767006,19.3818445183282,17.8271686239796 REAX.O,REAX,US,The Real Brokerage Inc.,USD,EQUITY,NCM,Real Estate,Real Estate Services,2024-05-15,5,4.597955,2024-05-15,5,4.597955,22,110,101.15501,0.25,0.22994675 RNWH.L,RNWH.L,GB,Renew Holdings plc,GBp,EQUITY,LSE,Industrials,Engineering & Construction,2024-05-15,1054,12.2900222025824,2024-05-15,1054,12.2900222025824,8,8432,98.3201776206592,681.809806634346,7.94515465532326 RR.FRA,RRU.F,DE,Rolls-Royce Holdings plc,EUR,EQUITY,FRA,Industrials,Aerospace & Defense,2024-05-15,4.94899988174439,4.94899988174439,2024-05-15,4.94899988174439,4.94899988174439,20,98.9799976348877,98.9799976348877,1.15474766444009,1.15474766444009 SAB.MC,SAB.MC,ES,"Banco de Sabadell, S.A.",EUR,EQUITY,MCE,Financial Services,Banks—Diversified,2024-05-15,1.90400004386902,1.90400004386902,2024-05-15,1.90400004386902,1.90400004386902,53,100.912002325058,100.912002325058,0.770675500087932,0.770675500087932 SLAM.O,SLAM,US,Slam Corp.,USD,EQUITY,NCM,Financial Services,Shell Companies,2024-05-15,11.0500001907349,10.1614807253981,2024-05-15,11.0500001907349,10.1614807253981,10,110.500001907349,101.614807253981,10.3152097299573,9.48779581188824 SMHN.EQ,SMHN.F,DE,SÜSS MicroTec SE,EUR,EQUITY,FRA,Technology,Semiconductor Equipment & Materials,2024-05-15,51.2999992370606,51.2999992370606,2024-05-15,51.2999992370606,51.2999992370606,2,102.599998474121,102.599998474121,12.952163633103,12.952163633103 SOL.MI,SOL.MI,IT,SOL S.p.A.,EUR,EQUITY,MIL,Basic Materials,Specialty Chemicals,2024-05-15,33.7000007629395,33.7000007629395,2024-05-15,33.7000007629395,33.7000007629395,3,101.100002288818,101.100002288818,20.3776094280299,20.3776094280299 SPIE.EQ,SPIE.PA,FR,SPIE SA,EUR,EQUITY,PAR,Industrials,Engineering & Construction,2024-05-15,36.2200012207031,36.2200012207031,2024-05-15,36.2200012207031,36.2200012207031,3,108.660003662109,108.660003662109,24.4525122007507,24.4525122007507 TAYD.O,TAYD,US,"Taylor Devices, Inc.",USD,EQUITY,NCM,Industrials,Specialty Industrial Machinery,2024-05-15,51.3800010681152,47.2485865622292,2024-05-15,51.3800010681152,47.2485865622292,2,102.76000213623,94.4971731244583,5.60221111549934,5.15284095529179 TDW.N,TDW,US,Tidewater Inc.,USD,EQUITY,NYQ,Energy,Oil & Gas Equipment & Services,2024-05-15,108.110000610352,99.4169835712738,2024-05-15,108.110000610352,99.4169835712738,1,108.110000610352,99.4169835712738,8.89739581168513,8.18370900144243 TRD.L,TRD.L,GB,Triad Group plc,GBp,EQUITY,LSE,Technology,Information Technology Services,2024-05-15,277,3.22992044602972,2024-05-15,277,3.22992044602972,31,8587,100.127533826921,79.9188268645001,0.931297017338134 TRMD.O,TRMD,US,TORM plc,USD,EQUITY,NMS,Energy,Oil & Gas Midstream,2024-05-15,38.0400009155273,34.9812424819107,2024-05-15,38.0400009155273,34.9812424819107,3,114.120002746582,104.943727445732,15.7437186157142,14.4808677143919 TVK.TO,TVK.TO,CA,TerraVest Industries Inc.,CAD,EQUITY,TOR,Energy,Oil & Gas Equipment & Services,2024-05-15,78.879997253418,53.26382167953,2024-05-15,78.879997253418,53.26382167953,2,157.759994506836,106.52764335906,11.8947657049186,8.02653651594938 TWLV.O,TWLV,US,Twelve Seas Investment Company II,USD,EQUITY,NCM,Financial Services,Shell Companies,2024-05-15,10.8000001907349,9.93158297539806,2024-05-15,10.8000001907349,9.93158297539806,10,108.000001907349,99.3158297539806,10.1645252912436,9.34919822405708 UCG.MI,UCG.MI,IT,UniCredit S.p.A.,EUR,EQUITY,MIL,Financial Services,Banks—Regional,2024-05-15,36.2799987792969,36.2799987792969,2024-05-15,36.2799987792969,36.2799987792969,3,108.839996337891,108.839996337891,12.8251828408082,12.8251828408082 UNI.MI,UNI.MI,IT,Unipol Gruppo S.p.A.,EUR,EQUITY,MIL,Financial Services,Insurance—Diversified,2024-05-15,8.90499973297119,8.90499973297119,2024-05-15,8.90499973297119,8.90499973297119,11,97.9549970626831,97.9549970626831,4.53438024653025,4.53438024653025 URB.TO,URB.TO,CA,Urbana Corporation,CAD,EQUITY,TOR,Financial Services,Asset Management,2024-05-15,5.48000001907349,3.70037720566862,2024-05-15,5.48000001907349,3.70037720566862,27,147.960000514984,99.9101845530527,4.01565374986276,2.70974580401818 USAP.O,USAP,US,"Universal Stainless & Alloy Products, Inc.",USD,EQUITY,NMS,Basic Materials,Steel,2024-05-15,33.7299995422363,31.0178040090447,2024-05-15,33.7299995422363,31.0178040090447,3,101.189998626709,93.0534120271339,4.8737430358326,4.48280548569936 VCTR.O,VCTR,US,"Victory Capital Holdings, Inc.",USD,EQUITY,NMS,Financial Services,Asset Management,2024-05-15,52.1399993896484,47.9474741787262,2024-05-15,52.1399993896484,47.9474741787262,2,104.279998779297,95.8949483574524,27.0128366318881,24.8460559671344 VIL.EQ,VIL.PA,FR,"VIEL & Cie, société anonyme",EUR,EQUITY,PAR,Financial Services,Capital Markets,2024-05-15,10.75,10.75,2024-05-15,10.75,10.75,9,96.75,96.75,6.6231134232085,6.6231134232085 VIRC.O,VIRC,US,Virco Mfg. Corporation,USD,EQUITY,NGM,Consumer Cyclical,"Furnishings, Fixtures & Appliances",2024-05-15,12.539999961853,11.5316711049204,2024-05-15,12.539999961853,11.5316711049204,9,112.859999656677,103.785039944284,3.04456100600394,2.80034763402935 VRRM.O,VRRM,US,Verra Mobility Corporation,USD,EQUITY,NCM,Industrials,Infrastructure Operations,2024-05-15,27.3700008392334,25.1692064417515,2024-05-15,27.3700008392334,25.1692064417515,4,109.480003356934,100.676825767006,16.7701237135648,15.4249417801286 VRT.N,VRT,US,Vertiv Holdings Co,USD,EQUITY,NYQ,Industrials,Electrical Equipment & Parts,2024-05-15,104.599998474121,96.1892171968155,2024-05-15,104.599998474121,96.1892171968155,1,104.599998474121,96.1892171968155,5.22999992370606,4.81048593982583 W7L.L,W7L.L,GB,Warpaint London PLC,GBp,EQUITY,LSE,Consumer Defensive,Household & Personal Products,2024-05-15,485,5.65527587120727,2024-05-15,485,5.65527587120727,18,8730,101.794965681731,135.801416078837,1.58249887675333 WBDR.MI,WBDR.MI,IT,Webuild S.p.A.,EUR,EQUITY,MIL,Industrials,Engineering & Construction,2024-05-15,12,12,2024-05-15,12,12,8,96,96,4.99051752358873,4.99051752358873 X.TO,X.TO,CA,TMX Group Limited,CAD,EQUITY,TOR,Financial Services,Financial Data & Stock Exchanges,2024-05-15,36.4900016784668,24.6399215284378,2024-05-15,36.4900016784668,24.6399215284378,4,145.960006713867,98.559686113751,26.7457532329108,18.0479187481398 XPO.N,XPO,US,"XPO, Inc.",USD,EQUITY,NYQ,Industrials,Trucking,2024-05-15,114.059997558594,104.888547214905,2024-05-15,114.059997558594,104.888547214905,1,114.059997558594,104.888547214905,39.8781619915872,36.679414983756 XPS.L,XPS.L,GB,XPS Pensions Group plc,GBp,EQUITY,LSE,Consumer Cyclical,Personal Services,2024-05-15,262,3.05501500671403,2024-05-15,262,3.05501500671403,33,8646,100.815495221563,159.626440432165,1.86013275839029 YU_.L,YU.L,GB,Yü Group PLC,GBp,EQUITY,LSE,Utilities,Utilities—Diversified,2024-05-15,1735,20.2307291475147,2024-05-15,1735,20.2307291475147,5,8675,101.153645737573,86.75,1.01090092815126 ZYE1.FRA,ZYE1.F,DE,Addiko Bank AG,EUR,EQUITY,FRA,Financial Services,Banks—Regional,2024-05-15,18.7999992370605,18.7999992370605,2024-05-15,18.7999992370605,18.7999992370605,5,93.9999961853027,93.9999961853027,11.4772920878681,11.4772920878681 MINIMUM,,,,,,,,,,,0.601674693453668,,,0.601674693453668,1,,90,,0.0340851321595671 MAXIMUM,,,,,,,,,,,106.150001525879,,,106.150001525879,166,,110,,73.4146865370985 MEDIAN,,,,,,,,,,,12.1450111012912,,,12.1450111012912,8,,100.214999198914,,8.08285630340646 AVERAGE,,,,,,,,,,,26.0156541478769,,,26.0156541478769,14.55,,99.965850856796,,10.7737737301551 TOTAL,,,,,,,,,,,2601.56541478769,,,2601.56541478769,1455,,9996.5850856796,,1077.37737301551 

Game Information

Game Title: Senua's Saga: Hellblade II
Platforms:

• Xbox Series X/S (May 21, 2024)
• PC (May 21, 2024)

Trailers:

• Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II – Official Trailer The Game Awards 2023
• Senua's Saga: Hellblade II - The Senua Trailer Xbox Games Showcase 2023

Developer: Ninja Theory
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Review Aggregator:
OpenCritic - 84 average - 86% recommended - 55 reviews

Critic Reviews

AltChar - Asmir Kovacevic - 95 / 100

Few games in recent times have been able to do what Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 has done: make me feel so engaged and immersed that I wish the feeling would never stop. It is a game that will keep you in constant awe throughout the playtime with its fantastic and mysterious story, incredible graphic and sound presentation and realistic and brutal combat that will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time.

But Why Tho? - Mick Abrahamson - 7.5 / 10

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II won’t be for everyone. But if you are looking for a brutal continuation of a fantastic story that feels like you’re actually playing a movie, you’ll have a great time here.

CGMagazine - Justin Wood - 7 / 10

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 starts incredibly strong in the first half, but after certain revelations, the story speeds up to a point where the conclusion feels rushed and half-baked.

COGconnected - Mark Steighner - 95 / 100

It has been a very long time since I played a game as assured, polished, and emotionally affecting as Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2.

Cerealkillerz - Steve Brieller - German - 7.9 / 10

If you expect an immersive but not so interactive “game”, Senua’s Saga Hellblade II delivers a short yet intense experience. Ninja Theory has once again skillfully created an impressive atmosphere, as they did in Senua’s Sacrifice. Unfortunately, the issues remain as well: Puzzles and combat are too easy and there is no variety in either. So please keep in mind, that this is more a Hellblade 1.5 than a true sequel.

Checkpoint Gaming - Charlie Kelly - 10 / 10

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is well worth the wait and is a serious game of the year contender. Senua's follow-up journey is the best exploration of mental health that we've seen in games to date, using incredibly striking visual imagery, metaphors and immersive soundscapes to have you feel right there next to her. In what has to be the most photo-realistic game of all time, you're guaranteed to be constantly taken by the hero's adventure as you take in the beautiful and often haunting Viking Iceland. Through mud and dirt, blood and bones, Senua and Ninja Theory in turn bare all to you, the player. A masterpiece, benchmark and magnum opus, Hellblade II is crucial storytelling you won't soon forget.

Console Creatures - Patrick Tremblay - Recommended

With Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2, Ninja Theory shows that video games can be more than simple entertainment: they can be profound artistic and emotional explorations, capable of touching and transforming those who play them. This is an unforgettable journey into the heart of Iceland's darkness, where every step of Senua is a step towards self-discovery.

Digital Trends - Tomas Franzese - 4 / 5

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is a visual stunner for Xbox even if its gameplay isn't too creative.

Echo Boomer - David Fialho - Portuguese - Essential

Ninja Theory has finally delivered the long-awaited and provocative sequel to Hellblade, with one of the most impressive interactive cinematic experiences of the generation, which makes you question what is real and leaves you dreaming of the graphic potential of future games still on current consoles.

Enternity.gr - Christos Chatzisavvas - Greek - 9.5 / 10

With Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, Ninja Theory builds the game it dreamed of, creating a title on a larger scale than any other.

Eurogamer - Johnny Chiodini - 5 / 5

Hellblade 2 continues Senua's story with grace, confidence, surprising brutality and thundering conviction.

GAMES.CH - Olaf Bleich - German - 89%

The game sucks you skin and hair into its fantasy world and creates such an intense bond with the characters and their stories that you want to know at every second how the adventure ends.

Game Informer - Marcus Stewart - 9 / 10

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II’s conclusion ends on another strong note, and despite my initial reservations about continuing Senua’s story, I walked away happy to see her conquer new monsters, both literal and metaphorical.

GameSpot - Jess Cogswell - 6 / 10

Hellblade 2 is perhaps the most visually remarkable Xbox title to date, but is ultimately undermined by its emphasis on fidelity over story and gameplay.

GamingTrend - Cassie Peterson - 95 / 100

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is a stunning and immersive storytelling experience that really puts the player into the mind of its titular character. It's even more narratively-focused than the first game (not to its detriment), with a bigger emphasis on how Senua sees and interacts with the world around her. The whole experience from start to finish has been beyond memorable.

Generación Xbox - Pedro del Pozo - Spanish - 9.3 / 10

Ninja Theory manages to place Senua in the Olympus of videogames with the most visually and sonorously powerful game we have seen so far. A spectacular, stunning and awe-inspiring journey.

IGN - Tristan Ogilvie - 8 / 10

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is another Viking-worthy feast for the senses that meets the high bar set by its predecessor, even if it never really manages to clear it.

INVEN - Soojin Kim - Korean - 8.5 / 10

The game's high level of immersion makes you want to play it from start to finish in one sitting. With outstanding audiovisual presentation and effects, it gives the feeling that you're playing a movie, not watching it. However, the gameplay elements, such as combat and puzzles, still lack significant meaning, which leads to rather disappoint feelings.

Kakuchopurei - Jonathan Leo - 80 / 100

While the story & gameplay's broad strokes might be familiar, Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2's execution, perspective, and overall production values are just stellar and highlights Ninja Theory's strengths in delivering what it does best: story-heavy cinematic gaming. The characters are fleshed out and well-written, with proper focus on your main character and her turmoils that carry over from the first game, the fighting feels weighty and challenging without being completely frustrating, and the HUD-less approach to presentation is welcome.

Kotaku - Claire Jackson - Unscored

A spellbinding meditation on anguish and compassion, Hellblade II delivers one of the most gripping interactive and sensory experiences of 2024

Merlin'in Kazanı - Murat Oktay - Turkish - 89 / 100

The chaotic story of Senua continues. We set out to take revenge on the Viking raiders who have inflicted devastating losses on the people of Orkney.

Metro GameCentral - GameCentral - 5 / 10

A joyless slog of barely interactive entertainment and a muddled portrayal of mental illness… that just so happens to have the best graphics ever on a video game console.

MondoXbox - Giuseppe Genga - Italian - 9.5 / 10

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is a true masterpiece: a deep and highly immersive narrative experience that manages to make us feel all the protagonist's torment within an impressively realistic world. Ninja Theory reveals itself to be one of the most valuable studios in the Xbox stable here, reaching levels of absolute excellence in graphics, audio, narration, and acting. A must-play.

New Game Network - Alex Varankou - 70 / 100

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II keeps the basics intact, and while a strong lead character, great animations, and simple but enjoyable combat continue to deliver, the poor pacing and performance issues prevent this sequel from breaking free of its past.

Nexus Hub - Sam Aberdeen - 8 / 10

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is the best-looking game we've ever played - a true visual powerhouse backed by an emotionally charged story and gripping dark fantasy setting, if you can look past some of its shortcomings.

One More Game - Chris Garcia - 9 / 10

Hellblade 2 is a triumph in masterful storytelling and impeccable audio design for Ninja Theory. It is an emotionally powerful experience that depicts a sensitive subject that is hardly talked about in the medium.
To achieve this, the game stripped out several features and systems like combat and exploration in favor of a deeper narrative affair. This is not for everyone, but it is something I would encourage everyone to try at least try out.

Oyungezer Online - Onur Kaya - Turkish - 8 / 10

Next gen graphics and presentation is now among us, next gen game design on the other hand, will be running late.

PC Gamer - Robin Valentine - 58 / 100

Despite its greater scale and visual splendour, this sequel fails to escape the shadow of its predecessor with a muddled tale that Senua herself feels out of place in.

PCGamesN - Cheri Faulkner - 9 / 10

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is an impeccable story of coming to terms with trauma and making difficult decisions, punctuated by moments of outstanding beauty and strength.

Pixel Arts - Danial Dehghani - Persian - 9 / 10

Hellblade 2 is a stellar example of a sequel done right, building on the elements that made the original a landmark in gaming. It stays true to its roots, prioritizing depth and atmosphere over broad appeal. Fans of the first game will find much to love here, as it remains a unique and compelling experience. However, if the original didn't resonate with you, Hellblade 2 follows a similar path and might not change your mind.

Polygon - Yussef Cole - Unscored

Where the first game felt like a journey of self-discovery, both for Senua and for the player, Hellblade 2 feels more invested in creating the myth of Senua: Senua as legendary giant slayer, as mystical seer touched by the underworld.

Press Start - Brodie Gibbons - 9 / 10

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is yet another arresting, artful chapter in an adventure now two games long. Though it might approach iteration with a very safe hand, only going so far as to correct the original's shortcomings, Ninja Theory's clear strengths in story craft, audiovisual design, as well as their care for the dark subject matter manage to shine through brighter than ever before.

Rectify Gaming - Tyler Nienburg - 10 / 10

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II emerges as a visual and storytelling masterpiece, and is unquestionably the best-looking game I've witnessed on Xbox Series X since its launch.

Rock, Paper, Shotgun - Rick Lane - Unscored

A more uncompromising version of the first game, Hellblade 2 offers a well told story and immaculate presentation. But it's also even simpler, to the point where it treats interaction like an inconvenience.

SECTOR.sk - Matúš Štrba - Slovak - 9.5 / 10

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is, at its core, a short game, but an excellent one. But it's not for everyone. It's a bloody and often disgusting experience based on strong emotions and immersion in a character that just won't let you go. It's more of an artistic experience than a traditional game.

Saudi Gamer - Arabic - 10 / 10

An exceptionally well realized portrayal of Senua's struggle both real and praying on her fears, with brutal and satisfying combat and puzzles that require you to appreciate the world. It successfully continues what the first game started and improves upon almost every aspect.

Seasoned Gaming - Ainsley Bowden - 9 / 10

Senua's Saga is a journey unlike any other. It's fantastical, evocative, and demonstrative of Ninja Theory being masters of their craft.

Shacknews - TJ Denzer - 9 / 10

Hellblade 2 still does incredibly well. The new story is weighty, the audio is exceptional, the scenery is ridiculously dense and rich, and the combat feels intense and impactful in new and interesting ways.

Slant Magazine - Justin Clark - 3.5 / 5

The newest chapter in Senua’s story is powerfully told but feels like it’s missing a few pages.

Spaziogames - Gianluca Arena - Italian - 7.6 / 10

Senua's Saga is as strong as its predecessor, if not more, and delivers both in its storytelling and on the technical side. The gameplay, however, has still a lot of room for improvements and boils down to almost-QTE combat and boring puzzles. An experience more than an actual and so-called video game, but an experience worth living nonetheless.

Stevivor - Jay Ball - 9.5 / 10

Senua’s Saga Hellblade 2 is a video game only on its surface. Scratch that away and you’ll see that it’s a deep, thought-provoking, interactive experience proving games are an art form that demands skill and talent. Ninja Theory should be very proud.

TechRaptor - Robert Scarpinito - 7.5 / 10

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II features intense audio, beautiful graphics, and wonderful camera work, creating a powerful presentation that’s worth experiencing. However, the narrative doesn’t quite stick the landing.

The Escapist - Unscored

Video Review - Quote not available

The Outerhaven Productions - Jordan Andow - 5 / 5

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II sets a new bar for performances and presentation. Combined with smart improvements to gameplay, it is arguably the most cinematic, immersive, story-driven experience we’ve ever seen.

TheSixthAxis - Dominic Leighton - Unscored

Just like its forbear, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is an oppressive, powerful and haunting example of the power of video games, and one that sets its own parameters for what a digital experience can be. It is a game that must be experienced, not least because, there’s nothing else quite like it.

Tom's Hardware Italia - Andrea Riviera - Italian - 10 / 10

What Ninja Theory has achieved transcends reality, creating a work that is practically perfect for what it aimed to be: an audiovisual adventure with a strong narrative component. Beyond state-of-the-art graphics and sound that will undoubtedly set a standard in the coming years, what truly astonishes is the maturity with which the team has taken an excellent game like the first Hellblade and molded it into something so qualitatively impressive that it becomes difficult to even describe. This elevates the medium to a new communicative level, capable of evoking emotions and surprising players from start to finish. Experiences like Hellblade 2, which leave a lasting impression on the soul, are few and far between in a generation, and we can only rejoice in seeing how the beautiful artistic vision of the Ninja Theory team has become a reality.

Too Much Gaming - Carlos Hernandez - 5 / 5

Hellblade 2 feels like a living, breathing shapeshifter, manipulating its surroundings around the player with precision and consistency, making it one of the most visually stunning video games of this generation. This is an amazing title that carefully balances its artistic and gaming ambitions, a masterpiece that I encourage any gamer to experience.

TrueAchievements - Sean Carey - 9 / 10

Ninja Theory has created an outstanding sequel with Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2. An unforgettable narrative adventure that is brought to life through impeccable sound design, fantastic visuals, and a story that will stick with you long after the final credits roll. Hellblade 2 is one of the best games Xbox has to offer.

TrueGaming - عمر العمودي - Arabic - 8 / 10

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is a technical achievement for the gaming industry, the visuals are impressive and realistic in a way we haven't seen before and the audio design is very impressive. The game itself though, we think it could've offered more as puzzles are repetitive and combat is quite limited. However, the storytelling is strong in this chapter of Senua's journey, though it feels heavy and depressing.

VideoGamer - Tom Bardwell - 9 / 10

Though uncomfortably bleak and distressing, Helldivers 2 is something truly special.

WellPlayed - James Wood - 6 / 10

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is an achievement in visual fidelity but fails to define itself amid clumsy retreads and unengaging new ideas.

Worth Playing - Chris "Atom" DeAngelus - 7 / 10

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is a beautiful but ultimately hollow game. The fantastic presentation props up a story that is less personal and engaging than in the first game, and the gameplay feels like an afterthought. It was great to see Senua again and to see her outside of the grief-misery she was enveloped in during the first game, but beyond that, there's not much to Hellblade II. It's a short and less memorable experience that shows off Ninja Theory's visual craft to its fullest - but it achieves little else.

Xbox Achievements - Dan Webb - 90%

While Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 might not set any new standards with its simplistic gameplay mechanics, from an audio-visual experience standpoint, it's frankly quite a stunning experience. Hellblade 2 is as close to playing the leading role in a big budget movie as you’re likely to get, and Ninja Theory’s continued coverage on the complexities of severe mental health issues deserves to be commended once more. Bravo, Ninja Theory. Bravo.

XboxEra - Jon Clarke - 10 / 10

Despite the backing of a company as large and as well-funded as Microsoft, Ninja Theory have, in my opinion, nurtured their independent spirit and kept it well and truly alive in every facet of Senua's Saga: Hellblade II. It's brutal. It's breath-taking. It's brilliant. If this is “Independent AAA”?
Sign me up for more.

ZdobywcyGier.eu - Bartosz Michalik - Polish - 9.5 / 10

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is undoubtedly one of the best games of this year. Not only does it shine in terms of audio-visual setting, but also in terms of story. The only element that could be considered caveat is at the same time its greatest asset, namely cinematography. Sometimes one gets the impression that the developers, in an effort to achieve the best possible effect, had to make a lot of compromises, which significantly limited the gameplay possibilities. Nevertheless, for a great narrative and immersion, this is something to turn a blind eye to.

Hey guys just had a question about Ves after around 2800+ Chapter (spoilers)
So I'm in the Lifer Arc where Ves is trapped on the planet and trying to escape. During this arc I've seen Ves' personality degrade from a person who is willing to ignore his own morals for his goals into a crazed sociopath who will willingly sacrifice and neglect his own people for even the slightest benefit (thinking of when Tusa began to question his willpower and Ves' own blatant dismissal of him made him side with Jaanzi's view of Ves).
Like what the hell I just finished the chapter with Ves' new Statue of Transcendence and was gobsmacked by how Exlor has made ves into a LITERAL VILLIAN - NO MORALS, NO EMPATHY, NOTHING!
Like I understand Ves is a maniac bordering on insane (I'm fine with that) but he has literally turned his back on all the character development in the past half book.
Sorry for the rant but I just want to know if Ves stays this way or does he change into someone I want to root for?
TLDR: Ves has gone into psycho sicko sociopath mode in the current chapters l, will his personality change?
Edit: I just read the chapter where lucky poops out the living gem, VES LITERALLY JUST WILLINGLY EXPLODED LUCKY'S ASS WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH HIM

In chapter 7 of mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis writes, "If one had committed a murder, the right Christian thing to do would be to give yourself up to the police and be hanged."
Do you agree? What's the principle being applied here? If the principle is "you should always turn yourself into the police when you commit a crime that is also a sin," doesn't that have crazy implications, and aren't essentially all Christians in violation of this idea?
Surely it's just that in almost all cases the Spirit would want you to turn yourself in?

In your life, who has best exemplified what it means to imitate Christ? It could be a teacher, your pastor, a parent, a friend - doesnt have to be a Christian either. Who have you met that best embodies the love, self sacrifice, kindness, and defense of the oppressed described in the Gospels? For me, its probably my current pastor or a friend from high school that was one of the nicest people I’ve known

During the Hualien 0403 earthquake, some of the buildings were severely damaged, and some were declared dangerous by the government construction management unit with red or yellow notices. If there happens to have a sale or purchase at this time or the rental property is damaged, legal issues related to consumer disputes will arise. Hualien County Consumer Protection Officer, Wei Li, explained the simple principles of the two consumer legal relationships mentioned above.
Li pointed out that regarding the sale and purchase, according to Article 373 of the Civil Code, “The interests and risks of the subject matter of sale shall be borne by the buyer from the time of delivery, unless otherwise stipulated in the contract.” To put it simply, during the sale of a house, if the real estate is not transferred and "delivered" to the buyer before it is at the buyer's disposal, and the house is damaged due to an earthquake, the risk should be borne by the seller. If it has been delivered to the buyer, the risk will be borne by the buyer. In practice, it is often judged based on the time when the house or the keys are handed over. As for the size of the defects caused by the earthquake, such as severe deformation and cracking of beams and columns, or minor falling off of tiles or partitions, or if the wall is cracked; whether you can claim to terminate the contract, reduce the price, or compensate for damages depends on the evidence of the specific case.
Regarding house leasing, according to the leasing chapter of the Civil Code and the Consumer Protection Act, as well as the provisions of the house leasing stereotyped contract that should record matters that are not recorded, if the lessor cannot provide the lessee with the rental place, the lessee has the right to terminate the contract. According to the lease contract, if the landlord has no other reason to withhold the deposit according to the contract, he or she ought to return the deposit. However, according to the provisions of the items that should be recorded in the finalized lease contract as mentioned above, there are indeed provisions for the lessor to offset the deposit if it cannot be handed over or the leftovers are not properly disposed of. But today, if it is due to special situations such as an earthquake, it is indeed unreasonable to force tenants to enter a dangerous building to remove all their belongings and restore the place to the original condition.
Li recommended that landlords and tenants communicate and coordinate calmly. For exampple the landlord returns the deposit, and agrees for the tenant to move out personal belongings and restore the appearance of the rental within a certain period after the elevator or house repairs are completed and safe entry is guaranteed. Or the tenant can exchange part of the deposit and leave the belongings behind to the landlord. Both options are good choices. In any case, this disaster has caused huge damage to the lives and property of Hualien residents.Hopefully the affected can be understanding and not cause more communication misunderstandings after the natural disaster, which will lead to legal troubles and strife.

Hi, I'm doing my (27M) first Sprint Triathlon in September, my running is extremely deficient, and I need some advice for how to train it in the 3 months I have. Sorry if this is too much information, but I thought that adding more details might allow for more specific advice.
I was a decent endurance runner at age 10/11, but at age 12 I swapped to swimming and did only that until age 18. From age 19 to 24 I did only rock climbing, then I spent a year sedentary, and at age 26 got back into swimming. For the last 9 months, my schedule has been the following:

• Mon: 2hrs Swimming
• Tue: 2.5 hours weight training
• Wed: 2hrs Swimming
• Thu: 2.5 hours weight training
• Fri: 2hrs Swimming
• Sat: Rest
• Sun: Rest

My weekly swimming volume is ~14km, mostly interval style but with a good amount of longer endurance work and sprint work. Every few months I do a long bike ride on the weekend, and plan to do that a few times more, so I'm feeling fine about both swimming and biking.
For running however, I knew I was deficient, so my plan was to sacrifice 1 weekly swim session, pick at 5km route, run as much of it as possible, walk the rest, and repeat that every week until I was comfortably running 5km.
I tried that today, and was completely unable to even jog after 2.5km (~15 mins), and had to very slowly walk the rest. The concerning part to me was that the limiting factor was calf/shin pain rather than my cardio endurance, since I know how to improve cardio endurance but am unsure how to train around this limiting factor.
My questions are:

1. Was my original plan reasonable to get to comfortably running 5km in 3 months, or is there a better one for my situation? I would prefer to only sacrifice 1 weekly swim session since I really enjoy swimming and don't enjoy running. However if it is unlikely that I can get there in 3 months with 1 run/week I am open to modifying my schedule.
   
2. Is there anything I can do in the gym to help correct my running issues? My current training is 1/3 legs and is mostly hypertrophy style, and I am open to modfying it.