Hello PlayStation Enthusiasts,
I’m Melina from Ninja Principle, the actress who performs Senua in Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II.
I’m past excited to in the end percentage that Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II has arrived on PlayStation 5. It’s been a protracted, intense, and deeply private adventure, and bringing this sequel to PlayStation really looks like coming house.
After I first joined Ninja Principle over a decade in the past, I wasn’t an actress, I used to be operating in the back of the scenes as a video editor and videographer, shooting the group’s procedure, slicing trailers, and developing building diaries. Then at some point, I used to be requested to step in as a stand-in for some early efficiency seize assessments whilst they had been on the lookout for an actress to painting Senua. I used to be very scared to be in entrance of the digicam, had no performing revel in and truthfully concept it could be a one-off factor to lend a hand out the group. However one thing about Senua struck a deep chord in me. I noticed portions of myself in her, the ache, the concern, the combat and in some ways, it felt like I already knew her. Our director spotted that connection, and what started as a short lived stand-in temporarily became one thing a lot larger.
In 2017, we launched Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice on PlayStation and PC. It was once our first independently evolved and self-published recreation. Uncooked, emotional, and extremely private. We labored intently with psychological well being pros, neuroscientists, and folks with lived revel in of psychosis, together with a few of my very own, to painting Senua’s international with honesty and care.
I used to be new to performing, however like everybody at Ninja Principle, I gave the whole thing I had. Hellblade was once a real group effort, each element was once formed by means of a bunch of artists, designers, writers, animators, audio engineers, programmers, and extra. We had been an excessively small group with a large tale to inform, and all of us poured our hearts into bringing Senua’s Tale to existence. And when the sport introduced, the reaction from the PlayStation group was once overwhelming. Your letters, your tales, your artwork, your connection to Senua, it in reality intended the arena to all people.
Now, I’m extremely proud that Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II has arrived on PlayStation 5, the very platform the place Senua’s adventure first started! This sequel has driven us in each imaginable means. We traveled to Iceland and scanned actual places to seize its breathtaking landscapes and haunting environment. I spent months in fight coaching to raised perceive Senua’s physicality, even though I’m satisfied to mention the extra intense stunts had been treated (way more gracefully) by means of our sensible stunt group. We constructed a brand new efficiency seize level, expanded our solid and staff, and driven ourselves creatively and technically on each entrance. However regardless of the bigger scale, Hellblade II remains to be deeply private. At its center, it’s about Senua, intimate, grounded, and human. This time, her adventure isn’t handiest about surviving what’s inside, but additionally finding out how to connect to the arena and folks round her.
It’s arduous to imagine it’s been over a decade since I first stepped into that mocap swimsuit. Such a lot has modified since then, however Senua hasn’t ever left me, and in some ways, we’ve grown in combination. To everybody who’s been with us from the start, thanks from the ground of our hearts. You believed in us once we had been nonetheless discovering our means. And to these finding Senua for the primary time, welcome aboard. I in reality hope her tale speaks to you, how it has spoken to us. Thanks!
A whole lot of love,
Melina Juergens
Senua
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II Enhanced is out now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Collection X|S, Xbox on PC, Steam and Sport Move.
