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
Lmao, you poor illiterate inbred bastard. Your a blight on the gene pool. Your lucky your parents weren’t restricted by an IQ test before being allowed to procreate. Don’t do what your parents did, stay away from your sister. Its bad.
you speak of this inbreeding a little too familiar……. and who’s the flamer with the type-o’s…..its you’re not your
again you lose, get a life, get some class and stop doing your mother
@Laughed
We don’t need trolls here either. And I believe trolls belong somewhere else(maybe the FORUMS) not here.
What’s funny is how YOUR OPINION is suppose to be the end-all, be-all OPINION and if somebody has a different opinion, then they are wrong and are Sony “cheerleaders” or “marketers”. How are you going to try to tell people that a game isn’t fun. Don’t you think that your OPINION of fun is different from somebody else?
get over yourself. You are nothing but a troll trying to pass off YOUR OPINIONS AS FACTS. Everybody else’s opinion on this game(and any other game for that matter) means just as much as yours. YOUR OPINION is not the only correct opinion. Please learn this before posting again. This is getting sickening watching you post as though YOUR OPINION is suppose to be the correct OPINION and everybody else is wrong. You are truly pathetic for being that way.
I learned this in the 4th grade. Maybe you should go back and learn that again.
You speak of doing your mother a little to familiarly… lol, see how that works. Its not the typo but the message that matters. When you can step your game up, come see me.
eclipsed I am glad I give your life meaning, seeing how you can’t help but come here and comment on me. If someone says “YEAAHHHH Sony! Thank you sony thank you your the best Sony! Yeahhh!” are they not a cheerleader? If some one continually spouts advertising and marketing themed posts, are they not marketers. I call it like I see it.
clipse, get over me already. Its flattering and everything but Im just not into you. If you actually read my post you wouldn’t be spouting the same tired cliche every one uses to justify their point of view. If you wanted to argue about some of the points I made about HS you should do that. Just saying the game is fun and other people might like it is weak. I expected more from you.
you post that lame reply which contains zero originality and even more grammatical errors and have the audacity to say i need to step up my game……
DOUCHEBAG!!!!
you post that lame reply which contains zero originality and even more grammatical errors and have the audacity to say i need to step up my game……
i like how the name is laughed (past tense) cuz you’re too busy eatin ur dad
get a life douchebag
@Laughed
The bad part is, you come here to ARGUE about opinions. If I think the game is fun/great/good/horrible….do I need to tell you why? no. I might have my own reasons which are no business of yours. Just because you post about yours 15 times a day, does that make yours correct?
you give me life? please. Who is the one that posts on this blog site atleast 30 times a day?
as for the “YEAAAH Sony!” comment….If I have zero problems with my PS3, zero problems with the PS Store, zero problems with having games to play…..tell me what I should be mad about? I have games and I have content. what more should I want?
and you expect more from me? you have said that twice now. Now I AM THE ONE THAT’S FLATTERED that you think that highly of me. looks like your the one that has a “thing” for me.
this will be my last post for today. I have a life. I am going home to my fiancee where I won’t touch my computer because I have better things to do. but I know you will continue to post on this blog because it’s the highlight of your day.
Please promote this game more..I’ve got this game and its a killer game that’s gonna push PS3s.. please Sony you need to promote this game like MS promotes Halo..Not many people, even most of my friends know about this game.. Not many people even know Andy Sirkis from LOTR is in it..I’m from NZ so I’m sure people would be wowed if they see that Andy Sirkis is in it..
:)
Luv Playstation till Death Do Us Part :)
@Eclipse: This coming from the guy who calls everyone that criticizes thePS3 a troll. Nice. Your a hypocrite.
This game is a 6 amongst a bunch of 2’s. Sony is doing us a favor by not promoting it. If they did, people would be like “WTF!” and would lose faith in future Sony IP’s.
Why aren’t these trailers making their way on to TV? The only HS commercial I’ve seen is the “Vengeance has never been so beautiful” spot. You need a new corps of marketing and advertising types. The PS3 message is lost somewhere in static, and great games like this go by largely unknown…..and there aren’t that many games out on the console to begin with.
Not all potential customers (especially the casual gamers) are as diligent in their research as those that see an amazing trailer such as the Heavenly Sword one when coming here to read and post.
@Laughed
Show me where I called anybody a troll from criticizing the PS3.
I called YOU A TROLL for your constant bashing of other people’s OPINIONS just because you didn’t agree with them.
shouldn’t you be playing Halo 3 now? is it not fun or something?
Isn’t that trollish. Your assuming I’m a Halo fan. Despite that, at least I’d have a AAA title to play on the 360. Where’s your AAA title?
What title on the PS3 hit more than 1 million in sales on day 1? Oh yeah I forget never happened. Though we supposedly have an install base of 5 million users, only a fraction of them fell for the PS3 hype machine and bout the crap fest of HS, Warhawk, and Lair.
@Laughed
I have Warhawk. While YOU may not THINK its a AAA title, I do. What’s constitutes a AAA game? graphics? fun factor? gameplay? You guess is as good as mine. All I know is that I have tons of fun playing Warhawk. I would have been happy to pay $60 for this game alone. I have had more fun with this game than any other game that I have owned for my PS3 or 360(including Gears Of War).
Good for you, you can climb down from your marketing soap box now.
Do you think all AAA titles struggle to sell as your titles do? Do all triple A titles get 8’s or less?
This is a first for me, but your opinion means spit. Your a sony slave who can’t see the forest for the trees. Even if I showed you what a AAA title was, you’d argue and say it wasn’t. You have one agenda and its not the truth, its to push the Sony product when it has clearly failed. Keep up the good work. Ihave lost all respect for your posts and you, hence I hope you die. Cause only in death will you allow consumers the ability to discuss real world concerns around Sonys system and would be AAA titles. Until then I hope you get a paycheck for everytime you defend, push, or sell a Sony product.
Because I know you’ll ask, my payment is knowing I am accurately informing customers on what to expect so they can make an intelligent decision on their purchases. Unlike you who is clearly hiding behind hype and misdirection.
Have one of your titles sell 500k units on the first day, F’it, in the first week. Then come talk to me.
tell me exactly what a review is. please tell me. a review is nothing but SOMEBODY’S OPINION. why should I take somebody else’s opinion as my own? that’s being a ignorant blind person with no mind of their own.
again, what you think a AAA title is…that YOUR OPINION. do you not understand what an OPINION is?
here you go…..
Opinion – a view, judgment, or appraisal formed in the mind about a particular matter
http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/opinion
now lets read more carefully. where is the view, judgement, or appraisal formed? in the MIND. do you have the same MIND as me? no(as we have already seen). Therefore, we can and will have different opinions. If you can’t accept this, then you really need to see a psychiatrist.
a AAA title to me is a game that I LIKE, that I have FUN playing, and that I don’t REGRET buying. I am sure that’s not your OPINION of a AAA title, but that has nothing to do with me. I don’t know why you play video games, but I play them to have fun.
“have one of your titles sell 500k units on the first day”….sorry but I don’t develop games. and neither do you. so NONE of these games are MINE and none are YOURS.
please get off your high horse. you are no better than anybody else. your opinion is not held any higher than anybody elses.
and once again it shows your “if you endorse anything that has to do with Sony, then you are a cheerleader/marketer”. dude, get over yourself. calling people names just shows how childish you really are.
I love how your counter to my question became an obssession on property. YOu keep questioning my maturity but you resort to these grade school semantics. Not once answering my question. Guess your brain would fry if you had to actually accept the reality of it. Your, as in the game you are wrongly defending for Sony, are crap. They are not next gen, or even new gen. They are not AAA titles and you know it. Everyone of your arguuements have been one cop out after another.
Your brainwashed lunatic. You need to seek conseling. Put down the controller and seek help. You have let Sony reduce your brain to the ramblings of a child you can’t hold on to a conclusive thought or accept the realitites of a world where the PS3 is failing. Its sad really.
I’ll pray for you. I will pray that you are released from your captures and that one day yuo will shake off this Stockholm Syndrome that has taken over you.
PS I’m not even religious but you need help.
@Laughed
Lord, Lord. once again, you are trying to pass off your OPINION as fact. What don’t you get about it being YOUR OPINION AND NOT FACT? I could care less if you don’t like the game. Does that mean I shouldn’t like the game?
“ramblings of a child”? yet, you are the one calling names like a child….LOL
I’ll wait for more of your childish, name calling, “my opinion is king, your opinion is wrong” posts.
It seems every issue you have with me is one you should be having with yourself. You keep arguing with me about the same issues, my opinion. You don’t answer the questions I present. In fact you ignore them.
I’m going to end this rant with you, your to childish to realize when you’ve lost.
For the rest of you i leave this: http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmessage.php?board=927750&topic=38377504
I’ll be back.
going from your link, just a couple of quotes….
neverrealm – “I believe that the consensus of the board is that it is a great game, but not a system seller.”
StarRain66 – “Hell Yes it is a AAA title.”
jokingpeo – “nope”
irishrpgfan – “It depends on your definition of a AAA title, for there are many.”
walts1 – “A “AAA” title as referenced by many hardcore gamers on these boards would be a game with a 90%+ review score average. Heavenly Sword is not a AAA title.”
Rasputin77 – “”AAA” has no definition. (LOLs at anyone who gives a definition that basically says “it’s someone elses opinion”). Therefore… **leans in close and whispers…** the question is invalid. ”
gotchaye – “Actually it’s not, since he asked for a general consensus and not some statement of fact. Even had he left out the general consensus part, it would have been fairly clear that he was asking for opinions.
But no, the general consensus is that it’s not one. It’s not a big enough seller, it’s not well enough reviewed, and it’s not generally perceived as being particularly worth buying.”
MetricMarmalade – “The game is amazing and the shooting missions are addicting. Loved it. If you mean sales, no one will know for another week.
Online drives? You think Heavenly Sword needs online multiplayer? If so, I dont’ get that at all.
Some reviewers make a big deal about it not having online multiplayer but that’s just insane to me. Why do they expect every game to have online multiplayer. Its not needed IMO. There are plenty of games that have that feature where its appropriate. To me there’s nothing worse than tacking on multiplayer where it doesn’t belong.”
MrHat48 – “Hmm, check me off for “Another great game” but I don’t know if I’d say AAA. The game was fantastic! It had me replaying levels just so I could guide an arrow into the open mouth of a bad guy, but from what I’ve read in reviews – they’re right. It is too short compared to today’s market, its controls aren’t as good as its close competitor (God of War) and I personally witnessed some frame rate issues.
At the same time, I’m waving my little flag for a longer sequel and would love to see it transferred over to film! I really had a good time playing this game and will continue to spread the word about how good it is despite length to all PS3 owners.”
so therefore, everybody’s opinion is different. Some think a game is AAA, some don’t. They all have their different OPINIONS on what AAA means.
oh yeah, I am still waiting to see a question. You say that I don’t answer your questions, well I can’t answer a question that is not asked.
Ignoring the post above (i’ll read it in a moment.
Further evidence of Heavenly Swords unAAA-title status: http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/928391.asp
@Laughed
how can you post a link that CLEARLY has people saying that Heavenly Sword is a AAA title, then say that it’s not a AAA title? are you just ignoring the people who have a different OPINION than you?
and in your second link….8 of the 10 reviews give it a 80% or above with one giving it 90%. doesn’t look like your links are backing up your OWN OPINION.
wow. thats the problem with you. You see what you want to see. IF this was a TRUE AAA title, it would be ranked at 90% or more. Its not on both counts. You may want to have your vision checked, then go back to school and take reading comprehension over again.
@Laughed
Show me where there is a rule that states, “A game MUST be reviewed above 90% to be considered a AAA title.”
please show me that.
get my vision checked? are you telling me that the GameRankings page THAT YOU LINKED does not list 10 reviews of Heavenly Sword and 8 of them are above 80%? so what exactly am I suppose to get my vision checked about?
looks like you need reading comprehension. when somebody says, “Hell yes it is” to the question, “Is Heavenly Sword a AAA title?”…you are the one that’s stating it’s not not a AAA title even though there are other OPINIONS stating that it is.
The problem here is, I acknowledge that you have an opinion. You don’t think Heavenly Sword is a AAA title(or Warhawk for that matter). and that’s YOUR OPINION. I think they are. Does that mean that YOUR OPINION is wrong? no. Does that mean that YOUR OPINION is right? no.
Question regarding what determines AAA status of a game.
walts1: A “AAA” title as referenced by many hardcore gamers on these boards would be a game with a 90%+ review score average. Heavenly Sword is not a AAA title.
Rasputin77: “AAA” has no definition. (LOLs at anyone who gives a definition that basically says “it’s someone elses opinion”)
dracklord123: The general consensus says it´s not….but if you loved it,then to you,regardless of what others think, it is an AAA title.
pjnelson: 81.5%
http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/928391.asp
This trumps all personal opinions. Granted, review scores are also personal opinions, but these guys’ opinions are a bit more meaningful than some random Joe on a message board, not to mention that it indicates a general consensus among the entire community of video game journalists. The combined score from these thirty-some publications outweigh any personal opinion posted here.
It should generally be agreed that a game scoring in the lower eighties is “decent” or “good” but not “great” or “outstanding”.
Gotchaye: The fact of the matter is that aggregate review scores correlate very strongly with perceived quality, to such an extent that a 90+ game is virtually always worth a purchase by anyone who has any fondness for the genre. That’s useful information.
walts1: ^^^ Agreed.
xsabrewulf: HS scored 81.5%
thats not good at all, its to most ppl just average.
far from an AAA title
goku554051028: I wouldn’t say “AAA”, but it’s pretty solid. 8/10 .
Theorangedude: no way in hell heavenly sword is an AAA title for ps3. B+ is more like it, atleast it dont sux as much as lair.
Other
Mega Wolf: Definitely not a system seller
neverrealm: is a great game, but not a system seller.
Nitty2580: IMHO no it’s not a AAA title and I’m not saying that just because it’s short, for me it has a little more to do with the gameplay….
AlphaOmegaSid: In my opinion, Heavenly Sword isn’t an AAA game. But, great game for the PS3 though.
termina_rzident: I can understand why people are angry over the notion that a AAA game is determined by review scores and sales, but without looking at these factors as an indication the whole thing becomes too subjective to the point where anyone can say that any game is AAA.
Under the standard criteria, I don’t think that HS would be considered a “AAA” title, but that doesn’t mean that gamers are incapable of enjoying the game and thinking that it is one of the best games ever made, as far as I know, quite a few gamers love HS. You’d be missing out on a whole lot if you only bother to play the “AAA titles.”
laughed you’ve been doing nothing but making an a$$ out of yourself. you continue to rack up the type-o’s and bad grammar as well as prove that you have no life but this blog. I am beginning to believe that you have no console released this decade because frankly if you did you would PLAY IT, instead of blogging for HOURS and DAYS. If you want to be a blogger then do it but according to the amount of time you spend on this site, you don’t have enough gaming experience to say anything that matters, yet alone have a life.
peace out ya bit
ch
I played the game and i must say that it deserve a 10/10. But I guess they gave it a 9 because it was short. A game with this exceptionally superior graphic and stunning scenes should have a longer life.
The combat style has just redefine the combat games in my opinion.
Totally worth the hype……Totally a slash ’em up game to have. period.
@mero4ever
“The combat style has just redefine the combat games in my opinion.”
I could not agree with you more.
Bring on Heavenly Sword 2.
A question for those who have the game-
Are the in game graphics as good as the cutscenes?
i am enjoying this game up till now, please im not into coming onto a blog where the contributors act like spoilt little boys, maybe the people on this blog can warn or ban them. Mybe you could just grow up and give constructive critism instead of whining or being downright rude.
Terry
@ParthianArcher
Yes, yes they are :)
@pharmd – 227 & 228 – ahhaha LOL! Very nice, especially the ending. Don’t want to waste too much time commenting. Time to get my game on! Piece out homie slice.
i swear to god laughed and gamesblow are out to get sony.. they never have anything positive to say.. always complaining… heavenly sword is freakin amazing.. and andy serkis is one of the coolest mo fos out there
[…] Heavenly Sword Arrives! […]
I have just finished playing Heavenly sword, and I have to say that it is one of the best games I have ever played; in fact it’s the best game I ever played. It is like watching a movie except that I was in control of the action and combat. The scenes is just masterpiece the graphics are amazing and the combat style is just over the roof. The technique of auto-blocking gave it a sense of realism in the way that you can’t block all attacks even the ones that are easy to block and that in reality you miss. If I was a reviewer I will give it 10/10, I know that IGN gave it 7/10 for some reason the reviewer didn’t like much of the things there. But I have to say that he is not a professional one, and seriously I mean it. A game like this has been made to look tough but easy at the same time and fun to play and watch. But the reviewer seems like he just doesn’t understand games at all. I don’t know if he played it or just played the first stages but this game is all about the story. I know its short but hey it’s worth every minute and second. Now I am certain that IGN reviewers do not pay much attention at reviewing PS games. Their main attention is paid to make it look bad. The average of all other viewers is close to 9/10. I would say not even Halo 3 or even 13 could come close to such production output.
Another thing I found that gives this game another beautiful dimension is the music. It has its own music theme thats more into Arabian music with a girl singing in almost a whisper: Ya Laiyly which in Arabic translates to: My night. It adds some kind of forebodingness and sadness to the game story. Well done choosing the music theme Ninja Theory.
i got this game cos i knew i had to play it ever since i watched trailers and prequels. I wasnt wrong, gameplay as some mentioned is just a movie controlled by you, music is sooo well performed and sets the perfect mood for evreything, every facial expression, every single place portraited in the game is so full of detail, i fell i love with nariko and kai, learned to hate with all my guts bohan, every character is really well developed.. you just cant give u the luxury of missing this game… i feel so proud of having my ps3 now…. things are getting better and better for ps3. : )
This is an incredible game — a fantastic interactive story. I do personally miss the days of the Wing Commander style multiple outcome plot lines, but as interactive story telling goes, this is an incredible ride. Very beautiful, excellent moves, beautiful animation, very smooth and well executed.
[…] Heavenly Sword Developer: Ninja Theory Genre: Action-Adventure, Hack and Slash/Beat ‘Em Up […]
[…] Heavenly Sword Developer: Ninja Theory Genre: Action-Adventure, Hack and Slash/Beat ‘Em Up […]