n one level, Heavenly Sword is all about combat. The warrior heroine Nariko wields a cursed sword that drains her life, and players control her as she flips and twirls with an elegant fury that decimates legions of enemies. That’s the heart of the gameplay, but Ninja Theory’s PS3 debut is about more than just action – it’s also about presentation. Each aspect of Heavenly Sword, from the fighting to the art direction, comes together to create one of the most engaging titles on the PS3.
From the moment Nariko chooses to wield the Heavenly Sword, her time with it is limited. As a player, your experience with the sword will also be fairly short; most gamers will probably finish the game in about seven or eight hours. However, that timeframe is dense with non-stop thrills thanks to the game’s ability to continually throw compelling new challenges in front of you. When you aren’t fighting, you’ll assist Nariko through puzzles; help her sister, Kai, avoid capture; and single-handedly take on an entire army. The pacing and implementation of these sequences are excellent, giving you a break from the combat at just the right moments. Incidentally, guiding Kai’s arrows in slow motion through the necks of advancing goons has to be one of my favorite gaming moments this year.
The action is stylish and satisfying, but it has a few gaps that keep Heavenly Sword from reaching the same heights as some of its illustrious peers. The number of different combos is impressive, but the game never motivates you to really explore the intricacies of these options. Button-mashing alone won’t get you through, but the enemies (even the bosses) lack sufficient intelligence to require true calculation. It feels like Ninja Theory was trying to create a strategic and intricate combat system that anyone can play, but that mixed focus occasionally muddles the fighting. Then there’s the blocking system, which requires you to not be in the middle of an attack animation in order to deflect blows. Even though it emphasizes a balance between offense and defense, I was constantly wishing I could deliberately block. Removing your fingers from the buttons (to ensure you don’t start a new animation) also takes you out of the action.
It may not realize its full potential, but the combat in Heavenly Sword is frenzied and entertaining – more than enough to justify giving the game a try. The amazing cutscenes (with some of the best facial animations I’ve ever seen), a cool cast of characters, and the stirring musical score complement the gameplay to create an incredibly cinematic experience. It may invite comparisons to other action titles, but I can safely say that Heavenly Sword is a unique and captivating adventure with a style all its own.