Divine Done Right
Short-but-sweet storyline and combat, powerful performances and some of the best visuals on the PlayStation 3? Yes, yes you should pick this one up.
Published: September 9, 2007
Still with me? Good. With the various stances and a constantly-upgrading set of moves, the game gives you plenty of ways to dish out the hurt, but chiefly among them is the ability to press Triangle the moment an attack connects to counter. If you time it perfectly, the ensuing counter is an instant kill, but the window before and after is wide enough that you can still deflect attacks. This is a good thing, because fighting stylishly earns you points toward medals, which in turn unlock the myriad movies and concept art in the bonus menu.
So while things may seem like a bunch of button mashing, they are in fact a careful game of cat and mouse. Nariko is insanely powerful, but her most powerful attacks come not from when she lashes out at enemies, but when she waits for them to come to her. Baiting an enemy into attacking with a couple of quick strikes, only to force them into doing the splits and then blasting a shot betwixt the legs to send them careening off a bridge is one of the most rewarding things about Heavenly Sword, but with multiple enemies attacking at once, it's not really something you can milk to excess -- at least not near the end of the game.
The end is probably the only area that I took issue with, mainly because the combat system isn't quite strong enough to allow for a proper duel with the final multi-phase boss. There's such a rush up to the climax that the ensuing hour long marathon (with checkpoints, thank god) threatens to pull the game off its tracks. Depending on your patience level, it can be a little disruptive, but the story is good enough that the ending will probably push you though -- and likely have you itching to go back and try some of the older levels on the unlocked Hell Mode difficulty.
Of course, the primary factor for replaying most of Heavenly Sword is going to inevitably come down to the visuals. From the cutscenes that feature characters with things like pockmarked, imperfect skin (yes, even the pretty ones) and insanely detailed texture work to motion-captured animation that can sell a character on body language alone, this is quite simply one of the most amazingly beautiful games ever made, and likely will keep the bar raised for some time to come. Scenes like the long, slow climb up the stairs to a prison situated in the middle of multiple raging waterfalls were clearly designed to elicit a bunch of "holy shit" responses, and they work. Oh how they work.
But it's not all perfect. The framerate is usually fairly solid, but it's not exactly consistent and little things like screen tearing and some weird looking self-shadowing shatter the "is that CG or is it real-time?" illusion. Even more jarring is Nariko's tresses, which can almost slither around her during some cutscenes. They look good from far away, but some slightly glitchy moments where her hair absolutely freaks out can seriously distract.
It's probably not a surprise given the Eastern features of Nariko and her kind, but the Heavenly Sword's score is littered with warbling cello-range strings, syncopated drum beats and blaring wind instruments. Not only does it perfectly complement the cutscenes and action alike, but it lends a character touch that most games lack; it's not just a good soundtrack, it flows and moves with the storyline and action, and it's absolutely inseparable from the performances.
Ah, the performances. Though Andy Serkis' turn as Bohan has rightfully gotten a lot of the hype, the whole of the cast -- particularly Anna Torv giving life to Nariko -- really does have the kind of power and hooks that video games have been lacking. I know I keep fixating on the cutscenes in the game, but they really do have to be seen to fully sell the experience, and if you don't watch them on a HDTV, you're seriously missing out.
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. Yes, it's short, but any longer and it's likely the combat and gameplay may not have held up. Instead, they're perfect complements to the storyline and characters and end up being one of the best experiences you can get on the PlayStation 3. Period.
