Independent developers Ninja Theory have been hard at work crafting their latest title Hellblade. The developers, who were also behind Heavenly Sword and DmC: Devil May Cry, have cemented their reputation as pioneers when it comes to Performance Capture in video games.
When it comes to Performance Capture, Hellblade is no different. Earlier today, Ninja Theory released the 10th episode in their Hellblade development diary. The focus? Hellblade’s unique Performance Capture approach.
While Ninja Theory is a relatively small company, they’ve made a name for themselves when it comes to using Performance Capture in cut scenes. For instance, larger studios will use a separate voice actor and motion capture actor in order to design cut scenes. Ninja Theory uses a single actor, for the most part, to represent a character. Homebrew equipment has helped to simplify the Performance Capture process, a must on a limited budget.
What’s interesting about the video posted by Ninja Theory is the revelation of the Vertical Slice mechanic in Hellblade. While we know little about what the Vertical Slice will entail, Ninja Theory describes it as a “small section of the game we are taking to a finished, polished state”.
In the next few months, Ninja Theory is promising to reveal more information about the gameplay itself and Hellblade’s plot, so stay tuned.
