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Official Heavenly Sword Thread - Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads

P

PistolGrip

sex vacation in Guam
Duck said:
You need to stop bumping threads for the sake of getting more thread viewership. It's not looked upon kindly here, and for good reason.
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Its an update. Bumps with Updates are looked upon kindly here.
wait what was the update?
 
X

XHitoshuraX

Banned
Duck said:
You need to stop bumping threads for the sake of getting more thread viewership. It's not looked upon kindly here, and for good reason.
Click to expand...

plural? no. I did in the very beginning yes, but havent since. And the only time I bump this thread is with an update. Preach somewhere else.
 
D

DuckRacer

Member
XHitoshuraX said:
plural? no. I did in the very beginning yes, but havent since. And the only time I bump this thread is with an update. Preach somewhere else.
Click to expand...
Then what is this update you speak of? From the OP:

4tu0wf7.jpg


The last time you updated the OP was yesterday.
 
L

Lord Error

Insane For Sony
In any case, yeah, bump the thread only when there's some news, new review and such. Don't worry, it won't get lost in the shuffle, but don't expect it to float on the page 1 all the time either - the game is still too far away.
 
K

Keyser Soze

Member
XHitoshuraX said:
plural? no. I did in the very beginning yes, but havent since. And the only time I bump this thread is with an update. Preach somewhere else.
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In all honesty you are caring far to much, and then criticizing others when they try and say something nice to you, or help you.

You have made a thread for what will be a much talked about game on the forum, and this thread will take off once we get closer to release, but you don’t have to keep informing everyone about everything you do with it

It’s a great thread, people will flock here soon, and the OP looks great, settle down for a while.
 
J

justjohn

Member
i'm sure this thread will get busy when the game comes out in two weeks. right now we'all busy with warhawk to care:D
 
X

XHitoshuraX

Banned
Keyser Soze said:
In all honesty you are caring far to much, and then criticizing others when they try and say something nice to you, or help you.

You have made a thread for what will be a much talked about game on the forum, and this thread will take off once we get closer to release, but you don’t have to keep informing everyone about everything you do with it

It’s a great thread, people will flock here soon, and the OP looks great, settle down for a while.
Click to expand...


/nod


::bows out...for now::
 
M

Mesijs

Member
XHitoshuraX said:
You know I was playing through the game again this morning and I realized how completely off some of the reviewers are on the combat. With countering and timing not only do battles look extremely elegant, but they are difficult as well. Sure, anyone can button mash, even on normal in NG you were able to button mash, but the amount of attention the player has to focus during battle is very impressive.
Click to expand...

But this aspect does not work all the time. Sometimes enemies attack with speed stance AND with power stance and you always get hit. Also Nariko doesn't react always, for example I want to dodge immediately and she doesn't when I pull the stick.

And you CANNOT button bash in Ninja Gaiden on normal. :lol You will die then. And in one bossfight I actually tried to play concentrated with blocking and countering etc, and then I died two times. After that I started button bashing randomly and I won. That's dumb.

I love the game but the combat system has obvious flaws.
 
T

Trevelyan

Banned
Mesijs said:
But this aspect does not work all the time. Sometimes enemies attack with speed stance AND with power stance and you always get hit. Also Nariko doesn't react always, for example I want to dodge immediately and she doesn't when I pull the stick.

And you CANNOT button bash in Ninja Gaiden on normal. :lol You will die then. And in one bossfight I actually tried to play concentrated with blocking and countering etc, and then I died two times. After that I started button bashing randomly and I won. That's dumb.

I love the game but the combat system has obvious flaws.
Click to expand...
You're right, you can't button mash in NG, but you can essentially wall attack through the majority of the game and/or izuna drop most of the enemies. Hell, I made it through hard mostly staying on walls.
 
X

XHitoshuraX

Banned
Trevelyan said:
You're right, you can't button mash in NG, but you can essentially wall attack through the majority of the game and/or izuna drop most of the enemies. Hell, I made it through hard mostly staying on walls.
Click to expand...


Yeah I know what you mean. I cont want to turn this into HS teh pwns NG though. Both are great games. See what I've found to be the best method of attacking in this game is to stay almost always mobile; being it dodge rolling or just running around and through a group of enemies. Knowing which attacks enemies can block and which attacks you can block break is key.

Is it perfect?

Noes.

Short bursts of speed stance, dodge roll, another speed stance combo this time landing with with an uppercut/downward slash in power stance.

It definitely can be interesting...
 
X

XHitoshuraX

Banned
Stench said:
Hitoshura, you're really trying too hard, man.
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what now?

I responded to what some commented on about the combat and simply acknowledged the fellow about the making of videos. I got yelled at plenty for my bumping, its not happening again. This thread was like 5 pages back today. I got over my opening jitters
 
T

TomO

Member
We posted our review today if anyone's interested. This was based on two plays through: once on normal and once on hard.

http://www.pro-g.co.uk/ps3/heavenly_sword/review.html

So it is a pleasure to discover that while it isn't quite the slice of infallible digital perfection many had hoped it to be, Heavenly Sword is a wonderful release of breathtaking beauty that lets us peek into the bright future of gaming.

If you are looking for a purist's hack and slash that will test you for months, go elsewhere, ideally to Ninja Gaiden Sigma. But if you want a thrilling and cinematic adventure that will give you ample opportunity to show off the muscle of your PlayStation 3 and provide a glimpse of the console's possible future, you could do far worse than pick up this big-budget epic.
Click to expand...
 
M

Mesijs

Member
TomO said:
We posted our review today if anyone's interested. This was based on two plays through: once on normal and once on hard.

http://www.pro-g.co.uk/ps3/heavenly_sword/review.html
Click to expand...

Nicely written. I agree on a whole lot of points but also disagree on some others.

Emotion also makes ample space for character, and Heavenly sword is brimming with personality, from the hilarious henchmen of the king through to Andy Serkis's superb performance as the maniacal, sarcastic tyrant. It is the game's main protagonist Nariko though, that steals the show. She is both charismatic and stoic, and has enough sass and style to get away with how little she wears, making her a real Lara-beater across the board.
Click to expand...

To me personally, this game did not generate a lot of emotions. It was too full of clichés and rare on deep characters. I actually think that the characters are a con of this game. I couldn't take Bohan seriously with his companions who are making not-funny jokes. While Nariko and her clan constantly talk in fear of the cruel tyrant Bohan, and in another scene I see Bohan slapping his giant monstrous son, I can't take it seriously. They should have made Bohan really cruel to generate that effect.

The controls themselves are actually particularly nice. While the square and triangle buttons deal with most of the actual blows, your attacks are divided into three different stances, selected by holding a different shoulder button. Speed stance attacks are the standard and consist of blows of middling power at close range. The incredibly quick, far reaching range stance lets the two separable blades of the Heavenly Sword swing out on chains, and the power stance slows Nariko right down, but allows for strikes of enormous strength.

Defending yourself is based on spotting an enemy's stance, indicated by a glowing vapour in their wake as they swing in with an attack, and matching the stance with the shoulder buttons, whilst resisting a swing of your own until the perfect moment to counter. At first not pressing a set 'defend' button is hard to grasp, but quickly you find yourself settling in to the system.

However, the mark of a great hack and slash is one that tempts you away from button mashing with a control scheme that creates a more pleasurable game. While Heavenly Sword does reward style with both new combos and some impressive 'making of'' content, it is a little easy to fall back on the most basic combat to succeed, even when the game gets more challenging.
Click to expand...

This part is kind of ambiguous. First you say that the controls are nice and the stances work well, then you say that button bashing basically works most of the time. To me the controls could be done a lot more responsive and the game should suit the controls. When I get attacked by people with power stance and speed stance, I can't block. Sometimes I can't even dodge because Nariko doesn't react immediately. If they could have figured this out, the combat system would be great. Now, it doesn't work and that's sad.

There are other minor niggles too, like the monstrous loading times and the need to quit out to restart at a check point. The Sixaxis control too, while very workable, is used in very similar ways throughout the game, and is often at the root of some very uninspiring puzzles.
Click to expand...

I didn't notice any long loading times. Did you install a part on the PS3? That's possible and I never encountered any long loading times. I did enjoy the puzzles, although they aren't even puzzles but some throwing with discs. :D But they are uninspiring, and the stick control works better.

If you are looking for a purist's hack and slash that will test you for months, go elsewhere, ideally to Ninja Gaiden Sigma. But if you want a thrilling and cinematic adventure that will give you ample opportunity to show off the muscle of your PlayStation 3 and provide a glimpse of the console's possible future, you could do far worse than pick up this big-budget epic.
Click to expand...

Agree! You shouldn't buy this if you expect a deep fighting game, but if you want a cinematic action game, go for it. Because it IS great almost every second of the whole game.

Me personally would name the controls as a negative point, because they don't work as they should.
 
M

Mesijs

Member
Nolan. said:
So about how long did it take to complete on each stage.?
Click to expand...

On normal like 7 hours or so. It IS short.

I just started playing on hell but it will not take a lot longer is my guess. There will be some points that you have to repeat, but basic combat works the same in the two modes.

And yes, hard is hell difficulty indeed.
 
A

antiloop

Member
Mesijs said:
Me personally would name the controls as a negative point, because they don't work as they should.
Click to expand...

How should they work?


The only point that gets to me is that it's so short. (longer than a movie at least ;)) But I guess we will get a sequel if this sells well enough. I hope it will because at least I want more of these kind of cinematic experiences.

Call them silly, but the cutscenes are very well crafted. Personally I find them different and interesting.
 
N

Nolan.

Member
Mesijs said:
On normal like 7 hours or so. It IS short.

I just started playing on hell but it will not take a lot longer is my guess. There will be some points that you have to repeat, but basic combat works the same in the two modes.

And yes, hard is hell difficulty indeed.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that.
 
A

AgentOtaku

Member
i'm certainly not displeased with the length....

...then again, I only paid $45 for it....but that was kinda deliberate as I knew the title would be short and I wasn't comfortable with throwing down $60
 
C

Chrono

Banned
Wow, I just clicked this thread because I was bored, and it turns out this game has been getting plenty of favorable reviews recently! two eights and a nine from EGM? Much better than it looked like. Still won't buy it on launch, too many games to play and too short for a $60 game, but now it's on the list to buy eventually.
 
L

Lord Error

Insane For Sony
How big is the install file for the game? I really don't have much space left on my HDD :\

Gotta start deleting lots of stuff...

Oh yes, and how long does it take to install?
 
O

otake

Doesn't know that "You" is used in both the singular and plural
I really want to know how long it takes to beat this game on hell mode....
 
D

DenogginizerOS

BenjaminBirdie's Thomas Jefferson
AgentOtaku said:
i'm certainly not displeased with the length....

...then again, I only paid $45 for it....but that was kinda deliberate as I knew the title would be short and I wasn't comfortable with throwing down $60
Click to expand...

I wonder how much better the game would do at $50 or $45 than at $60. At $60 and with so many other meatier games coming out, a $60 pricetag is just too much for me. Not digging on HS as much as I am stating there are just too many game coming out at $60 to be able to afford them all. Hell, I haven't downloaded Warhawk yet due to the COD4 Beta, Bioshock, Madden, and now Tiger Woods. With Halo 3 on the horizon, I wonder if I'll even buy Warhawk (which is one of my more anticipated titles of the year). Ugh.
 
L

Lord Error

Insane For Sony
bcn-ron said:
You're calling Ninja Gaiden Sigma "a hack and slash"? Are you insane? How do you think that reflects on your literacy and ability to appreciate action games?

at-a-loss.gif
Click to expand...
What's wrong with that? It's a hack & slash action game, meaning you fight with swords and cold weapons, as opposed to an action game where you fight with guns or some more modern weaponry. I really don't think he meant it as a derogative.
 
D

dionysus

Yaldog
Marconelly said:
What's wrong with that? It's a hack & slash action game, meaning you fight with swords and cold weapons, as opposed to an action game where you fight with guns or some more modern weaponry. I really don't think he meant it as a derogative.
Click to expand...

I though Hack & Slash normally referred to Diablo type games... Where you bind skills/spells to a mouse button or equivalent and just spam the crap out of that button.
 
T

tanod

when is my burrito
DenogginizerOS said:
I wonder how much better the game would do at $50 or $45 than at $60. At $60 and with so many other meatier games coming out, a $60 pricetag is just too much for me. Not digging on HS as much as I am stating there are just too many game coming out at $60 to be able to afford them all. Hell, I haven't downloaded Warhawk yet due to the COD4 Beta, Bioshock, Madden, and now Tiger Woods. With Halo 3 on the horizon, I wonder if I'll even buy Warhawk (which is one of my more anticipated titles of the year). Ugh.
Click to expand...

Denogg, you can get all new games $51 shipped at familyvideo.com. Somebody forgot to tell them about the next-gen tax. :D

7 DAYS LEFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WOOOOO!
 
M

Mesijs

Member
antiloop said:
How should they work?


The only point that gets to me is that it's so short. (longer than a movie at least ;)) But I guess we will get a sequel if this sells well enough. I hope it will because at least I want more of these kind of cinematic experiences.

Call them silly, but the cutscenes are very well crafted. Personally I find them different and interesting.
Click to expand...

First of all, they should be more responsive. When I use the stick to dodge, I want to dodge immediately, not half a second later. And yes, that gets you hit. Same with switching stances

Second, when an enemy attacks with power stance and another with speed stances, I can't block them. And the game is built in a way that you should be able to block enemies when you switch between stances. When two enemies attack, who are both independently designed so they could be blocked, and you can't block them, that's weak. And you could say: "Well, dodge everyone then" but that's not how the game is meant to be played. The game is all about countering and stances.

Third, button bashing works better than being careful. And when I mean button bashing I mean randomly ramming buttons in a bossfight (not in hell mode, am not at that stage yet) and actually win.

Fourth, the combos don't add much. You can complete the game without doing any combo and it doesn't matter. When you counter, dodge, superstyle move and button bash all the time, it's fine. There are a ton of combo's and they're not needed whatsoever.


Don't get me wrong, I love this game. But it just doesn't execute everything very well. I can see the Ninja Gaiden fanatics bashing this game to death and hating it for their whole life.
 
X

XHitoshuraX

Banned
Quite a few new things in here!

Firstly, for anyone who has done a review of the game, please post your review link and I will add it to the OP, do not post it, or a portion of it, in the thread.

The Partial Install is something I didn't even think of, so thank you, that will be going into the OP...making of/Anime part V should be coming soon and those will be added as well.
 
X

XHitoshuraX

Banned
Mesijs said:
First of all, they should be more responsive. When I use the stick to dodge, I want to dodge immediately, not half a second later. And yes, that gets you hit. Same with switching stances

Second, when an enemy attacks with power stance and another with speed stances, I can't block them.

Third, button bashing works better than being careful. And when I mean button bashing I mean randomly ramming buttons in a bossfight (not in hell mode, am not at that stage yet) and actually win.

Don't get me wrong, I love this game. But it just doesn't execute everything very well. I can see the Ninja Gaiden fanatics bashing this game to death and hating it for their whole life.
Click to expand...

I have to disagree with you there. Lord knows Im an advocate for this game but I can contend that the control isn't exactly SPOT on. Suppose somethings gotta give (NG had a camera from Hades).

What I've noticed about combat in Heavenly Sword is that its very snake like. A few quick strikes and then a pull back. More times then not it seems NOT fighting, but dodging and blocking, is key.
 
M

Mesijs

Member
XHitoshuraX said:
I have to disagree with you there. Lord knows Im an advocate for this game but I can contend that the control isn't exactly SPOT on. Suppose somethings gotta give (NG had a camera from Hades).

What I've noticed about combat in Heavenly Sword is that its very snake like. A few quick strikes and then a pull back. More times then not it seems NOT fighting, but dodging and blocking, is key.
Click to expand...

I did exactly that in a boss fight and I died. Then I button bashed and I won.
 
S

Sin

Member
I just beat the game a few moments ago. Overall a very enjoyable game, apart from the framerate and tearing issues. Combat is actually very deep and rewarding once you get used to it.

Final battle was zomg! :D

Gonna go try out Hell mode now.
 
R

Rolf NB

Member
Marconelly said:
What's wrong with that? It's a hack & slash action game, meaning you fight with swords and cold weapons, as opposed to an action game where you fight with guns or some more modern weaponry. I really don't think he meant it as a derogative.
Click to expand...
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance and Champions Of Norrath are hack & slash games. Untold Legends is a hack & slash. Ninja Gaiden Sigma isn't, and neither is Heavenly Sword.
And no, the term isn't derogerative at all, it is just the wrong one to use here. It has nothing to do with the quality of the game.
 
V

Vrolokus

Banned
bcn-ron said:
You're calling Ninja Gaiden Sigma "a hack and slash"? Are you insane? How do you think that reflects on your literacy and ability to appreciate action games?

at-a-loss.gif
Click to expand...

Wow. Overreact much?
 
K

kassatsu

Banned
Ok Sony put the videos up finally. Uploading to youtube now. If you are in G.A.P. the url is http://gap.us.playstation.com/?q=heavenlysword5

FLV files if you cant wait:
(Animation) http://gap.us.playstation.com/files/flv/hs_ep5_v1.flv

ANIMATION SERIES, EPISODE FIVE: THE DAY OF THE WARRIOR.
The prophecy is a lie—the girl child, Nariko, is an impostor. Yet duty does not stop. Nor does the march of Bohan's army. With the clan's destruction close at hand, Nariko's true destiny begins to emerge...
Click to expand...

(Making of) http://gap.us.playstation.com/files/flv/hs_ep5_v2.flv

"MAKING OF" SERIES, EPISODE FIVE: CREATING THE MUSIC.
Watch and listen as the Heavenly Sword soundtrack, composed by acclaimed musician, Nitin Sawhney, is brought to life by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. Combining cinematic grandeur with the atmospheric intricacies of ethnic music from around the world, Sawhney's score is at once stirring and soothing, chaotic and calm—and never anything less than amazing.
Click to expand...
 
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