Mental Health, Gaming & Our Human Heroes
What does it mean to be human? One’s flaws? Ambitions? Emotions? Is it human to feel? Think? Be compassionate? To be empathetic? Does lacking any or all of those make one inhuman?
As we continue to learn more about the world we inhabit, we learn more of the humans that occupy this earth and our entertainment mediums are evolving along the way. With such a major stamp on the entertainment industry (on pace to be a $102.9 billion powerhouse by 2017), many push for the gaming medium to reflect its diverse consumer base. No matter what side of the gate you find yourself on, the video game habitat is evolving and growing with its players and spectators.
Relatability and inclusiveness are both hot topics in nearly every form of media today, but not every entity waited until now to take positive strides. Hellblade makes good on a step forward Ninja Theory took previously, before race, gender, and such were publicly highlighted issues in the gaming world. Heavenly Sword was a technical marvel at the time and featured two very popular woman protagonists in Nariko and Kai. Those two and the supporting cast conveyed emotion in ways not seen in many games to that point. Kai, specifically, can even be seen as influential in the design of Senua’s character thus far and her quirky mannerisms that were so endearing are reflected in Senua’s expressions.
While visual expression grew more accurate as graphical engines became more intense, developers previously leaned on actions to garner responses from players. Replicating human critical thinking via Artificial Intelligence has been a goal since the inception of gaming, but the intent has gone much deeper since. With growing technology and more sophisticated visuals, devs not only recreate intelligent interaction focused on competition they also presume to instill a degree of humanity in their characters — playable or not. These things work to elicit emotional responses from their players and a degree of relatability is key to each work of drama. These moments of expression will continue to leave more of an impression as players continue to see more of themselves in the subjects.
Like Ninja Theory made an impact with their expressive characters and engaging conflict in Heavenly Sword, Hellblade strives to advance the conversation when it comes to mental instability. While not very often, mental health has been touched upon in games throughout the years in different ways. It’s poorly used with amnesiac character leads like in the first Suikoden title, it’s often used as a crutch when explaining horrific imagery, and it’s pigeonholed into the beings of “insane” villains. Every so often it weighs directly on the game-play like in Quantic Dream’s Indigo Prophecy. In that, your mental health meter fluctuates depending on decisions made and conversations had between the main character and others. If it depletes entirely, the game ends. While not entirely engaging, it does place a highlight on how things affect your character mentally.
Ninja Theory is making a pointed effort to not only weave mental health into the game-play, but to also accurately express the different forms of mental instability. Partnering with the Wellcome Trust, a bio-medical research charity founded in 1936, Ninja Theory developers are working with Psychiatrist Paul Fletcher to accurately depict Senua’s battle with anxiety, depression, delusions, and hallucinations collectively called “cancer of the mind”. In their 12th development diary, titled “The Mind of Senua”, Ninja Theory shares their very explicit desire to get this aspect right.
“For me it was really exciting to see something that I explore scientifically being represented so beautifully in a character who’s trying to penetrate the mysteries of the environment in which they have been placed with all of this strange uncertainty and noise and conflicting information that they’re getting,” reflects Prof. Fletcher. “It’s been very gratifying to work with the team at Ninja Theory and see just how serious they are about trying to provide a representation and reflection of these sorts of symptoms that is sensitive and empathic.”
Though it’s evident the team wants to get deep into mental health, footage we’ve seen of the game so far still flirts with the stigmatization of horror elements vs mental health. We’ll have to wait for the game’s release to see if the partnership with Wellcome Trust works to combat that, but ideas expressed in the development diary lean toward a less demonized look at psychosis. Kratos, Link, Lara Croft, Mario and many more of gaming’s heroes, while not perfect, still maintain an air of “super humanity” that carries them through their various trials. Senua is a step toward showing that being human, with all your different qualities that make you such, is all you need to overcome incredible obstacles. You are super, human.
