14 DAY TRIAL // UK-based developer Ninja Theory unveiled its upcoming project, Hellblade, during Sony's press conference event at Gamescom, in Cologne, Germany.
The announcement kicked off with a trailer showing off one of the game's characters, and having a definite Heavenly Sword vibe, one of Ninja Theory's older games.
Heavenly Sword is a PlayStation 3 exclusive that came out in 2007, dealing mainly in brutal, sword-based, melee combat, where players have to guide Nariko, the game's protagonist, as she cuts her way through legions of enemies.
Jump forward in time a few years, and you'll see the similarities, with the PlayStation 4 exclusive named Hellblade, starring Senua, who must end her enemies' lives too using her sword, in brutal melee combat, and even having a similar name, made up of a fictional place and a sharp implement.
But developer Ninja Theory is adamant that this is not just a rehash of Heavenly Sword.
"No, it's not. It's a brand new IP. Senua is a new character. It's not tied to Heavenly Sword at all," Dominic Matthews, "production development ninja" at Ninja Theory, tells Eurogamer.
"I saw someone describe the name as someone just putting Heavenly Sword into Thesaurus.com and going, oh it's Hellblade. It's not something where we've gone, yeah, let's make people think it is this. We really like Heavenly Sword. We loved making that game."
"So it's actually more just we like making female protagonists that look in a certain style. And we like swords. And we like hell. It's more that," he explains.
Heavenly Sword got a generally positive reception, so you can't blame the team for revisiting the core concept that drew so many gamers to their creation. Amidst calls for a sequel or reboot, the developer decided to create an entirely new IP.
"I wouldn't say it's the spiritual successor to Heavenly Sword, because that has certain expectations. I think it's safer to say if people enjoyed Heavenly Sword, then the aim is they'll enjoy Hellblade, too," Matthews states.
Hellblade will most likely deliver what the developer became famous for: brutal melee combat, fancy cutscenes and a story to follow, as well as some pretty interesting art direction.
Details on the upcoming creation are scarce for the time being, and we only know that it's based on Celtic mythology, with Senua being a warrior of an ancient time.
The story, as one can glimpse from the reveal trailer, follows her personal journey, her battle against the forces of hell itself.
What we know for sure is that the folk at Ninja Theory aim to publish the game themselves, and that it will have a much more narrow scope than their previous work for big publishers, with a definite AAA feel and sheen to it, but with a much more limited scope than Devil May Cry, Enslaved or Heavenly Sword.