Video Games and Mental Illness: Hellblade Immerses Players Into the World of Psychosis

Anytime I have a viable excuse for playing a video game, I’m happy. And if war-torn warrior princesses are your thing, then you may want to consider grabbing a copy of Hellblade when it debuts in 2016. The third person tragedy unfolds in the mind of a Celtic warrior named Senua- but Hellblade is not your typical hack n’ slash. After surviving an onslaught of Viking conquerors, Senua wanders amid a twilight forest to battle creatures of the wood and escape from ominous voices haunting her throughout the game as she tries to make peace with what happened to her homeland.

Ninja Theory told all at E3, giving light behind the philosophy of Hellblade. The terror-filled thriller is meant to give players a window into the lives of people suffering from the throes of mental illness. The game developers at Ninja Theory were determined to keep real-to-life experiences as accurate as possible in the realm of Hellblade to help raze the stigma surrounding mental illnesses. HellBlade is meant to give an up close and personal perspective on what it’s like to battle a mental illness. More than your average adventure chronicle, Senua’s character was developed to give players a link into the tangible realm of psychosis.

 

What Is Psychosis?

If you recall the flakka epidemic sweeping through South Florida, you may remember psychosis is one of the symptoms brought on by the synthetic substance.

In short, psychosis is the loss of reality, and is marked by hallucinations and delusions (which are convictions refuted by fact, and are typically abnormal from common ideas and accepted norms).

People with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have bouts of psychosis. Scientifically speaking, psychosis is thought to have a direct connection with elevated dopamine levels, which directly affect our memory, emotions, ability to be self aware, and social behavior.

Grey matter in the brain is recorded to deteriorate after many bouts with the affliction. Those with psychosis completely lose touch with reality, and may desperately believe they are being pursued.

According to Motherboard, Ninja Theory teamed up with Paul Fletcher, a psychiatrist and professor of health neuroscience from the esteemed University of Cambridge to make sure their title was in line with what it’s really like to live with psychosis day in and day out- without making exaggerations for the sake of gaming.

 

Gaming with a Purpose:

 

Motherboard gives us all the details of the idea behind Hellblade. It’s so much more than the gaming experiences we’re used to. Hellblade is pragmatic art, in an effort to coalesce the stigmatized public and those with mental illnesses.

Motherboard quotes Dominic Matthews, the product developer behind Hellbade,

“The game’s protagonist experiences psychosis, and suffers from depression and anxiety. Her ‘journey into hell’ is a manifestation of her mental health. As it’s a third player game, the camera sits behind her, and as a player, you see her personal health through her eyes.

“Because of the interactivity of video games, you’re not just seeing the character’s life play out, you’re making decisions with them. When you put players in the position of a character with a mental health condition, it can help them understand what it is to suffer a break through some of the stigmas attached to mental health.”

Whether you’re on the PS4, Xbox One, or PC Hellblade is slated to release to all systems in 2016, after PS4 lost out on its exclusivity deal. Even though I’m a playstation fan, when it comes to allowing a wider audience to have the chance of understanding mental illness and spreading awareness, I can put my exclusivity-wounded-pride aside for the greater good.

 

If you haven’t seen the trailer for Hellblade yet, check it out and tell us what you think:

 

What say you, yay or nay to Hellblade’s attempt to reveal the world of psychosis? Is there another mental illness or other disease entirely you’d like to see?

 

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