The problem with all this technical showboating is you need an equally great game within all the blockbuster presentation - and it's here where things start to unravel for Heavenly Sword. Even Square-Enix's legendary teams would be impressed.
Unlike so many other games released on PS3 to date, you really appreciate the generational leap in the production values. With near-perfect lip syncing adding a final layer to the effect, it's clear that an incredible amount of effort went into the cinematic appeal of Heavenly Sword.
Nariko's battle to keep the eponymous Heavenly Sword out of the hands of the evil King Botan is one told over a regular procession of in-engine cut-scenes, using the most sophisticated facial animation system seen outside of the CG movie business.Aided and abetted by the expert touch of Andy Serkis, not only do the character models look uncannily realistic (apart from the hair, which still looks like polygonal dreadlocks), but convey the kind of expression and emotion not normally associated with mere videogames. It's a game that also takes the business of narrative extremely seriously, so it's just as well that such an emotive, desperate tale can be expressed on-screen in ways that have eluded game developers the world over - until now. Flame-haired women - always causing a ruckus. It's not as if we've had many titles that have done that so far. If anything's responsible for dragging you along through Heavenly Sword, it's the way the game makes you play the digital tourist, eager to find out where else the game can push the PS3. Some might boringly label it as 'truly next gen' or whatever - I'll just thank the art team for investing so much effort in making the simple process of traversing the game world a hugely entertaining experience in its own right. There are times within Heavenly Sword's six chapters when the technical accomplishments offer an embarrassment of riches breathtaking moments designed to make you just stop, mouth agog, and wallow in some of the most ambitious, picturesque landscapes and ornate environments ever committed to a digital canvas. Not a bad idea at all, when you consider how well both of those went down with you lot. It's as if Ninja Theory fell in love with the art style of ICO and fancied the idea of a setting a truly bombastic God of War-style hackandslash within it. it's a game that you'll want to truly bask in, such is the visual opulence on show. For probably only the second time since we fired up the PS3 have we been moved to drag the sofa a bit closer to the TV. For PS3 owners, the wait for the killer-app goes on.īut let's stay within the realms of exquisiteness to kick-off with - it's a nice place this time of year. It really did have the potential to be the PS3's first must-have title - yet, somewhere along the line it doesn't quite deliver. Heavenly Sword is that sort of game: your sense of disappointment is amplified because it's clear that Ninja Theory handled so many elements exquisitely.
No, the really gutting ones are always the ones that just fall short of greatness, where you feel sure that with a bit more polish and refinement that they could (and perhaps should) have been amazing.
The most disappointing games aren't the low-scoring Driver 3 out of 10s - those are just the road crashes we point and laugh at.