Ninja Theory is arguably one of the most consistent developers in the industry, but its work onHellblade: Senua’s Sacrificeis widely considered to be its best yet.Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrificedid a phenomenal job exploring Senua’s psychosis and the way her mental condition affects the perception of her surroundings.Hellbladewas birthed from the idea that games could portray mental illnesses from a first-hand perspective rather than an outsider’s and its success in doing so accurately by working with neuroscientists made way for The Insight Project.
Psychonautsis another great game that successfully explores the same themes though under a more colorful guise with less realism. Ninja Theory has been working onThe Insight Projectfor some time now, and its findings could prove beneficial to futurePsychonautssequels.
RELATED:How Life is Strange and Psychonauts Are Similar and Different Tackling Mental Health
The Insight Project’s Initiatives
The Insight Project begins whereSenua’s Sacrificeleft off. By working closely with both experts in the psychology industry and people with mental illnesses, Ninja Theory was able to translate a larger understanding of the trauma and mindset those with psychosis endure to a gaming medium. Not only was this done with technology and animation, but with filming and voice recording as well, leading to the horrifying yet insightful game known asHellblade.
Taking it a step further, The Insight Project aims to help those with mental disorders by visualizing and projecting them using video games, a method that is only now possible thanks to modern technology. This way, people can share their experiences and illnesses with others, which will lead to a better overall understanding of mental health in society. These findings, the technology they use, and the art that comes as a result could just as well be used for new, therapeutic purposes yet to be explored by psychologists.
Double Fine’s premier franchisePsychonautsand Ninja Theory’sHellbladeboth focus on dealing with the subject matter of mental health, though they are far from the only games to do so. Many titles take a chance at portraying mental illness, sometimes successfully and other times problematically. Though The Insight Project is an ongoing endeavor, games likePsychonautscould benefit a lot fromNinja Theory’s The Insight Project.
Both studios happen to be Xbox-owned, meaning sharing this newfound information is more likely. Phil Spencer once talked about how these studios benefit from being able to share technology with each other, which opens the door for a whole host of new possibilities. Ninja Theory’s The Insight Project might be some ways away but could play a vital role in the development of games such as future games in thePsychonautsfranchise, or any game that aims toportray mental illnesses in video games.
How The Insight Project Could Affect Psychonauts Sequels
Psychonauts 2has just been released to great reviews, and fans seem to be enjoying exploring and jumping through the psychedelic worlds that Tim Schafer and the team have crafted. It covers an array of mental disorders, such as depression, multiple personality disorder, anxiety, and alcoholism among others, and Double Fine’s portrayal of mental health issues walks a fine line between parody and accurate representation, which is part of the irrefutable charm of thePsychonautsgames.
PsychonautsandPsychonauts 2are more about exploring the psyche of these patientsthan understanding them first-hand, which justifies the team’s choice for these more serious themes. Games likeHellblade: Senua’s SacrificeandCelestehave done a great job of portraying anxiety and depression effectively in this way. As mentioned before, it’s still too early to assume that there could be a potentialPsychonauts 3, but perhaps usingHellblade’s approach, experiencing the mental disorders from the host’s perspective, could be the next step for the series and could take it to new heights.
Of course, performing such a feat takes a lot of research and effort, much like what Ninja Theory did withHellblade. IfPsychonautsdoes indeed decides to head in this direction,The Insight Projectcould definitely be of great use in such a case. Using the findings of the research,Psychonautssequels can explore such themes in a grounded fashion, all while retaining its signature writing and sharp sense of humor.
Psychonauts 2is available on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
MORE:Psychonauts 2: All Nuggets of Wisdom, Memory Vaults, and Half-A-Minds in Hollis' Hot Streak
