Ninja Theory’s reveal of its upcoming title, Hellblade 2, was appreciated by players already hyped for the sequel following the first title’s success. One of the least interesting bits of the first game was its combat system, but it seems like the sequel has every plan to build on it.
Motion capture isn’t an entirely new technique to the industry; plenty of games have utilized it to put their best foot forward regarding animation and graphical fidelity. But the upcoming title from the Xbox studio seems to take it to another level.
Why Hellblade 2’s Combat Will Be in a Different League Compared to Its Predecessor
As per an exclusive piece from GamesRadar, the combat in the game will be ramped up in detail and execution, as evident from a fierce and grotesque section. The notable detail about this section was revealed to be the combat and the quality of animation that the game put on display.
The fluid response to inputs coupled with the moment-to-moment thrill and struggle in the section made it gripping. But the reference point for the sequence is something that will excite fans. A stupendously popular TV show that still has a cult following inspired the team behind the game to come up with this grim sequence.
On this, the combat director of the game said:
Battle of the Bastards from Game of Thrones was a reference from the beginning. He’s [Jon Snow] in the middle of this battle and just reacting to everything that is thrown at him. When we started development, our ambition was to recreate that in-game with full control from the player.
It is unsurprising that bringing this ambition to life is an entirely different story and wouldn’t be a cakewalk. Along with the team, as per Macon, it was also hard work for the motion capture artists, and he elaborated on the same.
Hellblade 2’s Developer, Ninja Theory, Shares How It Executed the Sequence
Regarding the sequence that is being discussed above, the combat director stated that to stay true to the vision, the team had to spend a considerable amount of time perfecting every little detail. The team also had to ensure that minimal touch-ups were being done to keep things organic.
That is because if one looks at the Battle of the Bastards sequence from the hit TV show, it has an adrenaline-inducing, high-octane offering that looks genuine. To meet that standard, the team had to spend a whopping 75 days recording stunt performers on motion capture stages.
This was done to keep it unfiltered and as organic as possible without requiring additional work. Although not a lot of detail has been officially put out by the developers, it seems that the title is shaping up to be one that might shine among all of the current Xbox exclusives.
What do you think of the fantastic level of detail in Hellblade 2? Do you think Ninja Theory might finally give Xbox its marquee exclusive? We would love to know your thoughts in the comments below!
