You’re probably all expecting me to moan about something this week but you’d be wrong. This week’s entry is one of those rare ones full of gusto and positivity. Don’t worry; I haven’t had a change of heart. Plenty of things have happened this week that I could moan about.
Like, I could moan about the alleged PS4.5, the next-but-not-actually-next-gen PlayStation console that will cost the same as the current PS4 but which will be capable of handling PSVR and 4K without exploding. Or I could moan about how everyone is terrified that this possibly-not-real console might be a dangerous step for the future of the console marketplace. I could also moan how Shuhei Yoshida said that a PlayStation 5 is a ‘maybe’, which is obviously the smelliest shit I have smelt this week because there are only so many PS4 iterations you can release before it stops resembling its predecessor.
But let’s not dwell on the negatives, not when Ninja Theory have released their latest development diary for Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. Why am I so excited by it? Because it’s their best video to date, showing the leaps and bounds Ninja Theory are making with Hellblade – if you’ve been following the development from day one like I have you’ll understand how I’m feeling, especially since Gamescom.
Let me explain: Almost a year ago Hellblade had a playable demo at Gamescom but unfortunately it was pretty terrible. Eurogamer weren’t pleased either. After watching their analysis on the hands-on demo I was left underwhelmed and disappointed. In a nutshell, the combat and collision animations were rubbish. There were some criticisms about how the subject of mental illness was being handled but I’m sure it’ll seem much more appropriate when you’re able to play the game from start to finish.
However, Ninja Theory have gone back to the drawing board and have changed the combat mechanics. It’s not impossible to summarise the changes they have made but I want as many people as possible to watch the development diary – why tell when you can show, eh? Besides, there’s a lot more to see in the video, such as a Star Wars stunt double and some eye-popping parkour.
Last but not least, once you have watched the most recent diary entry you should definitely check out last month’s entry. Even if you’re not interested in Hellblade it’s worth a watch for the technological breakthroughs Ninja Theory are making – it’s pretty impressive considering what you’re seeing has been achieved by a small team in Cambridgeshire on a couple-of-shoestring budgets.
I implore all of you to subscribe to Ninja Theory’s Youtube channel so you can keep up-to-date with Helblade’s development. Even though I’ve never had any creative input towards the game Ninja Theory have found a way to make me feel involved, and for that I’m extremely grateful!
Leave a comment or tweet me @LeeLaments (The Grumpus) and let me know if you’ve been following Hellblade as intently as I have, and if you haven’t then why on Earth not!?
