Heavenly Sword

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. Nariko and Kai are the stuff of video-game legends and they have perfect counterparts in Bohan and his minions.

That is the good news; the bad news is that the game is a bit of a cop-out in that it does mirror some of the events of SCEA’s God of War. Heavenly Sword (developed by Ninja Theory and published by SCEA) has the ethereal element and ascension of the main character. It is a short game that asks you to savor the combat elements, but that is also a Catch-22 situation. The story has twists and turns, surprises that put the gamer on a fast pace to move through and find out what happens next. You can’t truly savor anything if you feel the need to get to the next segment. Think of it like this: you’ve been served a main course that is mouth-watering and sumptuous, but that dessert – with its rich aroma and promise of heaven upon the tongue – is sitting there, and may not be as tantalizing (at least in your mind) if it sits there too much longer. So you plow through the main course to get to that dessert. Transposing the analogy to the video game, you quickly move through the main game to get to the end game.

The animations of the main characters are truly next generation. The voice performances are incredible and spot on. The game itself is beautiful and yes, as stated in the game’s press release “emotionally charged.” There is such depth to the facial expressions that you will feel Nariko’s pain or anger. You can see it in her eyes and it becomes part of you.

The story itself is good, for the most part. The game begins with Nariko standing on a battlefield, facing Bohan’s vast army. The invading king has come to the lands of Nariko’s people to lay claim to an ethereal artifact, the Heavenly Sword. No mortal can wield it. To do so will cost that mortal his or her life as the sword leeches the life force from the wielder. Nariko’s clan was entrusted with protecting the sword. (There are other prophesies attached, but no spoilers here – you will have to play the game to find out the nuances of the story.)

So, at the beginning of the game, Nariko is standing on the battlefield, in front of the gates of her city, alone, facing an army of thousands. It is at that moment that the sword claims her life, and the game is told through the days leading up to that moment.

There are two playable characters – Nariko and Kai. Kai is much younger and is rather quirky. Her weapon is a crossbow-type ranged weapon and the levels that center on her employ the ranged attacks in concert with the SIXAXIS controller (you release a bolt, hold down the release button and then guide the bolt using the motion sensors in the SIXAXIS controller). Kai is free-spirited, or – as some might say – the lights are on but no one’s home. You will understand the reason for her disassociation with reality as you play the game. She is, though, the adopted sister of Nariko and their bond is quite strong. After the second chapter, their paths diverge and that is where the game’s urgency kicks in. You will have Kai trying to get to and help Nariko, and Nariko trying to get to and help Kai. This pulls the player into the game and compels that sense of urgency that seems to underscore the story.

You are made to feel a partnership with the central characters, and that is very much to the credit of the development team. Yes, you may be controlling actions, but it still feels like you are working with Nariko, or with Kai, rather than being a puppeteer.

As for the combat, Nariko has several stances she can use. There is the one for her ranged weapons, which can create a whirling barrier to deflect the ranged attacks from Bohan’s troops. There is a strong stance, which manifests itself in slow but very powerful attacks. Then there is the normal stance from which Nariko can launch lightning quick attacks. As she attacks, there is a meter that slowly fills. There are three points along the meter’s edge. At the lowest level, you will launch a killing move that will take down one opponent. Fill the meter all the way up and you can unleash a devastating killing move that will annihilate the target but also stun surrounding enemies.

Gameplay will have you using cannons for distant ranged attacks (mission-based and they can be timed), rockets with finite ammo, Kai’s bow, Nariko’s ranged and sword attacks. The game also will have prompts for finishing moves tied to hot buttons and analog stick directions.

Graphically, Heavenly Sword is a magnificent next-generation vehicle. The only drawback is that the camera angles can be a little awkward at the wrong moments. There is a scene, near the end where having a rotatable camera would be a blessing. But the texturing, the expressiveness and emotion of the characters, are wondrous. The environments run from barren and almost sad to serenely beautiful. When it comes to the soundtrack, there are layers of sound that fit this game exquisitely. Andy Serkis (Gollum in Peter Jackson’s LotR film trilogy) voices Bohan. The music is expansive and fits the tone of the game and there are even background dialogue that is sure to elicit a chuckle or two, even in tense situations.

The game’s drawbacks, though, are the similarities to God of War, and its shortness. In regards to GoW, the parallels are too strong to be ignored. Nariko and Kai are epic characters and epic characters deserve a somewhat unique and epic story. While Heavenly Sword touches on that sense of the epic, the experience is detracted by the similar moments that echo that other high-profile Sony release. Honestly, as a writer, and seeing the power of what Ninja Theory achieved graphically to inspire such a deep affinity for the characters, it is easy to say they deserve more and better. To write a story for such compelling characters would be a dream come true.

As it stands, what is delivered is pretty darn close to that. 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. In spite of its setbacks, this is still an amazing accomplishment.

Gameplay: 8.5
There is a minor learning curve when it comes to the game’s controls, but players are generally given clues about where to go and what to do next. The game does have prompts for finishing moves and you are tasked, at times, with matching the hot key to the on-screen prompt to be successful. The game is also rather short – estimated at 10-12 hours but you can get through it faster.

Graphics: 9.3
The camera angle can be a little troublesome at the wrong moments, but the animations are awesome and the environments are wonderful.

Sound: 9.6
The voice acting is tremendous. Some characters – like Roach, Whiptail and Flying Fox – are a little over the top, but it still works. The musical score is first rate.

Difficulty: Medium
You should be able to work through this game quickly and then unlock hell mode for a repeat visit.  

Concept: 8.3
The plot has its share of twists and surprises, but the story arc feels a little too close – in terms of general flavor – to God of War.

Overall: 8.8
Nariko, Kai and company are the most compelling characters to ever grace a video game (and yes, that is opinion). The voice acting is dead-on and the graphics are gorgeous. In the end, though, the short gameplay and similarities to God of War lower the overall score. Should this be played by PS3 owners? Absolutely.