Inside Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 - An Unreal Engine 5 Masterpiece - The Ninja Theory Breakdown

[@ImaginaryBlend]

I'm excited that my water system was used in Hellblade 2! :) Thank you for mentioning Fluid Flux!

[@Disaster_Tourist]

Nice work!

[@joeydirt420]

Water looked like jello. Get to work

[@pottuvoi2]

Incredible work.

[@ImaginaryBlend]

@@joeydirt420 Yes, master. Thanks for the motivational speech xD

[@Hulksterx]

❤️

[@princepeachfuzz]

DF interviewing developers is the highlight of my day anytime it happens, love to see it, thank you

[@NintenJon64]

I know, right?! I could watch these types of developer interviews for hours because it is so fascinating to see all the details of how these games are made. Lots of insight that just really makes you appreciate games even more.

[@somatyk]

Thank you so much. Properly deep.

[@DashawnJizzle]

Same! I hope they keep doing this!

[@andre_ss6]

Poor audio guy, I feel you. Graphics ease of development has advanced A LOT while audio design and engineering in game engines is still a nightmare 😞

[@LegendaNecessária]

Right? I felt a little sorry for him for spending 30 minutes of the video without saying anything.

[@BusterMove78]

Great interview, it would have been good for the team to introduce themselves and how they got into game production.

[@jovi9918]

They aren't great at structuring interviews

[@juraj_b]

@@jovi9918or they didn’t want to make it too long but most of us wouldn’t mind

[@alexandrebelair4360]

@@juraj_b The structure is still bad. You can make a shorter interview that's better constructed easily.

[@NotoriousRawDogger]

I love developer interviews

[@soulless_swede]

I would have loved it even more if they were properly introduced.

[@starbez]

​@@soulless_swede At first, I thought they weren't introduced because someone might harass the developers.

[@TEk0n]

Some of those scenes have the most unbelievably complex and jaw dropping geometry I’ve ever seen in a game… nanite is truly impressive when UE5 titles make proper use of it, honestly I was surprised many initial UE5 games chose to forego use of it but I can understand why

[@Hulksterx]

So many people here forgetting what channel their watching. DF is not a game review outlet. You people are literally just mad because somebody likes something you dont. Welcome to life kiddos

[@Secondaryaddy2]

Exactly

[@ThunderingRoar]

I swear this game randomly fell on the crosshair of the ragebait gamerbro youtubers and now the sheep relentlessly shit on... for being short i guess? Even tho its the same lenght as the first game?

[@adorablerainbowfist]

@@unknownknowable "An Unreal Engine 5 Masterpiece"... that strongly implies they were talking about graphics.

[@superburrito9797]

​@@unknownknowable dont be intentionally daft. Youre not good at it

[@DanielClear2]

where game

[@JerryFlowersIII]

Gosh I was ready for this to go on even longer. Such great questions. It's so great to just get the straight honest answers. Like often he'd say, yeah it took too much memory, or they didn't have the time to really tune this thing. Fantastic interview..

[@Andynath100]

Great Interview. Would have preferred an intro to the guests and their roles though!

[@TheSilver812]

22:23 When you are so invested in what you are saying that a “Bueno” (Well) in your mother tongue slips out hehe

[@phileezor]

For real, I was about to comment about it, "es que no veas" you can hear the passion he has for it.

[@dakingotheworld]

Facts you can see his passion light up his soul for a moment lol

[@phileezor]

Always happy to hear from the devs themselves specially how honest and transparent they are with the tools they used and the changes they had to make in the game.

[@jcdenton4911]

36:20: Sneaky Alex! Fishing for DF being a reason for devs to add graphics options and previews! I love it :)

[@ctrlectrld]

Loved the dev's reply, politely telling Alex that things require work, resources and time. A concept he's not familiar with most of the time, it seems. Features have a performance cost, dev time cost et cetera. "oh but why don't they use HW lumen, it's just a switch!" "why don't these guys give us real time raytracing on a tuna can, lazy devs!" "I'm happy the Xbox S exists, it keeps devs in check". Like, brother...

[@mattlandry]

Such a great interview. So many companies keep their artistic and technical choices so close to the chest. It's so nice to get straight answers for every technical decision.

[@xShikari]

I've never been more addicted to a photo mode in a game than in Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2. Most of the time I don't even care about photo mode. Hopefully her journey continues and we get to see the team crafting the canadian rainforest. The visualization and audio experience there could be phenomenal.

[@sahmirlareum2718]

I can feel Alex's stare judging me through the screen lol. Enjoyed the interview none the less

[@BasePuma4007]

Alex is kind of insufferable sometimes. He always has this holier than though attitude with consoles and certain games like COD, Fortnite, or GTA.

[@biquiba]

I love this series as a whole.

[@Schraiber]

Developer interviews are my favorite DF content. Absolutely amazing

[@ctrlectrld]

19:19 For those who are interested, he's talking about Microsoft Project Triton, which is the backbone of Project Acoustics. Unfortunately Project Acoustic was discontinued on the 1st of July of this year. In actuality the project is alive and continuing development, but only available to Microsoft's studios now. If you want to learn more, Project Triton has a very nice webpage with all the related research publications available. 28:39 "In the box" he means in the DAW, entirely in software. The "tools" are the VST plugins, the one he's talking about specifically is called dearVR PRO, for those who had difficulty understanding the Spanish accent. In any case, I love when you do dev interviews and tech breakdowns, thanks guys.

[@chadwolf3840]

Game is drop dead gorgeous. It’s the first game I’ve ever played where it’s legit like playing a movie. It’s almost unreal, no pun intended.

[@TonyTynebridge]

Shame it sucks though, u should watch a movie it will blow your mind how realistic the graphics are

[@AudioPhile]

Shame the movie isn't interactive, you should play a game, it'll blow your mind. 😂 This isn't for me either, but I can respect peoples opinions without claiming it's something else, warped by my opinion and misconstrued as a universal truth. So much arrogance in yt comments lmao

[@Secondaryaddy2]

@@TonyTynebridgeit doesn’t suck

[@BasePuma4007]

I was not a fan of the filmic look with the wide aspect ratio and heavy camera lens flare and distortion effects. Thankfully nexus had a mod the day the game came out that worked for the gamepass PC version. I feel like it looked even better without all that visual noise. I would appreciate an option to turn that stuff off, especially if I was on a console.

[@leonfrancis3418]

​@@TonyTynebridgeso mad, lol.

[@michaelbarrios9174]

So happy Digital Foundry did this. Amazing interview. Love Ninja Theory

[@theoryofeverywhere6293]

Best visuals I have ever seen in a video game, even on my humble Series S!

[@SunRiseHigh444]

Too bad the gameplay sucks

[@00ABBITT00]

@@SunRiseHigh444 opinions are fun!

[@SunRiseHigh444]

@00ABBITT00 yeah but it's the truth not an opinion.....lack of gameplay

[@AudioPhile]

​@SunRiseHigh444 it's the truth, not an opinion. Lmao deluded much? It's not for me but it's dangerous to believe your opinion on anything is or should be regarded as a universal truth.

[@SunRiseHigh444]

@AudioPhile bro I I've played both of them the first one is better than the 2nd one ......the 2nd one is a glorified tech demo

[@Deedric_Kee]

We definitely need more graphics like these in games. 👏👍

[@iconofsin4578]

The graphics were insane!

[@rng81]

I wish the gameplay was insane, well it makes you insane if that counts :D

[@martingarciaarvidson6684]

​@@rng81 I like what you did there.

[@NextgenPL]

​@@rng81Yes I get Your point Hellblade is more like tech demo with great graphics and vibe, but it was like first attempt showing whats possible on current gen. Next imsane looking game to come is Marvel 1943 ride of Hydra, hope its gonna be jave both;)

[@SunRiseHigh444]

​@rng81 facts the first one was better

[@AudioPhile]

It's media, using the game medium to tell a story, like they all do. Not my thing personally, I can appreciate it, but I prefer getting lost in n open world exploring with the story unfolding around it.

[@cybermad64]

Great interview! As somebody who's working in tech in a AAA game studio I really like how honest and transparent they are about each subject. This really reflect the reality of balancing art and technical limitations (yes even on current gen console).

[@vaels5682]

Nanite is such an awesome implementation of dynamic LOD. Great seeing it utilized fully by talented teams

[@matsta177]

Originally shown off by that scammy Australian dev team which did demos in 2010 called “unlimited detail”

[@simongravel7407]

@@matsta177 Was it? If I recall correctly those were voxels.

[@Deedric_Kee]

21:31. The shot of the women walking around during the audio was nice 👏

[@Crashpad14]

Best looking game ive ever played, it was an absolutely amazing experience to play through on my series x

[@leonfrancis3418]

This is the best-looking game of this gen I've seen on a console. Hands down.

[@kcmsterpce]

I am glad you brought up the question of binaural recording, and how they tried to adjust for speaker use as well. I was impressed with the first game utilizing binaural audio, it was actually one of the most impressive creative decisions for that game, which was full of interesting applications for a small studio.

[@NintenJon64]

As someone who is capable of experiencing ASMR, I really do wish more games like Zelda, Metroid, Halo, the new Perfect Dark, and Uncharted made use of binaural audio as well. There are so many games that would greatly benefit from the ambiance it creates.

[@kendokaaa]

Binaural audio can be implemented by a small studio these days with the help of Steam audio and similar APIs. It's made for VR but also works for regular games

[@PhilAMurray]

Very cool video. Always interesting to get a technical discussion from games developers. I’ve been in IT for 30 years and this is a completely different ball game.

[@timbrosius]

Hellblade 2 was my treat to myself after completing a massive UE5 metahuman animation project. Fantastic interview of the devs from an awesome game! Great job all around, everyone!

[@DJBeatzMelb]

I played this game on my PC at 30FPS with a 3080, running at 4K with max settings. Initially, I thought it was terrible, but once I adjusted to the frame rate and appreciated the game's stunning visuals, I realized it’s a masterpiece. Anything less would have missed the beautiful graphics the developers intended. I love this game and will definitely return in the future when my PC can handle those intense graphics at better frame rate. This video is fantastic!

[@lopesmorrenofim]

Oh, hell yeah! Thank you, DF, for the great work!

[@hsvfanjan17]

Great interview and the editing really nicely supported it visually, thanks!

[@OverJumpRally]

More videos like this one, please!! Also, UE5 is fantastic, I love, love working on it for my game!

[@RudeGerbil]

I always enjoy a peak behind the curtain for game development! Thanks DF and Ninja Theory!

[@RazgulTheKind]

This is the game I used to test my 4070 ti supers performance and I have to say, the visuals blew me away. I also the enjoyed the gameplay for what it was; a vehicle to deliver the story and atmosphere.

[@adamothman1124]

Nope, the gameplay is lackluster. Just a walking simulator.

[@eliack95]

I have the same GPU and was excited to try this title as well. That excitment quickly waned as I got "control" of the character, holding W to move at a snails pace, and then watching a cinematic and wondering why nothing was happening (I had to hold W to watch her climb a wall)

[@3ericw]

I don't get why people shit on the game... it's a interactive movie with insane graphics. If you don't like interactive movie games or walking Sims like what remains of Edith finch then move on. I don't like sports games so I don't shit on fifa and madden

[@THE_DEEZLE]

@@adamothman1124aka any PS exclusive

[@basedplants]

@@3ericw Because it's a terrible walking sim. I love slow paced games like Firewatch, Edith Finch, 1000xRESIST, Minds Beneath Us, etc. None of those have shoehorned in rinse-repeat combat, pathetically slow movement, or invisible walls trapping you in a ten foot wide corridor the whole time. It's one of the most linear games ever created, with a completely forgettable story that lost everything from the first title.

[@Furrrburger]

Love to see these interviews. There is so much work that goes into creating modern games, almost no one talks about the dev process.

[@cropredator1027]

please devs unlock the full resolution meshes for 24 gb gpu, some textures are really bad in photo mode

[@HansWurst-ht3jh]

Really nice and insightful interview. It's so interesting to hear developers talk so openly about techniques and plugins they used during development. I'm looking forward to whatever Ninja Theory is up to next.

[@reddonut1518]

You guys asked some really good questions here! Some people may not agree with the scope for this game, but I think ninja theory has done some really cool stuff here! Not to mention how transparent the devs were about the small number of shortcomings the game has, which I believe is the most interesting part of game development

[@charoleawood]

John, couldn't you have introduced them as individuals each with a name and job title? We have no idea who these people are...

[@piorism]

It's indicated when each of them speaks for the first time.

[@charoleawood]

@@piorism i saw that eventually but it is rather ham fisted. if John was not going to go about the business of introducing them out loud then i expected all three names to pop up on the bottom third when we first saw them (doing both would be even better with lower thirds popping up intermittently throughout the runtime). When VFX director Mark Slater-Tunstill first speaks at 1:24 a lower third does NOT pop up. These names and titles should also have been in the description. John and DF do good interviews but they don't do them often enough to have adopted better practices, i hope they iron this tuff out and produce more interviews on the regular.

[@Moonfaster]

Who are you?

[@Moonfaster]

Who am I​@@dorian6021

[@fractalsauce]

Huge thanks to DF and Ninja Theory! This was a very enlightening interview from some very passionate developers. Love to see it, keep up the great work!

[@bobby1129]

This is so insightful to how games are developed . Loved this content

[@addaedans]

I enjoyed it ❤ In this more and more toxic world I don't even want to read the comments on games anymore, just play them and decide myself. 😊

[@leoncox2405]

Ahhh this is top stuff boys !! Really enjoyed learning how things are done , thank u df 💪

[@CKYHALO]

I love the game

[@SirTobyGirl]

Why?

[@gavinderulo12]

​@@SirTobyGirldoes it matter?

[@CKYHALO]

@@SirTobyGirl it was a amazing growth of the character

[@Crashpad14]

​@@SirTobyGirl seeing the growth of Senua as she comes to terms with her past all the while experiencing an amazing cinematic showcase is ethereal

[@tawkoeh]

@@CKYHALOso amazing that I never see anyone discussing anything deep about the game. Seems more likely for someone who likes this game to use the word “Gaystation”

[@kostiantynhlyz]

Love this kind of videos - please keep them coming. A big thank you to both DF team and Ninja Theory! ❤

[@bioshock6935]

Wow looks stunning why can't we get 1st person games looking like this yes we had the new avatar lets hope we get that on the same level for 1st person as well as Senua's Hellblade 2 this is top notch visuals

[@concinnus]

FP is mostly FPS, and people generally want >30 FPS in their FPS.

[@zyblurish206]

@@concinnus yes but that's a console exclusive problem.. but there were also games like Metro Exodus or Killzone Shadowfall and many more that were and still are 30fps. In competitive multiplayer i get that 60fps is expected but story focused games can often be 30fps and most people won't complain about it.

[@environm3ntalist549]

@@zyblurish206metro exodus is not 30 fps

[@megapro125]

as we heard in the interview they did demanding stuff like baking in Houdini water sims which is something you can do if the player is on a predetermined path with planned out weather and lighting conditions. I don't think this would be possible to do in your typical open world game with dynamic weather with today's hardware and the game not filling up your entire SSD with terabytes of high fidelity assets.

[@zyblurish206]

@@environm3ntalist549 how most people played it when it released on ps4 and xbox one it was.. I can imagine it has gotten an update since then but still that hasn't stopped people from playing it back then when it was 30 fps

[@Jomenaa]

I enjoyed this SO MUCH. Thank you DF and Ninja Theory

[@3KPK3]

Thank you DF team for covering this graphical masterpiece properly. Hope they make a 3rd game which is longer and bigger when compared to the first two.

[@TheFirstRealChewy]

Based on what was said, it sounds like the team learned a lot of things when using UE5 and that there is room for even more improvements. And yes, time and resources are always an issue for projects. If you feel like you have enough time and resources then you aren't pushing it.

[@jjdizz1l]

This was an excellent collaboration, and I would love to see more statements directly from developers.

[@ChesterMan-qd3xj]

Good to see Ninja Theory is still open.

[@adamothman1124]

They have no talent.

[@ChesterMan-qd3xj]

@@adamothman1124 obviously you could do better.

[@StarRain6]

@@adamothman1124 stop holding back tell us how you really feel!

[@chrissyboy7047]

​@@adamothman1124 whens your game releasing?

[@DeadPixel1105]

Hey DF, get Alex and John ASAP. They have a new official classic Doom port to talk about. Can't wait to see that video when it's inevitably made within the next week or two.

[@techsamurai11]

Wow, this interview was amazing... The graphics and sound are insane even in the little bit I played. I've been wanting to finish the game and I'm pretty much sure I can finally play it in a couple of weeks.

[@whitehorsept]

I loved their last game, looking forward to their next! 🙏🏽

[@DomZeal]

Great questions and great answers. Very professional video.

[@willuigi64]

This is a fantastic interview. Great questions, great answers, great all around!

[@Thisisjohn2184]

Honestly had no intentions or desire to play this but after watching this, I'm going to try it.

[@3ericw]

If you haven't played the first it's pretty awesome! Use headphones and enjoy

[@chrissyboy7047]

I get bored of huge open world games so I really enjoyed this. Nice tight little game that kept me interested till the end. I get easily distracted. Lol

[@pipgoesthepossum]

Excellent interview. Thanks very much everyone, both DF and the devs. This kind of content is great and we don't get enough of it.

[@Aragorn7884]

the GFX are 🤯

[@TheCoolDave]

Great interview, and just finished the game the other day.... Masterpiece is the only way to put it.... amazing and a game I don't think I will ever forget....

[@khalidhashmi9772]

God damn this game looks insane

[@ScrewyArtis]

Great video, always a delight to hear the devs talk about their work!

[@princepeachfuzz]

good lord the DF comment section hasn't been this toxic in years.

[@sean7332]

Maybe because people like actual video games, not wanna be tech demos

[@Mitch93636]

@@sean7332Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is NOT a "tech demo." Deal with it.

[@princepeachfuzz]

@@sean7332 videogames aren't limited to what your definition of them is, keep that in mind

[@gavinderulo12]

​@@sean7332who cares. If the story and characters resonated with people then they did a good job.

[@phant0mdummy]

For good reason.

[@JerryFlowersIII]

31:49 BESPOKE!

[@rangersnut]

Even though its not my kind of game. As someone who suffers with poor mental health, I prefer game themes that are an escape from that, I can appreciate what they are doing and the visuals are great. I have both consoles. I play on PS5 but my son has a Series X that I gave him and I have had a shot of the game. Even though its not my kind of game, I enjoyed this video and hearing about what went into it and I don't feel any need to take a dump on this for others who enjoyed it.

[@glowerworm]

For me I get past mental trauma best by confronting it directly. The emotional pain induced is a sign of change. I played this game and Disco Elysium this year and both made me think about myself for tens of hours. Not sure which game I would say is better but I'm very glad both exist.

[@rangersnut]

@glowerworm I face everything head on, I just don't wish to Indulge in that in my entertainment time. However it appears you have your own value in it. I am glad you enjoy the game. I am currently enjoying BG3. Escapism is the name of the game for my game time.

[@glowerworm]

@@rangersnut i like escapism a lot too, especially for learning about other people.

[@TwinOpinion]

Love this interview! Very informative and full of passion!

[@TerriBlanchard-nh7xy]

Love your unique style, never change!

[@-Mateito-]

I love watching developers talk, great video. ❤

[@Demmrir]

Hellblade 2 is one of the best, most impactful movies I've watched in years.

[@FC-jd1ck]

Is not even that great as a movie

[@mrchiledonut]

Unfortunately, the story is pretty weak too. I liked the first game, but the sequel is around a 4 or 5 out of 10 to me. It's weak in every way that matters, and even its audiovisuals aren't perfect.

[@biquiba]

Later in the game I found an accessibility option like Street Fighter 6 Dynamic Controls. It lets the game straight up perform the most adequate actions for the situation, but you still need to press random buttons. Hellblade II clearly doesn't want anyone to miss out the story, even if they never played a video game before.

[@joinkusbelinkiusthethird]

Lol glad you enjoyed it I did too

[@Demmrir]

@@mrchiledonutSerious question/directive. Name a movie that tells a story about trauma and its effect on community better. The metaphysical representation of trauma in HB2 is a wonderful thematic device and I honestly can't think of anything Hollywood has done better. But the core joke of my comment was that it's a movie more than a game.

[@yoshivu8236]

Great questions.

[@slothsarecool]

I really liked the aspect ratio, no idea why people would complain about that. Crazy to hear the water was a plugin haha, awesome they gave that a shout-out, looks really nice. My only complaint was I felt that the voices didn’t really add anything to the game, just distracted from being immersed.

[@zorastin]

The voices made it what it was, its key to Senua's core. the story would not have made sense without it. have you played the first one? you might not like it because there is more of the voice thing. it is amazing too.

[@xShikari]

The voices were better in the first part. I'd have to agree it was more like a distraction this time around.

[@slothsarecool]

@@zorastin yeah there’s no way they could remove it, maybe just tone it down a bit. Even a secondary option to disable would be nice for a second play through 😅

[@KBrod]

Fantastic interview, super interesting insight!

[@Reedg333]

Don’t let this video distract you from the fact that 8 years ago John did a hilariously odd accent for an entire video for no apparent reason in his “Gears of War Ultimate Edition: Xbox one vs Xbox 360” video that we never got to hear again.

[@erol1020]

DMC portrait on the wall 😁

[@ibanezrg320dx]

Man I love David Garcia's galician accent. David, if you ever see this: eres el amo.

[@RuiNobrega]

Excellent interview; excellent work DF team.

[@Mmongiardo]

game looks frickin amazing great job guys

[@kevboard]

graphics demos can push things really far. I hope we will see an actual game with this fidelity soon

[@phyxirian]

Nice interview. So much respect for people and their craft!

[@jovi9918]

Whats the point of interviewing all three if you dont ever introduce their names and just slap @ninjatheory" below them?

[@wretchedslippage3255]

During the fire giant scene, if you go into photo mode you can see that the fire isnt even on the giant. Its a 2d texture stuck in front of the player in the scene. Its very weird.

[@PoppyPitts-vm3jx]

You're a star, keep shining bright!

[@joshuavaughan8510]

Fascinating insight thanks to everyone involved

[@acepedro12]

That DmC art hanging in the background is a massive alpha move.

[@brometheusjables2644]

This was fascinaging, more devloper interviews please. Amazing content

[@fraktux]

My favorite part is the holding the left stick forward for 40 mins straight and the 3rd act where you light torches for an hour. Peak gaming.

[@TheBean87]

Just going to keep lying while parroting other people’s lies eh?

[@joseluizamaral1264]

cmon, even though its microsofts its a good experience

[@princepeachfuzz]

me when i want every game to be an action game and brainlessly mash buttons

[@balaam_7087]

It’s a legitimate criticism. Maybe mention the good parts of the game to soften the blow, but you can’t deny the ‘you just walk forward for an hour’ bits.

[@someusername1872]

​​@@princepeachfuzzno, we just don't want a walking simulator. Walking isn't engaging gameplay

[@Wassupdun]

Fascinating listen to see how games are put together! Thanks for this DF

[@Sal3600]

That combat is laugable.

[@alexleal2634]

I will love to have a pint with the @ninjatheory team. They seem so cool!

[@IronicSonic83]

DF team need to present their guests. To start right on topic seems rude. Great interview though

[@kohlmannj]

Excellent interview!!!

[@ezmode5439]

Just finished it and one thing cannot be denied, it's the most advanced and the most breathtakingly amazing looking game I have ever seen.

[@Deedric_Kee]

I like the first game way more,it was more action packed and just better,but the second one was just absolute stunning with the graphics. 👍

[@balaam_7087]

*When the DF video on the game is longer than the game itself*

[@3ericw]

It's free on game pass 🤡

[@saelesbonsazse9919]

This game is an amazing showcase of realtime graphics!

[@CJIEnOuBOBR]

Surprising (in a bad way) amount of hate in the comments. It's the art in its pure form. It's not exactly a game you grinding or challeging yourself, so what? It's amazing for what it tries to convey. Every type of medium is welcomed, not everything must be 'semi-openworld with stealth' or 'souls-like with dEeP lOrE'

[@fritzgroes8284]

I read through a few comments now and the only negative but minor thing I see mentioned a few times is introducing the interviewees, which is a valid critisicm IMO. Maybe the bad comments got voted down in time. Maybe give it a bit time before browsing through the comments to get a real sense how it was received.

[@DarkReturns1]

Love the developer interviews! This is some of the best real time artwork I've ever seen