Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is the next big title for Xbox. It’s due to launch on May 21 and as part of the marketing, various outlets have been given some hands-on time with the game. Because of this new level of access, we’ve learned what to expect from the game in terms of performance.
According to German outlet GamePro, Hellblade 2 looks stunning thanks to running on Unreal Engine 5 and scanning entire environments in Iceland using a drone. However, the level of fidelity that the game achieves comes at a price: it runs at 30fps on both Series S and X using dynamic resolution.
Below is the relevant quote from GamePro, translated by Google.
“But the beauty also has its price: Hellblade 2 only runs at 30 fps and dynamic resolution on both Xbox Series S and Series X. There are no graphics modes; the frame rate can only be increased on the PC. The VFX director explains this in an interview with GamePro by saying that the experience should feel more “cinematic” – similar to movies that run at 24 frames per second.”
The website notes that the 30fps didn’t bother them though, because the gameplay is “rather slow and weighty”. I know what they mean – some games can feel fine at lower framerates if they aren’t fast-paced and as long as the FPS stays consistent.
With that said, it’s surprising that Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 isn’t offering some sort of performance mode to boost that framerate. I had to admit, going back to 30fps in 2024 feels like a step in the wrong direction. I’d rather take a drop in graphical quality, but as far as I know I’m actually in the minority with the majority of people defaulting to quality mode when given the option.
Of course, PC users don’t have this issue. If you have the hardware to do it, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, which is apparently roughly the same size as the first game, can be run at much higher framerates. Somehow I don’t think my aging 1080Ti will be capable of doing that, though.
