The dreary regions of the dead where hard drives are forgot...

August 05, 2026

It's time for more screenshots today and at the moment, I'm revisiting Hellblade on the Steam Deck, thankfully a breeze to get going after the amount of faff involved with setting up other things. Control, perhaps unsurprisingly, was a bit of a sod to set up (thank you to some kind stranger on the internet for putting up a bundle of settings that balance nice visuals with the game running properly, because I was completely lost at sea with that lot.) Also, for some reason, Prey was hell bent on crashing out while it was meant to be installing. No idea what the problem was but I had to keep an eye on the machine for ages, then run the risk of restarting GOG Galaxy and just hope that it wouldn't lose the progress with the installation after an hour and a half... but yes, it's on there now and I can finally play it. That's the main thing. Not quite fun 'n' games in the traditional sense, but here we are.

While all this was going on, I also took a run at tidying up the computer-gubbins box and found the OG external hard drive, the mighty King Fossil, which started the whole thing with naming computer stuff after Darius references. Turns out there's a load of old files that need doubling up on more recent backups, so that's something to attend to sooner rather than later. One folder bore the wistful name of "Pre-Windows 11 backup". Mmmm. And that's where I found these screenshots, from 2021, and the PS4 version of Hellblade. Shall we dive in?

Just gonna swerve the obligatory mental health discourse because it's been done to death, and I, as a person with a long-standing mental health disorder, have a right to draw some fucking boundaries, and not be constantly pressured to speak out about it. I am a human being, I contain multitudes, and there is a damnsight more to me as a person than just some grating dysfunction. If someone wants to reduce me to just one thread rather than seeing the whole tapestry in all its chaotic glory, then they're just not welcome in my day. Not going to speak for anyone else with a mental illness because their communication around that issue is their own prerogative but for me, I'm out of the discussion unless it's necessary and legitimately constructive to say something about it. Rant over.

So, onto the tasty stuff: Getting back into the combat has been really enjoyable; the strong focus on substantial, crunchy, hooligan-energy-infused scrums is delicious. I refuse to believe that just shooting the Bad Things is the way forward when you can literally charge headlong towards the enemy, boot them in the sternum and then lay into them with the sword. That's the monster-bashing equivalent of fine dining right there and I am living for it.

The environment design is also superb, with sumptuous attention to detail; we've got knotwork-laden monoliths dotting the landscape; the imposing ruins of Viking ships slowly rotting on the shore; distant landmarks quietly hinting at where Senua's heading on her journey, it's all very compelling. Sometimes it is genuinely pleasant as well; we're treated to beautiful meadows, serene waterfalls, even a ruined building feels welcoming when it's drenched in golden sunlight and lovely flowering plants.

The puzzle design is pleasing too, relatively simplistic but thoughtfully woven into the environment and the story, so they feel appropriate and satisfying to work with. Much as I love a complex puzzle to dig into, there's a lot to be said for less fussy things when they're implemented well. The ruined building is a highlight in this regard as well, as the meat of the puzzle is navigating between two different versions of the same environment; one in a stormy, rain-lashed night, the other in a calm and gently invigorating sunrise, both in different states of disrepair which block or facilitate our progress at different points. The design of this puzzle on a mechanical level is rewarding to solve and in terms of the narrative, it dovetails with Senua's internal conflict in a poignant way. Both the setting and mechanical design come together to bolster the emotional beats of the scene in an elegant way; it's legitimately one of my favourite parts of the game.

Anyway, pictures (well, more of them.)

This one was meant to be a serious shot but if anything, it looks like everyone's muggin' it for the camera.

This, again, was meant to be a serious action shot but it looks a bit cheeky. That monster off to the side is enjoying himself, anyway (until he gets his head kicked in, that is.)

Satisfying swooshes while kicking off at Surtr.

Something a bit more sedate now, enjoying the sunshine and lovely reflections on the water as we leave Valravn's base of operations.

The end result of yours truly trying to do that sodding geyser puzzle towards the last third of Spirit of the North... (that's what I was trying to do before giving up for the day and coming back to Helheim, to hammer some monsters, which is arguably more relaxing. Your mileage may vary, of course.)