Ninja Theory has released a new video that sees members of the team working on Hellblade discussing the game’s visual storytelling.
In the video it is said that, as Ninja Theory is working on independently this time around, it is looking to take its three core strengths to the next level. Those are: ninja-class melee combat, a deep and engaging character story, and a unique art vision.
The studio’s answer to this is a story that explores concepts of mental trauma and doing so without using the “typical, sexy heroine.” This is has resulted in Hellblade’s Senua, who is a Celtic warrior dealing with the aftermath of a Viking invasion, and who is actually based on an actual Celtic goddess that we don’t know anything about – granting Ninja Theory room to fill in the gaps.
Seen in the video are Ninja Theory co-founder Tameem Antoniades, project development manager Dominic Matthews, and art director Stuart Adcock talking about how they went about creating a “realistic” 16th century heroine. Certain in-engine cutscenes and design aspects of the world are used to illustrate the advances of Unreal Engine 4 as well as Ninja Theory’s approach to crafting a game with it.
