This is shown in action as I watch Senua have a conversation with several new characters on her journey. The Furies come into conflict every time, debating Senua’s reactions and going through possible answers and justifications at a breathtaking pace. But Senua is no longer a prisoner of this cacophony, she can overlook the influence of the voices and decide for herself in this moment how to proceed. Does this person need my help? Will they hurt me? Senua can find her own answers through the noise, just like the player, and we can feel her feelings and reflections reflected in the style, persistence and placement of the sound, similar to a film score.
“We represent abstract concepts with sound,” adds Garcia Diaz. “What does guilt sound like and what is our vision of guilt for Senua? How do we interpret sadness, euphoria or anger?”
“We don’t just reproduce a sound, we create the reality of a character, and that’s our way of interpreting those emotions [for Senua] with sounds, music and voices all connected to create a single moment.”
“We don’t just reproduce a sound, we create the reality of a character, and that’s our way of interpreting those emotions.”
David Garcia Diaz
Three is a crowd
While Hellblade: Senua’s victim is an island journey that follows Senua alone in the company of the Furies and shows how her psychosis manifests itself. Hellblade II Senua will meet new characters in the world for the first time. She will engage in dialogue with these strangers and face the challenges of navigating relationships while dealing with the overwhelming, relentless narrative of her condition.
In one Hellblade II In this scene, Senua encounters a stranger who is being held captive by Viking slavers. At this moment, she is talking to him directly, but the voices do not match what both parties are saying out loud.
“You have to think – what happens when there is a conversation between three people? “How does that sound to everyone involved?” Garcia Diaz adds.
While I’m in the studio, I’m shown a clip of the Furies in action. Cast members Abbi Greenland and Helen Goalan take part in an unscripted performance in which Senua moves through a cave. Through headphones I hear a haunting narration of the surroundings, the thoughts seamlessly transitioning into a flowing state. But what I see are the two actors circling either side of the head-shaped Neumann microphone, sitting between them like vultures pecking at a carcass – making their voices feel like they’re moving through the head, like them would do it at Senua Even In this brightly lit room, 30 seconds into this experience I’m nervous, the unpredictable hisses and caustic giggles running through my head. Garcia Diaz likens the experience to jazz – it’s atmospheric, moving and some of its best parts come from improvisation rather than a pre-agreed script.
