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| Heavenly Sword | 
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| From: Sony Computer Entertainment
Category: Video Games
List Price: $59.99
Buy New: $26.71
You Save: $33.28 (55%)
Buy New from $39.90
Avg. Customer Rating:  (131 reviews)
Sales Rank: 519
Format: Cd
Platform: Playstation 3
ESRB: Teen
Media: Video Game
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Age: 12 - 20 years
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3
Dimensions (in): 6.7 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: 98132
Model: 98132
UPC: 711719813224
EAN: 0711719813224
ASIN: B000K9OP2A
Release Date: September 12, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | The Heavenly Sword itself can transform into three distinct weapons, each with its own accompanying fighting stance used by Nariko to vary combat styles. | | • | The combat engine can scale up from sophisticated one-on-one encounters to one-on-many, where enemies employ intelligent squad-based dynamics, right up to combat against battalions pushing real-time gameplay and (AI) to unprecedented new levels. | | • | The physics-based combat allows players to sweep debris against opponents, kick tables to halt an oncoming surge of fighters, smash the enemy into the scenery, or throw bodies into other enemies using ?aftertouch? controls. | | • | Heavenly Sword provides a wide range of objects & weaponry including rapid fire crossbows and massively damaging bazookas. | | • | Coupled with real-time story evolvement and amazing set-pieces, Heavenly Sword feels like a blockbuster action movie that takes combat gameplay to new heights. |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Heavenly Sword PS3
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| Customer Reviews: Read 126 more reviews...
 3.5; Last-gen trying to be next-gen October 10, 2008
There's certain games that for some reason, have parts or gameplay ideas that just simply don't work. Whether they're frustrating and cumbersome or it's repetitive or it's just simply not a worthwhile thing in the first place. In a way, I call it the "good idea/bad idea" syndrome where developers believe that if something sounds fun for the player, than obviously it will be fun for them regardless of how well it's executed. Heavenly Sword became one of the Playstation 3's big launch titles and one of the first to show off the power of the machine. On that note, everything as far as the look of the game is spot-on; it's everything else that's the problem.
Story: You play as Nariko, a young female warrior who wields the titular and powerful Heavenly Sword which corrupts men's minds who want to possess it yet claims the life of whoever wields it. King Bohan, an evil ruler wants the sword to himself and with huge armies at his disposal, it's up to Nariko and her friend Kai to try to bring down Bohan and his warriors.
Naturally, the story is the big highlight of the game and while it's rather simple and not exactly the most complex or even original, the presentation and just the general feel of the game helps the story move along when it would've been slightly generic in other hands. So while indeed it's a short game, it's a good story anyway.
Graphics: Thanks to being picky and having specific choices about what games I try out, I find graphically they've been pretty stellar. Heavenly Sword is one of them as this is one beautiful game from the art design and the environments to the fast, flowing character animation and the motion capture, this is definately a game that an HDTV-owner will love. Sure there's minor things like really brief pauses or slight framerate parts but again, super minor.
Sound/Music: The music is naturally that big, orchestral sweeping score that these games tend to have, like God of War. It's a pleasant soundtrack when it's on though I find myself forgetting the music later than admiring it again when I play the game. The voice acting though is absolutely great and with some great performances including Anna Torv (from TV's "Fringe") and Andy Serkis (Gollum, King Kong), this is definately voice acting done well...except for this one guy named Flying Fox; one of the most annoying voices I've ever heard in a videogame and I'm well aware of Farleen from Star Ocean: Till the End of Time by the way.
Gameplay: Basically one way to describe this game is God of War with a girl. It sounds simplistic and there's enough differences but fundamentally anyone who's ever lopped heads off with Kratos will find much familiarity here. Nariko has 3 stances: Speed (normal, sword attacks), Ranged (holding L1, long chain attacks) and Power (R1, slow powerful attacks) and it's fun to switch back and forth depending on the enemy and seeing Nariko flying all over the screen doing the combos is quite something. However you start the actual fighting and you find the enemies also use the stances too and they glow a color according to the stance they're using and if you're in the right stance and don't press anything, Nariko will block and a successful one and a push of the Triangle button will be a Counter Attack or even an Instant Kill. The problem is when you're surrounded by literally 10 or more enemies and you're building up your combo, it's hard to figure out what stance will be needed and they'll always be that one jerk that resets your combo meter because you just couldn't press it fast enough or he somehow dodged/phased through your attacks.
Remember that good idea syndrome I talked about where developers believe a good idea will be awesome even though it might not work? This game has the Aftertouch system and it's annoying as hell. Basically, if Nariko throws something or if you're on a Kai mission with her bow, holding down the firing button brings up a travelling camera similar to firing the guided missiles from Metal Gear Solid and by tilting the controller, you can control the direction of the arrow. The problem is that the game requires such sensitivity that even with careful precision and slow movements, you still miss your target anyway. I found it was better to just turn it off and use the analog stick and the whole thing becomes similar to the Sixaxis use in Ratchet and Clank: neat but entirely unnecessary since the analog stick does a better job.
The other gripe is the oft-used and already overused system of Quicktime Events where you have to either repeatedly hit one button or just hit it once during interactive cutscenes. While at least in a game like Resident Evil 4, it always felt at least anticipatory with a decent enough time given to press the buttons, here it's rather quick and it becomes more about restarting and memorizing not only the button required (thank God they're not randomly generated) but also the place within the cutscene. This makes boss battles even more aggravating since I found failure of the cutscene actually replenished the boss's health; yes that right, fills it right back up. And with limited health pots in the fighting area, it's aggravating to have to widdle the boss down again simply because you missed one button.
With some boss fights that seem more like cheap hits and near-unavoidable attacks and a rather repetitive battle system with nothing gained other than more glyphs which unlock artwork, videos etc, is this a game worth getting? Well unless you're a massive fan than no. Not only because of its short length and 60$ price tag but for the game itself. Yes it's a beautiful game and a great story but at times it felt more frustrating to play than fun.
 The Definition of Next Gen October 9, 2008
I'll keep it short. Lots of good reviews about what makes this game great.
This is to date maybe the best graphics showcase of what the PS3 can do. Wonderfully detailed characters, lush environments, huge sense of scale, dead-on control. Jaw dropping on a Hi-Def TV.
I would compare the gameplay and length to one of the older LOTR beat-em-ups... though Heavenly Sword is much higher quality in presentation and control. You can probably storm thru this game and finish it in 4 or 5 hours if you're really good. But replaying levels with new combos or picking up a guard and hurling his body into a crowd of enemies takes this beyond the usual hack and slash game. Using the sixaxis controller tilt feature to aftertouch arrow shots is a thing of beauty.
Not to mention that the story is very involving; tragic, yet upbeat and occasionally downright funny.
The company who made this put nearly 3 years into making this game, and it really shows.
Love it.
Unfortunate 1st game October 8, 2008
I say, "Unfortunate 1st game" because this was the very first video game I ever played. Now, unfortunately, every other game I play pales in comparison. This game is amazing. I love showing off the graphics to friends. The combo moves are way too cool. I really got into Nariko's character. Hated Kai at first, but grew to love her and replayed the sniper scenes over and over. Found no glitches. Scenery fabulous. Haven't found another game I enjoyed as much as this one -- My expectations have been set too high by Heavenly Sword. And, Nariko is just plain HOT!
I love this game October 6, 2008
I must say, I tried the demo first and didnt like it. Then I traded my old Resistance Fall of Man with Heavely Sword and I love it. I dont think is as short as people say it is just tooo fun and time goes fast when a game is this fun. I really really like it. The characters, I mean, its been a while since I`ve had "feelings" for a video game character (last time was in Final Fantasy 7), but this time Kai just took over, she is just amazing, its just really cool.
Another thing I love is the language option, I am learning german and I just enjoy playing this game in german sooo much.
Anyway, my favorite PS3 title so far. Great game
JUST A PLAIN GOOD LOOKING HACK AND SLASHER GAME October 4, 2008
thought it would be like gow 1&2 with a good involving story line bug disapointment. there is a story to it but a poorly told one. to me this game just done cut it story wise but if u just wanna kill a bunch of chit with out purpose then go for it. but i need more than just killing. would not recomend.
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