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 best 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. The implementation of physics in the games is incredible. This puts Heavenly Sword ahead of every other action adventure combat game out there. 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.
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 best 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. The implementation of physics in the games is incredible. This puts Heavenly Sword ahead of every other action adventure combat game out there. 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
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