Despite having a title that is the yin to Heavenly Sword‘s yang, Hellblade, the new “independent AAA” game from Ninja Theory, doesn’t sound like it has any direct connection to the studio’s PS3-exclusive cinematic masterpiece. Like the studio’s most recent titles, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West and DmC: Devil May Cry, this game also will not be an exclusive. However, at this time it has only been confirmed for and will launch first on PlayStation 4.
Independently developed and published by Ninja Theory for a digital download only release, Hellblade is the story of protagonist Senua and her journey through a hellish underworld inspired by Celtic myth. The game will build upon the studio’s three main tenets of “ninja-class combat, strong character stories, and a unique art vision.”
Hellblade has been purposefully announced very early in its development with very little in the way of concrete details, because in the spirit of openness Ninja Theory wants to document the design process and bring fans behind the scenes as they “develop Hellblade right in front of your eyes so you can see just how we go about making games.” Development diaries, concept art and other updates will be posted for all to see at hellblade.com as the game comes together. You can watch the unveil teaser trailer below, but there’s a whole bunch more good stuff to see at the official website.