Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, the newest game from developers Ninja Theory, finally has a release date. It will be available on August 8 for PlayStation 4 and for PC, through the PSN Store, and through Steam and GOG. The game was first shown off back in 2015, so it’s nice to finally have a concrete release date, and one that is coming soon. The fact that the game is $29.99 USD is also a welcome surprise to those looking forward to the great 3rd-person action that Ninja Theory is known for.
In Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, players take on the role of Senua, a fierce Celtic warrior who battles her way through her own self-created hell, brought on by her village having been invaded by vikings. Ninja Theory has stated that they are using the game to take a look at mental illness, and by independently developing and releasing the game, they are able to more fully explore the topic, and have said that the portrayal will be “accurate and sensitive”. This is a very intriguing aspect to align with in what could simply be a typical 3rd-person action game, so it will be interesting to see how the story plays out and how Senua and the player manage to work through the impact caused by the viking assault.
The game is being developed by a small team, of about 15 to 20 people, and has been in the works for a couple of years. Ninja Theory have kept themselves busy, by working with other studios such as Avalanche Studios on Disney Infinity 3.0, helping to develop the lightsaber combat in particular. Through their ability to assist other studios it would appear it has helped fund projects that they are particularly passionate about. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is looking to be a sleeper hit on PS4 and PC, and if their past action track record is any indication (Enslaved, DMC, Heavenly Sword), there will be plenty of solid action to go alongside the serious topic of mental illness. Do you have thoughts on how the industry handles topics like mental illness? Let us know in the comments below.
Source: Hellblade Official Site