Hellblade 2 has the potential to push Xbox forward in an era where things have been less than ideal for Microsoft’s consoles. Nearly seven years after the launch of Senua’s Sacrifice, Ninja Theory is ensuring that everything about the sequel is bigger and better than what players were introduced to in the first game.
To achieve that, the team is improving the combat and putting a grander spin on the action sequences, so it makes sense that it’d take inspiration from a series that became a phenomenon due to its battles, Game of Thrones.
Battle of the Bastards Inspired the Action Sequences in Hellblade 2
Game of Thrones had no shortage of excellent action sequences, but there were some that stood out more than the rest. One of these intense battles had a whole episode dedicated to it called Battle of the Bastards, and it proved to be a technical marvel due to the scope of what was being shown on screen.
Naturally, it received acclaim and is considered to be one of the best episodes ever, so it isn’t a surprise that the battle between the forces of Jon Snow and Ramsay Bolton is still a reference point eight years later, as Ninja Theory tried recreating the same feeling in Hellblade 2.
“When we started development, our ambition was to recreate that in-game with full control from the player,” stated Hellblade 2 combat director Benoit Macon, as Ninja Theory wanted to reenact a similar feeling in its game that Jon Snow was going through during the chaos.
During the Battle of the Bastards, Snow’s forces take heavy damage from Ramsay Bolton’s, leaving the former to take matters into his own hands as he tries to fight his enemies one at a time, with them charging at him in full throttle.
The memorable sequence from Game of Thrones became a major reason why the developer “opted for one-on-one combat,” resulting in Senua feeling “overwhelmed in every encounter” while pushing through hordes of opponents.
Ninja Theory Tried Achieving the Same Level of Brutality as the Game of Thrones Battle
Game of Thrones enthusiasts know that there was a lot happening during the showdown in the North, due to which it was successful in conveying a feeling of brutal struggle because anything could happen.
“We had to create a big pool of animations that can trigger from anything,” continued Macon, stating that it took the developer 75 days to get the required motion capture footage because of the variety of unique outcomes that result from Senua’s actions during battles.
“You never know when something else is coming, so you’re always wondering what’s going to happen,” said the combat director, suggesting that Hellblade 2 will keep the players on their toes.
Are you looking forward to Hellblade 2? Let us know in the comments!
