Heavenly Sword Demo Impressions (PS3)
- Scribbled on July 26th, 2007 by Mitch Dyer
- Filed in Game Demos, Sony PlayStation 3
As the demo loads, Nariko, our crimson haired heroine, talks of Bohan and his horrible reign over the land you see before you. The gorgeous locale is rich in color, lush with trees and water. The first segment of the demonstration has you jumping on to a rope a participating in an interactive cutscene as foes attempt to cut a series of ropes that you are able to switch between as you press forward in to the enemy territory: a small tower top.
The combat in Heavenly Sword is simple, much like God of War’s, but is much more rewarding. Square and Triangle serve as your primary combo and counter buttons, but switching stances with R1 enables Nariko to unleash more devastating, albeit painfully slow atacks. Pressing on the L1 button allows her to use longer ranged, quick and weak chained weaponry to spice up the variety of the combat sequences, of which there are 2 of in this incredibly short, but totally replayable demo.
Heavenly Sword has obviously been put together with painful effort to make sure you as the player notice the most minute detail, from Nariko’s butter-smooth animation, to her trembling jaw as she talks about her oppression. Lip synching is perfect as the mysterious heroine talks to who I assume is her younger sister, as well as narrates you through a bit of backstory.
The cinematic detail of the game, from its changing of camera angles, zooming, slo-mo, and stylish finishing moves all add to the short bit you’re allowed to play. There is a framerate dip every so often, but never enough to make the game unplayable, and the audio cut out for me once or twice, and a couple enemies froze in mid air after their death but it’s highly unlikely this is representative of Ninja Theory’s final product, due out in the Fall.This demo is satisfying, though short, but you’ll want to play it over and over if not just to marvel at its beauty, from Nariko’s facial detail to the waterfall’s of a wartorn land, to the brutal neckbreaking finishing moves our main character has to offer. Enjoy.
July 26th, 2007 at 7:25 pm
WAY too short. The casual game demos on the PS3 and 360 are longer than this. I guess it does leave you wanting more, but I think it’s shorter than it should be. MitchyD, you’re absolutely right about the lip syncing. It’s the best I’ve ever seen in a game. So good, you can almost lip read what she’s saying. It’s surprising how much of a difference it makes.
Aside from that, I’ve played it through twice. In my short time with it, the fighting and movements don’t seem as fluid as God of War. It seems almost like a bunch of stops and starts when you’re fighting. Who knows if that’s how it will be when it’s in it’s final form. I also could be mis-reading it, though, too. Devin, MitchyD, what do you guys think?
I tried out some of the aerial attacks the second time around and they are beautiful. Once I get a handle on how to do what I want when I want, I can see how intense this game will be.
On a much more embarrassing note, Nariko’s much sexier than I thought she’d be. I love how she walks like a model by placing one foot directly in front of the other. Then there’s her perfect posture and slight hip swing while walking also. And it’s all topped off with her very assertive but very feminine stance. They really put some effort into making this character feel feminine, which is unique for video games (in my opinion). I also love the picture of her you used at the top, Mitch. I haven’t seen it before.
For the record, yes, I have a girlfriend (fiance, technically), and, yes, she’s hot. But gamers are on the same page as me with this Nariko stuff, right?
July 27th, 2007 at 12:25 am
The only reason this is short is because:
A) I was in a rush…
B) I wasn’t ALL THAT impressed - it’s good, but it really is God of War. It’s got a lot of beauty, and it’s smooth, but it’s not really anything new. Pray for story.
C) How much in detail can you go in to “Press Square, Win” gameplay?
PS: I didn’t throw the images up
I had bossman do it for me because of my rush.
I totally agree though, you can read her lips clear as hell.
Yeah, Nariko’s a cutie
I didn’t want to bore people with a longer impressions - after all, the demo was short.
July 27th, 2007 at 7:07 am
MitchyD, I wasn’t saying your review was too short. I was saying the demo was too short.
July 27th, 2007 at 7:12 am
How disappointing, let me count the ways…
1. I thought this was one of the most highly anticipated games of this year? 720p only? Are you kidding? I had to play this demo in 480p since my TV only handles 1080i. Ridiculous, if you ask me. In fact, considering what we have seen with Lair, MGS4, and GT5, any publisher putting out games at less than 1080p should be embarrassed. Moreover, at 480p there was still screen shearing and slowdown. I really hope they don’t ship this game in a condition that even resembles the demo. This made me very sad indeed.
2. 996M for a demo that takes 5 minutes or less to complete? I guess they used a bunch of the space to add that really long demo movie that plays if you don’t touch the controller on the start page. Personally, I’d rather the demo be longer.
3. Was it just me or did the moves not make a lot of sense? I couldn’t find any kind of good rhythm. The only thing I could figure out how to do consistently was roll. Granted, I am sure more time with the game would remedy this, but t still seems like it is not quite as smooth as it should be.
4. Did I mention how disappointed I am that this game is not 1080p? Ugh…
July 27th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
Ahhhh! Sorry Holmes