Hellblade will be released simultaneously on PlayStation 4 and PC in 2016, developer Ninja Theory has announced on Twitter.
Based on Celtic myth, Hellblade takes the form of an action-based hack-’n-slash title where gamers control warrior Senua, as she embarks on a journey through a hellish dimension battling against manifestations of her own reality and mind. Ninja Theory describes Hellblade as an ‘independent AAA title,’ as the studio is developing and publishing the game itself.
Hellblade is powered by the Unreal Engine 4 and will not include a multiplayer component. The game is being worked on by around 15 people at the British-based developer, and was officially announced during Sony’s Gamescom 2014 press conference.
Ninja Theory is no stranger to hack-’n-slash games of this calibre, having worked on the PS3 action title Heavenly Sword, which was released back in 2007. While the game was met with favorable reviews from critics and garnered a cult following, it failed to generate enough sales to warrant a sequel. Ninja Theory later revealed that a sequel was planned, but was ultimately canceled.
The studio’s next game came in the shape of the adventure title, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, which hit PS3 and Xbox 360 in fall 2010. Much like Heavenly Sword, the game generated positive reviews, although sales were lacklustre, reaching only 730,000 units worldwide by September 2011. As such, any plans for a sequel were scrapped.
Ninja Theory’s most recent title was DmC: Devil May Cry, a reboot of Capcom’s seminal hack-’n-slash franchise for PS3 and Xbox 360. Released in January 2013, DmC was met with critical acclaimed and managed to sell 1.7 million copies worldwide by September 2015. The game was later re-released for PS4 and Xbox One in the form of DmC: Devil May Cry Definitive Edition.
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