Ninja Theory

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

Unreal Engine

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is an award-winning action-adventure game that masterfully blends psychological horror, intense combat, and narrative-driven exploration. Set in a world inspired by Norse mythology and Celtic culture, the game follows Senua, a Pict warrior who embarks on a harrowing journey into the depths of Helheim to retrieve the soul of her deceased lover.

The game offers a third-person perspective with a strong emphasis on melee combat, environmental puzzles, and exploration. Unlike traditional HUD elements, Hellblade utilizes in-game visual and auditory cues to guide the player.

Combat in Hellblade is methodical and weighty, relying on a mix of light and heavy attacks, dodging, parrying, and countering enemies. There is no traditional enemy health bar, encouraging players to rely on visual feedback to gauge an opponent’s stamina. Senua faces various types of enemies, from standard warriors to larger, more formidable foes, requiring strategic movement and well-timed strikes to survive. The game also features intense boss battles that challenge players to adapt their fighting style while staying immersed in the narrative.

Puzzles in Hellblade are closely tied to Senua’s psychosis and perception of reality. Many of them require players to align environmental elements to form hidden runes, unlock doors, or navigate shifting landscapes. Others involve navigating illusions, shifting perspectives, or following auditory cues to progress. These mechanics emphasize the game’s psychological themes and reinforce Senua’s unique way of experiencing the world.

Exploration is another key component, with players traversing hauntingly beautiful yet ominous environments inspired by Norse mythology. The lack of a traditional map or waypoint system encourages immersive exploration, with Senua’s inner voices providing hints and guidance. Players can also discover hidden lore stones scattered throughout the game, revealing fragments of Norse mythology and deeper insight into the world’s history.

Core Gameplay Systems & Mechanics

At Ninja Theory, I was responsible for developing and refining many of Hellblade’s core gameplay systems. My contributions included:

• Combat System Development – Designed and implemented a responsive combat system using the Action Graph system, allowing for fluid melee combat interactions. This system ensured tight, player-responsive controls and smooth, animation-driven combat sequences.
• Player Interaction Systems – Developed various player interaction mechanics, enabling seamless engagement with the game world, from environmental traversal to dynamic object manipulation.
• Curve-Driven Animation System – Built a curve-driven animation system to enhance character movements and combat animations, ensuring smooth transitions and responsiveness.
• Targeting & Camera Management – Created a robust targeting system for combat, providing intuitive enemy lock-on and dynamic prioritization. Additionally, I implemented a dynamic camera manager, optimizing cinematic and gameplay camera behavior for immersive storytelling and fluid action sequences.
• Blueprint & C++ Integration – Utilized C++ and Blueprints to design object-oriented gameplay components, ensuring efficient, modular, and scalable development across the project.

As part of the programming team, I played a crucial role in maintaining the stability and quality of the game's codebase:

• Codebase Support & Optimization – Provided ongoing technical support to ensure smooth integration of new features, optimized performance, and eliminated bottlenecks.
• Bug Fixing & Debugging – Identified, debugged, and resolved critical gameplay issues, ensuring a polished player experience throughout development.
• Code Reviews & Best Practices – Conducted thorough code reviews, improving code quality, enforcing best practices, and mentoring team members on efficient coding techniques.

During the early stages of Hellblade, I contributed to various research and development efforts, helping to shape the project’s technical foundation:

• Internal Prototyping (Project Razer) – Helped develop an internal prototype codenamed Razer, which explored cutting-edge gameplay and animation techniques. Though never publicly released, this prototype laid the groundwork for future advancements in Hellblade’s development.
• Pipeline Tools for Art & Animation – Designed and implemented custom pipeline tools for Maya and Zbrush, significantly optimizing the efficiency of artists and animators. These tools automated repetitive tasks, improved asset integration, and reduced turnaround times.

In the early phases of development, the studio had limited access to high-end motion capture equipment. To address this, I played a critical role in integrating cost-effective solutions:

• Third-Party Motion Capture Integration – Developed tools to integrate Kinect cameras as a temporary motion capture solution, allowing the team to prototype animations before acquiring Vicon cameras.
• Custom Capture Tools – Built custom motion capture tools, tailored to Ninja Theory’s needs, enabling efficient data capture and processing.
• Budget-Friendly Prototyping – Experimented with various consumer cameras sourced from Amazon and IKEA, constructing custom rigs to capture and test animations efficiently. These creative solutions allowed the team to progress despite financial constraints.

Beyond gameplay systems, I contributed to several engine modifications and tool developments to tailor Unreal Engine to Hellblade’s unique requirements:

• Unreal Engine Updates & Customization – Contributed to custom Unreal Engine modifications, adding project-specific functionality and improving overall performance.
• Development of Custom Tools – Built editor tools that improved workflow efficiency, allowing designers, animators, and artists to work more effectively within the engine.

Through my work on core gameplay systems, motion capture solutions, and engine customization, I played a key role in shaping Hellblade’s technical and gameplay foundations. My contributions helped deliver the immersive, critically acclaimed experience that became a defining characteristic of the game.