The epic sequel to 2017’s Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is set to crank up the ambition, production quality, and emotion impact of the first game tenfold. Unlike the original, though, PS5 fans will miss out, as the sequel will only release on Xbox and PC.
The most notable aspect of Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice was its representation of psychosis, a mental illness afflicting protagonist Senua. Developer Ninja Theory carefully researched and consulted professionals in the medical field to be as accurate as possible, and they’ve taken it a step further with Hellblade 2.
Ninja Theory Built On What They Learned From Hellblade 1
In an interview with GamesRadar+, Ninja Theory scriptwriter and mocap director Laurie Dunham, spoke about how it’s super important to stay true to the impact of the first game:
Coming in, the big takeaway from the first game for me was how it really resonated with people, who maybe have had the same experience as Senua and couldn’t find a way to communicate that with other people.
The first game was indeed lauded for its meticulous representation of psychosis. Dunham continued, “That idea of being seen and understood is so important, and is [why we choose to] approach the sequel in a very similar way – to speak and listen to people with lived experience, to get their insights and make something that’s faithful and accurate.”
Hellblade 2 Reflects The Social Aspect Of Psychosis As Well
This focus on accuracy is clear in the volumes of research Ninja Theory has done. Dr. Paul Fletcher, a psychiatrist and professor of neuroscience at Cambridge University, returned as a consultant for Hellblade 2. He remembers the early pushback the team got when they first started thinking about showing psychosis, even before they began making the first game:
I believe these early conversations, to some extent, mitigated concerns. The feedback we went on to receive from the first game was just, to me, utterly unexpected and so gratifying and validating. But I did read one article in which the writer said, ‘Well, this, this does not reflect my psychosis. This is a mistake, it doesn’t deal with a very core part of it, which is how it affects my relationships with others, and the social component.’
This feedback is a sound indicator of the lengths Ninja Theory went to learn and improve the way they show mental health in Hellblade 2. They don’t just have a chat with professionals, they listen closely to feedback and ingrain it into their creative process.
As Fletcher points out, though, the first game mainly explored Senua’s inner struggles, while the sequel promises to go deeper, tackling the social aspects of psychosis alongside the internal battles Senua faces.
Ninja Theory’s heightened focus on accurate portrayals of psychosis and their willingness to learn from past experiences suggest Hellblade 2 could be a major achievement in video game storytelling, pushing the boundaries of mental health representation even further.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is set to launch on 21 May 2024 for PC and Xbox. Game Pass subscribers can play the game day one at no cost.
