TheDarkKnight774
Member
Sweet, I just got confirmation that gamefly is shipping me the game. I can't wait to play it 
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Official Heavenly Sword Thread - Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads
- Thread starter XHitoshuraX
- Start date
deepbrown said:
I know about counters when falling down - the problem is the game rewards longer combos and hit streaks. I really would have enjoyed a block button.
And I don't get how wanting to jump is a bad habit..?
I should also put in the plus section that being able to turn off the motion sensing is a godsend. I know I suck with motion controls. You're right about that - my only complaint would be that it's on by default, but that's quite minor.
I know it's not as fun with the stick, but it's the only way I can make it work
I'm really bad with those types of controls that require precision.Here's some Youtube footage of one of my favorite levels so far, for those interested:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrSqnHYJWAE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrSqnHYJWAE
Pristine_Condition
Member
Autofokus said:
Yep. Lots of language options.
Just finished Chapter One last night before bed. Pretty awesome experience so far.
Biggest surprises so far (Spoilers for Chapter One only):
*How well Nariko's backstory is told, and how almost-scary tough her personality is. She really has only dropped her guard for Kai so far in one brief scene.
*How quickly it introduced the shooting elements into the gameplay. Shooting was crazy tough for me in the first half of Kai's first section, but after I got the hang of the sixaxis control it got a lot more fun. Actually, my biggest problem was that I really needed to un-invert the up/down for aiming! The second shooting section with the cannon and all the troops was a pretty awesome payoff.
*The graphical hiccups don't occur when you are slashing your way through a few dozen troops or mowing down an entire army with canon fire. Oh no. The hiccups occur when Nariko is just running from one area to he next. That's weird. Sure, it's better than having problems while you are in the thick of the action, but it's still weird. There were also some moments where the game goes to cut scene where it pauses noticeably to load that I could have lived without, since the game spoils you in so many other immersive ways. I can only guess it's a load streaming thing. Doesn't kill the spectacular beauty of the game for me though.
Overall, the game seems really strong up to this point.
Amazing game so far. Nariko is a great character in all her hotness, and all the other characters are simply amazing. These are simply the best cut scenes I have seen for any game.
As for gameplay, I feel that the controls allow you to button smash if you want, but it is really rewarding if you know what you are doing. The framerate drops only bothered me at the beginning, and was not that noticeable after.
I LOVE Kai, and I LOVE aftertouch with the sixaxis. Nothing like hitting the guy in the face from a mile away. With that said, when soldiers end up getting close to Kai, it gets annoying trying to run and aim.
As for gameplay, I feel that the controls allow you to button smash if you want, but it is really rewarding if you know what you are doing. The framerate drops only bothered me at the beginning, and was not that noticeable after.
I LOVE Kai, and I LOVE aftertouch with the sixaxis. Nothing like hitting the guy in the face from a mile away. With that said, when soldiers end up getting close to Kai, it gets annoying trying to run and aim.
Pristine_Condition
Member
TTP said:luckly you fucked up the spoiler tag on the paragraph that doesnt contain any spoiler
Yeah...good luck for me. Might as well remove the spoiler tag.
Tiduz said:LOVE the game, holy shit they better make a sequel, i just beat that.fox dude
I seem to have some trouble getting all 3 medals, any tips? I actually like it, now i have a reason to finish it a second time and try to get 3 medals in all stages
Basically you gotta play stylish so you fill the whole bar at the bottom of the screen. Also, break every red jar you find.
Lots of positive opinions, I see. I really did enjoy Chapter 2 quite a bit more than the first chapter, but the game still feels rough. A little motion blur would have gone a LONG way.
In some ways, I actually think that Genji II looks better. It also had vastly superior AA and AF (and smooth foliage), a better framerate (though still far from perfect), and motion blur on characters. Heavenly Sword is the better game and DOES look better overall, but it could have been more impressive.
In some ways, I actually think that Genji II looks better. It also had vastly superior AA and AF (and smooth foliage), a better framerate (though still far from perfect), and motion blur on characters. Heavenly Sword is the better game and DOES look better overall, but it could have been more impressive.
LiquidMetal14
hide your water-based mammals
You mean Genji2? And I've played both and HS runs circles around Genji. I like Genji BTW.nofi said:
GENNNNNNNNNNNJJJJIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111!!!!
Yeah, but when Heavenly Sword shows 1000s of people on screen the framerate drops into the toilet. I really wish they had NOT taken that route, actually. Having a bunch of crowds in the background is cool...but only when the game doesn't grind to halt because of it.antiloop said:Keep that Genji shit out of here, please. Although it does have nice colors it can't show 1000s of people on screen at once with that draw distance.
But I guess this is comparison age so go on. Gears of War next.
Gears of War looks a whole lot better overall, but I'm not going to draw a comparison there.
It's been a while since a framerate has had such a negative impact on my experience, but damn it, I just can't deal with it. I simply don't understand why they elected to ship with such a low framerate. Kung Fu Chaos lacked 480p simply because they were determined to hold 60 fps throughout play, so it really strikes me as odd that they would completely change their view on such things (not that a lot of the KFC members worked on this game or anything).
No, I'm not. I could deal with the framerate in both Lair and Shadow of the Colossus, but something about Heavenly Sword just feels really off. The animation is incredibly jerky (as if missing frames) and the framerate is really low. That's a terrible mix.Bulla564 said:
I'm not demanding 60 fps here, but a solid 30 would have gone a long way.
dark10x said:Yeah, but when Heavenly Sword shows 1000s of people on screen the framerate drops into the toilet. I really wish they had NOT taken that route, actually. Having a bunch of crowds in the background is cool...but only when the game doesn't grind to halt because of it.
Gears of War looks a whole lot better overall, but I'm not going to draw a comparison there.
It's been a while since a framerate has had such a negative impact on my experience, but damn it, I just can't deal with it. I simply don't understand why they elected to ship with such a low framerate. Kung Fu Chaos lacked 480p simply because they were determined to hold 60 fps throughout play, so it really strikes me as odd that they would completely change their view on such things (not that a lot of the KFC members worked on this game or anything).
dark10x
60 fps 60 fps 60 fps 60 fps 60 fps 60 fps 60 fps
yeah..whatever doood.
Diseased Yak
Gold Member
SRG01 said:
This boggled my mind as well. I made it past the first block of stages (up until you go back to the stage select again) and was dumbfounded that the only hitching and stuttering I saw was right before or during cut scenes. Lip synch even went out for me during the opening after Nariko first arrives at the stage select and starts wondering aloud what was going on.
Other than that, though, this game is awesome! I'm taking my time to learn the combos and such and it's such a blast rolling around the field of battle, swinging and chopping and blocking.
Graphics are insane, I just wish they had taken a bit of time to fix the cut scene stutters.
That entire battle before the King (when she first uses the sword) ran at ~20 fps with tearing. It was very choppy.
The stuttering during cutscenes (which doesn't happen too often) is actually the result of loading. The game is loading the upcoming battles during the cutscene (watch the HDD light).
antiloop said:Keep that Genji shit out of here, please. Although it does have nice colors it can't show 1000s of people on screen at once with that draw distance.
But I guess this is comparison age so go on. Gears of War next.
Wow.
The two games aren't that dissimilar, and besides, there are at least 2 people that actually enjoyed Genji 2.
Well, finished playing chapter 2 yesterday evening and all in all I have to agree with most of the comments.
The vistas in the game are quite beautiful but the framerate is not so smooth and loading sometime kills it (I have a 20 gig so maybe it is less noticeable on the 60 gig as its drive is faster and has more cache memory).
I find HS quite repetitive and there are no puzzle (except a few hit the gong to open the door ones) it is really a beat'em up more than an action adventure (which I tought it would be)
I'm not a fast player but seeing how long it took me to finish 2 chapters I would say you are better off renting it, I'm not the type to replay games trying to nook every bonuses so I will resell it once it's done. This game will be over fast, as a lot of people says enjoy it like a summer blockbuster.
On the story level and production value this is a gem, gameplay wise not so much, God of War is much better and smoother. I really would like to see an RPG with characters and scenery as detailed as HS(maybe FF13 will be the one), some game where I would have the time to enjoy looking the scenery.
I anticipate to finish it by mid next week (I have 2 child and a wife to be busy with during the weekend) Still one of the better games that came out since it'S launch. Ratchet and uncharted can't come too soon (will maybe try to trade HS and some cash for Folklore )
The vistas in the game are quite beautiful but the framerate is not so smooth and loading sometime kills it (I have a 20 gig so maybe it is less noticeable on the 60 gig as its drive is faster and has more cache memory).
I find HS quite repetitive and there are no puzzle (except a few hit the gong to open the door ones) it is really a beat'em up more than an action adventure (which I tought it would be)
I'm not a fast player but seeing how long it took me to finish 2 chapters I would say you are better off renting it, I'm not the type to replay games trying to nook every bonuses so I will resell it once it's done. This game will be over fast, as a lot of people says enjoy it like a summer blockbuster.
On the story level and production value this is a gem, gameplay wise not so much, God of War is much better and smoother. I really would like to see an RPG with characters and scenery as detailed as HS(maybe FF13 will be the one), some game where I would have the time to enjoy looking the scenery.
I anticipate to finish it by mid next week (I have 2 child and a wife to be busy with during the weekend) Still one of the better games that came out since it'S launch. Ratchet and uncharted can't come too soon (will maybe try to trade HS and some cash for Folklore )
SlasherJPC
Banned
antiloop said:Can anyone get a youtube vid of some army battle up there? I want to see if it's as bad as dark10x claims. (crawl)
Check out my youtube page here for footage.
Got videos of the intro/war gameplay section and a montage of moments from chapter 1.
More to come as well. Awesome game.
Genji2 looks like a PS2 game with higher res assets and HD resolution. Kinda like Blue Dragon and Eternal Sonata and most other Japanese "nexgen" titles, it has that distinct low-tech look 2/3rd of the time, and pretty-colorful spectacle the other time when they can cover up their archaic tech with lots of particles and screen effects during spells/cutscenes or whatever.dark10x said:
Lord Error
Insane For Sony
I agree with Fafalada 100%
Genji 2 just looks like it's missing something that makes it "next gen". Same as with NGS actually. You can tell even from those screens that HS just looks like it has some real depth to the scene compared to G2 screens, and when you see things moving and lighting changing dynamically all the time, those waterfalls behind looking amazing as they do, etc. it's just that much more amplified. Genji also suffers from animation in the sense that characters always seem detached from the ground somehow.
Genji 2 just looks like it's missing something that makes it "next gen". Same as with NGS actually. You can tell even from those screens that HS just looks like it has some real depth to the scene compared to G2 screens, and when you see things moving and lighting changing dynamically all the time, those waterfalls behind looking amazing as they do, etc. it's just that much more amplified. Genji also suffers from animation in the sense that characters always seem detached from the ground somehow.
lookatalldem_FROGS
Banned
Fafalada said:
Seriously, I don't understand the Blue Dragon hate. It's one of the best-looking games on the 360. Have you even played the game? Your description of it is backwards. BD doesn't have very flashy spell or battle effects; the environments and depth of field effects are why it looks good.
Sure, the geometry isn't that detailed, but they take the R&C approach and make low-poly objects look really good with visual effects and just brightness.
Ok, so put a couple hours into this last night, and it's pretty damn good.
The game is set up in chapters, with each one consisting of individual segments that vary in gameplay. You actually begin the game at the end of the game, witnessing your death as you fight off thousands of enemy troops at once. It's an AMAZING intro from a visual standpoint, and really works to capture the player's attention right from the get-go. You've never seen this many characters on screen at one time, not with this kind of detail.
The game then jumps into flashback mode, and you play the final 6 days of Nariko's life leading up to that fateful encounter with her demise. When you begin this flashback, you haven't yet recieved the Heavenly Sword, so combat is much more basic, yet still extremely satisfying.
At the start of every segment, you are essentially being led through a tutorial of sorts, as you unlock new moves and abilities almost constantly as rewards for dispatching enemies either in a certain style or simply based on total kills.
Every segment seems to offer up a new gameplay type, on one level you might be walking down a country path, while in the next you might find yourself arming a massive cannon and attempting to take down incoming enemy brigades from afar. There are also levels where you play as Kai, the secondary character in Heavenly Sword, using her skills as an archer to dispatch enemy troops stealthily in the night.
The story is presented via some incredible cutscenes, which are fantastic in their details. Characters convey emotion better than any game I can recall, and really lends a sense of weight to the proceedings as you watch as the characters face the trials and tribulations, you really feel for them and genuinely want things to turn out alright for them.
Visually, the game does many things right, and only a few things not so much. Make no mistake, it's a triumph of visual splendor, with a vibrant colour palette, plenty of action in the background and excellent character models to go along with killer animation. It's not all roses however, as these levels take signifigant time to load, and failing a level forces you to sit while the game reloads the level yet again.
Failing a level too many times can become tedious, thankfully, checkpoints are fairly frequent, so backtracking isn't really an issue.
Interactivity is also placed at a premium in Heavenly Sword, as many cutscenes occur while you are in the thick of battle. Popup windows, kind of evoking a 24-style vibe, allows characters to speak and perform actions normally reserved for non-interactive cutscenes, allowing you to maintain the pace which makes the game so enjoyable.
Presentation is also worth noting, as everything from the main menu to the soundtrack are stunning in every regard. The in-game menu morphs directly from realtime cutscene to your menu, which is something I don't recall ever seeing done before. It's a stunning effect when you first witness it, and gives you the time to take an up close and personal look at the amazing Nariko character model, and every detail that's gone into the modelling of her facial features.
Control-wise, I had no problem jumping right in and kicking ass, thanks to my experience with the demo from a few months back. But newcomers should find everything nicely laid out and easy to understand, as I mentioned earlier, the first few levels are very tutorial-based in their design.
The game rewards you for chaining enemies, which is done by dispatching enemies in succession without taking any damage. Bonus game content is steadily unlocked via your actions in the game, and little popups alert you to the fact that you've accessed something new when it happens.
If I could compare Heavenly Sword to any game I've played in the past, I'd say it reminds me most of the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers game for the PS2. Enviroments and situations abound that remind me of playing that game, which isn't a bad thing, because I enjoyed that game immensely when I played it. The two games also share a similar design structure, from upgrades to the way the Chapters are presented in the menu.
Overall, from what I've played thus far, I'd give Heavenly Sword an 8/10. It's not perfect, but it's a blast to play and production values are high. One other thing I should mention, is many reviews I've read have complained about the game's overall length. I played for about 2-3 hours last night, and I've barely scratched the surface of what the game has to offer. In the menu, it shows you your overall progress, and I've completed maybe 15%, so length definitely isn't an issue, at least not for me.
The game is set up in chapters, with each one consisting of individual segments that vary in gameplay. You actually begin the game at the end of the game, witnessing your death as you fight off thousands of enemy troops at once. It's an AMAZING intro from a visual standpoint, and really works to capture the player's attention right from the get-go. You've never seen this many characters on screen at one time, not with this kind of detail.
The game then jumps into flashback mode, and you play the final 6 days of Nariko's life leading up to that fateful encounter with her demise. When you begin this flashback, you haven't yet recieved the Heavenly Sword, so combat is much more basic, yet still extremely satisfying.
At the start of every segment, you are essentially being led through a tutorial of sorts, as you unlock new moves and abilities almost constantly as rewards for dispatching enemies either in a certain style or simply based on total kills.
Every segment seems to offer up a new gameplay type, on one level you might be walking down a country path, while in the next you might find yourself arming a massive cannon and attempting to take down incoming enemy brigades from afar. There are also levels where you play as Kai, the secondary character in Heavenly Sword, using her skills as an archer to dispatch enemy troops stealthily in the night.
The story is presented via some incredible cutscenes, which are fantastic in their details. Characters convey emotion better than any game I can recall, and really lends a sense of weight to the proceedings as you watch as the characters face the trials and tribulations, you really feel for them and genuinely want things to turn out alright for them.
Visually, the game does many things right, and only a few things not so much. Make no mistake, it's a triumph of visual splendor, with a vibrant colour palette, plenty of action in the background and excellent character models to go along with killer animation. It's not all roses however, as these levels take signifigant time to load, and failing a level forces you to sit while the game reloads the level yet again.
Failing a level too many times can become tedious, thankfully, checkpoints are fairly frequent, so backtracking isn't really an issue.
Interactivity is also placed at a premium in Heavenly Sword, as many cutscenes occur while you are in the thick of battle. Popup windows, kind of evoking a 24-style vibe, allows characters to speak and perform actions normally reserved for non-interactive cutscenes, allowing you to maintain the pace which makes the game so enjoyable.
Presentation is also worth noting, as everything from the main menu to the soundtrack are stunning in every regard. The in-game menu morphs directly from realtime cutscene to your menu, which is something I don't recall ever seeing done before. It's a stunning effect when you first witness it, and gives you the time to take an up close and personal look at the amazing Nariko character model, and every detail that's gone into the modelling of her facial features.
Control-wise, I had no problem jumping right in and kicking ass, thanks to my experience with the demo from a few months back. But newcomers should find everything nicely laid out and easy to understand, as I mentioned earlier, the first few levels are very tutorial-based in their design.
The game rewards you for chaining enemies, which is done by dispatching enemies in succession without taking any damage. Bonus game content is steadily unlocked via your actions in the game, and little popups alert you to the fact that you've accessed something new when it happens.
If I could compare Heavenly Sword to any game I've played in the past, I'd say it reminds me most of the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers game for the PS2. Enviroments and situations abound that remind me of playing that game, which isn't a bad thing, because I enjoyed that game immensely when I played it. The two games also share a similar design structure, from upgrades to the way the Chapters are presented in the menu.
Overall, from what I've played thus far, I'd give Heavenly Sword an 8/10. It's not perfect, but it's a blast to play and production values are high. One other thing I should mention, is many reviews I've read have complained about the game's overall length. I played for about 2-3 hours last night, and I've barely scratched the surface of what the game has to offer. In the menu, it shows you your overall progress, and I've completed maybe 15%, so length definitely isn't an issue, at least not for me.
lookatalldem_FROGS said:
REALLY BAD demo. I really like RPGs and that was bad enough to throw me off the "interested" bandwagon until it gets a lot cheaper.
If you think the level of geometry is comparable between R&C Future and BD, you're out of your mind.
My copy of HS still hasn't shipped yet. ARGH!!!!!
SlasherJPC
Banned
crunker99 said:
Worst reply EVER!
XHitoshuraX
Banned
Madman said:Super Stardust HD looks a whole lot better than Gears of War, but I'm not going to draw a comparison here.
/thread
Bulla564 said:
That's something I've notice because some combo works better than others for certain situations like SSST and STTST(?) tend to have a wide last hit which saved my ass several times when I'm fighting some of the bosses when they tended to dodge to the side and I still managed to get them, the counters are really fun to do, especially with the ninjas, and it gets a bit more challenging with more enemies attacking simultaneously, but never really frustrating.
XHitoshuraX
Banned
Holtz said:
/slap
Kai's theme is one of the better pieces I've heard this year.
I finished chapter 3 last night. Great stuff. The rolling system is nice because you can cancel any of your attacks out into another, quicker attack, or a quick block.
Framerate during the last boss fight of Chapter 3 was simply unacceptable though. I know that they're trying to create a mood and atmosphere, but the hundreds of guys on screen should have been faked in some instances. It's really ruining certain parts of the game that should be much more enjoyable.
Framerate during the last boss fight of Chapter 3 was simply unacceptable though. I know that they're trying to create a mood and atmosphere, but the hundreds of guys on screen should have been faked in some instances. It's really ruining certain parts of the game that should be much more enjoyable.
Green Shinobi
Banned
Anyone have the scoop on where to pick this up on the cheap? I'm interested, but not $60 interested.