Xbox has introduced Senua, a continuation of Ninja Principle’s Hellblade collection. As soon as once more starring the Celtic warrior Senua, it guarantees to be a extra gameplay-driven expertise that expands on the narrative foundations of the earlier two Hellblade video games.
Revealed as a part of the Xbox Video games Showcase, Senua is about to be launched in 2027 on Xbox Collection X/S, PC, and PS5. The debut trailer will little doubt really feel acquainted to followers of the collection, with its grounded, earthy aesthetic and violent, strugglesome fight. It depicts Senua rising from a wierd gold substance earlier than trekking throughout a phenomenal world filled with harmful enemies and eerie lights. As ever, Senua is accompanied by whispering voices – the manifestation of the psychosis from which she suffers.
Contemplating it is a continuation of Senua’ Saga, it’s attention-grabbing that Ninja Principle has chosen to name it merely “Senua” slightly than Hellblade 3. Discussing the choice as a part of a brand new interview posted to Xbox Wire, Ninja Principle’s studio head Dom Matthews mentioned “The title of simply Senua actually displays that that is one thing contemporary and new and completely different. It’s a completely different type of recreation.”
Eagle-eyed viewers will discover that Senua’s fight expertise seem to have been deepened, with the flexibility to throw weapons and assault from stealth. In comparison with the comparatively stripped-back Hellblade video games, Matthews defined that Senua has been designed to be extra of a full-fledged action-adventure recreation. It appears we will count on extra exploration, extra puzzle fixing, and extra strong fight encounters.
“The important thing phrase for us has been ‘tactical selection’,” defined Matthews to Xbox Wire. “In order a participant, you’ll be able to go into fights and you’ve got choices as to the way you method that struggle, the way you have interaction in that struggle, even whether or not you need to tackle these enemies within the first place. Even in at present’s trailer, you see Senua selecting to stealthily sneak up on enemies so to not alert the others, versus wildly working into the struggle – which you can additionally select to do. That is the kind of selection we’re excited for gamers to have enjoyable with.”
Senua will even have entry to “Focus Skills”, such because the reality-shattering talent that may be seen within the trailer. Matthews revealed that gamers can use these talents “as and once they want, throughout traversal, puzzle fixing and fight.” For instance, that shatter talent will open up new areas on the planet, nevertheless it will also be used to push again enemies in fight.
Regardless of this deeper fight system, although, Matthews famous that Senua is “not a combat-action recreation. Individuals should not count on that that is like two-thirds fight. We’re actually excited about it as being a reasonably even break up between fight, traversal, and puzzle fixing.”
The Xbox Wire put up gives a bit of extra context on the sport’s dimension, which takes place on a map “about twice the scale of what we had in Hellblade 2”. There’s now extra verticality, with extra environmental components to work together with, he promised. However whereas the map and the way in which you work together with it has been pushed previous the boundaries of Senua’s earlier adventures, these video games’ extra centered type nonetheless seemingly acts because the bedrock of this new journey. “To be clear although, this isn’t an open world recreation,” mentioned Matthews. “It’s a linear story instructed by a map constructed of interconnected areas.”
This greater world is Senua’s imaginative and prescient of purgatory, which has manifested as her childhood homeland. Trapped between life and dying, Senua is on a quest to be reunited with the family members she has misplaced. However whereas that is clearly related to the story explored within the Hellblade video games, Senua has been designed as one thing of a standalone sequel.
“It’s all very a lot offered in a means that, if you have not been there [for the previous games], you then’re totally going to grasp and get what’s taking place on this title,” mentioned Matthews.
This announcement confirms earlier rumours of a brand new Hellblade that is extra of a “recreation”. It additionally proves that the collection was capable of defy the obvious dying knell sounded by low gross sales and middling Recreation Cross efficiency at launch.
For extra, be sure you take a look at IGN’s roundup of all the pieces introduced at Xbox Showcase 2027.
Matt Purslow is IGN’s Govt Editor of Options.