Hellblade Dev Diary Explores Intricacies of Movement and Control

Heavenly Sword, Enslaved, and DmC: Devil May Cry studio Ninja Theory has released a new developer diary for Hellblade, its upcoming third-person action game.

The video, which is the 20th episode in an ongoing behind-the-scenes series that looks at the game's creation, is focused on movement and control. The team discusses how protagonist Senua communicates non-verbally with the player through movement and animations.

This aspect of the game was achieved, primarily, through motion capture. Using its own cheaply built mocap studio, Ninja Theory figured out how to animate Senua so that she conveys fear, properly shows resistance when walking in water, and exhibits other intricate details.

Hellblade explores themes of mental health and features third-person combat. Ninja Theory's stated goal has been to develop a AAA video game experience on an indie budget by coming up with creative solutions for costly production elements such as motion capture.

The studio has said Hellblade will deliver "ninja-class melee gameplay, strong character stories, and a unique art vision."

In September 2015, Ninja Theory confirmed that it retired a "vertical slice" of Hellblade that it showed to press. However, the studio said at the time that the game was still on track to launch in 2016.

Sony has secured Hellblade as a timed PS4 exclusive. However, the game is also in development for PC. For more on Hellblade, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.