Ninja Theory, the creator of DmC: Devil May Cry , has just revealed the first trailer for its most recent action game project: Hellblade . No, it’s not about demons, nor is it the antithesis of Heavenly Sword . Instead, it’s a game about mental illness and the toll it takes on a person.
The main character of the game is Senua, who suffers from delusions, hallucinations, and practically every possible mental illness you could imagine from. She struggles, not just against her environment, but against herself. Her ailment has been called a “cancer of the mind” trapping her in her own “living hell.”
In order to represent mental illness correctly, Ninja Theory reached out to Paul Fletcher, professor of health and neuroscience at the University of Cambridge.
“True understanding of mental health is not simply about the books, lectures, or verbal descriptions but from deeper engagement on all levels,” says 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.”
Hellblade will be a small digitally published title, offered for about half the price of a AAA title. The game will be a timed PS4 exclusive but will also be developed for PC. We will bring you more information about Hellblade when we get to see it this year at E3.
Source: Gamepsot