Hello PlayStation Followers,
I’m Melina from Ninja Idea, the actress who performs Senua in Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II.
I’m past excited to lastly share that Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II has arrived on PlayStation 5. It’s been an extended, intense, and deeply private journey, and bringing this sequel to PlayStation actually seems like coming dwelling.
After I first joined Ninja Idea over a decade in the past, I wasn’t an actress, I used to be working behind the scenes as a video editor and videographer, capturing the staff’s course of, chopping trailers, and creating growth diaries. Then sooner or later, I used to be requested to step in as a stand-in for some early efficiency seize checks whereas they have been searching for an actress to painting Senua. I used to be very scared to be in entrance of the digicam, had no performing expertise and actually thought it might be a one-off factor to assist out the staff. However one thing about Senua struck a deep chord in me. I noticed components of myself in her, the ache, the concern, the combat and in some ways, it felt like I already knew her. Our director seen that connection, and what started as a short lived stand-in rapidly become one thing a lot greater.
In 2017, we launched Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice on PlayStation and PC. It was our first independently developed and self-revealed sport. Uncooked, emotional, and extremely private. We labored carefully with psychological well being professionals, neuroscientists, and folks with lived expertise of psychosis, together with a few of my very own, to painting Senua’s world with honesty and care.
I used to be new to performing, however like everybody at Ninja Idea, I gave all the pieces I had. Hellblade was a real staff effort, each element was formed by a gaggle of artists, designers, writers, animators, audio engineers, programmers, and extra. We have been a really small staff with an enormous story to inform, and all of us poured our hearts into bringing Senua’s Story to life. And when the sport launched, the response from the PlayStation neighborhood was overwhelming. Your letters, your tales, your artwork, your connection to Senua, it actually meant the world to all of us.
Now, I’m extremely proud that Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II has arrived on PlayStation 5, the very platform the place Senua’s journey first started! This sequel has pushed us in each attainable method. 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, although I’m completely satisfied to say the extra intense stunts have been dealt with (much more gracefully) by our sensible stunt staff. We constructed a brand new efficiency seize stage, expanded our forged and crew, and pushed ourselves creatively and technically on each entrance. However regardless of the bigger scale, Hellblade II remains to be deeply private. At its coronary heart, it’s about Senua, intimate, grounded, and human. This time, her journey isn’t solely about surviving what’s inside, but additionally studying tips on how to join with the world and folks round her.
It’s laborious to imagine it’s been over a decade since I first stepped into that mocap go well with. A lot has modified since then, however Senua has by no means left me, and in some ways, we’ve grown collectively. To everybody who’s been with us from the start, thanks from the underside of our hearts. You believed in us once we have been nonetheless discovering our method. And to these discovering Senua for the primary time, welcome aboard. I actually hope her story speaks to you, the way in which it has spoken to us. Thanks!
Numerous love,
Melina Juergens
Senua
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II Enhanced is out now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Steam and Sport Cross.
