Video games can be a very powerful medium of storytelling- this is something I have always maintained. I acknowledge that current video game stories range from aggressively mediocre to outright bad, but I have maintained that that is more to do with the stories themselves, than the medium. Were an actual good story to come along that leveraged the medium’s unique strengths properly, it could be something special.
One of the games that does that, to some extent, is Ninja Theory’s Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. The game is a new action game in the same vein that the studio is known for making, but more importantly, handles the delicate issue of mental illness, tackling it in game. And apparently, it has made an impact on many gamers around the world- because a brand new trailer for the game, put up by Ninja Theory, shares some of the messages they have received from fans regarding the impact that Hellblade made on them, and their own struggles with mental illness.
It is heartening to see- and it demonstrates how powerful and effective video games can be, when wielded right. I think Ninja Theory deserves all the accolades and applause here- they have tried creating something boldly different, and they have managed to do it well. That deserves all the praise in the world.
Hellbalde is available on PS4 and PC.