Epic Games has revealed new footage of Ninja Theory’s upcoming Xbox exclusive Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2. Shown during Epic’s Unreal Engine 5.2 showcase, the adventure game’s new showcase is a masterclass of modern rendering.
Revealed at GDC 2023, Ninja Theory’s use of Unreal Engine 5 takes advantage of Epic’s new and improved facial capture. Combined with Epic’s incredible rendering capabilities, the new Hellblade 2 footage may be the best looking video we’ve ever seen.
In the video, Senua actress Melissa Juergens is shown kitted out in motion capture clothing. After preparing for her role, the video jumps straight into the world of Hellblade 2, showcasing Unreal Engine 5.2’s mind-blowing rendering.
Melissa Juergens’s facial movements are perfectly replicated within Epic’s game engine. The actress’ fantastic expressions are captured and duplicated to the smallest degree, creating some of the most lifelike movements we’ve ever seen in a game.
Senua’s lip quivers are she talks and her teeth are connected to realistic gums. Even the character’s eyes look realistic, an impressive feat for any rendering, bulging and focusing as she speaks. It’s all top of the line stuff.
However, as fantastic as Hellblade 2 looks in this tech demo, there’s no promise that this is what we’ll get on Xbox Series X or PC. While the Xbox exclusive might be one of the best looking games out when it releases, Unreal’s showcase is still just a technical showcase.
As it stands, Senua’s Saga looks unbelievably good in this small tech demo. Even if the finished game is nowhere near this good, it’ll still look fantastic. What we know is this: it’ll make for some damn fun comparisons when the game finally comes out.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 releases this year on Xbox Series consoles and PC. The adventure game will also be available on Xbox Game Pass and on Xbox Cloud Gaming on Android and iOS.