Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
Hellblade 2is scheduled for a August 11, 2025 release but the game is already creating waves among fans. Recently, in an interview with the developers, fans got to know about the intricate thought processes behind the portrayal of psychosis.
Senua, the titular character in the first gameHellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, suffers from psychosis. While the game dealt with the matter in a way that was praised by both fans and critics, not everybody was a fan. One fan’s declaration about how the portrayal failed to address a core aspect of psychosis apparently led the development team to rethink and recreate the aspect by consulting people who suffer from the disorder.
Hellblade 2 Wishes To Do Away With the Stigma
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade IIis a culmination of over 7-years of work by Ninja Theory. During this time, the acquisition of the company by Microsoft Gaming led to greater fan expectations of theHellbladesequel.
“Hellblade 2 will make Hellblade look like an indie game”: Outgoing Ninja Theory President Puts Everyone’s Expectations at a Massive Level for the Xbox Exclusive
Explaining their process in the fight against stigma regarding mental health issues,Laurie Dunham, script-writerand director of performance capture ofHellblade 2said in an interview,
Coming in, the big takeaway from the first game for me was how it really resonated with people, who maybe have had the same experience as Senua and couldn’t find a way to communicate that with other people. That idea of being seen and understood is so important, and is [why we choose to] approach the sequel in a very similar way – to speak and listen to people with lived experience, to get their insights and make something that’s faithful and accurate.
To aid in the research and support, Ninja Theory hired Paul Fletcher, a psychiatrist and a professor of neuroscience at Cambridge University. He is also part ofHellblade 2in a similar advisory role as of the first game. In his own words, one particular reaction to the first game from a survivor of psychosis paved the way for much of the change in intent that is there now.
While fans and critics lauded the game for its portrayal of such sensitive topics, one fan felt hard done by it. The article read,
Well, this, this does not reflect my psychosis. This is a mistake, it doesn’t deal with a very core part of it, which is how it affects my relationships with others, and the social component.
This paved the way for the studio to build more on Senua’s relationship with her surroundings and people in the game. In the words of Laurie Dunham, Senua’s relationship with those around her is “absolutely key” to the game. It shows howNinja Theory incorporated feedback from the first gameand built on it rather than hushing it up.
“I don’t think so, looks last gen”: It’s Hellblade 2 vs Stellar Blade as Fans Can’t Decide Which is the ‘Generational leap’
Hellblade 2 Promises To Be One Hell of a Ride
Further exploring the world of Senua,Hellblade 2is slated to be way better than the first installment in the franchise.
With both the inner and outer voices of the character playing an integral part in the game, the uncomfortable nature of the contradistinction is being focused on by the developers in a bid to raise awareness against the stigma regarding psychosis.
Players are in for a treat when the game releases due to the excruciating attention to detail on the developers’ part. If the game succeeds, it would be a huge step in fighting stigma against a myriad of mental health conditions.
What do you think of Ninja Theory’s innovation and change inHellblade 2due to feedback from the first game? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Arkaneel Khan
Articles Published :180
I travel. I game. I write. In no strict order.The single biggest lie told all around is, “It isn’t that simple.” It is simple, everything is. And that is what I emulate in my writing. No unnecessary jargons and no flamboyant flourish. Just what’s needed to get your imagination going. After all mind has no limit, unlike the written word.
