Hellblade combat video looks smooth as hell
Magic dance.
DmC: Devil May Cry and Enslaved developer Ninja Theory has a tendency to shoot for the moon with its narratively ambitious roster of action games, and early impressions on its upcoming psychological viking adventure Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice have left our Bertie Purchese a bit skeptical of the studio's capacity to delve into the issue of mental illness in a sophisticated way. But holy cow do they know how to animate!
The latest development diary for Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice shows us the titular character in combat and her motion-captured movement is extremely expressive. This shouldn't come as a surprise, as arguably the best aspect of DmC was watching the scrappy young Dante recklessly tumble about while unleashing hell upon his demonic adversaries.
Senua seems similarly vulnerable. Watch as she stumbles upon an enemy blocking her attack. Notice her facial expressions as she grimaces through the pain of a grizzly sword duel. Even the sound effects are on point as Senua's guttural grunts and roars effortlessly match the visual feedback.
Ninja Theory previously showcased its motion-capture work on Hellblade by showing a stunning tech demo of Senua emoting in real-time as the actress playing her moved about on stage.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is due later this year on PS4 and PC.