Learn every offensive and defensive combat move in Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. Master fast strikes, heavy strikes, melee attacks, evades, blocks, and Focus to survive.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice features a deep and intricate combat system with a vast move set. This guide explains every combat move, both offensive and defensive, to help players master the game's mechanics, as the game provides no in-game tutorials.
Basic Controls
While the game displays basic controls, here's a more detailed explanation:
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Fast Strike | Quick attacks dealing low damage. Useful for stunning enemies and maintaining pressure on staggered opponents. Stringing too many can be countered, and enemies can block or parry them. |
| Heavy Strike | Slow but powerful attacks that stagger most enemies. They can break an enemy's guard, allowing subsequent attacks to connect. Over-reliance can lead to being interrupted. |
| Melee Attack | Typically kicks, punches, or shoulder charges. They do no damage but always stun normal enemies and can break guards. Can be used to push enemies off ledges. Ineffective against large enemies like the Axe Brute. |
| Evade | A backward slide to avoid incoming attacks. If timed correctly, you won't take damage even if the attack would have hit. |
| Block | Nullifies incoming damage from most attacks. Blocking powerful attacks may stagger Senua or knock her down, but prevents direct damage. Follow-up attacks may still hit before recovery. |
| Run | A useful combat tool not explicitly listed in combat controls. |
| Focus | Unlocks during the first boss fight. Stuns all enemies on screen and slows them, creating an opening for attack. Also instantly restores health and revives Senua if knocked down. |
Taking Damage and Recovery
When Senua is knocked to the ground, mashing face buttons can speed up recovery. If knocked to her knees from damage, she is vulnerable to instant death if attacked again before recovering. If knocked down by a block, she recovers faster. Senua recovers health over time if she avoids taking damage. When low on health, the screen turns red, her heartbeat is audible, and she becomes weakened, losing most abilities including parrying and advanced combos, making her highly vulnerable.
Basic Combos
Combos are formed by chaining Fast Attacks and Heavy Attacks, typically consisting of 4 button presses. The heavy combo ( , , ) is an exception at 3 presses. Understanding combo construction allows for improvisation and the use of preferred combos in battle.
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