Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is still a long ways away (Sorry Noelle), but if you wanted to get some insight into how the game is shaping up then developer Ninja Theory has some fascinating insight on its development process. As part of the Xbox extended showcase, creative director Tameem Antoniades spoke about how the team wanted to create something that more than just a simple sequel.
Melina Juergens, who plays Senua, has been training for the last two years to prepare and inform her performance in the game. What makes that dedication even more impressive is that Juergens lives with a chronic pain condition called fibromyalgia, and she had to endure regular training to first get back into fighting shape before she hit the academy to add a number of new moves to her arsenal.
“The director, Tameem Antoniades, and I were discussing that maybe I should learn to do all of my own stunts and learn how to sword fight,” Juergens said in a video update earlier this year. “Be like a proper warrior. For starters, we did some research on sword fighting and different courses. We stumbled across this screen combat academy near London and it sounded really good. We contacted them and booked me in for one of their courses, and I was in for a shock.”
I think that dedication is paying off! Antoniades added that Hellblade II’s combat will be “real and brutal,” making good use of the two years of training that Juergens put herself through. The team has also created real costumes for the game, which are being scanned in to provide an extra layer of authenticity to the Unreal Engine 5-powered game.
The first game was a short and sweet descent into madness and is currently available on Xbox Game Pass if you want to see what all the fuss is about. It’s well worth it, as nothing else really compares to the sheer and genuine terror of an action game where the protagonist is very much losing their mind.
Last Updated: June 18, 2021
