Support NeoGAF

[Ceb]

I just finished the game. Some truly insane stuff happened near the end, wow. I wish the game had another 2-3 hours of content though, to please naysayers and to make me even more attached to the characters. Other than that, the only real complaint I have is... when the hell will western developers start making more inspired credits sequences?

Favorite characters in order:

Kai
Bohan
Nariko
Roach
Flying Fox

I was a bit skeptical towards Kai at first, but she completely won me over. I felt Nariko got less exposure as the game progressed, as strange as that may sound. She's still an incredibly iconic character though.

It will be interesting to see how they handle HS2... if we get one.

 

[vpance]

The Bohan fights at the end were some of the most epic gaming ever. Died pretty badly in the first fight with him though. I think it was a big jump in difficulty, kind of unexpected after pretty much breezing through everything else. But i'm glad he wasnt a pushover.

It will be interesting to see how they handle HS2... if we get one

Yeah I wonder how they'll do the sequel. I think it'd interesting if they do the Assassin's Creed through-the-ages type storyline. Then they can change up the era, locale, etc.

 

[hukasmokincaterpillar]

Just wrapped up HS. The game really clicked for me from chapter 3 on. From the Kai sections to the combat and capping it off with the best boss fight in the game (IMO). Great combo of story telling, direction, set pieces and gameplay.

I have some mixed feelings in the end though. I'm not usually a big framerate complainer, but for a combat oriented game this was far too often under 30fps for my taste. I realize some are more affected by this than others. I enjoyed the actual mechanics of the combat system a lot. It's like they managed to find a sweet spot between DMC and GoW. And the scope of the game is certainly to be commended, but too often the low performance felt like it short circuited the fluidity of what they were going for (not to mention the gorgeous animation). This game is always going to feel like unrealized potential to me in that respect. Kind of a bummer. If another 4-6 months in the oven would've ironed out those issues I'd take it.

But not to be too negative here, as a total package it's a pretty terrific (albiet brisk) ride I won't soon forget. A must rent at worst. Ninja Theory's sophomore effort had it's hiccups but it's a pretty refreshing entry for a hackneyed genre in a lot of ways. Art direction and characterization in particular, there's some amazingly talented folks over there. Can't wait to see these guys build off this.

 

[UntoldDreams]

Ninja Theory gained quite a bit of street cred with the release of Heavenly Sword.

Now if only people buy the game enough to register it as good sales then we'll be set with a nice sequel or prequel or side story or whatever.

I hope it sells well enough so they put in some nice HOME integration. Like collecting all the Glyphs gets you a Heavenly Sword Trophy to put on your wall?

 

[Il Comodino]

Im on chapter 5.
this game is AMAZING . seriously i dont know if anything is wrong with me , but HS may be my favorite next gen game ever , and i finished bioshock last week. Im just totally into it. So...."great". TOo bad about the framerate but it looks so amazing

agree this game is amazing!!!

it has a soul

 

[Lé Blade Runner]

With all this praise, I can not help but to feel excited. Still... Does the 'story' warrant multiple play-throughs? Clocking in at 6 hours, it *has* to have great replay-value, right?

 

[Belfast]

With all this praise, I can not help but to feel excited. Still... Does the 'story' warrant multiple play-throughs? Clocking in at 6 hours, it *has* to have great replay-value, right?

Hell mode difficulty and getting 3 glyphs on all the stages are the only real replay incentives that the game gives you, but it's certainly quick enough to play through twice, either way. It can even be more fun the second time around since you've probably got a better handle on the battle system at that point and you can make it look a lot more stylish.

 

[Kintaro]

I put in the time and finished the game over the last two days (I dunno, two 3 hour sittings?). This was a really good game! Trying to keep it short, the graphics were incredible, the combat was satisfying (both Nariko and Kai's segments), and the cutscenes were immaculate. The final battle was freaking AWESOME as well. The final stage as a whole in fact. Just crazy awesome. I throughly enjoyed myself.

I do have some qualms though. First off, the stupid game locked up on me like five times. Very annoying. Secondly, as others have said, the framerate/screen tearing that pops up is annoying. Third, the aftertouch was hit and miss for me. I loved it on some stages, dis liked it on others. Lastly, there were some weird graphical quirks that should have been cleaned up. Shadows, for example, were really weird throughout the game. Usually during long pans or cutscenes.

I won't bitch about the length. Would I have loved more? Sure. They certainly could have fleshed out a lot of content throughout the game in terms of story and exploration. It was such a beautiful setting, I wanted to see more of it. However, what's there is wholly satisfying for me.

All in all, I think it's a high quality title that can definitely use some refinements and improvements should they do a sequel or something. As it is though, it's definitely worth your time to play. I'll go back and hit up Hell Mode tomorrow. See how that changes up the game.

 

[drohne]

Hell mode difficulty and getting 3 glyphs on all the stages are the only real replay incentives that the game gives you

and while neither the glyphs nor hell mode are going to suit every gamer's temperament, they both really illuminate the game's design, and are well worth exploring. for the fun of it. if i had to identify three good things about heavenly sword, the way they've set up the scoring system would certainly be in there. it bothers me that the game has been scored down for 'low replay value' -- presumably because it's short (which is beside the point) and because it doesn't have many 'unlockables' (which is trivial)

 

[llTll]

I think it helps to pace yourself with this game. Give yourself a breathing room to think about what you've played through instead of blowing through it in one day. There's really a lot of nuances in there, and in places where other games just completely ignore it. I'm consistently impressed by the way chapters end with monologues, that lead you on to think that Nariko talks to you, the player who controls what happens to her,

Spoiler

while at the end it starts sounding like she's talking to the Sword, but it can still be interpreted both ways

It's 'only' a damn menu selection screen, but they made it into something that binds the whole game together, and treated it like it's a piece of art...

yeah i loved that. but its kinda sad it has screen tearing problem in almost all the monologues [/b]

 

[kikonawa]

oh nice, i received the game, but it wont play on my japanese PS3! aargh ... (possibly cause i'm on a PAL CRT tv) dang

 

[Double D]

I just got around to starting the game last night and made it through chapter 2. I can't stress enough how much I loved Kai's part with the crossbow. I've always been a sucker for sniping, and I really dig the sixaxis integration. I was a little hesitant with this game after being a little underwhelmed with the demo, but so far it's proving to be a really immersive experience.

 

[djtortilla]

great awesome game, im stuck at the fish lady battle.

beautiful game but yeah framerate can be pretty bad at times and the camera can suck at times.

I like the combat. Cut scenes are the best and I dig the acting,humor.

This is what I would like in a sequel.

complete camera control, full 360 view of surrondings.

real platforming - include a jump button.

higher more steady frame rate

longer game


other than that, this game is awesome, I can see myself playing this more than once

 

[Jtrizzy]

great awesome game, im stuck at the fish lady battle.

beautiful game but yeah framerate can be pretty bad at times and the camera can suck at times.

I like the combat. Cut scenes are the best and I dig the acting,humor.

This is what I would like in a sequel.

complete camera control, full 360 view of surrondings.

real platforming - include a jump button.

higher more steady frame rate

longer game


other than that, this game is awesome, I can see myself playing this more than once

this is pretty much what I was thinking.

I have a question though...I bought this used from Gamestop...how does that work as far as sales go, and does gamespot keep all of the profit from reselling used games?

traded in R6:V, NHL 2k7, and GOW 2 and the used version was $55. I came out with four dollars credit after the whole thing.

 

[KTallguy]

this is pretty much what I was thinking.

I have a question though...I bought this used from Gamestop...how does that work as far as sales go, and does gamespot keep all of the profit from reselling used games?

Gamestop profits 100%.
Neither Sony nor Ninja Theory nor anyone gets anything from used game sales.

Furthermore, for certain games Gamestop will often order less copies in anticipation of used sales, which will lower the overall sales for said title.

 

[Jtrizzy]

ouch. I'll keep that in mind next time I buy a game. It is a very fun game though...

 

[White Man]

Hey folks.

I just finished Whiptail. I just hooked up my new TV, so I don't know if this was a glitch or what (I am pretty sure it was because all other sound and voice has been fine) but during the two cut scenes in the battle, Whiptail says shit. Sound cut out, and even though I have subs on, none appeared. No idea if this is a common bug, but could someone give me the rundown on what Whiptail was jibba jabbering about?

 

[White Man]

Listen, you bastards, I know I'm not the only one that has actually played this!

 

[Surfheart]

I picked this up yesterday and I'm really enjoying it. Seems a little easier for a weaksauce gamer like me than NG.

I love the pace of the combat and have no real issues with it apart from having trouble pulling off the aerial aftertouch moves. I really enjoy the motion controlled ranged attack such as

Spoiler

the bit where Kai has to defend her Father as he crosses the bridge

The graphics are mindblowing, bit of tearing here and there but on the whole I am in awe of it. The cutscenes are just amazing, great characters, great voice acting, great script. Some of the cutscenes are real time yes?
I was also really impressed with the menu with Nariko's face. Wow! now that's next gen, it almost looks as though she is coming out of the screen it's so detailed.

I've only just finished chap 2 but I already know that I will give this a few play throughs.

 

[Surfheart]

Hey folks.

I just finished Whiptail. I just hooked up my new TV, so I don't know if this was a glitch or what (I am pretty sure it was because all other sound and voice has been fine) but during the two cut scenes in the battle, Whiptail says shit. Sound cut out, and even though I have subs on, none appeared. No idea if this is a common bug, but could someone give me the rundown on what Whiptail was jibba jabbering about?

Same problem here mate. Must be the game.

 

[JB1981]

pretty surprising (and disappointing) how buggy and framey this game is.

not what i'd expect from a sony 1st party title.

there are brief moments where the framerate cooperates and the game feels smooth (and good in your hands) but they are few and far between thus far.

the voice acting and cinematics are certainly a cut above. i feel like corey barlog needs to send some of his santa monica crew over to NT and show them how to design an action/adventure game.

i do enjoy the combat system they've devised but now that i know the game will support DS3, i wish it had rumble even more.

 

[aparisi2274]

I am playing this game right now... Its pretty good... I just saved at the hub area for the start of day 3....

My only negative about this game is that its set in like a Feudal Asian environment, and yet every character speaks the queens English... Whats up with that....

 

[otake]

just finished. reviewers be damned; this game is awesome. loved every second of it, can't wait for the sequel.

 

[Core407]

pretty surprising (and disappointing) how buggy and framey this game is.

not what i'd expect from a sony 1st party title.

there are brief moments where the framerate cooperates and the game feels smooth (and good in your hands) but they are few and far between thus far.

the voice acting and cinematics are certainly a cut above. i feel like corey barlog needs to send some of his santa monica crew over to NT and show them how to design an action/adventure game.

i do enjoy the combat system they've devised but now that i know the game will support DS3, i wish it had rumble even more.

Bullshiat. A good frame rate is the norm for the title with the occasional hiccup here and there. Only really noticed extreme slow down in certain sections and it didn't affect gameplay one bit.

 

[JB1981]

Bullshiat. A good frame rate is the norm for the title with the occasional hiccup here and there. Only really noticed extreme slow down in certain sections and it didn't affect gameplay one bit.

Not even remotely resembling bullshit. The framerate is pretty terrible for the most part. And yes, it consistently affects gameplay.

The game is also ridden with aural and visual bugs.

 

[Snah]

With all this praise, I can not help but to feel excited. Still... Does the 'story' warrant multiple play-throughs? Clocking in at 6 hours, it *has* to have great replay-value, right?

I just picked up HS a few days ago. I'm almost done with it, but I could totally see myself replaying the boss fights or certain sections. Graphically, the game is just incredible to look at, and it's really fun to play at the same time.

Thankfully the developers allowed you to play the sections individually rather than as a whole, so it's easy to replay.

As for Heavenly Sword 2:

People will probably disagree with me, and that's fine...but the game does suffer from lack of variety, depth, and lack of length.

Artistically, the game has fantastic production values and a great foundation. The music is spectacular, the vistas in the game are lush and some of the most impressive scenes I've ever seen, and the main character is a very good design.

-I'd like to see the stances exploited and integrated much better than they are.

-I'd like to see combos that differentiate themselves in ways that can be advantageous in certain situations and are much easier to distinguish, visually.

-I'd like to see weapon upgrades ala zelda/metroid.

-I'd like to see more exploration and platforming.

- I need much greater enemy variety and bosses that are similar in style to metroid (though, I have to admit the end boss ROCKED. One of the most amazing end boss encounters ever)

-No QTE. It's just annoying, and not very fun. if anything, it's just frustrating. Replace this with genuine platforming/exploration elements.

-I'd like to see a less linear world. I'd like it to be more cohesive and conducive towards exploration.

-REAL puzzles. Not some 'throw a hat and hit the gong' nonsense.

 

[hukasmokincaterpillar]

Bullshiat. A good frame rate is the norm for the title with the occasional hiccup here and there. Only really noticed extreme slow down in certain sections and it didn't affect gameplay one bit.

I have to agree with JB there, it does frequently drop below 30, although the dips aren't so dramatic that everyone is going to notice it (my guess is around 25 fps give or take). It's not game crushing slow down or anything, but it can feel rather sluggish at times.

 

[Kevtones]

Okay, serious question here:

I just entered the prison area in chapter two and for the entire game (gameplay sections only), there has been this aggravating problem with the graphics. The screen has these weird rectangle-ish coloring issues all over it. I can still see what is supposed to be there, but whe 30% of the screen is covered in it, it completely diminishes the awesomeness of the surroundings and looks like freckled shit.

Is this a PS3 problem? A Heavenly Sword problem? A similar thing happened to me in the demo but does not happen during cinemas and has not happened in any other games I've played on the machine.

That aside:

- Wow, Shane was right about these cinematics, bar for the medium raised indeed.

- Combat actually rocks, the demo didn't do a damn bit of justice.

- Aftertouch is a bit wonky when directing objects IMO

- Bjork is in the game

 

[Lord Error]

I just entered the prison area in chapter two and for the entire game (gameplay sections only), there has been this aggravating problem with the graphics. The screen has these weird rectangle-ish coloring issues all over it.

Unless you're talking about tearing (but I don't think you are), that's really weird. I can't say I noticed any of that, and you're literally the first person I've seen to mention that. Could be that your PS3's GPU is dying a slow death, unfortunately.

Listen, you bastards, I know I'm not the only one that has actually played this!

If there are no subtitles, she's not saying anything. I'm pretty sure subtitles never missed anything from a dialogue. Maybe she's just supposed to be grimacing for a second or something, because she's at lack for words? I don't remember in detail the situation you're describing, but I've seen a few lip-syncs desynchronized by 0.5s or so, so you could be seeing that as well.

If she didn't say *anything at all* though, yeah that's a bug then. She definitely talks during those two short intermission scenes, and dialogue goes like what Pristine_Condition outlined below. You can try replaying that mission and see if the bug persists.

I love the pace of the combat and have no real issues with it apart from having trouble pulling off the aerial aftertouch moves.

Some of the cutscenes are real time yes?

Go to options and switch motion controls off for combat. From there on, you can pull off aerial moves by pressing X when you launch enemy in the air, instead of jerking the controller up. Same as for recoveries when they knock you down - just press X while you're falling.

As for cutscenes, all the scenes that you cannot see in the cutscene viewer are rendered fully in-engine. QTEs as well, of course. The rest (those that you can review in cutscene viewer) are video files, but still just captured from their engine. There's no visual difference in object complexity, shaders, textures, etc. between them, they just used video files so that they can load next scene in the background, and also probably to avoid frame drops, which you can spot every now and then in cutscenes that are fully realtime.

Note that even video file cutscenes have skipping/frame drops sometimes, but I guess that's due to background loading process.

My only negative about this game is that its set in like a Feudal Asian environment, and yet every character speaks the queens English... Whats up with that....

It's not really purely Asian or purely anything else. It's a mixture of all kinds of architecture and designs. It's a fantasy land basically, but grounded in existing cultures.

 

[Pristine_Condition]

Hey folks.

I just finished Whiptail. I just hooked up my new TV, so I don't know if this was a glitch or what (I am pretty sure it was because all other sound and voice has been fine) but during the two cut scenes in the battle, Whiptail says shit. Sound cut out, and even though I have subs on, none appeared. No idea if this is a common bug, but could someone give me the rundown on what Whiptail was jibba jabbering about?

Spoiler

Here's what I remember about Whiptail's dialog:

1. Whiptail taunts Nariko saying she likes her when she's angry.

2. Whiptail tells Nariko that while her father was captured, he told her about almost killing Nariko as a newborn.

3. Whiptail and Nariko have a little taunt session again, with Nariko returning the I like you better when you are angry line again.

4. Whiptail says to Nariko that she promised to deliver the sword to Bohan, so why not just give it up? Nariko confronts Whiptail with her theory that Bohan turned her in to the monstrosity she is today.

5. As Whiptail lays dying at Bohan's feet, she tells him she can't feel her legs. Bohan says he'll feel them for her, so he feels her up before breaking her neck.

That's about all I can remember. Whiptail was easily the most forgettable character in the game, IMO.

 

[Kevtones]

Unless you're talking about tearing (but I don't think you are), that's really weird. I can't say I noticed any of that, and you're literally the first person I've seen to mention that. Could be that your PS3's GPU is dying a slow death, unfortunately.

I hope not


Calling Sony first thing in the morning...

 

[Lord Error]

I hope not


Calling Sony first thing in the morning...

Try it on a different TV, or try to put the brightness down so that the blacks in the game are darkest they can be on your TV. Maybe it's a TV problem, who knows.

 

[AltogetherAndrews]

Okay, serious question here:

I just entered the prison area in chapter two and for the entire game (gameplay sections only), there has been this aggravating problem with the graphics. The screen has these weird rectangle-ish coloring issues all over it. I can still see what is supposed to be there, but whe 30% of the screen is covered in it, it completely diminishes the awesomeness of the surroundings and looks like freckled shit.

I hate to say this, but if I was betting man, I'd place my money on hardware gremlins being at the root of this.

 

[Kevtones]

Try it on a different TV, or try to put the brightness down so that the blacks in the game are darkest they can be on your TV. Maybe it's a TV problem, who knows.

Tried it on standard/LCD/Plasma televisions and it was all the same. I'm downloading a new system update...maybe that's it?

Otherwise, yikes. Luckily I bought the system about a month ago...

 

[deepbrown]

Not even remotely resembling bullshit. The framerate is pretty terrible for the most part. And yes, it consistently affects gameplay.

The game is also ridden with aural and visual bugs.

I'm playing the game...and framerate drops are few and far between. Hardly any drops...and it hasn't affected my gameplay at all...must be a problem your end. Because it's certainly not global.

 

[Bearillusion]

I'm playing the game...and framerate drops are few and far between. Hardly any drops...and it hasn't affected my gameplay at all...must be a problem your end. Because it's certainly not global.

Just curious but did you notice the framerate drops and tearing in the demo? btw I've only played the demo but I'm looking forward to playing the final version.

 

[llTll]

Tried it on standard/LCD/Plasma televisions and it was all the same. I'm downloading a new system update...maybe that's it?

Otherwise, yikes. Luckily I bought the system about a month ago...

can you explain in details what is your problem? and if its possible. can you take screen shot? i hardly doubt you have a PS3 problem in this section only yet every other game is normal. if anything, its probably your copy of heavenly sword. because some people here have nasty tearing problems. ohers have the sound cut from time to time. others have sync problem between sound and display [ the voices dont match the lips ] etc etc

i have none of the issues aside from the tearing. but i guess thats with everyone

 

[typhonsentra]

Listen, you bastards, I know I'm not the only one that has actually played this!

It didn't happen to me, sorry.

 

[JB1981]

I'm playing the game...and framerate drops are few and far between. Hardly any drops...and it hasn't affected my gameplay at all...must be a problem your end. Because it's certainly not global.

then you simply don't know what framerate drops are. if you can't see it, then good for you. but the game is consistently below 25 fps.

it's not global :lol

 

[deepbrown]

Just curious but did you notice the framerate drops and tearing in the demo? btw I've only played the demo but I'm looking forward to playing the final version.

yes I did notice the framerate drops and tearing in the demo. And yes I do notice it in the game as well.

JB "then you simply don't know what framerate drops are. if you can't see it, then good for you. but the game is consistently below 25 fps."

You don't have to be a dick. Your statement was that the framerate drops make the game unplayable....it doesn't. I notice drops - they themselves dont make the game unplayable. I've played sOTC and at times I would have said that was unplayable, but here the framerate is nowhere near as bad as there.

AND IT IS NOT below 25fps consistently. Don't fob me off...I'm having a consistent experience, and no drops in frames have had any impact on the gaming.

 

[JB1981]

yes I did notice the framerate drops and tearing in the demo. And yes I do notice it in the game as well.

JB "then you simply don't know what framerate drops are. if you can't see it, then good for you. but the game is consistently below 25 fps."

You don't have to be a dick. Your statement was that the framerate drops make the game unplayable....it doesn't. I notice drops - they themselves dont make the game unplayable. I've played sOTC and at times I would have said that was unplayable, but here the framerate is nowhere near as bad as there.

AND IT IS NOT below 25fps consistently. Don't fob me off...I'm having a consistent experience, and no drops in frames have had any impact on the gaming.

but it is though. for the first two chapters at least. and i never said the subpar framerate made the game unplayable, it just really really detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game

 

[freethought]

I just finished the game and overall I thought it was amazing. Bohan was incredible and the combat was fantastic. My gripe was less the length of the story but more the length of the actual fight sequences, especially the last few on the battlefield. I could have fought for hours, not the 30 seconds the battle actually takes.

Highlights include the Whiptail fight, Kai's sections, the fight on the stone bridge (too short!), the cut-scenes (Bohan's monologue at the beginning of chapter 5 was far and away the most impressive video game cut-scene outside of Metal Gear), and basically just how beautiful the game was, the closest thing to playing a martial arts film I've ever experienced.

Lowpoints include the length of course, the odd graphical glitches, the worst being the artifact-ridden shadows on Nariko's face. Frame-rate drops only really bothered me a couple of times though. One thing that bothered me was the voices were really quiet in cut-scenes and the toggling audio options had no effect on video.

 

[Pristine_Condition]

but it is though. for the first two chapters at least. and i never said the subpar framerate made the game unplayable, it just really really detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game

No, it isn't.

 

[patsu]

No framerate issue for me during gameplay too. The cutscenes have a few stuttering that's it (because of the loading).

Is there a way to clean Blu-ray drive ? That could be the problem.

 

[vpance]

The framerate thing is subjective. It felt off half the time to me in the first 3 chapters, but was no biggie. But suddenly the fourth chapter felt real nice to play though since there were like 5 continuous sections with stable 30 fps framerate. All IMO.

The sequel needs to be at a fixed 30 fps. When it dips it just spoils the beauty of the animations.

 

[JB1981]

I'm onto chapter 3. I'm actually enjoying the game for the most part. It's an engrossing story. And I do like the combat. I played the demo about 20 times so there wasn't much of a learning curve for me. Presentation is first-rate across the board. Just wish the game was smoother and had more puzzles/exploration.

I also find Kai's bow'n arrow missions surprisingly satisfying.

BTW, how hot is Nariko?

 

[nelsonroyale]

I'm onto chapter 3. I'm actually enjoying the game for the most part. It's an engrossing story. And I do like the combat. I played the demo about 20 times so there wasn't much of a learning curve for me. Presentation is first-rate across the board. Just wish the game was smoother and had more puzzles/exploration.

I also find Kai's bow'n arrow missions surprisingly satisfying.

Ive only played the first crossbow level but it was hard...3 out of 22 scores....

 

[JB1981]

Ive only played the first crossbow level but it was hard...3 out of 22 scores....

Turn off tilt.

So much easier (and more fun) with the sticks.

 

[Aeon712]

Spoiler

3. Whiptail and Nariko have a little taunt session again, with Nariko returning the I like you better when you are angry line again.

That was my favorite Nariko line of the game, that and when she asked

Spoiler

Why doesn't Roach just run away, really showing she had no desire to kill him.

 

[Tieno]

I'm onto chapter 3. I'm actually enjoying the game for the most part. It's an engrossing story. And I do like the combat. I played the demo about 20 times so there wasn't much of a learning curve for me. Presentation is first-rate across the board. Just wish the game was smoother and had more puzzles/exploration.

I also find Kai's bow'n arrow missions surprisingly satisfying.

BTW, how hot is Nariko?

You seem to be going through a similar experience as me, though I'm assuming you're a more hardcore actionfighter fan.
It picks up nicely at chapter 3.

Also turned off motion sensing as just buttons and sticks worked much better for me (both the aftertouch and the air combos)