The anticipation for Ninja Theory’s Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is at an all-time high as more and more information about the game is coming forward. A few fortunate gamers got the chance to experience the game early and it’s safe to say all this waiting will be worth it. The game is reportedly designed in a clever way that players can feel the game is playing mind games with them.
By forming an emotional connection with the player, the game can virtually affect one’s reality. With Unreal Engine 5 and Microsoft’s resources, Ninja Theory was able to make Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II more immersive and refined than its predecessor. Visual effects director Mark Slater-Tunstill also opened up about the role of the human mind while playing the game.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II will play mind games with the player
Ninja Theory has plans to virtually affect gamers’ realities through Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. Indeed, this sounds strange but the game’s storyline, combined with its worldbuilding, forms an emotional connection with the player. Visual effects director Mark Slater-Tunstill revealed how Hellblade II will play with gamers’ minds when they experience the game (via Polygon),
“I think that the human mind does [a thing where] you think you know what something looks like, but then actually, when you look at what that thing is, in reality there’s way more chaos in it. It’s not quite the same as what you picture in your head – If you were just sculpting off the top of your head, the environments or the characters or whatever, it just is going to lose some of that nature, some of that chaos.”
Just like the previous game, the game’s narrative serves as a metaphor for the character’s struggle with psychosis, Senua, who suffers from the condition but believes it to be a curse. Senua’s mental state plays a key role in unfolding the game’s story.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is scheduled to be released on 21 May 2024
The technology has certainly changed a lot since 2017 and unlike Hellblade 2, the first game was made on very limited resources and a very small team, 20 to be precise. With Hellblade 2, Ninja Theory has made some major upgrades, and using Unreal Engine 5 has allowed video game artists to express their creativity freely.
The game’s environment is one of the main factors that makes the game entertaining as environment art director Dan Attwell mentioned that they have made a “graphical leap” since the first game. The game also features a new fighting system, which is much more dynamic and realistic than the previous one.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II will be released for Windows and Xbox Series X/S on 21st May 2024.
