This week marks the release of Heavenly Sword – and after months of anticipation, weeks of “making-of” videos and the animated prequels, we’re fired up to see the game make its way to store shelves.
Considered one of the most anticipated PS3 titles of the year, the buzz around Heavenly Sword continues to build as review scores begin to pour in from leading gaming sources. A sampling of the scores thus far include: Play Magazine – 10/10, Game Pro Magazine – 4.5/5, Game Informer Magazine – 8.75/10, Electronic Gaming Monthly Magazine – 8.33/10, GameZone.com – 8.8/10, and 1Up.com – 8/10.
Here’s what they’re saying:
“Heavenly Sword is a fun, engaging, and most importantly, exclusive PS3 title that Sony fanboys can brag to 360 fanboys about.” – Game Pro Magazine
“…the combat in Heavenly Sword is frenzied and entertaining… The amazing cutscenes (with some of the best facial animations I’ve ever seen), a cool cast of characters, and the stirring musical score complement the gameplay to create an incredibly cinematic experience.” – Game Informer Magazine
“… there’s no doubt in our mind that Heavenly Sword is a winner and a work of art (eat that Roger Ebert!) that will help shift tons of PS3s come September. When it’s good, it’s truly magnificent and some of the final stages will have anyone with a 42-inch high-definition TV foaming at the mouth. No battle-scene compares to Nariko’s finale. Plus, Nariko’s home of the new face of PlayStation, going so far as to shunt Lara Croft from her throne as the ultimate game girl. Bring on Heavenly Sword 2.” – GamesRadar.com
“Heavenly Sword is among the rarest of treasures in the video game world. It is also an important game in the history of that entertainment genre. Why? Never have there been such compelling characters in the gaming world; characters you cared about, characters that could twist your emotions with the initial look in their eyes after a plot point is revealed…. Heavenly Sword is an amazing accomplishment. It is the promise of what the next-gen platforms can achieve in terms of breathing life into characterizations.” – GameZone.com
“Heavenly Sword feels like a summer action flick. It’s full of nonstop action, and it looks terrific. Heavenly Sword is a fantastic game from start to finish.” – GameSpot.com
“Heavenly Sword is the games equivalent of that showcase DVD you bought when you first got your home theatre system all set up; it’s The Matrix or Saving Private Ryan, but it also happens to be a damn good action game to boot…. one of the best experiences you can get on the PlayStation 3. Period.” – TotalPlayStation.com
“Heavenly Sword’s visuals are arguably the best the system has seen to date. I can’t talk up the graphics enough — not only are the characters and environments incredibly well detailed, but there’s very little of that typical (and easily abused) “next-gen gloss” applied to them, so you get a much cleaner-looking game than fare like Gears of War or Virtua Fighter 5.” – 1Up.com
Also, I’m embedding here the new Heavenly Sword trailer!
Lastly, I wanted to include a few reference links here to our previous Heavenly Sword posts. Enjoy!
Inside the Developers Studio: Nina Kristensen
Heavenly Sword Prequel – Part I
Heavenly Sword Prequel – Part II
Heavenly Sword Prequel – Part IV
Heavenly Sword Prequel – Part V
I had *high* expectations for this game, and playing last night, HS beat them all. The FMV, story, combat, characters, environment.. *everything* was better than I thought it would be. Is the game short? Yep, if you decide to ignore all the unlocks and nuances, it sure is. Is the combat simplistic? *Hell no*, it’s beautifully done and fun as hell. And the character animation and storyline are epic in proportion. This is *the closest* you will come to playing a movie. Unbelievable.
Sony/Ninja Theory.. *thank you* for bringing Heavenly Sword into our lives.
It hasn’t arrived yet. It’s still in my rental queue. I’m not purchasing a short game for $60.
I’ll play it, but if it’s anything like the demo Game I played at Pax, it’s just another hack and slash (ala GOW or Dynasty).
EVERYONE PLEASE NOTE:
If your HDTV does not accept 720p signal, this HD game wil NOT play in HD, but will play in SD on your HDTV
@105
Sony probably hasn’t allowed an update to patch 1080I only tv’s because they see profit in not giving it in an update.
How so you ask?
I wouldn’t put it past Sony to slap game specific 1080I DLC patches up on the PSN for a price. You want to play Resistance in 1080I, pay 2.99 and you can… only on the PSN!
Motorstorm…? 2.99 and you’ll be blazing in HD for the 1st time you 1080I only owers!
P.S. I’m not a troll.. I’m the biggest Sony supporter there is, just check out my myspace. I love Sony, I just don’t like alot of the things they do. That’s called being honest.
Why do people talk like the 360 has SO many more great games?! All the Xbots ever talk about is Gears of War (which is a little overrated), and Bioshock (which, I admit, is a masterpiece of almost ridiculous proportions), but other than that there’s not much on the 360 that the PS3 doesn’t have either. Heavenly Sword, however, is unlike anything on Microsoft’s constantly crippled console.
@107
The worst thing about Bioshock is that it was originally supposed to be on both PS3 and 360, but…
@107
I never said they did have better or more games. They really don’t. I’m not a fan of Gears of War and Halo and Lost Planet, myself. I don’t find anything worth paying 64 bucks for on the 360 and I damn sure don’t see the system being worth the price of admission… It’s too last gen. No wireless connection out of the box? No true HD format? Please.
It’s a joke on the scale of the wii, if you ask me. I just wish Sony would polish these games up and make them the best they possibly can. 6 hours is too fast when spending 64 bucks. I don’t care if that’s xbox 360, wii or PS3.
I am disappointed in HS lack of 1080i support. I am afraid I do not purchase PS3 games unless they will support 1080i. I am an early adopter of technology, and as such my HDTV is first generation. There was no 720p resolution at the time I purchased my HDTV, and 1080i was the highest resolution available. I hope Sony will provide a firmware update that will allow 1080i upscaling, anbd that developer will stop leaving money on the table by ignoring users who own early HD sets, a suprisingly large group of early adoptors of HD, are early adoptors of PS3.
Purchasing it this weekend.
i can’t wait to get my hands on this, God of war 3 is a while away so this will do.
I have been playing Heavenly Sword all morning. No work for me today haha. Anyways this game is better than I thought it was going to be. I am only 2 hours in and am hooked. Great job. Now start working on HS2.
@gamesblow
I can see what you’re saying. I think it all comes down to what you value in a game. Time spent on initial playthrough is kind of low on my personal priority list. My favorite games are always ones that provide an interactive experience in ways I’ve never experienced before. Some of these are short- POP: Sands of Time, Silent Hill 2, Shadow of the Colossus. Some are long: Resident Evil 4, Ocarina of Time, Final Fantasy VII. So if I feel like Heavenly Sword proves to be a milestone in interactive, cinematic storytelling as some people are saying it is, I’ll consider it money well spent and a worthy addition to my permanent gaming library. If you feel that the lack of play time doesn’t justify the cost, rent it instead and wait for one of the many games in Sony’s admirable holiday line-up which is sure to be worthy of your valuable consumer dollars.
Going to go and pick up my fully paid pre-order on this game NOW!!!
@Phillypaul
Yeah its a shame, but 720p isnt all that bad eather. You can barely see the difrence if your screen is lower than 42″+
and 720p is better than 1080i when it comes to games, the quality of image is reduced in moving image. Or this is what I have heard.
@115
Not in all cases… Ninja Gaiden sigma, Ridge Racer 7 both look and play better in 1080I over 720P… I have a 1080P tv, so I rarely play them in that setting “like never” but I have tested it and can say it looks and plays way better on 1080I.
And for people in PhillyPauls situation they are playing this HD game in 480p on thier 1080i tv, is there anyone willing to state that 480 is better than 1080 (besides the developers that is)
@gamesblow
Hmm I see, I havent seen any dramatical difrence on the quality on my tv but its 32″
the biggest difrence comes to web browser which is a lot better on 1080i.
is the 1080i better in movement too, I heard it makes the image less sharp than normal. Hmm gotta try difrend settings expecialy when I try heavenly sword, i want it to look as good as bossible on my systems.
I’ll tell you this, man. Ps3, unlike the xbox 360, is already formated for optial picture quality… So if you’re playing on an lcd tv… whatever you do, do not turn your sharpness all the way up. Trust me… It’ll make it look even worse. PS3 looks and plays best “if on a 720 to 1080i tv” on 1080I with 720P the downgraded default.
Also, turn your sharpness down to -10 to -15 for optimal picture quality. You go play resistance with those settings, come back and tell me now how amazing the game really looks. You’re missing so much quality in the colors by turning the sharpness all the way up because so many people have a misconseption about hdtv’s and lcd’s. They think HD means sharpness has to be cranked… That’s not the case.
The reciver is doing the Hd work, the tv is displaying what it’s told to. The tv is what needs calibrated most.
Turn those sharpness’s down, gamers. you’ll look at most of these games in a new light.
funny how they didn’t include the IGN score.
Well I have to say IGN is way wrong on HS. I am playing it right now and the game is awesome. Better than NGS for sure.
im definitely getting this game.
I’ve been playing and it is totally worth it.
I hope people aren’t tricked into missing out on a great game because of a few childish haters.
i just got this game! playing it in a little bit! hopefully this will bring me back to being a big sony fan again!
Played the 1st Ch. of this game….and I am amazed!! Throwing objects has never been so FUN!!!!
this game is AMAZING! the storys great, the gameplay is great, and i love “twing twang”.
i mos def want a sequal!
Still, no 1080p. Sony, you are so cool. NOT!!!
This game is friggin awesome but way to short. It would be perfect as a pack in for a holiday bundle or even the rumored 40gig system. And to all you nit pickers, stay of the forum, you aren’t welcome.
@XxBigP123xX
Hells yeah bro “twing twang” is the s**t. After touch with the arrows and the AI is great.
Sorry Sony,
Since Heavenly Sword only supports 720p and my TV doesn’t, I will not spend $60.00 on a game just to play it at 480p. Sony, you need to address this scaling issue soon. Each day that passes, you’re putting money in the pockets of your competitor.
@ chriskong
This blog os for useful commments not trolls like yourself.
After buying lair, heavenly Sword, and countless things off the PSN the last few weeks “in support of the PS3 and sony” I’m afraid to sink any more money into it… I really am.
After seeing the low, low, low, sales of the PS3… It’s no wonder nobody is on motorstorm anymore. Jump online with it… like 5 people play it in the u.s.
As I said.. I want to see the 7 hours of Uncharted unfold and the 8 to 10 hours of R&C and I think I’m done spending money on the system and blu-rays.
I’d hate to sink thousands more into the system only to have Sony close up shop next year or to see all 3rd party support bottom out and take even more exclusives away from Sony.
I don’t want an xbox 360, but Sony just hasn’t talked about the future at all and lets face it… the present is that good of a “present” if you know what I mean.
Shallow games, Short gaming experiences, low sales, high prices on PSN junk… lack of options for the PS3’s xmb… Hell, we can’t even arrange our content the way we want to! I want to be able to drag and drop game icons at will. Warhawk shouldn’t be tucked behind a crap load of demos.
We need folders to put these games in. It’s a joke!
@derrickgott – I don’t think you’re being very fair to the game.
I think its much better when compared to Ninja Gaiden Sigma. Don’t get me wrong but the ONLY good thing about Ninja Gaiden is its combat…..that’s it. There is no touching story. When I was playing it, I did not feel for Ryu’s cause. I wasn’t interested in finding out what’s going to happen next.
Heavenly Sword has got the combat right and on top of that there is a good story that goes along with it. Personally, I’d rather take good combat and good story over JUST good combat.
Chriskong – you don’t seem that interested in what Playstation has to offer.
You keep mentioning the competitor and how it offers a better experience…..so let me ask you this….what in the world are you doing here?
Go enjoy your experience. Seriously.
Heavenly Sword is a hell of a lot better than Ninja Gaiden Sigma. The graphics are better, the combat system is better, the story is better, the AI is better, the animations are better, lets see what else, soundtrack, voice overs, motion cap, particle effects. Sorry if I left anything out. Heavenly Sword equals perfection and a step no a leap in the right direction for gaming period. Anyone want to play some Twing Twang?
I’m through the 3rd chapter in HS and I love it! I didn’t expect the game to be this good. This is definately my favorite PS3 game so far. It’s a huge relief to be able to use my PS3 for more than just watching BR movies.
i beat it….. started at like 5:45PM and ended at 2:05am. took like a half hour break because my eyes were hurting :P.so i figure i beat it at around 8 hours 30 minutes. time to go beat hell mode :)
@ 40cal #139 – “Anyone want to play some Twing Twang?”
I don’t know what it is, but that seriously made me lol. That little girl is creepy and cool at the same time.
I played through the first chapter of Heavenly Sword last night and I am really liking it. Very cinematic. I have to agree that vengence hasn’t ever been this beautiful! :P (graphics are great)
Oh, and my HD tv doesn’t support 720p and the game still looks gorgeous to me. I wish the game would play in 1080i, but I am not passing on games I want to play if they aren’t. Maybe it takes less to graphically please me?
It’s uncalled for that Sony touted an HD system and those with 1080i “only” tv’s can’t enjoy these games in the form of HD… Even if it’s not the games native ressolution they’ve sat too damn long on this feature.
The reason being, I believe, is because they thought everyone was going to buy a PS3 no matter what. They were wrong… sales for August show they were waaaaaaaaaaay worng. The other reason being, they wanted everyone who bought those ps3’s to buy 1080P tv’s because they touted every game in 1080P and now we see that they simply can’t give us that but on a handful of games.
Point being… if you bought a 1080 p tv, like they wanted you to for blu-ray playback in the 1st place, you wouldn’t have the 480P to 1080 i only problem.
Real smooth Sony… Real smooth. Myself, I don’t have to worry about it. I was stupid enough to buy the ps3 and a 1080P tv.
At the least they could comment on it, why the radio silence
Started it last night, amazing game. Not perfect or anything, but definitely a good time.
Some of you need to seriously chill.
I may acually probabley buy this game, im busy playing warhawk now so.
this game is truly amazing the graphics, cg videos, gameplay, everything about it, people say that its only 6 hours, but after you beat it go back and try to get all the gold medals. Also when home comes out theres gonna be trophies your gonna have to acquire so i’ll say this games a good nine hours, trust me but it you won’t be disappointed.
@146
100% agreed… this game is sick in all aspects.. but with this gameplay and game mechanics i would have loved it to be a 20-30 hour game… yea and i cant wait for home!!!!! TROPHIES!!!!!!!!
Loved this game! And yes I finished this game in a little over 6 hrs and had a blast playing through to the end. Cool thing though is that I won’t feel like it’ll take me forever to play through the game again. Yes, I would’ve loved for it to be a bit longer for the sake of some parts of the story that feels unfinished and other parts feel a bit out of place. Questions: Will we get a patch to reduce load times and maybe fix the small issues in the frame rate? And will there be DL content for the game? It’d be cool to get alternate costumes or pre-game missions or a survival mode or something to give the title some longevity.
I’ve bought the game and love it!!
Thanks for the early European release!
Man I just bought the game and finished the first chapter and I have to say that it is outstanding with everything. This game is truly a masterpiece with great quality and production. I loved taking out those 700 people with the cannonball it was great. And the physics is really good to.
It’s a good game.. IT is. That’s not a question. It’s just too shallow and too short. This is a 64 dollar game, people. This game wouldn’t have flown on the ps2… Why is it flying on the PS3? that’s all I’m saying. The DLC needs to be free… all there is to it.
yeah, since it is one of the only good game sout at all, it can afford to be so damn quick…
but in a year or two a game so short for $64 will be laughed out…
IT’S A GREAT RENTAL!
I absolutely loved this game. I admit I was a tad worried, and it did turn out to be a little short, but the game itself I really enjoyed.
There was one review that complained about the arrow shooting parts, but I found them to be great as well, as I enjoyed trying to master that, as well as the cannonballs (were my favorite of the guided weapons).
There are a few frame rate hiccups, but seeing all of the detail in everything makes up for the rare occurrences.
My only negative about this game is the length of the game, although getting perfect in every level, and hell mode should add a pretty good chunk of time on.
I really hope we see a sequel.
Nice tv spot. I’m still thinking on whether or not to get the game.