A while back, I went stark raving mad over the initial trailer and gameplay footage for Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. Well, now we have a release date and price point, and I’m going nucking futs all over again.
Set to release digitally on August 8th, 2017, at a price point of $29.99 for PS4 and PC, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is ready to prove that not every game needs a triple-A budget to compete in the current gaming landscape.
Instead of pumping a ridiculous amount of money into something that plays it safe to maximize revenue, Ninja Theory decided to carve their own niche in the middle tier with an A-and-a-half budget title. By doing so, they’ve opened up an avenue to deliver what looks to be a unique, story-based gaming experience with triple-A graphics.
I miss the days of middle-tier games, which seems to have died with the previous console generation — things like Rogue Trooper, Velvet Assassin, Blood Will Tell, and Deadly Premonition. With the increase in gaming budgets and the risks that come with it — as well as the shuttering of studios like THQ — we have lost a whole swath of games willing to forgo extreme budgets for interesting ways to tell engaging stories.
With Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice comes the chance for something unique — possibly even deeply moving and impactful — at the expense of, well, expense.
The trailer below features a genuine message from the team at Ninja Theory, asking prospective customers and hopeful fans to take back the middle tier. In a market full of triple-A compromises, Ninja Theory makes me feel like pre-ordering their game would be an informed decision to reward developers for making the exact type of game I always complain no longer exists.
I am ready to take the pre-order plunge; you can decide if you’re with me after checking out the trailer below.
