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Ninja Theory Teases Hellblade II’s Superb Cloud Effects

hellblade II

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice made a big impression with its sublime visuals back in 2016, and its sequel, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, promises to deliver a similar impact. Its in-game announcement trailer blew us away at The Game Awards two years ago, but we’ve seen precious little since. Today, though, in a quick demonstration of its graphical prowess, the team at Ninja Theory has showcased some stunning cloud effects.

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As stated in the above Tweet, Ninja Theory is using flow maps to create an extremely natural-looking cloud effect that appears almost photorealistic from what we can see here. According to a quick Google search, flow maps essentially act as directional co-ordinates for textures, and they’re used for creating realistic effects such as the flow of water around a rock or hair bouncing atop a character’s head.

Presumably, it’s unusual for a developer to use them for clouds given that I can’t recall too many other games featuring clouds that look quite as realistic as what’s being shown today. Of course, Hellblade II will also be benefiting from the power of Xbox Series X|S when it launches as a console exclusive at some point in the near future.

For more on the game, you can out an article I wrote directly after The Game Awards 2019 that speculates on how the wider scope of the sequel, which I believe is set in Iceland, might focus more on Senua’s interactions with other people, and why that’s a good thing.

In other related news, Ninja Theory today announced Project: Mara, an “in-development experimental title that explores new ways of storytelling.”

About the author

Alex Gibson

Alex was a Senior Editor at Twinfinite and worked on the site between January 2017 and March 2023. He covered the ins and outs of Valorant extensively, and frequently provided expert insight into the esports scene and wider video games industry. He was a self-proclaimed history & meteorological expert, and knew about games too. Playing Games Since: 1991, Favorite Genres: RPG, Action

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