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I was really invested in the out come. I am a big Tomb Raider fan but now HEAVENLY SWORD is my all time favorite game by far. Nearly cried about little Kai. The storyline, the graphics, the game play and music were all top of the line. That is all I will say.
This game was a winner for me on every level. No other game I have ever played made me care about the characters like this one did. Nearly cried, yes you read that right. I sure hope another game like this one is in the works from the same company because they really know what they are doing. WOW.
Sure lots of people say the game was short but even that did not bother me and if it did it's only because I loved the story so much. You have to play it for yourself to see why.
LEFT. It does feel a little too much like "smash every button on the control and hope for the best" and less like finesse and timing is appreciated, but eventually it does start to feel like skill is appreciated (particularly via fatality moves) over stamina. Most of my frustration, however, comes with the addition of what I would call gimmicky gameplay. I'm not a big fan of movement-sensitive gameplay period, as I tend to have shaky hands, and flat-out requiring it in gameplay to get past a level is kind of frustrating for me. The story is well-told, through many interesting and lovely cutscenes, and I think it is probably safe to say that this remains one of the most attractive and visually polished games on the PS3, which is doubly impressive considering that this is also one of the earliest titles on the system.Having said that, I do wish a bit more polish had been spent on the game mechanics overall, as graphics and story can only go so far to forgive a clunky play system, particularly in a hack'n'slash adventure game. Someone more experienced and appreciative of the genre would no doubt feel differently. The control system in regular combat is.
Thus, this is an "as is" review, not an "as was" review, hence the "retrospective" perspective. What's wrong with this thing). Now, I know that some people love the Sixaxis and if you're one of them, that's great, but if you're like me - well, now you know that at least one level in "Heavenly Sword" requires Sixaxis control, and be forewarned.The other facet I don't much care for in "Heavenly Sword" is the preponderance of quicktime events. Now, given an infinite number of "do overs", I don't mind quicktime events so much at the start of a chapter if it's an adventure interlude - I can play Simon Says with the best of them, so if I really MUST press X-0-L-R-U-D-X-X before I can be let into the chapter, well so be it. They're not my usual genre-of-choice, probably because I'm not very good at them, and "Heavenly Sword" certainly felt more like 'work' than 'play' for me. Several sections require the use of the Sixaxis controller to guide arrows and cannonballs towards their targets. Add into the fact that restarting the battle on your part means wading through dozens of red-shirts before you can even GET to the boss, then you beat him down low enough to trigger the quicktime event, and THEN you must get a perfect sequence of buttons or he regenerates all his health for no adequately explained reason, and it's just frustrating. I did appreciate the stunning graphics and interesting story, but because the story so frequently felt walled off by the Sixaxis and QTE gimmicks, I eventually lost interest in the game despite the story.
Action/adventure brawlers are not, I admit, for everyone. "Heavenly Sword" is a very pretty game, with an interesting setting and intriguing backstory. adequate.
I, personally, have never been a fan of the Sixaxis, as I feel that the controller is just too sensitive to the slightest movements in some regards (as in, oh, I accidentally moved the control ever-so-slightly off-level, so OF COURSE that means I wanted my cannonball to swing giddily off into the ether), and completely insensitive to certain deliberate movements in other regards (look, I'm tilting left. ~ Ana Mardoll I would recommend checking out "Heavenly Sword" if you know you're already a fan of the genre, but if you're not already an action/adventure fan, "Heavenly Sword" probably won't make a convert out of you.
Heavenly Sword / 711719813224 / B000K9OP2ADisclaimer: This review is written for people who haven't bought / played this game but are considering doing so now that the game is older and slightly cheaper than the newest stuff out there. Although when some of the armored baddies show up, it does feel like your fingers are in danger of falling off at times. But "Heavenly Sword" also uses quicktime events as 'finishing moves' for boss battles, and if you fail to get the sequence perfectly correct, the boss gains all his hitpoints back, and that is annoying.
I found it to be more fun and exciting.i recommend it to all. loved the story. i rate this game higher than Uncharted: Drakes Fortune. great story, awesome game play, great graphics.don't know why it is more than $30 still.it came out years ago.should be a greatest hits.hope they come out with more HS games.
Unfortunately, video game graphics and button smashing have never sat well with me. I also enjoyed the button smashing mayhem that was required when playing as Nariko. Either way, Bohan, our evil enemy of the story is attempting to wipe out all of Nariko's people and wishes for nothing but power, power, power. I didn't feel triumphant beating a boss or mildly saddened come the end. Nothing. However, I probably could have come up with something a bit more attractive with my zero gaming production experience.You run around as Nariko, the girl with the red hair, and sometimes as her little sister, Kai.
At first I liked him as a character because of his dialogue which was interesting and fun. I would want nothing more than to skewer him for some of the things he says. Of course, that likability fled when I realized he was listening to a giant crow and really had no motivation to kill and destroy except for the act of it. All of which Heavenly Sword pushes to the wayside.So, onwards. In fact, if I were Nariko I would have off and smacked those inconsiderate men to kingdom come and back.
In fact, I loved little Kai. So, the story was.pitiful. So that was a plus. It was two days of my life in a fog of scantily dressed women with a big sword.As I said before, all you need is the urge to beat the crap out of your controller and you'll get through the game.
Insanity could, at the very least, been a stand in for a reason. 10 hours. Irritating.I did, however, enjoy some of the sixaxis' abilities to control cannon balls and Kai's arrows. But wishful thinking gets you nowhere.The thing is that the game, as most do, had that potential to be something greater than it was.
I also understand that because of that there was limited time to put together much of a story or to dedicate time to anything but the game play itself. Because of this I couldn't really feel for much of the characters. I swear I could count the pores in everyone's skin. And for all those graphics why is it that Nariko looks like she has a giant red squid on her head. Sure, it's a game if you want to relax and not tear your hair from your scalp in frustration and only spend a few hours on, but that's not the point. You pay 60 dollars for a game, slightly less if it's used, you expect a bit more than a mildly crazy old man attempting to kill a tribe and you, missy, are the only thing that can stomp him into submission. I wish she was in the game more and had a larger repertoire of abilities. At first I was struck dumb by the quality of the cut scenes.
It's the story I'm after, flexibility of characters, side-plot, dynamics. I would have liked to see Flying Fox, one of Bohan's minions, be in Bohan's place. They'll throw buttons at you on the screen that you must dutifully push while missing out on the only thing worth playing the game for: the graphics. It's a reiterated tale that is far too old for me to care about anymore. I understand that this was one of the first releases for the PS3. We find ourselves in a loosely strung together story that doesn't exactly make me think that I want to save Nariko's people. Ohh, and be wary of some cut scenes or hero sequences when you're killing a boss.
Definitely buy this game if you can get it cheap, it's that damn good. It's just a little short, but there is replay value.
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