DmC: Devil May Cry and Enslaved developer Ninja Theory has a tendency to shoot for the moon with its narratively ambitious roster of action games, and early impressions on its upcoming psychological viking adventure Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice have left our Bertie Purchese a bit skeptical of the studio's capacity to delve into the issue of mental illness in a sophisticated way. But holy cow do they know how to animate!

The latest development diary for Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice shows us the titular character in combat and her motion-captured movement is extremely expressive. This shouldn't come as a surprise, as arguably the best aspect of DmC was watching the scrappy young Dante recklessly tumble about while unleashing hell upon his demonic adversaries.

Hellblade Development Diary 23: Combat Revisited | Part 2 Watch on YouTube

Senua seems similarly vulnerable. Watch as she stumbles upon an enemy blocking her attack. Notice her facial expressions as she grimaces through the pain of a grizzly sword duel. Even the sound effects are on point as Senua's guttural grunts and roars effortlessly match the visual feedback.

Ninja Theory previously showcased its motion-capture work on Hellblade by showing a stunning tech demo of Senua emoting in real-time as the actress playing her moved about on stage.

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is due later this year on PS4 and PC.