At Microsoft’s second annual Xbox Developer_Direct, Ninja Theory’s highly anticipated Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 took the spotlight with members of the development team taking a deep dive into the action-adventure title and what players can expect to see from it.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 sees protagonist Senua arriving in 10th century Iceland on the trail of the Vikings who have been capturing her people. While Ninja Theory has attempted to keep the game, its story, and its setting authentic, players can, of course, expect plenty of fantastical elements, from giants to draugr and more.
Of course, Senua’s psychosis is once again an integral part of the experience, and just as it did with the first game, Ninja Theory collaborated with experts and people with personal experience of mental illnesses to capture Senua’s own mind and how she grapples with what it throws at her.
Further details are revealed on the game’s actual development process, with members of the development team talking about Hellblade 2’s graphical improvements, improvements in the game’s use of motion capture, and the use of binaural audio for not only the voices in Senua’s head, but for the entirety of the game.
Meanwhile, true to recent leaks, it’s also been officially confirmed that Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 will launch on May 21. The game will launch for Xbox Series X/S and PC, and will be available on Game Pass at launch.