Heavenly Sword: Part Deux

I've played up to the encounter with Whip-Tail so far and it's been a blast all the way!!

The only grief I've encountered was with the shooting the catapults section, my mastery of the sixaxis isn't very good. I am still padawan. Got it figured now though, you have to be gentle and smooth with your movements otherwise it is a little over sensitive.

The graphics are top, some tearing but that is really a very, very minor quibble. The story is fantastic, the cut scenes are really emotive and the whole effect is like playing a movie.

All in all a great game!! Thank you Ninja's...!

 

Im on the last battle... died twice and took a break. Ill go back tonight and try again. Bought the game last Sunday, but no regrets. Very good time. The acting and animation are top notch.

I do wish you could pick any part of the game to go back to that you're already passed. I want to do more of Kai's chapter, but you have to start from the start, and work you way back. Basically play it all over again. That stinks.

 

Erm you can play any section you already done, simply select the appropriate section on the sword representing the chapter you want?
Unless I'm completely misunderstanding what you want to do?

 

Ok I've not yet finished the game - a chapter a day keeps Deep at bay...but I just have to say that the pacing of Chapter 3 is incredible. Some of the best pacing I've ever seen in a game - right amount of different gameplay elements to keep everything fresh.

Plus...Ninja Theory should be very proud, as in my eyes they have created one of the most iconic scenes in a game ever.

*spoiler* 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 need to paralyze them - otherwise you kill them just like that).

One of the most iconic moments in gaming history. It really struck me, especially in such a beautifully rendered environment.

Oh and the combos you receive as the game progresses are really impressive - love using them - especially the aeriel combos (I use sixaxis). And Kai is just divine...

 

Hello DeanoC,

Can you tell us if Heavenly Sword streams textures from the HDD?

 

Just finished the Whiptail battle -- awesome.

 

It doesn't LOOK like 4xAA except in cutscenes. So...

 

well, i guess i can't argue until i get the game. but i haven't seen anyone complain about aliasing issues.

 

Uh yes it does...I've been amazed at the cleaness of this game, especially after playing Skate. Just looking at steps without any jaggies is great - jaggies are very hard to find. Unless you're thinking about the flickery shadows?

 

Thanks. I respect your opinion. I guess I am not very good with the SIXAXIS.

 

I am shure they would have 4xAA and have to. Although it could be 2xAA with a blur filter. The cut-scenes are pre-recorded videos done with the ingame engine according to the devs (reason: Improve loading time).

 

I turned them off after the catapults.
I was getting frustrated. I play games to relax, not to experience frustration.

My main concern in this kind of situations is a sense of progress.
It can be very difficult, but I have to have a sense that I am making progress and that I will eventually master the required skill.
I found the SIXAXIS controls to be too or not enough accurate, precise, sensitive.
After 12 iterations, I were no longer improving.

It's probably a shame and I should give motion control a second chance. Probably after I finish the game.

 

Anyway, I finished Chapter 2 yesterday. Without motion control.
Without motion control, many gameplay elements become super easy.
I think I defeated Whiptail on my first try.

The cinematics are brilliant. The voice acting is the best I have heard yet.
The bosses are also great character design.

Those button-pushing puzzles are probably overused, but it's OK in an action game.

The storytelling is stalling as most of the focus is on the villain and its minions. A lot of stage acting between arena battles.

The grunts lack diversity, but those bosses are excellent.

At the end of Chapter 2, I would give the game 8.3/10.

It's a good game, but I don't find it immersive or emotionally involving.

 

There is some tearing in the distance and if you make Nariko run from left to right in a scene.
It's not distracting while playing.

A slightly more distracting thing is the flickering/shimmering some textures have, both in game and during cutscenes. It reminds of some graphical glitch that used to exist in FarCry.

 

Just had a 3-4 hour session. Haven't beat Whiptail yet.

It's a lot of what'd I'd hope for, a fast-paced action game with variety to keep you playing, which was my experience with God of War.

I don't notice jaggies but I see polygons on Nariko's shoulders in the cut scenes. Like the environments a lot and the panoramic shots showing the architecture against the waterfalls is kind of like Ico -- although the puzzles to unlock gates and such aren't as intricate as the ones in Ico.

Got past the catapult stage without using motion control for aftertouch. Found that I could get off more shots without switching to the cannonball cam and trying to guide the cannonball. So I just feathered the controls between each shots and got more shots in the air and triangulated based on where the previous ones hit.

You do need motion control and aftertouch to open some gates though.

I think this could take me more than 10 hours on default difficulty and would have appeal to replay at a more diffcult level. I wouldn't need to watch the cut-scenes to follow the story obviously but I know I can play with better technique.

However I would say that it doesn't seem to give you quite the level of control over your moves as a God of War or DMC type of game. Maybe I'm triggering combos but since it auto-blocks and you can manually jump, it seems the attacks it does aren't as precise as in those other games.

Or doesn't give you the sense of control.

But the moves seem more insane.

 

all the reviews i've read around the net have been quite positive, great job NT (DeanoC, nAo and the rest of the team). hope sales go well too, you deserve it. also hope for a sequal.

 

if you play the game there is is aliasing throughout... especially when scaled back... i dont knowthe level of AA but its not universal sometimes its sticks out. this is clear on both my 46" LCD and on my 106" projector. I bought the game so have I no reason to either hate on it or to laud it unnecessarily.

 

It was certainly tricky to control at first, but not enough to cause any frustration for me. I remember I was thinking, "Oh sh*t, this is more difficult than it looked in that trailer. Do I have to do it often ?".

Once I figured out the timing (It's not so much how fast you turn, but how early you turn), I got the hang of it slowly.

I don't know, I just let the thing flow and adapted naturally. In any case, the game can work without SIXAXIS, so I didn't feel coerced into doing it. I just played along to see what's next.

You don't need SIXAXIS to defeat Whiptail at all. The thought never entered my mind, I simply dodged her small wave attack using the right control stick like everyone else. I heard she's tough at higher difficulty (because people have problems with her "giant" wave attack).

I died once when facing Whiptail (because I forgot about the dodge move).

Yes, I thought so too. The QTEs require pretty quick response but if you fail, the consequence was not too bad.

At the end of Chapter 2 ? Not yet.

I can't say I notice them. I'll need to look out for them when I play it again.

 

Spoiler

Spoiler

U beat whiptails wave by using L1 and any attack. It chops the wave. using the right analog stick to dodge the v wave.

End spoiler

Mod:
added spoiler tags. Usage: [*spoiler]without the "*" this is a spoiler[*/spoiler]

 

Spoiler

Actually I think we have spoiler tags now...