Heavenly Sword Review
- Posted September 18th, 2007 at 05:26 EDT by
- 52 Comments
Review Score
- PSU Review Score
- 9.0
- Avg. user review score:
- 9.0
Summary
The environments, cast, characters, storyline, and virtually everything in Heavenly Sword is astonishing. While there are some minor negatives, players should be prepared to experience a spiritual disclosure with Ninja Theory’s latest masterpiece.
We like
- Unforgettable atmosphere combined with ample replay value.
- Beautifully detailed with everything in harmony from animation all the way to the audio system.
- Great combat system complimented by impressive A.I
We dislike
- Enemy models can sometimes get repetitive
- Poor Loading Times.
See PSU's review on Metacritic & GameRankings
Heavenly Sword is quite possibly a gift from Sony to anyone who owns a PlayStation 3 console. It is not what Heavenly Sword is that makes it spectacular, but what it dares to do in the video game industry that makes it remarkable and unique. Never have there been such life-like characters in any game--characters which instill a sense of care from the player through the stories in each of the character’s eyes whether antagonist or protagonist. The presentation is completely remarkable, with support from full motion capture performances and beautiful voice acting. Characters display a very wide amount of emotion, unparalleled to any game. Being the first game to use full dynamic motion capture, Heavenly Sword captivates the players in a cinematic experience that details the best journey ever embarked on.
“It’s just God of War with a chick, right?” is something we've all heard time and time again from many people who fail to assess the value of a game properly, and constantly try to paste past remnants onto future games that transcend the barriers of anything ever seen. Ninja Theory, the developers of Kung Fu Chaos, genuinely wows audiences with their second creation, Heavenly Sword. Heavenly Sword’s ideas were in development long before God of War saw the horizon. In a time when many developers are creating sequels to their established franchises, Ninja Theory is doing something daring and new. The game is a story of revenge and redemption centering on Nariko, our main heroine. Born into a clan who had been guarding the Heavenly Sword for generations and expecting a god to be born to reclaim the sword, Nariko brought disappointment on those who saw otherwise. The clan was now more fractured than ever, and this is the perfect time for King Bohan to attain ultimate dominance.
As the King persecutes the tribe, Nariko becomes the scapegoat for the scarring woes thrown upon the backs of the tribe. In a moment of desperation, she decides to take charge and use the Heavenly Sword to destroy King Bohan and his army, but ends up dead---bewildered by the magnificence of the sword’s power. Different from the common misconception that she is a female version of Kratos, Nariko does not wreak havoc on Gods. She’s not taking any alliances and or trying to conquer Greece.
Anyone who is fooled into thinking this is God of War type game is either seriously dazed in his or her reasoning, or just hasn’t given this game a proper evaluation. Assuredly, as they read on, they will see the heavenly sword is a tough weapon to yield---even for Kratos. Thankfully for players, Ninja Theory realizes that games should immerse the players in an interactive and cinematic experience, rather than just seating them next to the swords handle all to watch droning cut scenes. The game not only immerses you in its realistic and unbelievable cut scenes, but also makes you feel like you’re a part of them. With such beautiful cut-scenes, the enrapturing gameplay will make players drool.
One of the game's principal potency is the combat system, which is beautifully crafted. If you’re expecting a button mashing game, you will be disappointed. The combat system makes sure players have one hell of a time fighting enemies by a three-stance system, which adds some variety to the repetitive hack-and-slash genre. The three stances are Strength, Speed and Range. The speed stance is the default stance throughout the game, and is also the most complex. The strength stance takes advantage of a more powerful weapon to deliver heavy hits at the expense of speed---but it really teaches enemies a lesson. The ranged stance allows you to hit enemies from a distance and will knock them back to keep them a few feet away, but is the weakest stance in terms of raw power and speed. With the three stance combat system, the need to use face controls is completely eliminated. Holding L1 puts you in the ranged stance, holding R1 will trigger the power stance, using neither utilizes the speed stance, which Nariko is in by default.
Unlike most fighters, the combat is more gratifying. ... (continued on next page)
Comments
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Harlequin1987 |
Harlequin1987- 6:05am BST - September 18th, 2007
- 1
grea game got it today nice animations just alround nice! one of the best on the consol the now
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mystik4l06 |
mystikal06- 6:50am BST - September 18th, 2007
- 2
oh Fawk u ninja "Heavenly Sword’s ideas were in development long before God of War saw the horizon."
it was in the works yes i agree but soon after GoW 1 was announced in late 2003 and a trailer was showned they took ideas and such...HS was only consisted of speed and power styles...not no range style until GoW was shown..
http://kotaku.com/gaming/seeing-red/heavenly-sword-from-xbox-to-ps3-284674.php go to this link and u will see the difference on the 2004 vid which was mid 2004...and GoW was announced LATE 2003...plus the whole era was different so fawk ninja....good game overall but next time be original...they always praised GoW to throw ppl off the fact they took most of the ideas frm that game and just switched it around and added a lil bit of spice to it....be original seriously
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GoldenEwok
- 7:12am BST - September 18th, 2007
- 3
actaully god of war had been in dev for about 3 years before heavenly sowrd even saw the let of day at e3 2005
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MrGunhappy
- 8:23am BST - September 18th, 2007
- 6
Good I loved the cinematics, gameplay, and content, but why does it give two scores 9.0 and 9.5.
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Jbthegreat
- 9:27am BST - September 18th, 2007
- 9
I rlly dnt like reviews from psu. They didnt even mention in the con section how extremely short the game is...still this game is amazing
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wiggsj
- 9:55am BST - September 18th, 2007
- 10
AWESOME GAME!! I have about 6 hours in not sure how close to the end I am but I have replayed sections already just cause there cool! LOVE the cannon scenes blowing up 100's of guys at once crossing athe river how cool is that? It is the best PS3 game to date---NO DOUBT!!
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sorrow880 |
Sorrow880- 10:17am BST - September 18th, 2007
- 11
Out of all my ps3 and 360 games that I've bought this year, Heavenly Sword is the best without a doubt. I honestly was shocked by this game after reading the IGN review (For once, I completely agree with Play magazine that gave it a 10.0). My expectations were low so I was blown out of the water when I actually played it.
Thanks to Ninja Theory and Sony for a game I will never forget. AAA
Note: For those asking, this game took me around 9 hours to complete, but was worth every penny I paid. For those who own a ps3, it's sacrilegious to not own this game.
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Mecha_Daddy |
mecha_daddy- 10:25am BST - September 18th, 2007
- 12
After playing this gem I think some of the reviewers out there must've been payed off or just don't like action games. This one is impressive.
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TofuOnoPhD |
bodoe- 11:04am BST - September 18th, 2007
- 13
@mystik4l06 I believe you are looking at this all wrong. It is a completely unique idea. Maybe you should grab yourself an beer and calm down. Take Heavenly Sword for what it is, not what it was.
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Sniperwithacause |
Sniperwithacause- 11:31am BST - September 18th, 2007
- 15
Heavenly Sword really is a must own!! I haven't seen anyone talk about it yet, but the way they allowed u to use the SIXAXIS was simply amazing, the best use of it in any PS3 game to date!!
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gijoedude
- 11:46am BST - September 18th, 2007
- 16
I just finished the game. It took me more like 14hrs. I think the 8hr estimate in some other reviews must be for hardcore gamers. It takes time to learn all the moves, fight effectively, and figure out how to defeat the bosses instead of just button mash you're way through the game.
The game is very good. It offers a cinematic experience for the gamer. The replay value is moderate. I am playing some sub-chapters again to get more points to unlock content.
I really enjoyed the fight system in Ninja Gaiden Black and was hoping HS would come close to it but it doesn't. At times it had collision detection problems during fights. One time Nariko was pounding a guy to death except she wasn't on top of him. She was pounding empty space and the bad guy was on the groud to her right with his "getting hit" animation running. Was an odd bug but the game seems to have a few of these.
I think the game is very cool though and I think the after touch feature is awesome. When you have to use the tilt sensor on your controller to guide the arrow into an enemy you feel like you really earned it when it makes direct contact because it's definitely not the easiest thing to do.
I think anyone who likes RPG fighting games will enjoy it. Some of the action is just incredible like taking out an army of men and catapults with a canon. There are literally hundreds of enemies on the screen and they look believeable not like some other games where it looks like they're just carbon copies of each other standing lifeless there.
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DeadOnArrival06 |
DeadOnArrival06- 12:40pm BST - September 18th, 2007
- 18
Even though the game is short, it is an amazing game that is needed for any PS3 collector!
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Talisman
- 4:28pm BST - September 18th, 2007
- 23
The game is awesome and I think the replay value (He11 mode, unlocking all content) is pretty good. Some people complain about the game being too short; I suppose, with awesome games, that is the general consensus. I've yet to beat the game (got it at launch and I've been taking it slow, unlocking content, going back to previous levels, etc.), but even if it's short doesn't mean the game sucks or isn't worth owning. Which is wrong.
This game is definitely worth owning. I doubt I could heap anymore praise on this game than what has already been presented, so I'll just say this: the game's beauty and well scripted story make it well worth the price. There's a reason we who love this game keep coming back to this point. When I first sat down and watched the story unfold, I was just stuck on a single thought: "Wow." I actually went back and replayed my unlocked videos a number of times, I thought they were that good.
While a few issues kept it from a perfect 10, in my book, I definitely don't see how it doesn't deserve a 9.5, or a 9 at the very least.
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Iownboth360andps3
- 4:29pm BST - September 18th, 2007
- 24
Who ever reviewed this... did you forget the game only takes 6 hours to beat? How can you give a game that takes 6 hours to beat a 9.0? And this also leads me to think about the time the developers said they baely had enough room. LOL The game owns for 6 hours, after that... its just... done.
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BigNate1200dc |
bignate1200dc - 5:10pm BST - September 18th, 2007
- 25
I GOT THE GAME ON the day it came out ,for me the best PS3 game too date, go and get it ,and play it for yourself and see what the talk is all about. It won't let you drown.
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Honorabled0
- 7:26pm BST - September 18th, 2007
- 28
Bottom line if u like it buy it and yes its short but buy it so they will come out with more expansions and stuff like that
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stennex |
stennex- 7:49am BST - September 19th, 2007
- 29
A very good but short game. Makes me wonder when and what they will do for a sequel. Imagine if they made them longer than the first one, no more cinema.Download content would be good providing that more people buy the game than rent it because of its length. Great game for PS3 to start their onslaught against the competition. Bring it on Sony, 2008 looking good.
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funItalian
- 9:48am BST - September 19th, 2007
- 31
I have to agree with ARMY HAWK. Rent it if it's too short. Otherwise, if you're a fan of this genre of games, then buy it just for the sheer graphics and gameplay. I didn't rent/buy the game yet, but I will.
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humanputting
- 2:06pm BST - September 19th, 2007
- 32
as great as this game is me and my roomate were discussing that if this game had been any longer than it would have felt like it was being dragged on. the length is perfect if you guys actually played it completely. Maybe its just me but where do you guys find all the time to play these games that are 20+hours? 10 hours is plenty for me to play.
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UltimaEnder
- 2:51pm BST - September 19th, 2007
- 33
Wow another review which kisses the Sony ass, how suprising (check Lair review); I guess every other reviewer out there is just wrong....man for a free game you guys will write anything! Don't get me wrong I got HS and beat it......in 6 hours. I think the reviewer forgot to mention that.
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Playing Beyond Today |
Cottonmouth1- 2:59pm BST - September 21st, 2007
- 35
Wow this game is great it is a tad bit short but you WILL replay the game all the way thru over and over again. I promise any one who is trying to determined BUY this GAME as soon as you can it is a AAA short but AAA!
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incredibilistic
- 8:19pm BST - September 21st, 2007
- 36
The whole idea of length needs to be a non-issue. Does a game that's 30 hours long automatically equal a great game? Of course not. But if you can have a visceral and unforgettable experience in about 8 to 10 hours then I think you still get your money's worth.
The great thing about HS is that nothing about the game feels like it was tacked on or throw in -- like a random cave to explore -- everything feels serves a purpose and helps carry the story.
This game has spoiled me. Every other cut scene by comparison is crap, even Metal Gear Solid 4's characters seem like cold, dead zombies compared to the emotion and epic scale that HS has pulled off.
I guess the GoW references are unavoidable but don't let that stop you from getting what is truly one of the best looking games on ANY system...at least until Killzone 2 comes out.
Oh yeah, and anyone that beats the game quick is just trying to prove a point. "See I spent $60 and I beat it already. I didn't care about all the quality and work and time and effort it took to make such a beautiful game because I want to prove to the world that I can beat an already short game in short time span. That'll show 'em".
I would say if you like quality games with emotion and scale poured into every facet of the game with a stellar soundtrack and tight -- fun to pick up, challenge to master -- controls then I would say avoid this at all costs. This game is not for you. You are not worthy to play such a masterpiece of technology.
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knowledge4lfe |
knowledge4lfe- 11:55pm BST - September 21st, 2007
- 37
all i gotta say is this game is pure beauty.thank you ninja theory.
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alchemyuser1 |
alchemyuser1- 1:39am BST - September 22nd, 2007
- 38
why does length matter all that much. be happy with your 6-8 hors. i have beaten games that only take three hours and were still fun although replay wasnt good still if your a real gamer you can enjoy 6-8 hours of good fun gaming and walk away with a smile (erhem!) (arcades member those now you have one at home beat the game and walk away satisfied)
p.s fellas writing epic novels for comments plz stop keep it short and sweet ;)
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shazly84 |
Shazly84- 2:44pm BST - September 24th, 2007
- 39
I bought this game last friday, that same night, I read the IGN review of this game (before i played it) so I was feelin pretty disappointed....didnt wanna play that night..... So I started playin it saturday morning around 12:00pm finished at 8:00pm....8 of the greatest hours I've ever spent playin a game...the only thing that got to me was how short it was....although a couple of days later (ie today) im startin to play the new hard mode....and wow its tough, so there's a challenge for ya :)
P.S - I loved the story line!
Thanks Ninja Theory & Sony!!!!
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Lanio
- 10:17am BST - September 25th, 2007
- 41
I rented this game on a Saturday for 5 nights and beat it on a Sunday in less than 5 hours. Very short game. I may be flamed for this, but I did not like the game. There are no real puzzles at all everything you need to solve a puzzle is in a shiny box on the ground. Absoulutly no thought is needed playing this game. This is a rental at best, the story is mediocre and there is too much button mashing for its own good. It gets very boring in combat from time to time. The storyline isn't something to write home about. No back story to the father was provided or even the history of the sword. Even in the beginning battle sequence, it gets redundent.
Pros: Graphics, Cinematics, No Backtracking
Cons: short, no puzzles, too much button mashing for its own good. Several Framerate issues.
Overall rating from me is 3/5. Rent it, do not buy it.
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Eric2929 |
Eric2929- 10:03pm BST - October 2nd, 2007
- 42
"Oh yeah, and anyone that beats the game quick is just trying to prove a point. "See I spent $60 and I beat it already. I didn't care about all the quality and work and time and effort it took to make such a beautiful game because I want to prove to the world that I can beat an already short game in short time span. That'll show 'em"."
Or I just beat it in a short time (between 5 and 6 hours) because I was so engrossed in it...
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Dreamerdude26
- 1:05pm GMT - October 31st, 2007
- 44
This game was amazing, I'm looking forward to buying it someday. How short the game was has no impact at all on how good the game turns out to be. Story, Graphics, Fighting System, All are just awesome.
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Maxkiller |
Maxkiller0- 10:22pm GMT - November 10th, 2007
- 45
One of the best epic storys i have ever played or seen the story the chars everything in this game is great only thing as many people been reading or hearing the game is very little and yes its true tho theres modes so you can play again try play in a harder mode if you want it to be long if not just enjoy the story and all the fighting moves that there is i have had the game for some time now and i still don't know half of the moves you can do lol anyhow i would say this game is a must buy if your into GOW or just epic storys or any fighting game.
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GunsOfLiberty |
GunsOfLiberty- 8:28am GMT - January 18th, 2008
- 46
It's awesome but a bit on the short side - 9/10
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Pipes75 |
Pipes75- 1:04pm GMT - February 16th, 2008
- 48
Before I start, I should say that I am more of an online gamer then a single player mode, and I didnt buy this, this game was a gift. That being said, this game ain't all bad. The graffics are amazing, the story line is decent, the game does feel repetitive at times, but it mixes in some problem solving with the chaos. Heavenly Sword isn't really my type of game, but it is worth it to those that like this style. I give it an 8 and reccomend it to offline gamers.
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hvnlyswrd54
- 10:19pm BST - March 30th, 2008
- 49
best game i have ever played!!! you need to buy this game!!!!!!!
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