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new heavenly sword pics

KTallguy said:
Yes, the animations do look very long, but you can switch to short blades and do damage up close, so hopefully we'll see some really fast paced combat and combo possibilities. I'll miss the omission of a jump button unless the game is VERY well designed to do without one. Is it confirmed that there's no jump button, or is this just speculation?
No jump button. You can switch between the three blade 'modes' on the fly, plus you can counter in-coming attacks. From the E3 demo, it was pretty easy to work the room that way. The only trouble I had was with the throwing, but they've tweaked that since I'm sure. As for the 'life draining sword' thing, before you panic, as long as you're killing foes with style, it will never run out. The way it was explained to me sounded much like it is in Shinobi.
 
theBishop said:
* Cinematics take place during gameplay, villains taunt you through Picture-in-Picture

*You can throw most objects and do "aftertouch" via sixaxis

* "incredible" numbers of enemies onscreen at once.

* AI becomes more elaborate as enemies get closer.

PIP sounds AWESOME... I remember the first time when MGS2 had those PIP sequences with the enemies clearing out the rooms and stuff... that was HOT!!!

The other 3 points there are nice as well...
 
Sounds ace.

Original if nothing else. I wonder how the time limit will work out though, I am sure they have put a lot of thought into that.
 
nelsonroyale said:
check this vid exhibiting some of the special moves...its new I think and pretty dope:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxmEOGSG1Ok,

credit to a dude at ps3forums for finding it


peace

Ps Actually it looks like it is from the old PC build of the game, hopefully the last two animations are still in there, they look insane!

mckmas8808 (5 months ago) said:
Best animation in a next-gen game.

Something tells me it's old. Call it a hunch.
 
nelsonroyale said:
check this vid exhibiting some of the special moves...its new I think and pretty dope:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxmEOGSG1Ok,

credit to a dude at ps3forums for finding it


peace

Ps Actually it looks like it is from the old PC build of the game, hopefully the last two animations are still in there, they look insane!


that video was good>.> hope they have the last one aswell that looks badass
 
2qw3hiq.jpg

3y34j84.jpg

2ni3d4y.jpg


My favorite

40nzm76.jpg
 
Some more info, credits to VonGak at psi-next and deanoc at beyond3d :).

Deano Calver answered a few questions about the latest images from GamePro at Beyond3D.

Got to ask what's next, I am sure there is an idea somewhere over at Ninja Theory.

Don't ask us, were just trying to ship this one Worry about minor problems like getting paid in 6 months time, when we get there

According to DeanoC blog, the game can calculate AI for 2180 enemy soldiers.

Slightly more now, we hit that limit... so I managed to pack the data more (each grunts state is down to 48 bytes from 64) so our current high is ~2400. In theory we could get near 3K if we need to (we should now have the RAM to go that high, just haven't needed to test it yet).

Does that mean technically capable at calculating AI for 2400 soldiers in general or capable at calculating AI for 2400 soldiers while displaying them all, with full graphics during gameplay?

The game has a built in LOD system using imposters in the distance. So you can see them all at the same time tho most will be so far away that they are rendered very simply as they get closer they will be draw with more detail.

Each is a real entity, tho so can follow orders, attack you, get blown up etc.

Interesting - does that mean the reserved RAM has been lowered (as many were speculating would happen over time)? I know, I know NDA's an' all that...
Also, how old is the build that these pics are from?


I was talking about SPU ram (which has remained constant unlike reserved RAM). Its hasn't changed but as I've shaved off the fat of each grunt its effectively larger for how many grunts you can have... which is what i meant but didn't explain very well.

And it looks fairly recent... that green atmospherics the artists haves been playing with isn't that old afaik.

BTW just to correct a few people, nothing (HDR or DOF or atmospherics for example) has been removed but most are artist controllable, so if you can't see them as obviously as before, its probably cos they choose to make it look like that.

So that would leave about 110 kB for code and some extra data.

Bloody impressive you can have it running on one single SPU with all the data available. You are able to parse through the horde of soldiers over and over again without touching the main RAM. Now that is how to make the Cell sing.


It was one of the fundamental technical decisions I made back when I started. I'm not sure it was nessecarily the best choice but it works quite well, if you don't mind be very frugal with what each grunt stores.
Each grunt is split into two separate bits of state, its AI state (32 bytes) and 16 bytes thats just output render state for the render engine (that's not keep in memory for the AI SPU program).

The first SPU task does a spatial sort and fires off a SPU task for each non empty chunk of the battlefield. These tasks do the AI for all the grunts in there chunk, apart from a few rare atomic ops (for gameplay statistics and grunts issuing 'events' (which are the name of big things like explosion)) the AI runs out of its own RAM from start to finish (all grunts and its local heightfield and battlefield, battalion and unit data is in LS).

Which means you can program it like a normal processor and the AI code doesn't have to worry too much about DMA or synchronisation... Its taking care before and after its bit, which is nice

Sounds great, thank you for the updates Deano.
Just curious, how smooth are the LOD transitions?
Sounds almost like you plan on doing an RTS in the future.


LOD isn't as smooth as i'd like but its on my TODO list to improve before ship. Tho I should point out that i'm very picky and its mainly the imposter to mesh pop I notice... still bugs me tho hehe

Actually a fundemental gameplay design concept we used when doing this, was that it should feel like an army and not a rabble of people. It should move and attack like its a bunch of separate units coordinated by commanders etc. Not just have 1000 people standing around waiting to pick on a girl
 
Hey ssx, do you have that picture of Roach? (the king's son w/ the gold shell armor?)
I always liked the character design and I can't seem to find the picture.
 
That artwork came from Taino site, he didn't post the art you're looking for (although he posts on NT's forum so you might be able to get him to put some up).
 
wotter said:
Is this him?

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l74/wotter/av.jpg[IMG][/QUOTE]
thats the king. Roach is the king's son.

I'll keep looking for it. It's a really awesome character design imo.
 
Hearing that the build 'isn't that old' and that the 'green atmospherics' effect is pretty recent pisses me off a bit actually.

Why the heck would any artist in their right mind go from what we saw in Heroes and Cinimatic Production trailer to

108390-11-2.jpg


I mean really. Really? Let's just take our game and screw over the environments because we want to be able to say 'we're not about making everyhting bumpy, or high contrast, or shiny, we decided to go with destroying the texture lod in the envronment and sticking ugly ass PS1 era green fog everywhere. Making the HDR and lighting flat to perfectly negate including them and spending all that effort on them in the first place seems like a great idea!
 
The King could totally end up as one of the best game villains ever. I've loved his character so far, hopefully they don't under-use him
 
Yoboman said:
The King could totally end up as one of the best game villains ever. I've loved his character so far, hopefully they don't under-use him

In the final level, you eventually have to fight his... SACRED GENITALS!!!
 
The cinimatic Production trailer and Heroes version of the level looks better in stills then the 'new' versiopn of the level, ergo the new green fog of suck version of the level will probably look worse. What's the point of having a huge draw distance is you obscure it all with cheap green fog anyway?

Not to mention the 2D bitmaps of glory that have suddenly appeared under Nariko in that shot... I'm still holding out that he (DeanoC) might have been mistaken, or that it's a misinterpretation or somehting, and yes I know it's just one level, but it's one level that went from looking fantastic in stills to crap for no apparent reason.
 
Zen said:
Hearing that the build 'isn't that old' and that the 'green atmospherics' effect is pretty recent pisses me off a bit actually.

Why the heck would any artist in their right mind go from what we saw in Heroes and Cinimatic Production trailer to

108390-11-2.jpg


I mean really. Really? Let's just take our game and screw over the environments because we want to be able to say 'we're not about making everyhting bumpy, or high contrast, or shiny, we decided to go with destroying the texture lod in the envronment and sticking ugly ass PS1 era green fog everywhere. Making the HDR and lighting flat to perfectly negate including them and spending all that effort on them in the first place seems like a great idea!
i dont see what's wrong with the 2nd picture
:/

EDIT:
:O u edited it
 
Zen said:
Hearing that the build 'isn't that old' and that the 'green atmospherics' effect is pretty recent pisses me off a bit actually.

Why the heck would any artist in their right mind go from what we saw in Heroes and Cinimatic Production trailer to

108390-11-2.jpg


I mean really. Really? Let's just take our game and screw over the environments because we want to be able to say 'we're not about making everyhting bumpy, or high contrast, or shiny, we decided to go with destroying the texture lod in the envronment and sticking ugly ass PS1 era green fog everywhere. Making the HDR and lighting flat to perfectly negate including them and spending all that effort on them in the first place seems like a great idea!

Is that concept art or a real screenshot?
 
Real.

Kaching said:
Zen and the fine art of overreacting.

Oh let me have my Luke Smith moment. >:|

That being said, the points still stand. Jebus I can only hope it gets corrected... that and what happened to the shadows? They're all pixilated now...

ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG.

*meltsdown*
 
Zen said:
Hearing that the build 'isn't that old' and that the 'green atmospherics' effect is pretty recent pisses me off a bit actually.

Why the heck would any artist in their right mind go from what we saw in Heroes and Cinimatic Production trailer to

108390-11-2.jpg


I mean really. Really? Let's just take our game and screw over the environments because we want to be able to say 'we're not about making everyhting bumpy, or high contrast, or shiny, we decided to go with destroying the texture lod in the envronment and sticking ugly ass PS1 era green fog everywhere. Making the HDR and lighting flat to perfectly negate including them and spending all that effort on them in the first place seems like a great idea!



It pisses me off too. Why the **** are they ****ing up a lovely designed game. I'm going to tell you what one of the devs told me.

He said that some people see some next-gen games and think that it's all last gen just with bloom lighting and get pissed.

So maybe that's why they wanted to change it. It honestly pisses me off very very much and I'm thinking about not even buying the game. I may just rent it now.

That great looking HDR lighting was so beautiful that I would watch the E3 2006 videos of the game just for the animations and lighting.

I'm with you Zen.
 
Another developer that took too seriously what people say on game forums. I liked the old look better!:p
 
Zen said:
The cinimatic Production trailer and Heroes version of the level looks better in stills then the 'new' versiopn of the level, ergo the new green fog of suck version of the level will probably look worse. What's the point of having a huge draw distance is you obscure it all with cheap green fog anyway?

Not to mention the 2D bitmaps of glory that have suddenly appeared under Nariko in that shot... I'm still holding out that he (DeanoC) might have been mistaken, or that it's a misinterpretation or somehting, and yes I know it's just one level, but it's one level that went from looking fantastic in stills to crap for no apparent reason.
These are pics from different time of day. And 2D bitmaps? What are you smoking?
 
kaching said:
Zen and the fine art of overreacting.


Not even close. I think he's not pissed off enough. Let's compare for a moment shall we?

We went from this....

303l6y9.jpg

2yyr47o.jpg

42i4ygj.png

40k658l.png



to this different artisic bullcrap
108390-11-2.jpg

108390-12-2.jpg

108390-12-2.jpg



Where the **** is my pretty lighting? What is that green fog? Why is it there now and not before? What are those circle spots in the green fog?



And I wish this area still looks this good.

50621420060720_141015_7_big.jpg
 
Are you ranters going to keep it up, or are you going to stop acting like madmen and start waiting for the final game before passing judgement and being "pissed off" about stuff you don't even know will be in the final game or not, or why it appears like that in some little pictures?
 
Lain said:
Are you ranters going to keep it up, or are you going to stop acting like madmen and start waiting for the final game before passing judgement and being "pissed off" about stuff you don't even know will be in the final game or not, or why it appears like that in some little pictures?
Someone speaks the truth...
 
I think it looks almost identical to the video from Heroes. The only thing missing is the sense of vastness and scale that's shown in the video.
 
Lain said:
Are you ranters going to keep it up, or are you going to stop acting like madmen and start waiting for the final game before passing judgement and being "pissed off" about stuff you don't even know will be in the final game or not, or why it appears like that in some little pictures?


Me personally am the furthest from a hater on Heavenly Sword. I'm bitching because I hope the devs hear our voice (Me and Zen) and tell those dumb artist to tweak the lighting back to what it used to be.

Come on man from this

40k658l.png


to this

108390-12-2.jpg



I don't want this to happen to one of my favorite/most wanted games in 2007.
 
karasu said:
I see no foul. The first image looks overlit.


That's the way the game has always looked. Since E3 2006. Hell even in the E3 2005 video the lighting was similar to that.

The lighting is dead now in the sliding rope scene with ugly green fog.
 
Anyone who thinks they changed to that green fog, for artistic reasons is crazy, it was most likely chugging with the detail, so they dialed it back, thats one of the oldest graphics tricks out there.
 
mckmas8808 said:
Me personally am the furthest from a hater on Heavenly Sword. I'm bitching because I hope the devs hear our voice (Me and Zen) and tell those dumb artist to tweak the lighting back to what it used to be.

Come on man from this

http://i12.tinypic.com/40k658l.png

to this

http://www.gamepro.com/screens/110429/108390-12-2.jpg


I don't want this to happen to one of my favorite/most wanted games in 2007.

I don't think you are a hater, but from those two pictures the only thing I can say is that to me they look as two pictures taken at different times of the day.
I'll give you the weird fog and weird texture on the fog, but we don't know why is that and if that is final (my opinion is that it is not final because if DeanoC isn't happy about the LOD, he surely wouldn't be happy about something looking like that, don't you agree?).

I have no problems with people bitching about bad pictures and hoping to be heard by the devs so they will fix it, but some are acting as if those screens are final, while the game is still a work-in-progress.
 
Lain said:
I have no problems with people bitching about bad pictures and hoping to be heard by the devs so they will fix it, but some are acting as if those screens are final, while the game is still a work-in-progress.

Yeah I'm glad they are still working on the game. That's why I'm hoping the devs can see the differences and that some gamers don't like the change and go back to the older look.
 
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