"A TRULY IMPRESSIVE EXPERIENCE!!! WITH CUT-SCENES THAT WILL MAKE YOUR JAW DROP!!!"

Heavenly Sword was one of those titles that PS3 owners were really hoping for: An action/adventure title that had amazing graphics, an interesting story, and actually made GOOD use of the six-axis controller.

So let's break it down into the traditional categories:

Graphics: 10/10

This game is one of the most beautiful action/adventure titles on the PS3. Without a doubt. From a steady framerate (despite the amount of action on the screen), to the vibrant colors and lighting effects, Heavenly Sword has it all in spades. Also, some very professional voice work, and facial expression technology was used for all the characters. The cut-scenes are absolutely AMAZING in this game, and they are plentiful and well directed!!! Andy Serkis (you might know him from Lord of the Rings as Gollum) SHINES in this game, playing the character King Bohan. You will be amazed by the fast paced voice-work, and all of the vary idiosyncratic characters that all seem to have their own soul. Most games tend to have a very "scripted" feel to all the dialogue......but Heavenly Sword has a complete range of emotional responses. I almost can't even begin to explain it, because I have never experienced such wonderful acting in any other game before! The mouths move in perfect sync with the words, and it's quite breathtaking. Objects cast shadows, wrinkles form on faces, pupils dilate--Sometimes you might find yourself playing a level, and you just have to stop and stare at the world around you! As you fight your way through courtyards and dilapidated villages, you might notice how all your movements impact the environment: you push tables over, smash chairs into tiny bits of wood, baskets of fruit spill all over the place, enemy's bodies pile on top of each other and knock things around, puffs of dust follow your quick movements, and the lovely detail of having arrow's stick in the enemy's body and stay there---There's nothing NOT to love about the way Heavenly Sword looks.

Gameplay: 10/10

The gameplay is quite standard when it comes to the action/adventure genre, but there is nothing wrong with that!!! It mixes it up quite a bit with the different sword modes, but for the most part it is traditional hack and slash. Once Nariko obtains the Heavenly Sword, you can change your fighting stance with the click of a button. These can be broken down into three different "Sword Stances".

-Heavenly Speed Stance: this is the default stance, where by simply pressing square and triangle result in different sword attacks. Different combinations of the two buttons result in different sword combos. More become unlockable as you progress, and some of the later ones are quite devastating! These attacks are quick and decently powerful. You will more than likely find yourself using this stance the most during the game.

-Heavenly Range Stance: by holding the L1 button, the Heavenly Sword changes itself into a long chain-like weapon with the main blade on the end. Nariko can whip this puppy around like a tornado and deflect arrows, blow debris across a level (including enemy bodies), and basically juggle foes like a circus clown. These attacks are very weak, and are mostly used defensively. Nariko might find herself completely surrounded and overwhelmed by countless foes at certain points in the game, but simply use a couple Heavenly Range attacks, and the enemies will be pushed away from you, which you can then follow up with normal attacks to get the upper hand. Also, a nice little addition with the six-axis controller, is holding L1, and pressing triangle close to an enemy. If the enemy doesn't block, this attack will send the enemy flying up into the air, and by quickly "popping" your controller upwards, Nariko will leap into the air, following the enemy, which you can then do various slow-motion air combos to. Some of the later unlockable air-combos are amazing, and shall make quick work of your foes!!!

Heavenly Power Stance: by holding R1, Nariko's stance changes to one of brute force. She carries the sword low to the ground behind her, practically dragging it, and smashes things to bits with raw explosive swings. The attacks are a bit slow, but if used in combination with Heavenly Speed Stances, nothing will be able to stop you. These are the kind of attacks to use if an enemy if stunned, knocked backwards, or simply unaware.

Defending/Countering: An interesting twist to this game's fighting mechanics is how the defense and countering system works. All attacks throughout the game are color-coordinated: This includes attacks from Nariko, all enemies, and all bosses. Understanding these colors can help you master the game. Basic attacks are "blue". When Nariko is in the Heavenly Speed Stance, her attacks are considered "blue". If an enemy attacks Nariko while she is in this stance, she will automatically block. You don't even have to press a button, she automatically takes care of herself. And to mix it up a bit more, if you press triangle while blocking an attack of the same "color", Nariko will perform an instant kill counter attack. The timing of these can get a bit tricky (especially once you start fighting multiple foes who are all hitting you at the same time with different colors), but it makes it very rewarding when you do. Heavenly Range Stance is considered "yellow", and you will notice archers begin to glow yellow before they fire at you. This tells you to quickly press and hold L1 and get ready to knock some arrows out of the air with Nariko's Heavenly Range Stance. As for Heavenly Power Stance, these powerful attacks are considered "orange", and enemies will like to throw these attacks at you every now and then, especially if you've been blocking "blue" attacks too much. By holding down R1, and being IN Heavenly Power Stance, Nariko will block these attacks. But just remember: if Nariko is in ANY stance OTHER than the color an enemy is about to attack her in, she WILL get hit. Guaranteed. Thankfully, enemies will start to glow their specific attack color SLIGHTLY before they make the attack, which can give you some time to quickly press the button, and possibly counterattack. And there is also one more color: "red". These attacks CANNOT be blocked, only avoided, so watch out!!!!


Playing as Kai:

The character Kai: 10/10!!!! LoL

Although Nariko is the main character, you also get to play her adoptive sister Kai every now and then.....who is...without a doubt.....the most wonderful videogame character I think I've ever seen in my whole entire life!!!! She is....adoreable....unique....strange, silly, scary, border-line autistic, ADHD, child-like, suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, has a sad family history, LOVES fireworks, knows where a man's "weak point" is......and enjoys playing Twing Twang in her free time. In case you don't know what Twing Twang is....it's a game she plays....where she hides somewhere.....and shoots enemies....WITH HER CROSSBOW!!! Playing as Kai is one of the funnest, if not coolest, aspects of Heavenly Sword, because it FULLY utilizes the use of the six-axis controller! Kai has no hand-to-hand combat (although pressing square close to an enemy allows her to sorta grab them, push them aside, stun them, or just roll between their legs and get away so she can put some distance between her and the enemy and shoot them easier), by holding L1 Kai goes into over-the-shoulder, pseudo third-person crossbow mode (think Resident Evil 4). You can shoot enemies quite easily.....but when it comes to those pesky enemies who are very far away....simply aim in their general direction, and press and HOLD square, to launch out an arrow, and then control it's flight with the six-axis controller!!!! A few games might have already implemented a similar attack mechanic such as this, but being able to control it with the tilting of your controller is so fun, that you won't want Kai's missions to ever end!!!! It might be difficult at first, but the controls are very tight and responsive....so guiding those arrows into the enemy's head won't be difficult at all once you do it enough times. Also, time slows down while you do this, so you won't be open to attacks for long, which allows you to really take your time and make good work of your foes! Also, since time slows down, if you happen to miss an enemy with the arrow, or hit a non-vital part of their body, just quickly shoot another arrow at the enemy, and take them down. Note: it's fun to shoot an enemy in the head, and quickly shoot another at their body before it hits the ground in slow-motion. This can also give you extra points!


Story: 10/10

When stepped back from, and looked at for what it is, the story for Heavenly Sword is quite simple, almost traditional even! But the way in which is it expressed and directed is what makes it a 10 out of 10. The story basically revolves around a young woman named Nariko, who comes into the possession of the Heavenly Sword, which is a mysterious weapon passed from generation to generation among her tribe. The sword is apparently demonic, and has claimed many lives, and is now the responsibility of Nariko's tribe to prevent from falling into the wrong hands. The Heavenly Sword drains the lifeforce of any who wield it, and while it is a male member of the tribe's job to protect it, Nariko is a female, and basically cursed her village by simply being born. This leads to some real emotional and personal issues, as you can imagine. And of course, there is a power struggle: A wicked man called King Bohan, comes to claim the Heavenly Sword, for he is making it his personal duty to overthrow all the lands around him, and collect priceless relics and weapons from all the different civilizations. In a desperate act to defend her trible, and face King Bohan's troops, Nariko decides to wield the Heavenly Sword and fight back!

Sound: 10/10

As I mentioned before, the voice acting in this game is top notch. The scripting is wonderful, and the actors express it so fluidly you'd almost swear is was all improvised. The music is also very tribal in nature, with powerful war drum beats in the background which add to the intensity of battle, to the full-on orchestrated climaxes when things get really crazy.....which they do...and do often. Especially near the end of the game!!! There are also some very calm and ambient tracks for calmer scenes and smoother atmospheres, but either way the music is amazing. Also the in-game effects are very nice and satisfying. The zips and slashes of your sword feel very nice, the crunching of bone is very realistic, as well as the wind rushing around Kai's arrows as you control them. The audio is just right for this game, and with dolby digital surround, you will feel as through you are really in the middle of a battle.

Closing Comments:

Heavenly Sword is a great action/adventure title for the PS3 that utilizes the engine's power and the six-axis controller's awesome potential. The main game might seem a bit short, depending on how you play, but it tends to feel that way because the game is epic from start to finish, and you never want it to end!!! But after completing the game, there is still a ton of unlockable extras, from "Making of" movies, to art galleries, to the animated short films! And you will NEVER tire of watching all the game's cutscenes in the "theater". This game should get a 10/10, but because the game didn't last QUITE as long as we would have all liked, it gets a 9/10.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/18/08

Game Release: Heavenly Sword (US, 09/12/07)