Ninja Theory talks up new multiplatform title

Heavenly Sword developer Ninja Theory has promised to “break cut scene conventions” in its next, ultra secret multi platform project.

Speaking at the Develop conference in Brighton this week, Tameen Antoniadas, chief designer and co-founder of the Cambridge-based independent developer, said that this time the team has a “much bigger appreciation of gameplay and story”.

We felt a tad disappointed by Heavenly Sword when it came out in November last year, given the hype surrounding the project during its development. While the cut scenes, story and visuals were excellent, the game was let down by uninspiring gameplay.

However, it seems Ninja Theory isn’t resting on its story laurels, and promised to “push a little bit further” with its new game, which has an unknown publisher.

“When developing a story,” Antoniadas said. “The way we’re doing it now with our next project, we’re starting much earlier with the writing. We’ve got a writer on board and we’re spending a lot of time on the shop floor, in the studio with the designers, including the level designers, working out the narrative flow, the locations.

“I think it’s absolutely essential. Last time round we didn’t really involve our designers in the process so the story became a nuisance to what they were trying to do which was create gameplay. Now we’ve involved them all together there’s a much bigger appreciation of the gameplay and story.”

The studio was in the news recently when rumours suggested Heavenly Sword 2 development had been cancelled and the developer fell out with Sony and planned to move from its Cambridge location.

Antoniadas responded to the rumours in a post on NeoGaf, saying the team never began work on HS2, that Sony owns the IP and there is nothing bitter about the move.

Speaking on the subject of the future of video game cut scenes Antoniadas said: “There’s going to be a mixture of in-game narrative methods like they use in BioShock, traditional cut scenes and controllable cut scenes.

“Because it’s such a visual medium it’s the same format as film. I think it makes sense to use some of the same conventions. But we are at a point where can start to break some of those conventions. I feel like progress is a little bit slow. It’s something we want to do in our next project, push a little bit further. I don’t think cut scenes are going to go away.”

Ninja Theory’s website currently contains a short paragraph teasing about its new game: “Right now we’re working on an exciting new concept that has got everyone we talk to buzzing. We can’t say a lot except that it’s going to be great to work on and should be even better to play! It’ll take all the things we loved about Heavenly Sword and make them bigger and better than ever before.”