From the many video games available in the market, one can take a pick at challenging and battling different kinds of enemies from an array of aliens, zombies, other human teams and even ghastly ghouls and entities.
But no game has explored the battleground of the mind until now. Game Developer Ninja Theory will take you to an unchartered place no gamer has been before... the mind of a warrior challenged to face her mental demons.
Hellblade is the story of Celtic warrior Senua as she battles and wrestles with mental illness after surviving the Viking invasion. Senua experiences psychosis, which includes hallucinations and delusions; she also suffers from anxiety and depression. In the game, Senua faces literal translations of the demons in her mind for her to destroy. Gamers will embark on a journey as they walk in Senua's shoes and combat personal demons and overcome them.
Ninja Theory has been working with Professor Paul Fletcher, a professor of Health Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge to ensure that the portrayal of the issues and challenges of mental illness presented in the game will be treated with respect, accuracy and the sensitivity it deserves. The team developing the game has been kept small with only 15 members of Ninja Theory, actively and tirelessly working on the game.
Ninja Theory has also opted to develop the game independently to ensure the vision of the game will not be compromised.
"True understanding of mental health is not simply about books, lectures or verbal descriptions but from deeper engagement on all levels. 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," Professor Paul Fletcher said.
Wellcome Trust, a global charitable foundation that aims to build greater public understanding of science and health has also come on board to support the Hellblade project. Iain Dodgeson, Wellcome Trust's Creative Partnership Manager has this to say about their keen interest in supporting the game:
"More and more, games have an exciting and innovative role to play in giving us new perspectives on health and mental health challenges. Rather than being a didactic game teaching us about psychosis, Hellblade allows us to explore it through the creation of a compelling and complex character, and the world that she inhabits."
Hellblade's release for PlayStation 4 and PC is in 2016.
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