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.
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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.
