Ninja Theory has announced they have renamed their next major title, Hellblade, to Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice.
Alongside this announcement, they shared some new poster art of Senua. Senua herself has received a redesign, perhaps to better reflect her ethnicity. She now wears a leather headpiece with a bejeweled centerpiece, and her facepaint is markedly more distinctive. It also seems likely they have picked up a facial capture actress to play Senua herself.
The eponymous Senua is the lead and player character, a Celtic warrior who experiences trauma after surviving a Viking invasion. She takes a figurative trip to hell, which developer Ninja Theory explains is actually a manifestation of her own mental struggles.
Mental health is a major theme for Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. Ninja Theory intends to take on the stigma surrounding mental illness. To meet this ambition, they have taken on Cambridge University psychiatrist Paul Fletcher as an advisor.
Ninja Theory is known for their action adventure games, with a great emphasis on storytelling and mature themes. They are best known for DmC: Devil May Cry, Heavenly Sword, and Enslaved: Journey To The West. They have also done work for Disney Infinity 2.0: Marvel Super Heroes and Disney Infinity 3.0.
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice will be released in 2016 on PlayStation 4 and PC. Ninja Theory has confirmed it will be coming to both platforms at the same time, but has yet to reveal a release date.
What do you think of Senua’s new look? Where direction should Ninja Theory take her next? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
