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[kenta]

Man I've never ever been one to let graphical imperfections spoil a game but this is the only game where it's actually bothered me to the point of affecting my enjoyment and I don't know why. The cutscenes are so beautifully acted and directed but then the framerate feels like it's in the low 20s (I feel lucky if it's constant 30 for a few seconds) and characters start jittering around and the screen tears and then there's some more jittering and then the shadows get all funky...

I love the game as a whole, but this crap really bothers me for some reason

 

[SlasherJPC]

Well, the thing is that Bohan's pretty much got a hard-on for Nariko. This plays out in several scenes where he's very obviously conflicted about how he feels towards her. Not that he "loves" her or anything, but for a lack of better words he'd "tap that" if only she wasn't so dedicated to fucking up his plans. He finds lust in his hatred. I think it's that kind of complexity that makes Bohan such a great character.

Yeah and in that scene were he insinuates that basically Nariko wants to suck on his genitals lol, just shows how far out he really is. He's a king, Narikos a hot woman, and he's got a boner for her. :lol go figure.

 

[Aeon712]

I didn't do a single aerial attack in the game.

I didn't learn how to do one till like chapter 5 :lol

 

[Dante]

I didn't learn how to do one till like chapter 5 :lol

They shoulda had a tutorial on these.

 

[Core407]

I didn't learn how to do one till like chapter 5 :lol

I knew how to do 'em but its more trouble than its worth. They just need to add a jump button in the sequel so we can catch enemies in mid air and perform air combos.

Dante: I just found the aerial combat to be disconnected from the entire combat system.

 

[UntoldDreams]

Exactly.

If you wrote a piece of fiction with a character like Kim Jong-Il in it, everyone would say it was too over-the-top. Nobody would believe a man like that could really exist, much less rule a country.


Sometimes truth is way stranger than fiction.

*** Particularly since Kim Jong-Il likes Daffy Duck.

 

[KTallguy]

They shoulda had a tutorial on these.

They are not really useful, so I'm glad they didn't emphasize them.

 

[SaitoH]

Anyone have a good strategy for Whiptail on Hell mode. I was used to be able to take the hits when I flubbed blocking on normal mode but on Hell a mistake is extremely costly. Only seem to have problems after the first cut scene, when she tends to attack repeatedly forcing me to block.

 

[f@luS]

Ok im half chapter 3

Seriously, the framerate doesnt bother me a lot, since the camera dont move that much.

but

wow

this is by MILES the best looking game i have ever played. by MILES
and ive played them all (good looking one) , on PC/360/PS3.

jesus christ, this is AMAZING looking

 

[deepbrown]

*** Particularly since Kim Jong-Il likes Daffy Duck.

i hear Hitler was quite eccentric...

 

[Core407]

Anyone have a good strategy for Whiptail on Hell mode. I was used to be able to take the hits when I flubbed blocking on normal mode but on Hell a mistake is extremely costly. Only seem to have problems after the first cut scene, when she tends to attack repeatedly forcing me to block.

Use the roll.

 

[steve]

Man I've never ever been one to let graphical imperfections spoil a game but this is the only game where it's actually bothered me to the point of affecting my enjoyment and I don't know why. The cutscenes are so beautifully acted and directed but then the framerate feels like it's in the low 20s (I feel lucky if it's constant 30 for a few seconds) and characters start jittering around and the screen tears and then there's some more jittering and then the shadows get all funky...

I love the game as a whole, but this crap really bothers me for some reason

That's not the cutscene's fault, the game is accessing the HDD at those exact moments in time, which causes the studder. You'll notice it mostly occurs at the start of the cutscenes, because once the HDD stops caching data, or whatever it's doing, the scenes run smooth as silk.

 

[tanod]

this is by MILES the best looking game i have ever played. by MILES
and ive played them all (good looking one) , on PC/360/PS3.

I had similar comments about Lair's music (seriously some of the best ever) before I absolutely gutted it in my "review" in the official Lair thread. My copy of HS didn't come today so I have to wait until tomorrow to play, if it comes. I'm gonna make sure I get all my homework done for Wednesday and maybe play some Ratchet and Clank tonight.

If/When I get it tomorrow, I'm playing it straight through and I'm not going to bed until I beat it. So, I get off work at 4:00 so expect final impressions at about 4:25 when I beat it.

 

[Liferebooted]

Man, finally lasted through the last boss fight, then I pressed the final hero even button a sec too late and got a fireball to my head... Now I'm too pissed to actually go beat it =\

 

[kenta]

That's not the cutscene's fault, the game is accessing the HDD at those exact moments in time, which causes the studder. You'll notice it mostly occurs at the start of the cutscenes, because once the HDD stops caching data, or whatever it's doing, the scenes run smooth as silk.

Yeah I understand why it happens and I constantly tell myself that I'm going to go through the cutscene viewer when I finish the game and compare/contrast, but it still annoys me

 

[Aeon712]

Man, finally lasted through the last boss fight, then I pressed the final hero even button a sec too late and got a fireball to my head... Now I'm too pissed to actually go beat it =\

That happened to me against Fox, I was soooo ticked off. I also missed it at the end but survived the fireballs and ravens to win.

 

[tanod]

You guys aren't being very good with your spoilers lately. The game has only been out 5 days.

 

[patsu]

Don't worry.... even if you know about the QTEs, it's somewhat unpredictable during gameplay. I have missed tons of them so far. >_<

 

[Core407]

Yeah I understand why it happens and I constantly tell myself that I'm going to go through the cutscene viewer when I finish the game and compare/contrast, but it still annoys me

What system do you have? I've got the 20GB and I don't notice any issues with the videos.

 

[KongRudi]

Yes, I can give examples of acting where a game touched me. In the game Mafia (everybody, play the PC-version), when

Spoiler

Paulie is shot in his house

and you

Spoiler

have to shoot Sam at the end

I DID feel emotion. Because this wasn't cliché-ridden all over the place, and everything fitted into the story. Same when in The Darkness, your girlfriend Jenny

Spoiler

gets shot dead in front of you

. This is emotional, as you interacted with her in a very good way in the beginning of the game. It's all about believability and connections with the actors.

I havn't played Mafia, but I can tell you I agree that the moment I got pretty angry when playing The Darkness (MAJOR SPOILER ALERT!)

Spoiler

and they killed Jenny

..
But I were alot more angry when i finally caught up to Flying Fox during his Kai-chase.
It were like a hundred times better experience when I finally took him, compared to when I killed the badguys responsible for the misdeed in the Darkness.

I had much better experiences like that in HS, compared to the ones I got in The Darkness.

As far as voice-acting goes, The Darkness voice (done by Aerosmith-vocalist) is awesome and demonic, only one who beats it in videogames is Kratos-voice in my opinion, wich is by far the best video-game voice - especially when he is real angry.

As far as Heavenly Sword goes, best way to describe this game is that it's like a really good asian fighting movie wich you control the fighting - imagine yourself starring in Crouching Tiger Hidden Sword.
That's the experience you get from Heavenly Sword.

 

[Liferebooted]

The song playing during the ending gave me flash backs to that Red wolfs village in Final Fantasy 7. o.0

 

[UntoldDreams]

I had similar comments about Lair's music (seriously some of the best ever) before I absolutely gutted it in my "review" in the official Lair thread. My copy of HS didn't come today so I have to wait until tomorrow to play, if it comes. I'm gonna make sure I get all my homework done for Wednesday and maybe play some Ratchet and Clank tonight.

If/When I get it tomorrow, I'm playing it straight through and I'm not going to bed until I beat it. So, I get off work at 4:00 so expect final impressions at about 4:25 when I beat it.

A marathon can be fun but its probably more enjoyable to break the "meal" up into digestible pieces, don't you think?

 

[SaitoH]

Use the roll.

You know ... it's funny that I didn't think of that. Was a breeze. lol

 

[Liferebooted]

You guys aren't being very good with your spoilers lately. The game has only been out 5 days.

5 days.. 6 hours game. Any fan has beaten it by now .

 

[Snah]

I know asking this question in a thread of Heavenly Sword owners may elicit responses that aren't as impartial as I'd like them to be, but I'm on the fence about buying Heavenly Sword.

I enjoyed the demo and thought that it was largely beautiful, but I'm not sure if this is a game that is worth the $60 considering it's so short and the gameplay isn't all that varied.

Should I get Heavenly Sword, or should I wait until it drops in price or rent it?

 

[Core407]

I know asking this question in a thread of Heavenly Sword owners may elicit responses that aren't as impartial as I'd like them to be, but I'm on the fence about buying Heavenly Sword.

I enjoyed the demo and thought that it was largely beautiful, but I'm not sure if this is a game that is worth the $60 considering it's so short and the gameplay isn't all that varied.

Should I get Heavenly Sword, or should I wait until it drops in price or rent it?

If you can see yourself replaying the game for the combat, then buy it. If you're not that enthralled by the combat system then it's a rental. Definitely a rental you shouldn't miss though. The cinematic are on another level. Digital actors are here to stay.

 

[icechai]

I know asking this question in a thread of Heavenly Sword owners may elicit responses that aren't as impartial as I'd like them to be, but I'm on the fence about buying Heavenly Sword.

I enjoyed the demo and thought that it was largely beautiful, but I'm not sure if this is a game that is worth the $60 considering it's so short and the gameplay isn't all that varied.

Should I get Heavenly Sword, or should I wait until it drops in price or rent it?

Do you still get a kick out of playing the demo even now? If so, its a must buy for you without question. If you got tired of the demo after 3 tries, rent the game.

 

[LordK]

I know asking this question in a thread of Heavenly Sword owners may elicit responses that aren't as impartial as I'd like them to be, but I'm on the fence about buying Heavenly Sword.

I enjoyed the demo and thought that it was largely beautiful, but I'm not sure if this is a game that is worth the $60 considering it's so short and the gameplay isn't all that varied.

Should I get Heavenly Sword, or should I wait until it drops in price or rent it?

I ended up buying it because my local rental stores suck and would probably never get it in. I really wanted to play it.

Anyways, for your question.. it's a bit tough to answer. I got it and beat it the same night. It took about 5 or 6 hours. Now you can give the game credit that I liked enough to continue and beat it one night (some games these days, I can't even play for an hour before giving up on it) or you can say... I beat that incredibly fast. I beat the game in "hell" mode the next two days. It really isn't hard at all. They only changed some numbers around (amount of damage taken and dealt... amount of enemies you fight). So if you're looking for AI boosts or different enemies, you won't find it here.

Today is day 4 of owning the game and there's 1 "medal" left to get out of 129. There are 3 medals per stage. Obviously getting 3 medals on a stage is maxing out the stage. So I hope all that I've said gives you a good indication of the time I've spent with it. Once again, you can look at it in two ways. One, it's incredibly friggin' short. Two, I've done all this WHILE having lots of fun. In other words, the game is quite good... but pathetically short.

On another note, some people are looking for that PS3 showcase game. This is it. If you want to "wow" your buddies, then this is the PS3 game to do it with. That is, if they can get over the technical glitches in the graphics (tearing... frame rate...).

Anyways, I hope that helps you out!

 

[kenta]

What system do you have? I've got the 20GB and I don't notice any issues with the videos.

60GB launch-ish unit

5 days.. 6 hours game. Any fan has beaten it by now .

I've had it since release, played it every day and I'm only going to be starting chapter 4 tonight, so yeah easy on the spoilers

Today is day 4 of owning the game and there's 1 "medal" left to get out of 129.

Dang man, if I request you to record videos of certain levels, could you show me how you've gotten the third glyph on them? I can't seem to get certain levels for the life of me

 

[LiquidMetal14]

60GB launch-ish unit

I've had it since release, played it every day and I'm only going to be starting chapter 4 tonight, so yeah easy on the spoilers

Yea same here. Just beat Chapter 3.

 

[Core407]

60GB launch-ish unit

I've had it since release, played it every day and I'm only going to be starting chapter 4 tonight, so yeah easy on the spoilers

I thought the whole reason they did the install was for preventing the issues you mentioned with the videos.

 

[kenta]

I thought the whole reason they did the install was for preventing the issues you mentioned with the videos.

I thought so too but it's still really stuttery at times, pretty much every cutscene is marred by that crap

 

[Arsenic]

I wish the action parts of the game could be rewatched without having to push the buttons. I missed some of the cool moments by having my eyes focused waiting for the next button push.

I never hated QTE's in video games until that issue come about.

 

[LordK]

Dang man, if I request you to record videos of certain levels, could you show me how you've gotten the third glyph on them? I can't seem to get certain levels for the life of me

Which ones are you having trouble with? I pretty much found some cheap ways to score points... some do take some luck (perfect counters one right after the other). But if you can list some of them, I'll see what I can do.

 

[Poigea]

As far as voice-acting goes, The Darkness voice (done by Aerosmith-vocalist) is awesome and demonic, only one who beats it in videogames is Kratos-voice in my opinion, wich is by far the best video-game voice - especially when he is real angry.

Sorry to be picky, but its Mike Patton that does the voice, not from Aerosmith (he is from Faith No More, Tomahawk, Mr. Bungle, Peeping Tom etc.)

This game is worth playing, no matter how you do it (buy/rent). If you are a fan of the genre, and aren't put off by the length then its probably worth buying. I give them credit for not putting in fetch-quests/back-tracking just to up the play time by a couple of hours. What is in the game is FUN, and I thought the pacing was pretty good. Its basically like a movie you get to control.

 

[KTallguy]

I never hated QTE's in video games until that issue come about.

I remember Shenmue always paused the game or had the QTE appear right before the cool part was gonna happen.

People should study that game more.

On another note:

I'd love some 'extra' missions that allow you to unlock more stuff, like in NGSigma.

 

[Arsenic]

I remember Shenmue always paused the game or had the QTE appear right before the cool part was gonna happen.

People should study that game more.

I never played Shenmue but i know what you are talking about. RE4 used a machanic like that, where at Leon would be in a "getting ready to dodge" stance before a button appears.

This game really gives you no indication that a QTE is about to appear.

 

[Marty Chinn]

Yeah I understand why it happens and I constantly tell myself that I'm going to go through the cutscene viewer when I finish the game and compare/contrast, but it still annoys me

I hate to break it to you but not all the cutscenes are in the viewer. I discovered this last night when I wanted to show my wife a specific scene and noticed it wasn't there.

 

[Snah]

I ended up buying it because my local rental stores suck and would probably never get it in. I really wanted to play it.

Anyways, for your question.. it's a bit tough to answer. I got it and beat it the same night. It took about 5 or 6 hours. Now you can give the game credit that I liked enough to continue and beat it one night (some games these days, I can't even play for an hour before giving up on it) or you can say... I beat that incredibly fast. I beat the game in "hell" mode the next two days. It really isn't hard at all. They only changed some numbers around (amount of damage taken and dealt... amount of enemies you fight). So if you're looking for AI boosts or different enemies, you won't find it here.

Today is day 4 of owning the game and there's 1 "medal" left to get out of 129. There are 3 medals per stage. Obviously getting 3 medals on a stage is maxing out the stage. So I hope all that I've said gives you a good indication of the time I've spent with it. Once again, you can look at it in two ways. One, it's incredibly friggin' short. Two, I've done all this WHILE having lots of fun. In other words, the game is quite good... but pathetically short.

On another note, some people are looking for that PS3 showcase game. This is it. If you want to "wow" your buddies, then this is the PS3 game to do it with. That is, if they can get over the technical glitches in the graphics (tearing... frame rate...).

Anyways, I hope that helps you out!

Thanks for the help. That's what I've gathered from impressions as well.

Honestly, I've played the demo a lot and for some reason I didn't get very bored playing the same section over and over again. I think the game's length may not be too big of an issue for me, as I'll be replaying my favorite levels (I do this with resistance a lot).

 

[JB1981]

What the heck happened to the Warhawk thread?

 

[Belfast]

What the heck happened to the Warhawk thread?

Seems all the game stickies got taken down.

 

[RC Cola]

The Warhawk thread got moved to the Online / Matchup forum it seems:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=7864711

 

[Aeon712]

The Warhawk thread got moved to the Online / Matchup forum it seems:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=7864711

Sent to die, no one goes there

 

[XHitoshuraX]

well this thread was never sticky-ed anyway...hmmm

 

[Z3F]

Dude Flying Fox is freaking awesome, you realize how great he is in Chapter 4.

I guess I'm the only one here that thinks his dialogue was poorly written. I hate that part when he said "You're fuuuuuuuuullll of passion". Was he supposed to be mentally disabled like Kai?

 

[Y2Kev]

I guess I'm the only one here that thinks his dialogue was poorly written. I hate that part when he said "You're fuuuuuuuuullll of passion". Was he supposed to be mentally disabled like Kai?

Uh, kinda?

 

[Jibber Hack]

I guess I'm the only one here that thinks his dialogue was poorly written. I hate that part when he said "You're fuuuuuuuuullll of passion". Was he supposed to be mentally disabled like Kai?

Me and my friends got a kick out of that all weekend. He's obviously out of his mind.

 

[drohne]

flying fox is probably the weirdest character in the game -- which is saying a lot when gollum is your cinematic director and presiding spirit. the stuff he says and the way he says it are just...totally unaccountable. i love that one scene where he goes on the fritz like a malfunctioning robot or something.

 

[Lord Error]

I enjoyed the demo and thought that it was largely beautiful, but I'm not sure if this is a game that is worth the $60 considering it's so short and the gameplay isn't all that varied.

Actaully, gameplay has been varied enough so far to say the least (I'm on mid chapter 4 right now). If Kai's missions felt like some kind of last minute add-on then yeah, it wouldn't be varied, but they are anything but. Some of her missions have been highlights of the game really.

If you have money, buy it, especially if you liked the demo. It's a really impressive, enjoyable game that you'd likely want to come back to every now and then, just for the sheer beauty of it all. Also buy it if you want more games like this to be made, I guess.

 

[drohne]

at first i thought there was way too much kai stuff. but she's a charming character. and you see the fun in her stages when you start to go for medals -- you have to be pretty resourceful sometimes. and some of those aftertouch shots are crazy: over a bridge, through a torch, around a sweeping bend, up to a tower, over an archer's shoulder, and into an explosive stash