Iacovides et al. (2015, p. 1) distinguish game interface elements into two categories: diegetic elements, which are integrated into the game's fictional reality and can be perceived by the characters, and non-diegetic elements, which are exclusive to the players' perspective. According to these authors, common wisdom in the games industry suggests that excessive use of non-diegetic elements, such as Head-Up Displays (HUDs), can potentially compromise the immersion process.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice challenges this convention, offering a remarkable demonstration of how these concepts can be manipulated to deepen the player's experience.
The game stands out for its almost complete elimination of non-diegetic elements. The absence of a health bar, a map, or equipment indicators forces the player to interpret information organically. Senua's health and status are communicated through signals that, while functionally essential for progression, are intrinsically rooted in the narrative. The damage suffered by the character, for instance, is expressed by the progression of a dark "corruption" spreading across her right arm, a visual manifestation of the protagonist's mental illness.
However, one of the game's highlights lies in the fusion between diegesis and the non-diegetic experience. In this regard, we turn to Galloway (2006, pp. 6-7 ), who defines diegesis as the "total world of narrative actions". From this perspective, we can hypothesise that in Hellblade, this world is the subjective and chaotic universe of Senua's mind. Elements that would conventionally be non-diegetic in other games, such as audio cues indicating the path or voices warning of enemy presence, are, in reality, manifestations of the character's psychosis. The player does not receive mere hints; they experience the diegesis of insanity, where the perception of reality is mediated by Senua's suffering. The game's hermeneutics, therefore, cease to be a detached interpretation and become a real-time performance, where the act of playing and interpretation merge into the immersive experience proposed by the system.
The game thus demonstrates that the distinction between diegetic and non-diegetic can be intentionally obscured to create a more cohesive and psychologically immersive gaming experience. By eliminating the HUD and transforming feedback elements into an integral part of the narrative and character perception, Hellblade not only enhances immersion but also establishes a pattern for interface design that seeks to deepen the connection between the player and the fictional universe.
Building on this, it is possible to argue that in Senua's Sacrifice, the player potentially experiences a "meta-diegesis." Here, we employ this term to understand a meta-diegetic situation as one that refers to elements which, although intrinsically belonging to the game's diegetic world, communicate directly with the player, subtly subverting the fourth wall. The voices in protagonist Senua's mind represent a compelling application of this idea.
The meta-diegetic nature of Senua's voices can be understood from three analytical perspectives. Firstly, their existence is diegetically grounded: they do not constitute an external narrator or an interface element dissociated from the narrative. On the contrary, they are a central manifestation of the character's psychosis, affecting her perception and interaction with the world. Secondly, they perform an essential non-diegetic function for gameplay. They act as a dynamic feedback system, providing the player with alerts about imminent threats, spatial guidance, and hints for puzzle-solving – functions that, in other games, would be delegated to a HUD or conventional narrator cues.
Finally, the use of voices blurs the boundary between player and character. By merging narrative function with gameplay, the game transcends the mere presentation of information, inviting the player to actively experience Senua's ordeal. The anguish, confusion, and cognitive dissonance caused by the voices become part of the player's immersive experience, and not merely an object of observation. Therefore, the voices in Hellblade constitute a paradigmatic meta-diegetic element, functioning as an interface that deepens immersion rather than breaking it, and offering a sophisticated approach to how narrative elements can be co-opted to optimise the interactive experience.
Meticulous observation of the diegetic, non-diegetic, and meta-diegetic elements in
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice forms the methodological foundation for an in-depth analysis of the game as an empirical object. By examining the intentional elimination of traditional interface elements (HUD) and the subsequent adoption of a meta-diegetic interface, represented by the voices tormenting the protagonist, it becomes possible to unravel the complexity of its structure.
References
Galloway, A. R. (2006)
Gaming: Essays on Algorithmic Culture. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, pp. 6-7.
Iacovides, I., Cox, A. L. and Kennedy, R. (2015) ‘Diegetic and Non-Diegetic Interface Elements in Digital Games: A Review of Prior Work’. In
Proceedings of the 2015 Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play. London: ACM, p. 1.
