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Official Heavenly Sword Thread - Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads
- Thread starter XHitoshuraX
- Start date
Just got HS and Warhawk! Horray!
Ive played up to Chapter 3. I really like it. I dont love it (yet), I prefer GOW2 but HS more serious take is appreciated.
+It obviously needs to be said. The cutscenes are TEH SHIT. Nobody has gone this far to create such convincing acting. This is pushing the presentation envelope to the max! Only FFXII comes near it but HS is superb in this regard.
+ The combat definetely gets more fun as you progress. Once you get to level 2 moves, it significantly improves.
+ The story is very good. Its obviously not the most original thing but the dialogue and the acting take it up 1000 notches!
+ Beautiful grafx, enviroments and face modeling (well duh!)
- I am not a framerate whore but it can get bad. I feel LAIR, a game which was butched to death for its framerate (among other things) is more stable than HS. I dont think there is a real reason why HS could not have a stable framerate. More work wouldve helped, of course.
I think thats it, yeah. I feel the combat may get boring as you go on but thats not a real minus since it actually hasnt happened yet. Good stuff. I hope I get to love it as I play more!
Ive played up to Chapter 3. I really like it. I dont love it (yet), I prefer GOW2 but HS more serious take is appreciated.
+It obviously needs to be said. The cutscenes are TEH SHIT. Nobody has gone this far to create such convincing acting. This is pushing the presentation envelope to the max! Only FFXII comes near it but HS is superb in this regard.
+ The combat definetely gets more fun as you progress. Once you get to level 2 moves, it significantly improves.
+ The story is very good. Its obviously not the most original thing but the dialogue and the acting take it up 1000 notches!
+ Beautiful grafx, enviroments and face modeling (well duh!)
- I am not a framerate whore but it can get bad. I feel LAIR, a game which was butched to death for its framerate (among other things) is more stable than HS. I dont think there is a real reason why HS could not have a stable framerate. More work wouldve helped, of course.
I think thats it, yeah. I feel the combat may get boring as you go on but thats not a real minus since it actually hasnt happened yet. Good stuff. I hope I get to love it as I play more!
Angelcurio
Member
I finished the game early today, and i must say that i really enjoyed it.
At first, i was complaining about the QTE in the game, but looks like the only place were the thing are ot actually working right are during the first boss battle. After that, i never encountered a problem performing those moves. Even though they should give a more wide window in the sequel to press those buttons, since most of time i was paying attention to which button they would make me press, instead of enjoying the action and the fighting that was actually occurring.
A big gripe i have with the game is the lenght. I bought the game yesterday, and i finished it today, i played for a total of 5 or 6 hours. Considering the time that this game was in development, is quite surprising to see the game being that short.
I was extremely amused with the army battle. Seeing hundreds if not thousands of soldiers at the same time, and battling through them was amazing. And to make thing even more impressive, i never saw the game stuttering or showing even a slight slowdown. During my last army battle, one of my friends arrived at home and was extremely surprised at seeing all those enemies fighting at the same time and also seeing the console not struggling with all those things.
The acting was really awesome, being Kai and Fox my favorite characters. Roach was also a really good character. The production values are enormous on this game.
THe only technical problem i had with the game is that during the first cutscene, i had severe lipsynch issues, then everything went back to normal. The during the last boss fight, the lipsynch problem returned. Its was really annoying. On the other hand, the loading times are terrible. Just to start playing the game, you have to go through 2 or 3 loading screens, and if you die to have to sit through another long loading time before finally being able to replay a level.
At first, i was complaining about the QTE in the game, but looks like the only place were the thing are ot actually working right are during the first boss battle. After that, i never encountered a problem performing those moves. Even though they should give a more wide window in the sequel to press those buttons, since most of time i was paying attention to which button they would make me press, instead of enjoying the action and the fighting that was actually occurring.
A big gripe i have with the game is the lenght. I bought the game yesterday, and i finished it today, i played for a total of 5 or 6 hours. Considering the time that this game was in development, is quite surprising to see the game being that short.
I was extremely amused with the army battle. Seeing hundreds if not thousands of soldiers at the same time, and battling through them was amazing. And to make thing even more impressive, i never saw the game stuttering or showing even a slight slowdown. During my last army battle, one of my friends arrived at home and was extremely surprised at seeing all those enemies fighting at the same time and also seeing the console not struggling with all those things.
The acting was really awesome, being Kai and Fox my favorite characters. Roach was also a really good character. The production values are enormous on this game.
THe only technical problem i had with the game is that during the first cutscene, i had severe lipsynch issues, then everything went back to normal. The during the last boss fight, the lipsynch problem returned. Its was really annoying. On the other hand, the loading times are terrible. Just to start playing the game, you have to go through 2 or 3 loading screens, and if you die to have to sit through another long loading time before finally being able to replay a level.
Lord Error
Insane For Sony
It's pretty weird, in fully realtime cutscenes, lip sync is sometimes off, and sometimes isn't. I find that in those instances, it was the worst on the first playthrough. As odd as it may seem, when I was replaying some of the levels, it looked all OK. Cutscenes recorded into a video all have pretty much spot-on lip sync though.Kolgar said:
so i just bought this game used from my gamestop so i can return after i beat it, and i am thoroughly impressed. the gameplay is not too bad, more fun than the demo i think. the Kai missions were disappointing, mostly because i was frustrated with the controls.
but a huge plus, as everyone has said, is the overall presentation. good god is this game impressive. the story is pretty good, and the dramatic feel to it all is just amazing. i was hooked as soon as Nariko first drew the sword after seeing her father and brohan. the way they showed that was just beautiful and emotional.
also, the chapter select screen is pure win. at the end of the first chapter when she yells "youve made me a murderer!" and then it turns into the chapter screen, i was like O_O. i thought it was just a cutscene. thats very very cool. i dont think thats a spoiler...
anyways, cool game! seriously hope the sequel will be better polished and everything. should be great.
but a huge plus, as everyone has said, is the overall presentation. good god is this game impressive. the story is pretty good, and the dramatic feel to it all is just amazing. i was hooked as soon as Nariko first drew the sword after seeing her father and brohan. the way they showed that was just beautiful and emotional.
also, the chapter select screen is pure win. at the end of the first chapter when she yells "youve made me a murderer!" and then it turns into the chapter screen, i was like O_O. i thought it was just a cutscene. thats very very cool. i dont think thats a spoiler...
anyways, cool game! seriously hope the sequel will be better polished and everything. should be great.
dammitmattt
Banned
patsu said:Woah ! 6.5 ? You have an exceptionally high standard. Games like Oblivion was buggy as hell but still received high scores (I would call that unpolished). Personally, I feel HS is pretty refined given its attention to details.
There are a few huge difference with Oblivion, however. Because of the slower pace, the frame rate issues don't affect the gameplay. Also, Oblivion is an open-ended RPG with roughly 50 times as much content, so it gets much more of a pass than HS. Considering it's a 5-6 hour game, HS should've been MUCH more polished from top to bottom than it was. Still a fun game, but ultimately nothing special.
Also, this is a 6.5 on the 1up scale, which is still good.
dammitmattt said:
i agree with everything you say but the bolded part
i think the game is a classic on its own. just for the video presentation and the Music at least. even the game play is good on its own . yeah some technical issues here and there. but these technical issues shouldnt kill the rating to 6.5
i think its an 8.5 is a fair score.
nelsonroyale
Member
dammitmattt said:
Oblivion was a game in my opinion that really was over scored...its a great with some huge problems...one of which is the game feels empty, it has very little personality...
Actually in general games are scored far too highly...seeing tens for games like halo and RE4...great games, but a ten is ridiculous...for a such a high score all elements need to represented in my opinion...
shysaursoft
Member
Took me about 8, and I was meandering. A competent gamer would do it in 6, I'd gather - everyone else would fall between 8 and 10, depending on restarts.
Bearillusion
Banned
People should remember how long a classic like Streets of Rage 2 takes to complete. If a game is fun you'll replay it. Because of the length of HS many people may go on to complete it 3 or 4 times.
Bearillusion said:
That's an excellent point you bring up. I picked up this game Saturday and I should be able to finish it sometime tonight. In the short time that i've played, I do feel that the story is progressing rather quickly, but so many things were done right with this title. I'll be playing through this bad boy a few more times when it's all said and done.
dammitmattt said:
Argh, Oblivion can be buggy. I didn't say anything about its framerate ^_^ It certainly is unpolished from a general software rollout point of view.
HS has quite a bit of new elements and also technology scope (Heck, even the company is new). So that's probably where they spent most of their time: experiments, throw aways and fitting in. In comparison, technologies in Oblivion was probably built/accumulated over a couple of years.
I like how NT combines movie with gameplay seamlessly (Presentation and facial mo-caps), the new combat system, exceptionally detailed and large environment, simulated subsurface scattering, proprietary HDR + 4xAA, etc. All these are refined work on top of a new package/platform.
Give them some more time and I'm sure they will mature even more. As I mentioned somewhere above, the last 20% of the details usually takes 80% of the time.
memecomplex
Member
Finished the game on normal, starting over again in hell mode... and it's a lot more enjoyable the second time round, especially in french! I really like the game and will hold on to it, but there are some little things that keep HS from being the classic it could be... same thing goes for Nariko as a character... not quite as iconic as Ms. Croft.
- Noriko's model is nowhere near as attractive as her design sketches.
- Curious choice of VA for Noriko, she's a lithe Asian woman with a big powerful caucasian voice, that's also at times quite butch. Asians sound different from caucasians, even when they're native language is English. It's the jaw/throat structure. Great actress though... however the voice just doesn't fit the character to me.
- The acting in HS definitely raises the bar in videogame over-acting. I always get the sense that Andy Serikis is playing Bohan, rather than just Bohan being Bohan.
- Lots of little visual glitches that can be fixed easily, but weren't... I mean visual glitches in polygon demos like a hair going through Nariko's body or weird snapping animations aren't that hard to fix right?
I liked the combat mostly, but towards the end when the enemies are blocking all the time, it kinda makes your attacks feel weak - acks oomph. Still I'm learning more about the combat system the second time round.
Great job Ninja Theory, but please next time please apply your next gen aspirations towards gameplay as much as you do towards art direction/story/acting.
- Noriko's model is nowhere near as attractive as her design sketches.
- Curious choice of VA for Noriko, she's a lithe Asian woman with a big powerful caucasian voice, that's also at times quite butch. Asians sound different from caucasians, even when they're native language is English. It's the jaw/throat structure. Great actress though... however the voice just doesn't fit the character to me.
- The acting in HS definitely raises the bar in videogame over-acting. I always get the sense that Andy Serikis is playing Bohan, rather than just Bohan being Bohan.
- Lots of little visual glitches that can be fixed easily, but weren't... I mean visual glitches in polygon demos like a hair going through Nariko's body or weird snapping animations aren't that hard to fix right?
I liked the combat mostly, but towards the end when the enemies are blocking all the time, it kinda makes your attacks feel weak - acks oomph. Still I'm learning more about the combat system the second time round.
Great job Ninja Theory, but please next time please apply your next gen aspirations towards gameplay as much as you do towards art direction/story/acting.
No shit, is it just me or is the combat mechanism broken? I think ninja theory tried too hard to be different from other beat'm up games because the constant stance switching is not fun, it's overcomplicated and annoying. The combo's are nice but practically useless, especially against bosses.memecomplex said:
Lord Error
Insane For Sony
Nariko to me looks like European who has just a bit of Asian features. None of the characters really look distinctly Asian, and I'm pretty sure that mixed look was intentional, just as was the overall design of scenery in the game.memecomplex said:
We know, you posted the same thing here, three days agoMesijs said:
I just hope they release demo for Conan.XHitoshuraX
Banned
Mesijs said:
Yeah, the review code is laughable. Is it enjoyable? Certainly. The fact that you would compare more than just the combat to HS?
RIDICulous lol
Got my copy a few days ago. LOVE IT. I'm trying to play through slowly to stretch out the alleged 6 - 7 hrs.
Cut scenes are beautiful and so far the story has been very solid
Game is epis and beautiful. Characters are believable and sweeping vistas look sensational.
Puzzles, while few, are ok. Could be more challenging.
Aftertouch is cool. Quite satisfying throwing a shield across the way and taking out two or three soldiers.
Tearing is bad. Not to the point where it is unplayable, but not far off.
Either way it was money well spent imo.
Cut scenes are beautiful and so far the story has been very solid
Game is epis and beautiful. Characters are believable and sweeping vistas look sensational.
Puzzles, while few, are ok. Could be more challenging.
Aftertouch is cool. Quite satisfying throwing a shield across the way and taking out two or three soldiers.
Tearing is bad. Not to the point where it is unplayable, but not far off.
Either way it was money well spent imo.
XHitoshuraX
Banned
I just read through that Conan thread you put up, what are CM paying you? And others are right, you were all for HS until more negative reviews were posted....again...
RIDICulous.
RIDICulous.
Yay im unbanned!
btw that was really uncalled for mods...but we wont go there
anyways i've finished heavenly sword twice now and Wow is all i can say.
its not without its flaws but there so many redeeming qualities about this game it really overcomes them.
firstly ..graphics..holy crap!
the best looking next gen game ever made bar none, HDR, amazing lighting, textures , animations , huge vistas and draw distance gave me multple orgasim's
not to mention the damn facial animations and voice acting! (andy serkis ftw)
frame rate had some issues but wasn't to destracting tbh and the game was rather short.. o_o
but all in all the most cinematic experience in a game.
combat was great, story was great, characters were great, king bohan rules and nuriko is a hot bich
9.1 out of 10
btw that was really uncalled for mods...but we wont go there
anyways i've finished heavenly sword twice now and Wow is all i can say.
its not without its flaws but there so many redeeming qualities about this game it really overcomes them.
firstly ..graphics..holy crap!
the best looking next gen game ever made bar none, HDR, amazing lighting, textures , animations , huge vistas and draw distance gave me multple orgasim's
not to mention the damn facial animations and voice acting! (andy serkis ftw)
frame rate had some issues but wasn't to destracting tbh and the game was rather short.. o_o
but all in all the most cinematic experience in a game.
combat was great, story was great, characters were great, king bohan rules and nuriko is a hot bich
9.1 out of 10
Just finished Heavenly Sword and wow, I felt I lost a love one. Never underestimate the power of storytelling. This game put me through trials and tribulations and yet delivering on everything. The graphics are amazing, The power and feeling just from everyone's eyes, is compelling.
I sort of feel a mix of happiness and sadness at the end. Was the ending movie FMV or in game engine, it looked soo damn good.
And the gameplay, at first I didn't think I could get used to it especially after that short demo, but once you get the hang of the battle system, everything works. I still would like a jump button with combos, but from what was given it felt like a full course meal.
Awe and who can forget Kai, her missions were a little hard, since I am not used to sixaxis control, but she is one of my favorite characters of this game.
I think if I had to score this game, it would be a 8.5/10. It might be short, but is a damn good ride and a damn good game.
I sort of feel a mix of happiness and sadness at the end. Was the ending movie FMV or in game engine, it looked soo damn good.
And the gameplay, at first I didn't think I could get used to it especially after that short demo, but once you get the hang of the battle system, everything works. I still would like a jump button with combos, but from what was given it felt like a full course meal.
Awe and who can forget Kai, her missions were a little hard, since I am not used to sixaxis control, but she is one of my favorite characters of this game.
I think if I had to score this game, it would be a 8.5/10. It might be short, but is a damn good ride and a damn good game.
DCharlie
And even i am moderately surprised
Okay, so my copy finally turned up and here my XBOT HATORZ impressions of the latest ps3 failure , i`m only on chapter 3, so not final :
+ utterly fantastic sound track, fantastic voice talent
+ minigames are actually fun! I had a real "Beach Head" flash back on the cannon stage.
+ in game, graphically, the game looks gorgeous
+ the cut scenes - this was something that someone mentioned in the TGS crowd we were hanging with. HS heralds the return to cutscenes feeling like rewards. And that`s due to a number of reasons ...
+ ... well directed, tells a cliched story in a very competent/interesting way
+ ... facial animations , modelling etc in the cut scenes is off the chart awesome. :O
+ ... the voice acting has a slight deliberate 'dark silly humour' undercurrent, but god
damn is it good - as is the physical movements etc (i think we know why by now!). It doesn`t look merely good, it looks phenomenal. And looping back 3 points, makes the cut scenes special , desirable, and good bait to keep you going.
+ reward system for chaining and avoiding getting hit in the form of unlocking new abilities, combos and art works well and makes you more concious not to just blast through things.
+ smash up destruction fruit basket barrel flinging slashy slashy RAGE of magazine rack armaggedon style fun in item filled rooms.
+ fun combat
+ Nariko is an interesting choice of main character - she`s obviously attractive, and wearing very little, but she does seem a little more rounded than usual female leads. Maybe down to voice acting, facial animation etc making the character more believable (+lack of deliberately provocotive poses?)
+ gushing with dark humour and a very british feel through the game.
+ some cinamatic ingame angles and ingame story telling that help draw the player in
- Puzzles so far have been straight forward... a bit too straight forward.
- (minor quibble) sometimes in some areas the lighting looks off - i think this is more to do with the game looking stupidly good one minute , then merely very good in certain circumstances.
- Some slowdown in places, not enough to break the game by a long shot. Minor quibble.
- Weird massive glitching where the frame seemed to freeze for 2-3 seconds in a cut scene. Happened once, didn`t happen again. (very minor/trivial)
- completely devoid of any challenge so far , everything has been incredibly easy (somewhat worrying given length)
- would love a free camera rather than the semi fixed one (maybe i`m missing something in the details) so i could look around the gorgeous environments. (trivial)
- Combat - i`m not sold on it`s depth to be honest. I seem to be using the same guard breakers and the same attacks way too often because (right now) it seems pretty effective (potentially a big issue to some?)
- occassional physics glitches where walking on a shield sends it in to orbit (trivial)
There you go - my feeling is that this is the first full game that made me think "Wow, so this is what the PS3 is all about" - whilst the game play so far is decent , the game in terms of style, presenation, polish, and charm is fantastic.
Definitely recommeded to all (at very least a rental) - for people not sure about what the PS3 may offer to see what the machine can do, and for PS3 fans because... well, you don`t need a reason do you?
Anyways, will update once i finish.
, i`m only on chapter 3, so not final :+ utterly fantastic sound track, fantastic voice talent
+ minigames are actually fun! I had a real "Beach Head" flash back on the cannon stage.
+ in game, graphically, the game looks gorgeous
+ the cut scenes - this was something that someone mentioned in the TGS crowd we were hanging with. HS heralds the return to cutscenes feeling like rewards. And that`s due to a number of reasons ...
+ ... well directed, tells a cliched story in a very competent/interesting way
+ ... facial animations , modelling etc in the cut scenes is off the chart awesome. :O
+ ... the voice acting has a slight deliberate 'dark silly humour' undercurrent, but god
damn is it good - as is the physical movements etc (i think we know why by now!). It doesn`t look merely good, it looks phenomenal. And looping back 3 points, makes the cut scenes special , desirable, and good bait to keep you going.
+ reward system for chaining and avoiding getting hit in the form of unlocking new abilities, combos and art works well and makes you more concious not to just blast through things.
+ smash up destruction fruit basket barrel flinging slashy slashy RAGE of magazine rack armaggedon style fun in item filled rooms.
+ fun combat
+ Nariko is an interesting choice of main character - she`s obviously attractive, and wearing very little, but she does seem a little more rounded than usual female leads. Maybe down to voice acting, facial animation etc making the character more believable (+lack of deliberately provocotive poses?)
+ gushing with dark humour and a very british feel through the game.
+ some cinamatic ingame angles and ingame story telling that help draw the player in
- Puzzles so far have been straight forward... a bit too straight forward.
- (minor quibble) sometimes in some areas the lighting looks off - i think this is more to do with the game looking stupidly good one minute , then merely very good in certain circumstances.
- Some slowdown in places, not enough to break the game by a long shot. Minor quibble.
- Weird massive glitching where the frame seemed to freeze for 2-3 seconds in a cut scene. Happened once, didn`t happen again. (very minor/trivial)
- completely devoid of any challenge so far , everything has been incredibly easy (somewhat worrying given length)
- would love a free camera rather than the semi fixed one (maybe i`m missing something in the details) so i could look around the gorgeous environments. (trivial)
- Combat - i`m not sold on it`s depth to be honest. I seem to be using the same guard breakers and the same attacks way too often because (right now) it seems pretty effective (potentially a big issue to some?)
- occassional physics glitches where walking on a shield sends it in to orbit (trivial)
There you go - my feeling is that this is the first full game that made me think "Wow, so this is what the PS3 is all about" - whilst the game play so far is decent , the game in terms of style, presenation, polish, and charm is fantastic.
Definitely recommeded to all (at very least a rental) - for people not sure about what the PS3 may offer to see what the machine can do, and for PS3 fans because... well, you don`t need a reason do you?
Anyways, will update once i finish.
memecomplex
Member
Marconelly said:
Her eyes (and Kai's) are definitely larger than the typical Asian, and you can see how they've changed her eyes from the concept sketches; which was definitely very East Asian (Chinese Mongoloid). Other than that Nariko, Kai, Shen and the rest of the clan are very much Asian thru and thru.
Lord Error
Insane For Sony
Hmm, strange, I actually thought the eyes were the only thing that reminded me of their Asian origin (but even then, not completely), and everything else was not. Again, I'm pretty sure they designed them like that so that it can be seen both ways.memecomplex said:
Comments Kai makes when she hits someone in the head or in the eye with an arrow are teeth grindingly awesome :lolDCharlie said:
That, and probably a rather serious/wise look on the face, most of the time. A lot of thought and design obviously went into her character, just as well as the others,
all the more gutsy move to have her die at the end
I agree with everything DCharlie said. It sounds exactly like my impressions of the game.
I don't think I got around to posting my final impressions but the final battle was abso-fucking-lutely phenomenal. The combat is so visceral throughout the game and it just takes it to a completely different level. I can't wait to play through Hard mode as I think that will make the combat a bit more challenging. But for my first playthrough, I think it was a perfect difficulty because it was challenging enough and I just really wanted to get through the game and see what the story had to offer. It definitely delivered on that aspect.
Now, I get to dig a little deeper.
Gotta give more props to the graphics in this game (particularly the lighting) - HOLY FUCKING SHIT! If this is what a first generation PS3 title looks like, it's going to be a VERY VERY VERY INCREDIBLE next 5 years.
I don't think I got around to posting my final impressions but the final battle was abso-fucking-lutely phenomenal. The combat is so visceral throughout the game and it just takes it to a completely different level. I can't wait to play through Hard mode as I think that will make the combat a bit more challenging. But for my first playthrough, I think it was a perfect difficulty because it was challenging enough and I just really wanted to get through the game and see what the story had to offer. It definitely delivered on that aspect.
Now, I get to dig a little deeper.
Gotta give more props to the graphics in this game (particularly the lighting) - HOLY FUCKING SHIT! If this is what a first generation PS3 title looks like, it's going to be a VERY VERY VERY INCREDIBLE next 5 years.
memecomplex
Member
Marconelly said:
Well, it is open to intepretation. But I think both the Kai and Nariko 3d models seem to graduate from the Lucy Liu School of Beauty
Just a shame that the 3d models of Nariko and Kai fail to capture the beauty of the original sketches. And I much prefer the French VA's voice for Nariko. Suits her lithe frame more.
Thunderbear
Mawio Gawaxy iz da Wheeson hee pways games
This game definitely turned out to be a bit of a disappointment for me. I agree with other posters that the framerate really hurts the experience. The demo played at E3 '06 was way, way smoother which is part of what made it look so good.
Having said that, I still enjoy the game, just not as much as I hoped. 7.5-8.0 / 10 sounds about right to me. Man what a bad start to the fall season. Lair was a big disappointment as well. Just bought Eternal Sonata, I have a feeling I'll enjoy that tremendously. Style just really suits me and I love the idea.
Thanks for everyone's comments, kept my hype in check. This has been a pretty clean thread for a game that was hyped and disappointed.
Having said that, I still enjoy the game, just not as much as I hoped. 7.5-8.0 / 10 sounds about right to me. Man what a bad start to the fall season. Lair was a big disappointment as well. Just bought Eternal Sonata, I have a feeling I'll enjoy that tremendously. Style just really suits me and I love the idea.
Thanks for everyone's comments, kept my hype in check. This has been a pretty clean thread for a game that was hyped and disappointed.
AltogetherAndrews
Banned
Rented it, played some, returned it. I give it a solid 3/10.
AltogetherAndrews
Banned
Belfast said:
Er, I returned the game quickly so that some other dude could get to play it sooner than he had probably expected?
I've got nothing.
Panajev2001a
GAF's Pleasant Genius
DCharlie said:for PS3 fans because... well, you don`t need a reason do you?
Always trolling Ken's console huh ? See how you like Kaz designed PS4 (or how I dub it, PS3-twin-turbo :lol)
.Edit: the rest of your review was nice to read
. I like the part about cutscenes feeling again like reward: I was thinking about it the other day, but never put it into words .Panajev2001a
GAF's Pleasant Genius
DCharlie said:
D.C.:
1.) supposedly the Hell mode is really hard and requires you to know the combat system very well (which should cover your point about not being sold on the depth of the combat system too)... either that or SCEE's Q&A guys are not as hardcore as you are
.2.) Sigh, yes... just moving around (left and right) the camera is not nearly enough... the game sure is pretty.
The game probably wouldn't look as good with a free cam. I'm fine with how it is now. I think I've forgotten to mention that the camera worked really well during fight sequences. Maybe it's partly because the enemies behave in a way that sudden off-screen attacks are never really an issue during the places where the camera sticks close to the ground and you can only see ahead of you. The last boss in particular would've been confusing as hell with a poor camera system in place. Thankfully, that didn't happen.
nelsonroyale
Member
I think Roach really should have been installed as the leading character...his presence really fills every scene he is involved with
Thunderbear
Mawio Gawaxy iz da Wheeson hee pways games
Really liked the story though. It started out rough but got better. Really enjoyed Kai's character, and her part in the story.
Deep's Review:
Here is my review after playing the game once through - and without rushing I must say. I would prefer to play it through on Hell Mode before reviewing, but here goes.
Presentation: 96/100
Quite simply one of the best presented games out there, from the cutscenes, to the selection screen - Heavenly Sword is beautiful. What's amazing is that these are some of the most expressive faces seen in games, yet the cutscenes are of the realtime engine - beating out the emotions of any CG I've seen. FF be damned, they've got somewhere to go. All in all a great package.
Graphics: 94/100
Technically this is some of the best use of AF in a game - the 8xAF really shines through when you're running across a bridge with cobbled stones. In fact all floor textures are incredible, and just stretch out in front of you.
Now for the lighting. Wow - I can't think of a game that surpasses the art of the lighting here. Different in every level, levels with some of the bst level design to be had, all with shadows to boot - real-time dynamic shadows on every object really add realism, beauty and life to the game; so much so that it is easy to forgive the flickering it sometimes suffers, most of the time only noticeable in cutscenes.
The lighting is all the more incredible since the game has 4xMSAA - a priority technology that also shines through - me and my friends are amazed at the cleanness of the games and edges seen in the game. Really top stuff.
The animation is so fluidly done with such vigour and variety - with the cherry on top being the next-gen camera system which really shows everything off.
Character models of Nariko and Kai are the best to be seen in a 3rd person game - with the enemy models letting it down a bit because of them being quite low polygon - but this is of course to allow for the amount of enemies on screen....and the amount is incredible in the last sections. AMAZING - it's got the wow factor, especially with the lighting engine, and sharp desert ground going into the distance!
The framerate sometimes stutters, and lipsync is sometimes out - this brings the score down half a point only as it isn't very frequent, and didn't mar the gameplay, as well as being unnoticeable to many players. Plus when lipsync is out it's only visible in this game because the lips move so realistically - usually we don't really notice in a game when it's not insync with a mouth moving up and down.
Sound: 97/100 Incredible Music that moves me, Flawless Voiceacting, great taunting (all from the same guy! lol), and amazing sound effects. Not much to fault here, except the volume in the cutscenes is sometimes not the same as the ingame action.
Innovation: 80/100 At first glance you might not think Heavenly Sword is that innovative. BUT, hold your horses - aftertouch is great. The use of the sixaxis in combat works very well (for me). Aeriel combos, and three stances - are all innovation, creating one of the best combat mechnics. Having two very different characters with different gameplay mechanics with Kai and Nariko is also innovation in that they are both so polished.
The camera is also very innovative in it's implementation, though done before, HS takes it to another level - pushing you into the action. AND making things all the more intense.
Nariko's physics based hair - the way it moves during all the battles, especially the final ones, is very impressive.
Finally - this is overlooked. PHYSICS. (mentioned by Marcellony) The implementation of physics in the games is incredible. This puts Heavenly Sword ahead of every other action adventure combat game out there in this area. Yes past DMC, past Ninja Gaiden, and past GOW. Why? Is it because you pick up and throw anything in the environment, destroy it, watch the bodies hit other objects? That's part of it - but there is something much more important than this. When you hit a character you feel and see the impact and reaction - not only through animation, but through physics. For the first time, there is real impact and this is so overlooked, but so important and a true innovation in this genre.
Gameplay 82/100: This is one of the best combat experience to be found in this genre - because it's accessible, beautiful and has depth. Fighting with the Heavenly Sword is empowering once you understand the stances, and using the combos on different enemies, and mixing it up to play stylishly is satisfying. Button mashing, although looks impressive, is not as satisfying. Control can be had - and it's depth is shown in latter enemies.
It's just a shame that more enemy types couldn't have been included. Guys on horses? Flyers that you can whip down with your ranged stance? Some big Elephant type things, dogs? Just something to mix it up. Truth be told there is some mixing up to be had, with different types - but even the ninja's could have been a bit more ninja like (look to POP Warrior Within, where they jump over you as you try to fight them...some of the best.) The AI was a bit tame during the game, but I'm sure it heats up in Hell mode.
The combat is NOT broken by not having a jump button, I didn't missing. An auto block is perfect, as it allows counters to happen immediately. Perhaps though in the next game, a jump button will aid in some exploration...
Kai's sections were much funner than expected, and actually these sections lasted longer than many of Nariko's - this was in the nature of the gameplay and how Nariko could whip through hundreds in seconds, but then again maybe more complex enemies could have helped here.
This is my main bugbear with the game though. Some of the sections were far too short. It was really good seeing that after the extremely short first chapter there were two chapters that had lots of sections. But some of these sections lasted a mere few minutes. Which is a shame, especially when their end is announced to you on the screen. (This in itself isn't a con, but the shortness of them is). In the Fifth and Sixth chapters some of the sections were too short to the point of me questioning whether I had done something wrong or missed something. The Goddess part was around 1minute at the most, but this was heeded with the following sections having similar insane gameplay against Bohan (but I would've liked longer there!). One section saw Nariko running back...this was less than a minute. Why, when there's only 4 or 5 sections in the Chapter? The flying ninja's part was a slight let down also, since it was just the same enemies over and over again holding you back from the battle, and in a confined area...felt like needless unimaginative padding (sorry :/).
The length of the game itself is slightly too short, but it was mainly the length of the sections that was disappointing, yet their pacing and the way they mix in with the story is great.
However, the game ended where I thought it would end.
The QTEs are fine, I enjoyed them - they were very impressive to watch, and not too hard to do...but some of the sections that show Nariko climbing or traversing using her blades - is frustrating. I believe Nariko should be able to do those in real time. I'm really only talking about one section, but perhaps in the future a Nariko that can traverse over obstacles and climb with certain moves would be very beneficial. It also lengthens the game considerably! No double jumps though! Kratos be damned!
Plus, they have created one of the most iconic gameplay scenes in a game ever.
It really struck me, especially in such a beautifully rendered environment.
Story 90/100: Simple, effective and showing off theatrical acting, plus by having an unexpected ending you've made the story all the more powerful. Emotion, Humour is all there. I do love my philosophical twists and meaning though - I'm sure there's some there...but get a little bit of Metaphysics in there and you're laughing.
Replay Value 78/100 - Orbs - most games don't give you a reason to play through levels again, or the ability to play through levels/sections individually. Heavenly Sword does. It's just a shame that some of the sections are so short - then again some are so glorious and impressive, and also lengthy that playing through them again will be very much wanted. Beautiful art to unlock, if only we could unlock the soundtrack and costumes? (I know costumes would be hard as Nariko's outfit is also physics based!). With Hell mode to play through again, and the ability to show your friends the most impressive levels on a wim - I say it's pretty good replay value.
All in all a great game with a few downsides. Where is the human nunchuck move? I can't find it anywhere - I was really looking forward to it, but it's not here.
HAHA! Cheeky.
Final Score: 87/100
Here is my review after playing the game once through - and without rushing I must say. I would prefer to play it through on Hell Mode before reviewing, but here goes.
Presentation: 96/100
Quite simply one of the best presented games out there, from the cutscenes, to the selection screen - Heavenly Sword is beautiful. What's amazing is that these are some of the most expressive faces seen in games, yet the cutscenes are of the realtime engine - beating out the emotions of any CG I've seen. FF be damned, they've got somewhere to go. All in all a great package.
Graphics: 94/100
Technically this is some of the best use of AF in a game - the 8xAF really shines through when you're running across a bridge with cobbled stones. In fact all floor textures are incredible, and just stretch out in front of you.
Now for the lighting. Wow - I can't think of a game that surpasses the art of the lighting here. Different in every level, levels with some of the bst level design to be had, all with shadows to boot - real-time dynamic shadows on every object really add realism, beauty and life to the game; so much so that it is easy to forgive the flickering it sometimes suffers, most of the time only noticeable in cutscenes.
The lighting is all the more incredible since the game has 4xMSAA - a priority technology that also shines through - me and my friends are amazed at the cleanness of the games and edges seen in the game. Really top stuff.
The animation is so fluidly done with such vigour and variety - with the cherry on top being the next-gen camera system which really shows everything off.
Character models of Nariko and Kai are the best to be seen in a 3rd person game - with the enemy models letting it down a bit because of them being quite low polygon - but this is of course to allow for the amount of enemies on screen....and the amount is incredible in the last sections. AMAZING - it's got the wow factor, especially with the lighting engine, and sharp desert ground going into the distance!
The framerate sometimes stutters, and lipsync is sometimes out - this brings the score down half a point only as it isn't very frequent, and didn't mar the gameplay, as well as being unnoticeable to many players. Plus when lipsync is out it's only visible in this game because the lips move so realistically - usually we don't really notice in a game when it's not insync with a mouth moving up and down.
Sound: 97/100 Incredible Music that moves me, Flawless Voiceacting, great taunting (all from the same guy! lol), and amazing sound effects. Not much to fault here, except the volume in the cutscenes is sometimes not the same as the ingame action.
Innovation: 80/100 At first glance you might not think Heavenly Sword is that innovative. BUT, hold your horses - aftertouch is great. The use of the sixaxis in combat works very well (for me). Aeriel combos, and three stances - are all innovation, creating one of the best combat mechnics. Having two very different characters with different gameplay mechanics with Kai and Nariko is also innovation in that they are both so polished.
The camera is also very innovative in it's implementation, though done before, HS takes it to another level - pushing you into the action. AND making things all the more intense.
Nariko's physics based hair - the way it moves during all the battles, especially the final ones, is very impressive.
Finally - this is overlooked. PHYSICS. (mentioned by Marcellony) The implementation of physics in the games is incredible. This puts Heavenly Sword ahead of every other action adventure combat game out there in this area. Yes past DMC, past Ninja Gaiden, and past GOW. Why? Is it because you pick up and throw anything in the environment, destroy it, watch the bodies hit other objects? That's part of it - but there is something much more important than this. When you hit a character you feel and see the impact and reaction - not only through animation, but through physics. For the first time, there is real impact and this is so overlooked, but so important and a true innovation in this genre.
Gameplay 82/100: This is one of the best combat experience to be found in this genre - because it's accessible, beautiful and has depth. Fighting with the Heavenly Sword is empowering once you understand the stances, and using the combos on different enemies, and mixing it up to play stylishly is satisfying. Button mashing, although looks impressive, is not as satisfying. Control can be had - and it's depth is shown in latter enemies.
It's just a shame that more enemy types couldn't have been included. Guys on horses? Flyers that you can whip down with your ranged stance? Some big Elephant type things, dogs? Just something to mix it up. Truth be told there is some mixing up to be had, with different types - but even the ninja's could have been a bit more ninja like (look to POP Warrior Within, where they jump over you as you try to fight them...some of the best.) The AI was a bit tame during the game, but I'm sure it heats up in Hell mode.
The combat is NOT broken by not having a jump button, I didn't missing. An auto block is perfect, as it allows counters to happen immediately. Perhaps though in the next game, a jump button will aid in some exploration...
Kai's sections were much funner than expected, and actually these sections lasted longer than many of Nariko's - this was in the nature of the gameplay and how Nariko could whip through hundreds in seconds, but then again maybe more complex enemies could have helped here.
This is my main bugbear with the game though. Some of the sections were far too short. It was really good seeing that after the extremely short first chapter there were two chapters that had lots of sections. But some of these sections lasted a mere few minutes. Which is a shame, especially when their end is announced to you on the screen. (This in itself isn't a con, but the shortness of them is). In the Fifth and Sixth chapters some of the sections were too short to the point of me questioning whether I had done something wrong or missed something. The Goddess part was around 1minute at the most, but this was heeded with the following sections having similar insane gameplay against Bohan (but I would've liked longer there!). One section saw Nariko running back...this was less than a minute. Why, when there's only 4 or 5 sections in the Chapter? The flying ninja's part was a slight let down also, since it was just the same enemies over and over again holding you back from the battle, and in a confined area...felt like needless unimaginative padding (sorry :/).
The length of the game itself is slightly too short, but it was mainly the length of the sections that was disappointing, yet their pacing and the way they mix in with the story is great.
However, the game ended where I thought it would end.
It was nice to have Bohan's fight in three impressive sections, but the game was always leading to a fight with Bohan. This is a slight mistake, as you can easily artificially lengthen the game by surprising the player. By adding in an extra hour of gameplay in between the Bohan fight, the player would be surprised that the game isn't over and it would feel much longer.
The QTEs are fine, I enjoyed them - they were very impressive to watch, and not too hard to do...but some of the sections that show Nariko climbing or traversing using her blades - is frustrating. I believe Nariko should be able to do those in real time. I'm really only talking about one section, but perhaps in the future a Nariko that can traverse over obstacles and climb with certain moves would be very beneficial. It also lengthens the game considerably! No double jumps though! Kratos be damned!
Plus, they have created one of the most iconic gameplay scenes in a game ever.
This is the part where you must fight your clansmen for the entertainment of Bohan - the intensity of this gameplay is unmatched. With the glorious music sweeping in by Nitin, and the quick counter attacks paralyzing your fellow men, with sharp camera angles, and cutting sound effects - this is very effective, and extremely intense (this intensity is increased by the speed and accuracy needed to paralyze them - otherwise you kill them just like that).
Story 90/100: Simple, effective and showing off theatrical acting, plus by having an unexpected ending you've made the story all the more powerful. Emotion, Humour is all there. I do love my philosophical twists and meaning though - I'm sure there's some there...but get a little bit of Metaphysics in there and you're laughing.
Replay Value 78/100 - Orbs - most games don't give you a reason to play through levels again, or the ability to play through levels/sections individually. Heavenly Sword does. It's just a shame that some of the sections are so short - then again some are so glorious and impressive, and also lengthy that playing through them again will be very much wanted. Beautiful art to unlock, if only we could unlock the soundtrack and costumes?
(I know costumes would be hard as Nariko's outfit is also physics based!). With Hell mode to play through again, and the ability to show your friends the most impressive levels on a wim - I say it's pretty good replay value.All in all a great game with a few downsides. Where is the human nunchuck move? I can't find it anywhere - I was really looking forward to it, but it's not here.
Oh and I love that the genitals line is still in it!
Final Score: 87/100
Lord Error
Insane For Sony
That's probably because most people were in fact not disappointed at all, and even those that were, like you have, still see it's redeeming qualities.Thunderbear said: