The mental health space in gaming is a particularly interesting one. It involves subject matter that can be pretty heavy, as there are individuals today suffering from these invisible illnesses every day. Thus, when a developer decides to broach the material, they need to do it carefully as to portray these diseases in the correct light.
Perhaps one of the best examples of tackling mental health in a game is Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice by Ninja Theory. This game is characterized as an action-adventure game, but it can also been considered a documentation into madness. Its powerful exploration of mental health leaves players with a heavy heart, but not for nothing. The journey is an emotional one that gives players a different perspective on these health problems that can’t be physically seen.
Thanks to the success of this game, it appears Ninja Theory has its sights set on another mental health project. Titled The Insight Project, this latest work is intended to provide insights on novel therapy methods through body sensors and other innovative techniques.
Ninja Theory has even decided to team up with Paul Fletcher, who’s a prominent neuroscience in the mental health space. It’s clear that Ninja Theory found a lot encouragement with the release of Hellblade, so much so that they want to help the mental health industry as a whole. These goals sound lofty, but they just might pay off and benefit those who struggle with their own mental health problems.
It’s not easy talking about them with others, but by seeing the subject matter getting brought up in video games, it’s helping spread awareness. That’s one of Ninja Theory’s chief goals coming out of The Insight Project.
How this game looks when it’s completely finished is a mystery, but the developers deserve a lot of praise for not just designing a video game as a means of making money. So many developers and publishers today will stop at nothing to earn a buck, which we’ve seen in the form of microtransactions.
Every once in a while — though — a developer like Ninja Theory comes along in hopes of making a real change. Not only could this latest project create an extremely interactive video game experience, but it could lead to some interesting revelations regarding mental health problems.
It would be amazing to see the video game manifest actual therapies that can treat mental health disorders today. It’s a little too early to promise these things, but Ninja Theory is taking a huge step in the right direction.
