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Ninja Theory are no longer actively developing the experimental horror title Project: Mara, which was announced over five years ago. Windows Central's Jez Corden, a reliable Microsoft insider, confirmed this in the recent episode of the Xbox Two podcast (at 36:20), revealing Hellblade 3 is the studio's next project.
"Project Mara was just a concept; it's not a game they are currently working on," Corden stated. "It might be something they work on eventually, but Project Mara is not a game that is currently being worked on at Ninja Theory." The cancellation will certainly end years of speculation about Xbox's ambitious horror experience.
Project Mara aimed to realistically depict mental health horrors through advanced technology. The entire game would have taken place in a single apartment recreated using photogrammetry and Lidar scanning for extreme realism. As part of Ninja Theory's Insight Project research initiative, it would have drawn from real accounts to create psychological depth whilst avoiding typical horror tropes.
However, despite all those cool ideas, the project is shelved, and Hellblade 3 now takes priority, with Ninja Theory planning significant gameplay changes for Senua's next adventure if Corden's sources are correct. "It's gonna be a bit more interactive than Hellblade 1 and 2," Corden explained. "They want to make it more of a game, and broaden its appeal."
This suggests that Ninja Theory aim to expand combat systems and mechanics beyond their signature style narrative-focused approach of previous entries. One of the main criticisms of Hellblade 2 was the limited interactivity and short runtime, which made it feel more like a film than an actual game.
Though it must be said that Hellblade 2 was praised for its spectacular visuals and audio design. It's still probably the best-looking game of this generation, and that is quite an achievement.
All in all, it will probably take a while before we get to see Hellblade 3 since Ninja Theory is a small studio and they just released Senua's Saga less than two years ago. It will certainly be interesting to see what kind of game we're getting, especially with the rumours of expanded gameplay mechanics floating around.
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