Ninja Theory debuted the gameplay trailer for their upcoming third-person action game, Hellblade.
The trailer gives us the first look at some gameplay footage, get it after the break:
The game inspired by historical events, tells the story of Senua, a Celtic warrior who is left traumatised by a Viking invasion.
It follows Senua, a Celtic Warrior left traumatized from a Viking invasion, on her journey into a vision of Hell that’s actually a manifestation of her own mental illness.
Senua experiences psychosis, including hallucinations and delusions, as well as suffering from anxiety and depression.
In order to ensure a sensitive and accurate portrayal of the subject, Ninja Theory has been working closely with Psychiatrist and Professor of Health and Neuroscience from the University of Cambridge, Paul Fletcher, as well as arranging to consult with people who have experience of mental health difficulties.
“True understanding of mental health is not simply about books, lectures or verbal descriptions but from deeper engagement on all levels, said Paul Fletcher.
Working with Ninja Theory has shown me the potential that gaming has for sharing in a character’s experiences and engendering empathy in ways that go well beyond those offered by simple academic descriptions. Maybe this approach will contribute powerful new ways of challenging stigma.”
Tameem Antoniades, Chief Creative Director at Ninja Theory, said: “In Hellblade we are pursuing creative independence in order to explore a compelling subject matter and gaming experience that would not be possible under the current retail model.
In movie terms, this would be a quality independent film, not a Hollywood blockbuster. Digital self-publishing means that we can offer a smaller, but high quality game at around half the price of retail games.”
The project is supported by the Wellcome Trust, a global charitable foundation which aims to build a greater public understanding of science, and in particular health.
“More and more, games have an exciting and innovative role to play in giving us new perspectives on health and mental health challenges, added Iain Dodgeon, creative partnerships manager at the Wellcome Trust.
Rather than being a didactic game teaching us about psychosis, Hellblade allows us to explore it through the creation of a compelling and complex character, and the world that she inhabits.”
The game is being developed by a small team of 15 people under a development model Ninja Theory call Independent AAA, combining the creative freedom of ‘indie’ development, but with the production values of AAA blockbuster titles.
Hellblade is due out in 2016 for PC, PS4 and Xbox One.
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Source: Ninja Theory