Ninja Theory has announced a new experimental horror game in Project: Mara. A short teaser for the game was unveiled in a recently-released developer diary from the studio behind Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice.
It’s no secret that Ninja Theory has been deeply invested in research surrounding mental illness over the past several years, specifically in how video games can shed new light on the stigmatized and seemingly verboten subject. Senua’s Sacrifice was molded around exploring themes of mental illness in video games, even if it was in a fantasy setting.
As what Ninja Theory is calling “experimental” and a “showcase,” Project: Mara looks to eschew the fantasy trappings found in Hellblade and explore the effects of mental illness in a “real-world” setting.
Speaking about Project: Mara in the Dreadnought Diaries 1 developer diary (seen below), Ninja Theory co-founder Tameem Antoniades said:
[Project Mara is] a real world and grounded representation of true mental terror. It will be based heavily on research, interviews, and first-hand accounts to recreate the horrors of the mind as accurately and believably as possible.
To that end, Project: Mara is a character-driven game featuring only one character and one location. From the looks of the short trailer, the game will also use physical manifestations to represent the main character’s mental state — similar to the system found in Senua’s Sacrifice.
As of writing, we don’t know anything more about Project: Mara. What’s more, the announcement did not say which platforms the game would be coming to or when it might release. While this is purely speculation, it appears Project: Mara is still in the very early stages of development.
The Dreadnought Diaries 1 is a series of developer diaries set to follow Ninja’s Theory’s new development model. It’s one that sees the 120-person team split into smaller groups to tackle more creative and experimental endeavors, one of which is Project: Mara.
In other news, the DMC: Devil May Cry and Heavenly Sword developer announced Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 at the 2019 Game Awards in December. Currently, the studio is set to release a team-based fighting game, Bleeding Edge, on March 24 for PC and Xbox One.
Stay tuned to GameSkinny for more news and information on Project: Mara and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 as it develops.
