Heavenly Sword Review

By Kristan Reed Published 31 August, 2007

Sevenly flawed.

Version tested: PlayStation 3

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. Those are beyond redemption. 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. 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. 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. For PS3 owners, the wait for the killer-app goes on.

But let's stay within the realms of exquisiteness to kick-off with - it's a nice place this time of year. 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. it's a game that you'll want to truly bask in, such is the visual opulence on show. 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. Not a bad idea at all, when you consider how well both of those went down with you lot.

Art breaker

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. 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. 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. It's not as if we've had many titles that have done that so far.

'Heavenly Sword' Screenshot 1

Flame-haired women - always causing a ruckus.

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. 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. 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. Unlike so many other games released on PS3 to date, you really appreciate the generational leap in the production values. Even Square-Enix's legendary teams would be impressed.

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. The crux of the matter is that the combat never quite feels as gratifying or assured as you'd hope. Lacking the hardcore depth of a Ninja Gaiden or Devil May Cry, nor as wonderfully accessible as, say, Onimusha or God of War, it sits in a kind of unsatisfying no-man's land between them, and goes its own way to the ultimate detriment of your overall enjoyment.

Dance stance

'Heavenly Sword' Screenshot 2

There's nothing at all heavenly about a blade that separates limbs from bodies.

At its most basic, it does much the same thing as all of them. Yep, the square and triangle buttons get a good pasting again, with the heart of the game's uncomplicated combo system based on various button presses of every hackandslasher's most overworked symbols. Occasionally you might want to throw in a X for good measure, but more significant is the role played by use of L1 or R1 - the 'stance' modifier. Without using either you fight using the 'speed' stance's set of moves, which effectively gives you the ability to throw a flurry of quick sword-based manoeuvres, but do medium levels of damage. It also means you can counter your opponent's moves if you see a blue-ish hue and hit triangle just as they're about to land an attack.

If you hold down L1 you can pull-off the range attacks/counter. This chain blade attack might be pretty weak in isolation, but in the right context comes in incredibly useful - such as breaking up a gaggle of enemies if you're surrounded. As a counter, it can be essential - swishing away a hail of incoming arrows, say, or dispersing a wall of water heading towards you. By far the most deadly, though, is the heavy stance, performed by holding down R1 and mashing combos using triangle and/or square. Although it's a bit slower than the others, it's invaluable when timed right - and, likewise, an effective counter to have up your sleeve when the opportunity presents itself. Once you learn a few of the basic combos (or get lucky with button mashing), even the hardiest enemies hit the deck as they feel the full force of your blade.

'Heavenly Sword' Screenshot 3

Heavenly Sword captures the mania of big battles better than any game since, oooh, Ninety Nine Nights.

Mastering Nariko's 'Superstyle' moves gives Ninja Theory the chance to zoom in on the action and show off some of its grisly, but never less than satisfying finishing moves. Essentially used as a payback for stylish, relentless killing sprees, the better you get at killing, the better the action looks. Countering successfully, and an unbroken string of kills bring delicious, grisly rewards.

While there's no denying that the combat can be brutally thrilling to watch, at no time during the game did we ever feel fully in control of our actions. Wild, random slashing would often be just as effective a technique as studying the combos and attempting to follow them to the letter - so, inevitably as new moves get unlocked, you tend to stop paying that much attention to the progression system and play on furious, rhythmic instinct. So long as you're making progress, it hardly seems to matter if you're button mashing or not - sad to say.

Wonder Milky Bitch

Part of the problem is the way Heavenly Sword rewards progress. Every game from possibly Onimusha onwards has gravitated towards a variation on the genius orb/soul harvesting system, which ensures players have a means to power up weapons/powers/armour as they see fit. This allows players to subtly change the experience to suit them, and how they want the game's 'currency' to be invested - for example, spread thinly across all abilities and weapons, or towards maxing one in particular. However, Ninja Theory's decision to go for a predetermined approach is baffling, because it leaves the player with no means of controlling or varying how Nariko powers up over the course of the game.

Perhaps only having one weapon (the Heavenly Sword) is a bit of an oversight in a genre that relies on the variety and intrigue provided by new and increasingly powerful attack methods and, likewise, defence mechanisms. All the game offers in return for your concerted efforts is new combos when you accumulate medals during each sub-level. To a degree there's a incentive to go back and replay levels you didn't do so well on to earn new combos, but only if you're capable of working out these new moves afterwards. For the vast majority of players, that's no real incentive - not when good old fashioned button mashing does the job just fine (on Normal difficulty, I might add - the unlockable Hell mode's a different story, in as much as it'll kick your arse if you don't know exactly what you're doing).

Another thing to take issue with is whether the counter system is a good idea at all. What's wrong with being able to block, for example? If anything, the rather lame auto block system merely encourages you to wade in like a maniac and thrash around until everyone's lying prostate on the ground. If you could block, it would encourage a bit more strategy, but instead it feels like a never ending sequence of attacks - it's not as if there aren't enough spare buttons to make it possible. On the whole, the control system just makes the game feel more hemmed in than other hackandslashers - which, we suspect is precisely the opposite of what Ninja Theory was aiming for. It might make it more accessible on the surface, but you just feel constrained.

Instant replay

It's a real shame to reflect on that, because in all other respects the game gets things just right. The bite-sized structure (and the ability to replay each and every segment afterwards) is a great touch, and keeps the action flowing like a good action blockbuster should. The camera, as well, is exceptionally well executed, and is never something you need to worry about, because (like God of War) the levels are designed intelligently enough to take all of that away from you. Instead of having to control the camera with the right stick, it pans around exactly when it should, leaving you with the option to use the right stick to pull of a nifty evasion move. If peering in a specific direction is that important to you, L2 and R2 give you that ability - not that you ever really need to, but sometimes you might just like to admire the view...

'Heavenly Sword' Screenshot 4

Dare I say it, the combat can feel very Sands of Time on occasion.

Now and then Heavenly Sword takes a break from all the hackandslash guff and lets you shoot at things from big cannons, or fire arrows into the mush of one of those sneaky archers stationed up in the ramparts. In these hugely entertaining (but rather samey) interludes you can aim the rough direction and trajectory with the left stick and fire haplessly with the square button (and invariably miss), or hold down L1 and effectively steer the missile directly to its target. By default, the game encourages you to use the SixAxis tilt controls, but although it feels rather fantastic when you wobble your pad to your target, it's horribly imprecise. After a few hours of struggling with it, we couldn't quite believe how much easier it was to control the direction with the analogue stick in comparison. Nice try, but no thanks. Inevitably, after you've played through a couple of these shoot 'em up sections, the novelty wears off a little and it starts to feel a bit tacked-on, but that's not to say they weren't enjoyable. At the very least, they show off the gore, the excellent explosions and the game's frankly superb physics in an incredibly cinematic fashion.

On that last point we should perhaps elaborate. In keeping with the exceptional technical graphical feats, the way all the game's objects have a convincing physical property is genuinely impressive. Objects splinter and break apart, structures collapse and debris knocks other items asunder. Every scene is truly alive with destruction, and the ability to grab hold of practically anything and lob it at an enemy is great fun. But, as with so many of the other impressive technical feats in the game, it only seems to make the central gameplay flaws more apparent, sadly. In short, it looks pretty, but never really utilises the physics to do anything in real gameplay terms.

Picky

'Heavenly Sword' Screenshot 5

The occasionally playable Kai is, as Tom said, the best fruitcake ever seen in a game. And yes, her face paint does indeed rule.

But that's not to say the game is totally glitch free, either. In fact, on regular occasions it's glaringly apparent that Heavenly Sword isn't quite as optimised as it could have been, with notable frame rate hitches creeping in now and them, and occasional v-sync tearing. As polished as the game is 90 per cent of the time, there's a lingering feeling the game was deemed 'good enough' rather than fully honed in all areas. That's a real shame, because it brings us back to thinking about how good the game might have been had the developer been given a few more months to tweak, refine and change a few things that might have made all the difference.

As it stands, Heavenly Sword is still an impressive, epic hackandslash adventure, and one that's full of memorable moments that keep you engaged right to the end. At times it veers towards being truly great, with the general 'direction' of the game's key sequences ensuring that it always keeps your attention with one visually arresting sequence after another. But inevitably, no amount of lavish technical polish and drama-filled cut scenes can disguise how it feels to play, and the fact that at its core, the combat doesn't quite cut it. Put simply, it feels like it's trying too hard to be different for the sake of it, and throws all manner of good, well-established ideas out to its detriment. Instead of being a spectacular refinement of what's gone before, Heavenly Sword is a reinvention that doesn't quite pay-off. Not quite the 7th heaven you might have been looking for, then.

7 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Kristan.

About Kristan Reed

Kristan is a former editor of Eurogamer, dad, Stone Roses bore and Norwich City supporter who sometimes mutters optimistically about Team Silent getting back together.

Read more articles from Kristan by visiting the Kristan Reed archive page.

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Comments (200) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Peew971 #1 5 years ago

    Ouch!

  • Carlo #2 5 years ago

    IGNITION ADVERT IS FUCKING SHT RAUPER!!! It's killing my CPU!!!!!

  • hamstand #3 5 years ago

    adblock it?

  • quantumsheep #4 5 years ago

    Where's Space Giraffe?

    /goes to read this review anyway =)

  • Steroyd #5 5 years ago

    Uh Oh a Seven which is somehow a shit score, and... I'm out.

  • Cider-X #6 5 years ago

    I predict a riot...

  • speedofthepuma #7 5 years ago

    EG destory all with their reasonableness.

    Which is a word.

  • Dizzy #8 5 years ago

    What ad?

    <a href="http://www.ie7pro.com
    ">http://www.ie7pro.com
    </a>

    Anyway... reading the review it looks pretty good for the casual players. Epic and easy. Maybe a harsh 7. I expect this to sell very well. Probably the best selling PS3 game this year. Maybe a 2 player option would have been a savior.
    Edited by 2 at 31/08/07 @ 11:57

  • Red-Moose #9 5 years ago

    I say that Warhawk is the killer app for PS3, as it's fucking excellent and pisses over every other online FPS.

    A harsh 7 I think from EG, no surprise really - if it was a year ago, it would have been 8 but 360 has finally had some good games (there was fuck all basically until Sept. 06) now.


    /goes back to Warhawk and Bioshock

  • the_dudefather #10 5 years ago

    before anyone else asks:

    so what IS twing twang?

  • caligari #11 5 years ago

    7. That ain't bad - especially after the 8 for Warhawk.

    Any higher, and you would have had the Xbox zealots bashing down the door.

    /looks at watch

    In fact...they should still be here...anyyyyy...second...

    NOW!

  • Schiraman #12 5 years ago

    I'm not convinced by the argument that only having one weapon is a flaw - especially a weapon that has three distinct modes anyway. GoW's sub-weapons always felt very weak and tacked-on to me, so I wouldn't lament their loss.

    I have to say though that a lack of controllable camera is shit. It really sucked in GoW and I have no idea why anyone would want to copy that idea. Why not just have a button to dodge? Perhaps I'm just odd, but I've always liked being able to control the camera and, you know, actually look at what I want to look at - rather than being forced to look where the game wants me to.

  • Hughes. #13 5 years ago

    I was expecting an EG 6 on this. Maybe the anti-hype-hammer is being saved for next week?

    Nothing here that will cause me to cancel my order, still looks right up my street.

  • Scimarad #14 5 years ago

    7? That's better than I expected to be honest.

    If I'm going to attack endless hordes of people I think I'd rather do it in Dynasty Warriors TBH - At least you get feeling that there are a lot skirmishes going on that you can effect. The only reason I make that comparison is because that's what the demo reminded me of when you take out the platforming elements of God of War and Ninja Gaiden.

    Does the full game run smoother than the demo?

  • Cloudane #15 5 years ago

    Since when has 7 been a bad score?

    Overreacting for the lose.

  • konstantinos #16 5 years ago

    I believe frustration is always a bad feeling to get/have when playing a game, especially when it's because greatness remains just beyond your grasp...
    but that was the case for me with Resistance: Fall of Man and in the middle of it I just decided to take it for what it is and I ended up enjoying it a lot more...
    Heavenly Sword though looks so beautiful, I will forgive its shortcomings... I mean, I wasn't expecting a new God of War...

    cheers...

  • mingster #17 5 years ago

    one down... Lair to go

  • TwistidChimp #18 5 years ago

    Hmm.. not as high as I was expecting but seems to be in keeping with most other review scores. Still sounds like it gets an awful lot right though. Will still definatley be picking it up when I finally get around to getting my ps3.

  • dog2_99 #19 5 years ago

    After the demo and other reviews i cancelled my pre-order...i stand by that decision, will pick it up when its cheaper on ebay etc.

    looks like it will be xbox360 xmas! shame...

    it plays blu-ray though dont you know! :0)

  • krudster #20 5 years ago

    Wow, sanity prevailing: 7 in "not a bad score" shock! The tide is turning.

  • Razz #21 5 years ago

    LMFAO! YES! \o/

  • trav #22 5 years ago

    So what is Twing Twang?

  • GingerNathan #23 5 years ago

    For all those saying "7 isn't a bad score", shut up. It has nothing to do with the fact that seven is a bad score (it isn't), it's the fact that Heavenly Sword is this year big PS3 hyped to hell release which promised so much, yet will ultimately disappoint players that where expecting a AAA game.

  • Kiigan #24 5 years ago

    7 is a decent enough score, better than I expected after the bloody awful demo.

    That said, it just goes to show... you can have amazing art, amazing animation, amazing technology, amazing voice acting and production values... you can have buckets and buckets of Sony money to spend... and still end up with something fairly run-of-the-mill.

  • menage #25 5 years ago

    "I was expecting an EG 6 on this. Maybe the anti-hype-hammer is being saved for next week? "

    What's coming out then? Lair?

  • myiagros #26 5 years ago

    exactly as expected. i'm still loking foward to this one despite it lacking in some departments.

    Going from the demo i very much agreed with the part of the review in which it was stated they never felt quite like they were in total control of what was happening in the combat.

    No mention of the brevity of the game in this review. How long did it take to get through it??

  • Moz #27 5 years ago

    I think this game lost it's chances at AAA status months ago

    But hay still sounds like a great game, still looking forward to playing it.

    'til then RFOM- online and Warhawk will keep me more then entertained.

    The main game I'm currently really waiting for is LBP

    Personally I think it's looking like this years AAA titles will come from 3rd parties in the shape of UT3 and HAZE

    Ratch & Clank is also a good contender for a AAA crown.

  • Curion #28 5 years ago

    If god of war 2 is a 9 then on my review scale heavenly sword should then be a 4.

  • EmiliasHorse #29 5 years ago

    Good review. Thanks

  • krudster #30 5 years ago

    It took me about eight hours in total. Slightly below the 10-12 hour par you expect.

  • Moz #31 5 years ago

    "No mention of the brevity of the game in this review. How long did it take to get through it??"

    If what's been said is true it's like 6 - 8 hours if you burn through the main story, but there is ment to be more side story stuff if you go after it

  • SIDEARM #32 5 years ago

    And my PS3 continues its epic Blu-ray player only status.

  • Les #33 5 years ago

    Sweet.

    "However, Ninja Theory's decision to go for a predetermined approach is baffling, because it leaves the player with no means of controlling or varying how Nariko powers up over the course of the game."

    Not a problem for me TBH. If given these kind of options in games usually I waste a lot of precious time leveling up everything. No choice can be better than choice.

  • krudster #34 5 years ago

    There is only a single linear story to play through - no side quest at all. A more talented player than I would easily burn through it in 6 hours. Fewer if you could actually skip the cut scenes, some of which are quite long.

  • Les #35 5 years ago

    "It took me about eight hours in total. Slightly below the 10-12 hour par you expect."

    That was last gen...

  • BadBoyBonner #36 5 years ago

    The in-game cut scene's set a new benchmark for the entire industry.

    Truly a thing of beauty - showing ALL others how it can be done.

    Obviously what is unknown at present is the cost involved.

    But even before, the big Sony push, NT showed their tech off with the facial animation engine they had produced.

    Expect Andy Serkis and the Weta workshop to be very busy in future, if it isn't already.

    EDIT: off not of (tut's)
    Edited by 1 at 31/08/07 @ 12:33

  • lennon #37 5 years ago

    Its a pass from me then. 6 hours does not make it worth the outlay. ;)

  • Gurgeh #38 5 years ago

    "And my PS3 continues its epic Blu-ray player only status. "

    At least you know you have a Blu-Ray player...

    [link url=http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070809-rep ort-gamers-largely-clueless-about-next-gen-console-media-cap abilities.html
    ]http://ar stechnica.com/news.ars/post/200...[/link]

  • Hughes. #39 5 years ago

    @menage

    Mugwum hinted in the What's New section that they'll be going to see a certain big game next week. I'm suspecting it's one with a "3" after it's name.

    For those enquiring, I believe Twing Twang is clit-diddling with a jew's harp.

  • krudster #40 5 years ago

    Actually, it has a 2 after its name ;)

  • DUFFKING #41 5 years ago

    EUROGAMER IS BIASED TOWARD SONY!!!


    ...





    Oh.

    I'd still buy this. If I had a PS3, looks decent enough.
    Edited by 1 at 31/08/07 @ 12:43

  • lennon #42 5 years ago

    "Actually, it has a 2 after its name ;) "

    Half Life?
    Edited by 1 at 31/08/07 @ 12:46

  • MikeJones #43 5 years ago

    Game should have got a 5. The gameplay and graphics are really not up to par and you can beat it in 5 hours. Silly Eurogamer. I beat it using only triangle.

  • Hughes. #44 5 years ago

    Oh, now I'll have to think about games with a 2 after them.

    Err...

    Sonic 2!!

    I enjoyed that.

    9/10

  • Caimbeul #45 5 years ago

    Shame still when you think that using the 1-10 scale means that a 5 is technically mid-range/ average a 7 still is not bad. With 10 being perfect. Halfway between average and good would suggest it actually being generally good.

  • lennon #46 5 years ago

    "Actually, it has a 2 after its name ;) "

    Army of or Fable 2?

  • bluebird #47 5 years ago

    Never thought I'd say it, but this might be worth a patch! What if Ninja Theory would patch the game online so you have an option to play using another combat technique set? (as in, you get that block button and some other combat tuning). Such a shame that something that is so (relatively) easy to fix is breaking a game that is otherwise so stunning!

  • DUFFKING #48 5 years ago

    >>"Actually, it has a 2 after its name ;) "
    >>
    >>Army of or Fable 2?Army of or Fable 2?

    Killzone
    Edited by 1 at 31/08/07 @ 12:53

  • NegativeZero #49 5 years ago

    You know, as pretty as it is, I actually found the visual style they used in the animated backstory shorts to be a lot more interesting. Would love to see a PSN/XBLA game with graphics designed to look like that.

  • caligari #50 5 years ago

    @ headbog

    You buy a brand new console for £425 and then start complaining about the lack of games?

    Perhaps your mother could have used the £425 on a late 'termination' instead. ;P

  • kangarootoo #51 5 years ago

    @headbog

    "So if what Krudster says is right, and skiping the cutscenes cuts the gameplay down even further, it looks like this is little more than an interactive movie."

    Erm, skipping cutscenes will ALWAYS reduce playtime.

  • light&shadow #52 5 years ago

    good not great, fine by me. After all we're very early into the console's life cycle. If I recall correctly there wasn't much great games on ps2 that early neither...oh wait when did Jak and Daxter came out? ah well... let's see how Uncharted will do then.

  • Lukus #53 5 years ago

    "It took me about eight hours in total. Slightly below the 10-12 hour par you expect."

    What?- the review? :p

  • Gnort #54 5 years ago

    What's with this "skipping the cutscenes makes the game even shorter" stuff? Of course it does, but assuming the game has a decent story, it's not like the cutscenes are filler.

    I remember GameSpot's review of Metal Gear Solid for the PS1 slated it because they said that if you skipped all the cutscenes, you could beat the game in three hours or something. Well, yes, but you'd be MISSING THE ENTIRE POINT OF THE GAME.

  • BadBoyBonner #55 5 years ago

    Headbog

    RE: BadBoyBonner

    You're kidding, right? Practically all the development seems to have centred around getting the cut scenes to look amazing.

    BBB> That is what I said. They have shown the highest quality levels in any interactive game’s cut scenes, which you seem to agree with whilst simultaneously ask if I am kidding. You seem confused – I mentioned nothing of the game itself.

    You then added

    Andy Serkis and Weta Digital happen to be the same duo involved in a certain CGI Charactor that covets a ring, along with a giant ape...

    BBB> Erm, do you think that is fresh information to me? About the ring ,ape, Andy or Weta? Perhaps you need to do a little more research into leading edge CGI and Mo-cap technique's.

    I'll let the developer speak for themselves....

    "To put that in perspective, in Lord of the Rings when they captured Andy Serkis as Gollum they only did body. The face was all hand animated matched to video. When they did Kong, they did the body first, then Andy had to head match separately, then he overdubbed the voice on top. Because we shot all of our stuff out at Weta (Workshop) with Andy in New Zealand, with Andy Serkis as a dramatic director, when we shot out stuff Weta developed new technology that took it from those three separate elements to all of them together and multiple actors as well. So that was certainly groundbreaking...."


  • oldergamer #56 5 years ago

    "Put simply, it feels like it's trying too hard to be different for the sake of it, and throws all manner of good, well-established ideas out to its detriment."

    Exactly.

    Still getting the game though. Don't want to miss out on all that inspired art work.

  • sonsonate #57 5 years ago

    Tomonobu Itagaki was right then, eh?

    Sorry, I really couldn't resist!

    /expects negative things

  • Yossarian #58 5 years ago

    Actually, it has a 2 after its name ;)

    Killzone?

  • GMWPS3 #59 5 years ago

    One thing's for sure!....It's a good game! Now we'll see how good a game it is when we finally get our hands on it.

  • chicknstu #60 5 years ago

    I thought this was meant to be really bad? Or was that just anti-sony propaganda?

    Another decent exclusive... I may have to buy a PS3 fairly soonish...

  • caligari #61 5 years ago

    @ headbog

    I'm sorry if you thought I was attacking you...I was simply pulling your (third) leg.

    ...

    Soooo, school starts soon. Have you polished your new shoes? ;)

  • barnard666 #62 5 years ago

    I think ratchet will be great....
    I feel that the concept of the beat em up adventure, is essentially flawed.

    lair got 4.9 on IGN...

  • Sir_TimAlot #63 5 years ago

    Warhawk gets an 8 and people love it, Heavenly sword gets a 7 and people say its a flop??? confusing. Tis a good review and sounds like a good game, will pick it up and no doubt enjoy it. If you think 7 is a shit score and it will be a shit game all you have to do is not buy it..........then drink a lot of drain cleaner.

  • Yossarian #64 5 years ago

    7 is of course by no means a bad score, and I'm glad people are 'realising' that, but the double standards of some posters who would ravage a 7-scoring 360 exclusive review makes me chuckle.

  • Lukus #65 5 years ago

    I can't believe people still put so much emphasis on the score at the end. I'd like to know if these people, having kittens about a 7, have actually read the words. It all makes perfect sense if you do. It's a good review for a good game. It explains everything you need to know. Gah!

  • lockload #66 5 years ago

    UmUmUmUm another AAA bites the dust...

  • drumbaby #67 5 years ago

    "The problem is, when your spending £425 on a games system, you expect it to have games that justify that expense. "

    Also, if you're shelling out that amount of dosh, you should know, or at least research, what the system has in its near future, and should never assume that any game is going to be AAA status just because the system cost £425.

    For that way lies bitterness.

  • Carrybagma #68 5 years ago

    Gears of War 2, dudes!

    Discuss it here!

    :oD

  • tonynibbles #69 5 years ago

    I didn't pay £425 for a games console.

    I paid £425 for a sexy black box that sits under my 1080p TV and does everything I want a box under the TV to do. And play games.

  • GingerNathan #70 5 years ago

    "I'd like to know if these people, having kittens about a 7,"

    Nobody in this comments section has said it's a bad game or that a seven is a bad score. Can't people be disappointed that the game isn't as good as they hoped? People wanted (and lets be fair where promised by NT and Sony) a game to rival the likes of Ninja Gaiden, DMC3, and the GoW's, but instead we're simply getting something good, and I'm sorry but I don't want to play good, i want to play exceptional.
    Edited by 1 at 31/08/07 @ 13:45

  • Machetazo #71 5 years ago

    @the_dudefather - Twing Twang's obviously bow and arrering, Kai's speciality. Think of the noise that firing a set makes. :)

    It looks like, from this description:

    "I might add - the unlockable Hell mode's a different story, in as much as it'll kick your arse if you don't know exactly what you're doing)."

    that you could use the Normal mode to learn the mechanics and stuff before potentially learning a very painful lesson, if you hadn't been concentrating the first time! When you go to play Hell, which from the sounds of things would make the game last longer, as you try to play with greater flair, all motion picture style.
    Edited by 1 at 31/08/07 @ 13:49

  • HarryPalmer #72 5 years ago

    Are there puzzles in it?

  • krudster #73 5 years ago

    None in the traditional sense. You fling a sort of frisbee and guide it (in first person) to pressure pads a few times in the game in order to open gates, but that's about the extent of puzzling.

  • bioreit #74 5 years ago

    Someone should say this, if only to get it out the way and seeing as I'm in a trolling mood...........

    6-8 hours? Isn't that the length of time Gears of War takes to complete? And weren't all the card-carrying SDF members crowing over it, pointing out how the brevity of the game was due solely to the limitations of the optical medium the 360 went with?

    Let's see, both games have excellent graphics, both are 6-8 hours in length, both are totally linear game environments, Heavenly Sword has loads more enemies on screen at once but Gears of War has multiplayer and hop-in-hop-out co-op.

    Seems to me that both games are kind of on a par, technically-speaking.

    So what benefit, precisely, has the multiple-capacity-of-DVD Blu-Ray technology brought to Heavenly Sword that would not possibly have been achievable on the 360?

    Anyone?

    /skips off merrily to watch from afar.

  • Sebo #75 5 years ago

    And it may just be my poor playing, but I'm sure Gears took longer than 8 hours to complete. I'd personally say it was near 12.

  • Artemis_Matsas #76 5 years ago

    @tonnynibles
    +1

    40W2000 here, what did you got?
    Edited by 1 at 31/08/07 @ 14:07

  • Moz #77 5 years ago

    @bioreit

    You can't really use one game as an example, in this case the developer run out of time or money to make the game longer (at a guess)

    BD is offering an advantage EPIC have stated that UT3 on PS3 will have more content on the disc then the 360 version

  • caligari #78 5 years ago

    It's not too difficult to spot the trolls.

    They all seem to have 'Bio' at the start of their usernames.


  • bioreit #79 5 years ago

    It's even easier when they say "seeing as I'm in a trolling mood".

  • The-Bodybuilder #80 5 years ago

    7 is not bad all, just enough to satisfy my action/adventure needs (which is very hungry).

    But the 6-8hrs linear gameplay is a turn-off. But I would advice ps3 owners to give it a whirl.

  • penhalion #81 5 years ago

    From playing the very short demo of heavenly sword, it was apparent to many that the combat was pretty much a button masher. Like many I looked for the block button and when Nariko would occasionally block, I thought I had stumbled upon it (only to get pasted seconds later when I tried to use the button again!).

    The review seems spot on to me. The game feels epic in scope but crappy in implementation. They obviously played God Of War so why the hell didn't they notice the way it rewards you new power moves for weapons and allows you to nick the boss weapons too.

    The strange thing is that the heavenly sword story lends itself perfectly to this type of progression. The sword feeds on the deaths of your enemies as well as your own life force so why doesn't that power it up? Perhaps stances could have been earned by spending captured souls etc. etc. Imagine a cut sequence where the sword morphs to grow chains for the ranged stance or elongates ahd grows heavier for the power stance. There was so much potential here.......

  • Dizzy #82 5 years ago

    You know.. are all those 2000 hours cut scenes and Bluray gimmicks really necessary?

    [link url=http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35267
    ]    http://ww w.evilavatar.com/forums/showthr...[/link]

    Castle Crashers seems to do the same thing as HS but in 100 MB ;) and probably better. I wonder if, in a way, PS3 has been cursed by Bluray as devs feel obliged to create games filled to the brink with beautiful hours of nonsense.

    Warhawk seems to be a good example of a great game, that doesn't aim to justify Bluray. Ironic no that it seems to be the best game on PS3 this year and you can just download it from PSN. Reminds me of the first few years of "CD-games". All junk, in a vain attempt to justify the medium.

  • QPRHOOPS81 #83 5 years ago

    "8 for a £19 game that will last for more than 6-8 hours and doesnt rely on cutscenes to pad it out is far, far better than a £40-50 game that relies on the latter. "

    Im sure the 8 took into account it was a budget game. I bet had it been 40 quid it would not have recieved an 8.

    Think im in the minority but i actually enjoyed the demo. Admittedly i was shocked at the length and it took a few goes before i started enjoying it. However after playing through it a few times im quite excited about the game. Frame rate is a bit of a worry mind.

  • nervokid #84 5 years ago

    @ bioreit

    >So what benefit, precisely, has the multiple-capacity-of-DVD Blu-Ray technology >brought to Heavenly Sword that would not possibly have been achievable on the >360?
    >
    >Anyone?

    About 11 different audio versions? Will boost sales.

  • QPRHOOPS81 #85 5 years ago

    Im still deciding which way to go on a new system. Currently i have a PS2 and like the PS3 (brother has one) however price is abit to high for me to justify. I do like the media hub bit and would def take advantage. Played on a friend 360 and liked that too plus its cheaper. Think ill wait a bit longer, probally till the new Pro comes out.

  • onyxbox #86 5 years ago

    I think I'll wait for this to be a second hand buy.

    Lair didn't get a very good review over on IGN (4.9). So I guess I'll be sticking to my 360 for the most part this Xmas.

  • JediMasterMalik #87 5 years ago

    Loving Hack and slashers like this, a 7 is a buy for me. Good stuff.

  • Kenshin001 #88 5 years ago

    From the review this seems like another game to pickup. What with Warhawk and then this coming out, good times. I imagine these sort of beautiful action adventure games will appeal to the PS2 owning market looking to upgrade too. Indeed, PS3 is developing a nice range of games across the board.

  • Gnort #89 5 years ago

    It's not a poor review! It's a 7!

    Anyway, I like hack-and-slashers, and based on this review, I would definitely buy Heavenly Sword if I had a PS3. But I don't, and this isn't going to make me buy one.

    That's kind of what a 7 means to me.

  • RexRunti #90 5 years ago

    @Gnort

    My thoughts exactly

  • benster80 #91 5 years ago

    To Red Moose, Warhawk pisses all over every other online FPS? I don't think so. Obviously you've never played Battlefield 2 or 2142 on PC! Warhawk is a poor man's version of these games and after playing warhawk for 1 hour I was bored! Its maps are crap compared to the diversity found on BF2 and 2142 and the flying is poor! The PC is where you find the best online FPS experiences the consoles can't come close! I own PS3 and Xbox360 but really the only game that I think delivers a good online experience on console is Rainbow 6 vegas.

  • besteman #92 5 years ago

    so maybe i missed it in the review between the bitching about the combo system and jammering about a missed frame, but was it a fun ride?

  • GingerNathan #93 5 years ago

    "FUFFUX ACHE

    SINCE WHEN DID 7 OUT OF 10 = A SHIT SCORE?
    "

    FUFFUX ACHE

    SINCE WHEN DID ANYONE SAY A 7 OUT OF 10 = SHIT SCORE?

    By the way you Caps lock is on.

  • Gurgeh #94 5 years ago

    Wonder what the reaction will be to Lair reviews...

  • woodnotes #95 5 years ago

    "FUFFUX ACHE

    SINCE WHEN DID 7 OUT OF 10 = A SHIT SCORE?"

    There's tons of 7/10 games out there. This was a mega-budget AAA Sony first party exclusive that was one of the very first next-gen games in development - a long time ago. Sony have been promising us a AAA 9+ game, not some middle-of-the-road hack n slash.

  • floppylobster #96 5 years ago

    If it had starred a dude with muscles it might have been an 8.

  • GingerNathan #97 5 years ago

    "Dear Gingernathan,

    peew971 "ouch!"
    Steroyd "Uh Oh a Seven which is somehow a shit score, and... I'm out."
    Bionick "Sevenly sword, I see what you did there... oh well another PS3 flop."
    lockload "UmUmUmUm another AAA bites the dust..."

    Love, Steev X! "

    None of those posts claim the game is shit (except maybe "oh well another PS3 flop", which certainly doesn't suggest it's good), they just claim it isn't AAA, which it isn't!
    Edited by 1 at 31/08/07 @ 15:55

  • mingster #98 5 years ago

    Which is what it was supposed to be

  • Azazel #99 5 years ago

    If it had starred a dude with muscles it might have been an 8.

    Homoeroticism adds a point? It's simple science.

  • Les #100 5 years ago

    "Whats with all the PS3 fanboys posting about how it's OK for their beloved Heavenly Sword to score only 7/10? These are probably the same fanboys hoping Halo 3 gets a 7/10 and will be jumping all over it snearing with anti-XBOX jealousy. Like they did when Eurogamer slammed the PC version of Halo 2."

    Can't you accept that there's people more mature than you?! Go away and take your fanboy war with you.

  • Les #101 5 years ago

    "but really the only game that I think delivers a good online experience on console is Rainbow 6 vegas."

    emphasis on "I"...

  • The_Inquisitor #102 5 years ago

    Pretty much what most people were xpecting then. Just from what I saw in the trailers, I could have written a similar review.

  • SteveB #103 5 years ago

    So what this review is basically saying is that it looks very pretty, great cut scenes, but you never really feel in control, you can get by button mashing, the upgrade path is flawed, it's a mistake only having one weapon and the shooting sections are repetitive.

    Doesn't sound like a 7/10 game to me.

  • lockload #104 5 years ago

    Sony have totally bet on the wrong horse, graphics are not the main thing for this gen graphics are more than good enough, their devs should spend more time on what actually makes a game a AAA title... gameplay and innovation

    It seems painfully obvious that sonys 1st and 2nd party devs have been ordere3d to fill that disc to justify bluray (only days ago the devs if this game were saying they could only just fit it on bluray, a 6 hour game WTF) and put graphics over gameplay
    Edited by 1 at 31/08/07 @ 17:45

  • smoothn00dle #105 5 years ago

    I am not a score whore. Review score is a guideline, only a guideline. Don't let them take away our chance to experience both good/bad games. Every reviewers' has different favor that appear to them. It is not by law, we gamers' must follow the taste with the reviewer.

    Few years ago, it is common practice for reviewers' to mark down a FPS without both single and multi-play features. Is it double standard that Bioshock got 10 here with only one? What about Shadowrun game, reviewers criticize for lacking both a campaign and multiplayer. Just because of that, they mark the game down.

    We are in a new era of gaming right now new console, new experience and new rules. Don't let people tell u what is fun! When MGS1 first come out, the average score was only 8. That's because MGS is so revolutionary, way outside many reviewers' comfort zone. At the end, it was the gamers who told the reviewers and corp what is fun.

    One last thing, right now, there is a PR war between Sony and 360. Corps will go out their way and bush their game score up and competitors' score down. I hate to see this happen but in real life..... This make game scores more unreliable indicator. The following report is an interesting read on that matter by By Robert Ashley and Shawn Elliott.

    PR And The Game Media: How PR Shapes What You Think About Games
    [link url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/featur e/1542/pr_and_the_game_media_how_pr_.php
    ]http://ww w.gamasutra.com/view/feature/15...[/link]

  • GingerNathan #106 5 years ago

    "I answered the first part, you've now moved the goalposts.
    "
    I didn't, you claimed that a 7/10 isn't a shit score (which it isn't), and I took your comment (and of others) to imply that many of the above posts where claiming the game was shit because it got a seven. I just pointed out that I hadn't read any comments that made that true, if this comment section was full of screaming Xbox and Ninty fanboys screaming about how crap the game was then I'd agree, but for a change the comments section is pretty void of that kind of thing. All I've read so far are the comments of disappointed gamers who where expecting something special from the game, and seeing as many other sites have (except Play magazine who gave it a 10/10 - please!) reviewed the game and basically said the same thing as Eurogamer, then people have a right to be disappointed from a game that Sony have been hyping only slightly less then Killzone 2 and MGS4.
    On a personnel note I'm greatly disappointed by the reviews this game has got (as well as reviews from other sites for Lair), and although I'll probably get it I know at the back of my mind I'll constantly be thinking 'if only...' whilst playing.

    I'll ignore that you said I was acting like a Cunt!

  • captainrentboy #107 5 years ago

    I do hope that all of you 7/10 defenders wont be in the Halo 3 comments section, slamming it big sylee, should it also only manage to get a seven in a few weeks time.
    Personally I don't see anything wrong with a seven, if I'd been looking forward to a game for a while, and it was one of my preferred genres, then it getting a 7/10 would be enough to justify a purchase.
    A six on the other hand.....

  • Gibroon #108 5 years ago

    A 7 is quite good and I'm tempted to buy it now.

    Its a pity it seems so short and that alone will put people off but its also a reason its getting lower than expected scores. If the game was longer it would have received higher scores, so the game play must be pretty good.

    As for spending £40 on it, do any of you ever do trade ins?

    My copy of rainbow 6 is going to be gathering dust because of warhawk.

    I'll probably get £25 for it so job's a good 'un, Heavenly sword for me.

  • George-Roper #109 5 years ago

    Well, better than I envisaged (6) but hardly the stunner expected.

  • ronuds #110 5 years ago

    What would people say if Halo got a 7?

  • captainrentboy #111 5 years ago

    I'd say ''Ahhh well, nevermind'', and then rush out and buy it.
    Because I played the Beta alone, online, moreso than any other 360 release this year.

  • kentmonkey #112 5 years ago

    A game lasting six hours for me isn't an issue...as long as they are six amazing hours.

    The fact that Luigi's Mansion only lasted me about eight hours wasn't a problem for me, I really enjoyed it (at the time) and was more than happy with the £25 it cost me for those eight enjoyable hours.

    On the other hand some games last fifteen-twenty hours and get dull after five hours and should have finished sooner, those are the games that bother me.

    However that said, six hours does not make £40 a good purchase. £25 maybe (just over £4 per hour is not a lot for something really entertaining, you pay more than that an hour to see a film at the cinema, or go bowling etc. plus you can always sell it on afterwards and usually get at least half of your outlay back) but not six hours, even if they're really good six hours.

    In this case it doesn't seem to get any more enjoyable than 'mildy entertaining'.

  • JediMasterMalik #113 5 years ago

    No matter what you say, the amount of hype and expectations for HS are very very different from that of Halo 3. I can't beleive the comparisons are being made.

  • GingerNathan #114 5 years ago

    "In short, not the killer Playstation 3 game, game fans were holding out for. "

    I've edited it for you! :/

  • ronuds #115 5 years ago

    "No matter what you say, the amount of hype and expectations for HS are very very different from that of Halo 3. I can't beleive the comparisons are being made."


    Just making an observation. I've never seen this much excitement and acceptance over a 6-hour game rated a 7.



  • JediMasterMalik #116 5 years ago

    So you counter with Halo 3? Good choice there.

  • ronuds #117 5 years ago

    "So you counter with Halo 3? Good choice there."

    Fine then...Mass Effect. Less hype than Halo, but I'll now have to wait much longer.

  • morriss #118 5 years ago

    7 is a disappointing score when you consider all the hype surrounding the game. It's a good score objectively, but as this was supposed to be a game worth waiting for - and believe me, as a PS3 owner I've waited and waited and waited - a 7 won't make me want to shell out my monies at all.

    Maybe when it's half price and used it's worth a gander but when their are so many other decent titles around why should I pay £50 for something that's 'decent'? They should've released it a month ago, there were no games then and I would've bought out of sheer boredom.

    Oh well.

  • captainrentboy #119 5 years ago

    What do you mean JMM?
    There's no difference between this getting a seven and Halo 3 potentially getting a seven, one having received more hype or not, I would just find it a lil silly and contradictive, if people who have said ''Ohhh, there's nothing wrong with a 7'' in this comments section go onto the Halo one in a few weeks(should it review less than amazingly), and then proceed to rip into it.

  • muftak #120 5 years ago

    @morriss

    but its just one persons view of it , it has had mixed reviews so this game is a lot like Marmite you either love it or hate it.

    7 still is a decent score for a 1st gen game and i loved the demo and cant wait for the full game now i got a lovely new full hd 42" to enjoy it on.

  • kentmonkey #121 5 years ago

    To reiterate my long post earlier, the thing that would put me off buying it isn't that it got a 7, or that it's only 6-8 hours long.

    It's that it's only 6-8 hours long and only got a 7.

    30 hours long and getting a 7 could equate to a £40 purchase.

    6-8 hours long and getting a 9 or 10 could equate to a £40 purchase.

    6-8 hours of 7/10 entertainment is £20 tops in my mind to get any sense of value for money out of it.
    Edited by 1 at 31/08/07 @ 23:03

  • The-Bodybuilder #122 5 years ago

    >"If it had starred a dude with muscles it might have been an 8."

    If it was some skinny japanesse emo with large hair, it would've got a 10.

  • Twincoil #123 5 years ago

    Right now I'm waiting for Warhawk to download whilst I pause before finishing off ***** in Bioshock and take time to glance at the days left on the Metroid release.

    Tell me I'm not fucking happy. Just tell me 'ya narrow minded fuckshite.

    Games FTW. Brand lovers FTL.
    Edited by 1 at 01/09/07 @ 10:26

  • Twincoil #124 5 years ago

    @kentmonkey (and others)

    Fuck you and fuck off if you're going to bitch and whine about 'value' and 'money'. Helloooo. Get another fucking hobby if 'price' is such big issue, because if it is, you're in the wrong fucking game.

    Aye, indeed, I'm angry, at charlatan gamers dressed up as savvy penny pinching consumers. And boo fucking who before you start: ANYONE with the cash to buy a console, broadband and a PC can shove it if they try to garner sympathy for the state of their wages.

    My name is Twincoil and I'm an addict. So are you. Money doesn't matter tonight.

  • ronuds #125 5 years ago

    @ Twincoil

    Your comment was almost poetic!

  • kangarootoo #126 5 years ago

    @Twincoil

    You are clearly pissed at time of writing, which actually makes your posts kind of endearing*


    *if you are sober, you are clearly a stroppy imbecile.

    Edit: "I'm an addict. So are you. Money doesn't matter tonight."

    Thats almost like an 80s pop tune of some sort. So +1 :D
    Edited by 1 at 01/09/07 @ 00:41

  • asphaltcowboy #127 5 years ago

    @Twincoil

    You might want to edit that first post...

  • Twincoil #128 5 years ago

    "if you are sober, you are clearly a stroppy imbecile"

    Nah, I'm well pissed, but I still somehow manage to be a stoppy imbecile when I'm sober, so, y'know, woe is me.

    "You might want to edit that first post... "

    Nah, fuck it, editing is for, urm, editors.

  • belziah #129 5 years ago

    headbog

    when i buy a console for £280 i expect it to last longer than 13 months and not be lied to by customer services and charged for its shittý design faults

    and the fact that until GoW the most popular game being played was halo2 pretty much nullifies your bullshit fanboy ravìng.

    Sony have fucked up big time in its launch execution of the PS3 just lìke it did wìth PS2 and we know badly that worked out.

    This time last year lego starwars was the highlight of 360 gaming and as great as that was it wasnt exactly tha shiznit to spend £300 on, so please, make your mother proud and keep it in your pants, no one wants to see it, even if it does do tricks when the dog sneezes on it;)

  • hulahoops #130 5 years ago

    But not subjectively.

    The average mark is the average mark awarded, not the mark closest to the middle of the scale. :)

  • Veracity #131 5 years ago

    > wade in like a maniac and thrash around until everyone's lying prostate on the ground
    Oh, Lordy.

    Another small voice of dissent, here, on the 'genius' of RPG-alike power progression curves in brawlers that require faffing about collecting currency to buy incremental character upgrades. Some progression isn't necessarily bad, but these systems usually include tiresome crap like 'Jab lvl1->Jab lvl2->Jab lvl3' that I'd personally much rather be spared, so a game with a more limited and low-progression move set could be quite refreshing. Not so much if coupled with imprecise and button-mashy controls, though, so never mind.

  • morriss #132 5 years ago

    I'd just like to remind frod that in Denmark they are £50 so please get your facts straight before you dare challenge me in the future! :)

    EDIT: In fact, first party in DK are usually more expensive than 3rd.
    Edited by 1 at 01/09/07 @ 07:55

  • Kryon #133 5 years ago

    Sooo....As good as Resistance then? Even KingKong on the 360 got an 8/10, PS3lol.

  • admir #134 5 years ago

    eurogamer could u get rid off this comment thing its getting ridicules do u guys even read the comments or at least charge people for putting comments we know fanboys are little kids who still need to grove up and their parents wont give them the money.
    do a poll or something

  • Kryon #135 5 years ago

    "kids who still need to grove up"

    If that's referring to me, I'll have you know I'm extremely groved up.

    /Back to Bioshock, ahh...Gotta love those triple A games, lol.

  • Les #136 5 years ago

    "I'd just like to remind frod that in Denmark they are £50 so please get your facts straight before you dare challenge me in the future! :)"

    [link url=http://www.movietyme.com:]http://www.movietyme.com:[/lin k] all PS3 games for around GBP 30 and free world wide shipping. Gotta love region-free! :)

  • morriss #137 5 years ago

    549kr = roughly £52.

    Movietyme want me to fax over my passport and credit card details to be a customer with them. They can fuck off. :)
    Edited by 1 at 01/09/07 @ 09:58

  • morriss #138 5 years ago

    rdexter: This isn't about fanboyism, it's about weighing up the cost compared what else is out there.

    Now, I've of course bought Bioshock this month, yesterday in fact and my budget only allows for one maybe maximum two more games. The other game would have to be bought by trading in a couple of other titles however, as I simply can't afford £100+ a month on games. Now, if HS was a 9 or 10, as I and many others have hoped then I would 'have' to buy it and I would've gladly have traded the games I wanted to trade for Halo 3 for this and just added Halo 3 to next months purchases: what I'm saying is, if the game was a 'must have', I would 'have' it.

    Considering the drought in PS3 games (since April) (IMO) I thought that HS was really going to the 'the one', kind of like the hype surrounding Bioshock, Halo 3 Assassins Creed etc. It seems like it 'isn't', so it'll have to wait until it's cheap enough to warrant a purchase. Which is why a '7' isn't a score that inspires me, tbh.

    I can't really put it any clearer.
    Edited by 2 at 01/09/07 @ 10:56

  • Kryon #139 5 years ago

    "Please don't come back"

    /pops head round door

    Bioshock ftw!! PS3 is lol!!

    /leaves again

  • morriss #140 5 years ago

    Nice one.

  • George-Roper #141 5 years ago

    @belziah

    "when i buy a console for £280 i expect it to last longer than 13 months and not be lied to by customer services and charged for its shittý design faults

    and the fact that until GoW the most popular game being played was halo2 pretty much nullifies your bullshit fanboy ravìng.

    Sony have fucked up big time in its launch execution of the PS3 just lìke it did wìth PS2 and we know badly that worked out.

    This time last year lego starwars was the highlight of 360 gaming and as great as that was it wasnt exactly tha shiznit to spend £300 on, so please, make your mother proud and keep it in your pants, no one wants to see it, even if it does do tricks when the dog sneezes on it;)"

    Means nothing. Absolutely nothing.

    In the here and now, Sony HAVE to compete with M$. To say that gamers should 'give the PS3 a chance, it's not been out long..' is just plain stupid when there's a console with a better range of quality games as an alternative.

    Sony have rested on their laurels and have banked on teh power of Blu-Ray to see it through. They've given us nothing in the way of top-grade games. Warhawk and Motorstorm are, imho, the only two titles worthy and even one of those is a d/l option.

    For a console to be out for a year, with the 360 as a direct competitor, and still not produce a wealth of exclusive AAA titles is a fucking joke. Nothing more can be said.

    Face facts. Sticking yer head in the sand just makes you look stupid.

  • Yossarian #142 5 years ago

    This time last year lego starwars was the highlight of 360 gaming

    No, I believe Condemned, PGR3, GRAW, Oblivion, Dead Rising etc. were the highlights

  • deaner #143 5 years ago

    I wasn't gonna buy it anyway, but still...

    EG being overly-critical of a PS3 title due to their own expectations being too high, while most other online reviews are simply very positive (average ratio on Game Rankings 83%)?

    I'd like to say I'm surprised...!

    How about instead gauging it against the alternatives and it's own actual merits? No? Okay.

  • Kryon #144 5 years ago

    PS3, disappointment followed by disappointment. What a load of junk, Teh powazerz of der CELL!!!11LOL, TEh BlooRai iZ werf it... PS3 is lol. That is all.

  • UncleLou #145 5 years ago

    consolegamerslol

  • Kryon #146 5 years ago

    UncleLol.

    See what I did there;)

  • belziah #147 5 years ago

    Yossarian

    10 month old games were your highlight for August 06. Did love Dead Rising despite the dodgy save mechanic.
    Edited by 2 at 01/09/07 @ 14:12

  • bioreit #148 5 years ago

    @ belziah

    Well, you're off on your sense of timing with Lego Star Wars, seeing as it came out mid-September last year.

    So I think Yossarian is well within his rights to mention games that didn't come out only in August 2006. And he mentioned Dead Rising, as did you, although you seem to dismiss it (despite saying you 'loved' it) and tell Yossarian what his own personal highlight for 360 gaming was - i.e. "10 month old games".

    Nice. I'm sure your psychic hat does wonders for you every Wednesday and Saturday night, helping you choose 6 numbers. I mean, otherwise, how could you possibly know what Yossarian's (or anyone else's) "highlight for August 06" was? Although, Yossarian DID mention one game from that month (DR), but you then ignored that to focus on the other games he'd mentioned, didn't you?

    Because that was the gist of what you were trying to say appeared to me to be - that Dead Rising was not good enough to be considered a "highlight" for August 2006, so the only games left that could possibly compete with what you implied was a 'poor' highlight (Lego Star Wars) were all "10 month old games" - implyng that the only games worth playing on the 360 in August 2006 were either 10 months old or Lego Star Wars and kinda possibly Dead Rising.

    /Jeez, this rant was longer than I meant it to be. Think I'm feeling ratty today....

  • Dr.Mott #149 5 years ago

    @ Kato

    That's quite a... er, disturbing way to put it.

    And yet, it makes so much sense.

  • charming_fox #150 5 years ago

    Hey Kryon, my brother has a PS3 and it looks like his momma - fat, ugly, only ever watches movies, has a cell. She's always got people taking the piss out of her, just like the PS3... always saying "Mommalolz and Teh Powerz of da Momma!". Did you know this?

  • DjFlex52 #151 5 years ago

    "10 month old games were your highlight for August 06. Did love Dead Rising despite the dodgy save mechanic."

    @belziah

    Table Tennis, Prey, Chromhounds (online), Hitman Blood Money, LotR and Saints Row all came out during the summer of 2006 for 360 besides Dead Rising. None were AAA games but at least we had "something" tide us over until the big games came out in fall and holiday.

    PS3 didn't have much come out this summer and now Heavenly Sword and Lair tallied par scores which will make me hold out on buying a PS3 until at least Winter 2008. :)

    edit: oops...how could I forget AAA title Uno came out summer 2006 too
    Edited by 1 at 01/09/07 @ 19:11

  • MrsPacMan #152 5 years ago

    Ha Ha (like Nelson)

  • Kryon #153 5 years ago

    charming_fox, that's great man, tell your bro he sucks and that I'm loling at him for owning a PS3 :)

    MrsPacMan, your bewbs look so juicy 'n' lemony-fresh in that profile pic, can you please forward a few more pics to my e-mail, ta.

  • DjFlex52 #154 5 years ago

    hey charming_fox, isn't your brother's momma your momma too?

    edit: oops!
    Edited by 1 at 01/09/07 @ 20:05

  • konniehuqfan #155 5 years ago

    7/10. it'll sell like hot cakes regardless.

  • kentmonkey #156 5 years ago

    @ Twincoil

    If you're older than twelve please do society a favour and never leave your house.

    And when others were suggesting that you edit your post, I think they were meaning this particular line:

    'My name is Twincoil and I'm an idiot who doesn't know how to put an opinion across without being aggressive or resulting to big words like 'Fuck' and mention that I'm drunk as it makes me look big and hard!'
    Edited by 1 at 01/09/07 @ 20:20

  • Paulanator #157 5 years ago

    "7/10. it'll sell like hot cakes regardless."


    Yeah, hotcakes covered in shit and sick : )

  • Kryon #158 5 years ago

    ^^^

    You forgot 'piss' and 'knob zit pus' :)

  • reddevil93 #159 5 years ago

    Sirtimalot:Warhawk gets an 8 and people love it, Heavenly sword gets a 7 and people say its a flop??? confusing. Tis a good review and sounds like a good game, will pick it up and no doubt enjoy it. If you think 7 is a shit score and it will be a shit game all you have to do is not buy it.

    Holy crap!A sensible comment.

  • MaxiSleep #160 5 years ago

    Have both Ps3 and 360. Fact is despite the fact I prefer playing with the PS3 (HMDI and very much quieter) the 360 has much better software. And rip off prices for blueray movies is not encouraging either.

    Go to any Game and you have to look hard for the sad empty looking ps3 section whilst the 360 looks vibrant.

    As for heavely sword I will buy it but please sony, get your finger out.

  • George-Roper #161 5 years ago

    @reddevil93

    Stop and think. Warhawk has been though huge changes. It was never expected to be the top-grade title that something with the production value of HS was, thus the scoring on it was expected to be ok-good.

    HS on the other hand has been hailed and hyped, for quite some time, as the 'next big thing' for the PS3, thus everyone was expecting exceptional reviews and scores. Which it just hasn't got.

    As many people on here have said, they were expecting more. They don't want 'ok' games on what it supposed to be the best console on the market. They want games that will blow the player away. Something that, aside from Motorstorm (and even that is debatable), Sony has yet to achieve.

    Like it or not, there it is. Take the rose tinted glasses off.
    Edited by 2 at 01/09/07 @ 21:19

  • miiiguel #162 5 years ago

    the aw3som3 c3ll!
    I still find odd how can anyone say to prefer playing on a PS3 "but" recognizes the best games are on a 360...?

  • Kryon #163 5 years ago

    Well, I hope all you Dorris Day-Station fans have learnt your lesson from this! Your console is nothing more than lol and even Ken is loling at you for buying it. In the future I suggest you cast aside the lies and propaganda Sony pierces your tiny brains with and make a wiser purchase :)

  • MaxiSleep #164 5 years ago

    miiiguel
    01-Sep-07 22:16:21 the aw3som3 c3ll!
    I still find odd how can anyone say to prefer playing on a PS3 "but" recognizes the best games are on a 360...?
    ignore poster


    Because it is quieter :) The 360 still is too noisy. However that may change with th 65 nm version allegedly already in boats and heading our way.

  • charming_fox #165 5 years ago

    A beautifully illustrated guide to your baby’s first year from Britain’s bestselling childcare expert Powerful GPS navigator provides faster acquisition times and improves tracking under trees and near buildingsYou forgot 'pissSend gift certificates to multiple addresses all at onceBasketball and Baseball and wrong FootbalI suggest you cast vibrantblueray moviesAs many people on here have allegedly already in boats

  • TRUTH #166 5 years ago

    I think PS3 owners can only nit pick (Always the same topic - Loud (in reality is not) /Red Ring) at 360 as there so desperate to convince themselves purchasing a overpriced gaming consol - PS3!...PS3 can't compete on games, game exclusives, multimedia, online gaming, cheaper price that still is doing everything better then PS3, better looking and better framerates on multiformat games, PC/360 online and exclusives.

    Oh! HDMI against HD VGA is hardly noticeable. In some case the colors look more natural on VGA.
    Edited by 2 at 02/09/07 @ 13:05

  • Les #167 5 years ago

    "Movietyme want me to fax over my passport and credit card details to be a customer with them. They can fuck off. :)"

    Why?! Because they want to make sure YOU are the one placing the order and not some internet criminal?! Those damn bastards...

  • morriss #168 5 years ago

    I'm not blaming them, I'm just not not going to do it. I don't have to with Amazon and a whole host of other sites. I don't have immediate access to a fax machine either.
    Edited by 1 at 02/09/07 @ 18:05

  • kentmonkey #169 5 years ago

    TBH I wouldn't do that to buy a game either. Give them my passport details and credit card details over fax, I think bloody not. Paranoid perhaps but that's far too much information to give someone I wouldn't know whether to trust with that info or not.

  • Vermillion3000 #170 5 years ago

    Sounds like a pretty fair review. It was what I was expecting actually. Good but not great gameplay wrapped in a genuinely impressive presentation.

    In many respects, this comes off sounding similar to Ninety Nine Nights. Good but not great... etc etc...

    The thing is, I love NNN - even though I am very aware that it's not the best game ever. It's simplistic, rather shallow and quite repetitive - but for all that it keeps me coming back for more and I honestly love the game. It's a easy experience, somehow relaxing for all the visual dramatics. I like play a game from a semi-catatonic state, dribbling onto my sofa from time to time. If every game was an intense and demanding as (the excellent) Bioshock then we'd probably get bored of that too.

    So yeah, this 7/10 has actually recommended the game to me in some respects.

  • Zuiyo #171 5 years ago

    "bullshit fanboy raving"

    Great name for a music band! Thanks!

  • ebe #172 5 years ago

    blablabla
    the wii is a toy
    the xbox 360 is a good console, noisy, shit hardware but with some good games.
    the PS3 is the console for the years to come, incredible hardware.. incredible games and experiences to come. Periode. Hey, just wait some months, all those xbox360 fanboys will shut up (I own all console, so I'm not ruled by my frustration, like all of you fanboys, is it sony, nintendo, or Microsoft). Peace :)

  • Les #173 5 years ago

    "It's only kept alive by desperate PS3 fanboys trying to find a stick to bash the 360 with."

    Talk about blind faith... I wonder how long before we'll see the first suicide bombing in the name of the console wars... Idiots.

    "TBH I wouldn't do that to buy a game either. Give them my passport details and credit card details over fax, I think bloody not. Paranoid perhaps but that's far too much information to give someone I wouldn't know whether to trust with that info or not."

    AFAIK passport isn't required. They want your credit card details and a credit card statement with your address (you can blank out any purchase details as that indeed is none of their business). All information that you need to supply anyway if you order online. It's just an additional security measure to make sure no internet criminal is making purchases with your card. Can't see much fault in that. But of course, not buying online at all is best for your privacy, though not for your bank account...

  • Kryon #174 5 years ago

    headbog +1

    @ebe

    So what you're saying essentially is that the PS3 fans have nothing but the faint 'hope' of a decent game in the near future left to justify that £425 price tag While Wii owners enjoy their cool 'toys' and 360 owners enjoy the best 'next gen' entertainment available at present?

    I must say, I totally agree:)

    Edit - @Les, you really shouldn't talk about blind faith, you probably still believe that 'emotion engine' shite that Ken told you about ten years ago. I know you still believe in 'teh power of teh Cell' (as you've admitted on many occasions) even though a year has passed and there is still no proof of this overbearing 'power'. You also have an unhealthy hatred towards anything MS (again as you have admitted many times). So please don't accuse others of blind faith or brand loyalty as you are the biggest culprit of both.

    NB - Don't post back asking me to "show you a post where you've admitted MS hatred or belief in the Cell". Every EG regular already knows your biased views and has read them many times over.
    Edited by 2 at 03/09/07 @ 10:37

  • Les #175 5 years ago

    "Every EG regular already knows your biased views and has read them many times over."

    I think the few sane people around here know better... And frankly, had I cared for anyone's opinion, it would be theirs.

    But please continue with your silly holy war. Maybe you indeed do get lucky and 360 maidens await you in the afterlife...

  • Kryon #176 5 years ago

    "But please continue with your silly holy war"

    Funny, considering your previous Sony fanboy ramblings, you are actually starting to sound like a beaten dog, almost as if trying to bow out of the limelight you once treasured, disregarding the claims you once made. Are you scared Les? Is your PS dynasty dieing a painful death? There is no 'war' for 360 owners, we have games to play instead.

  • Les #177 5 years ago

    "There is no 'war' for 360 owners, we have games to play instead."

    You actually play games?! Wow, thought you guys get off by proclaiming how great your toy is all over the internet... But you're sad and I'm out.

  • Kryon #178 5 years ago

    Weak come back Les, just weak... Like I said, a beaten dog :(

  • miiiguel #179 5 years ago

    ebe: yeah I know your type, you don't game, you like the idea of eventually..., in a distant future the pow3r of th3 c3ll will spawn, and OH MY GOD! we have a game!.

    Got to go play Bioshock now...

  • Katsumoto #180 5 years ago

    FFS! Do you people patrol every fucking thread looking to start a fight. Its fucking pathetic.

    360 owners - fuck off and play your fucking games that you love so much, yeah? Maybe then you can stop trolling EG.

    Oh and btw, Bioshock is on pc too, and runs well on 2-3 year old systems, so i guess ps3 owners can still play it anyway provided they bought a pc anytime since 2004.

    p.s. i don't own a ps3
    Edited by 1 at 03/09/07 @ 18:23

  • Kryon #181 5 years ago

    Wow, Katsumoto, you've got a bit of a teen angst thing going on there I think, calm down and stop getting so emotional, the PS3 is only a console, not your mother, stop upsetting yourself. Yeah, people call it silly names like the 'lolS3' or DorissDay-station and ritually put the system down but don't worry, one day maybe you'll have a 360 and be able to play real next gen games! cool, huh! :)

  • Katsumoto #182 5 years ago

    It's okay, I own a pc, so have been playing them before you ever set eyes on a 360. Boo hoo?

  • Kryon #183 5 years ago

    Boo Hoo? Why would I be crying? I obviously own a PC too, unless you think I'm posting here by 'teh magic' ...

  • Katsumoto #184 5 years ago

    You could be using the internet channel on your Wii or Ps3!

  • Kryon #185 5 years ago

    Nah, I'm not into pseudo 'entertainment hubs', I use the PC for PC things, including games on occasion. I tend to use consoles only for games, that's why the 360 is the only next gen system that cuts it with me.

  • frombrosis #186 5 years ago

    "but you just feel constrained."

    Surely it should read:

    "I felt constrained."

    Why do reviewers persist in not writing in the first person??? After all, the author is writing his thoughts on the matter.

  • Lukos2 #187 4 years ago

    haha... another bs game on ps3 after lair. now we all know that masterchief will come to finish the console fight once and for all... ps3 pwned

  • Edward_Gamer #188 4 years ago

    Heavenly Sword and Warhawk are receiving a lot of "Mixed Reviews." The scores for those two gaves have been poorly rated with scores like 6 out of 10.

    Lair is a HUGE disappointment, though...it receives LOW SCORES...it is one of the WORST games this generation. IGN rated Lair only a 4.9 out of 10, and Gamespot rated it only a 4.5 out of 10. PSM Magazine rated it only a 5 out of 10.

    PSM magazine rated Warhawk only a 6.5 out of 10.

  • Goodfella #189 4 years ago

    Well, I hope all you Dorris Day-Station fans have learnt your lesson from this! Your console is nothing more than lol and even Ken is loling at you for buying it. In the future I suggest you cast aside the lies and propaganda Sony pierces your tiny brains with and make a wiser purchase :)

    We've heard it all before mate. People like you panned the PS2, derided it's lack of games (to begin with) and laughed at people who defended their purchase.

    Well, the rest as they say, is history.

  • MilkYMoO #190 4 years ago

    Well I always wait till I see the eurogamer.net,and gamescentral the very reliable teletext pages on channel 4 reviews before buying a game.On gamescentral they gave it a 4/10.Oh dear.

  • dr_swin #191 4 years ago

    how on earth does nariko get through the game without chopping off her impossibly long locks with her impossibly big sword while flailing about so much?

  • jlaakso #192 4 years ago

    The review feels about right for me. It is very entertaining to experience, but the actual gameplay isn't quite what I wanted. You're having fun, but it constantly feels like they didn't dare to put in the level of finesse they wanted to.

    I disagree about the blocking. I think it's great to let your super fighter do the blocking and concentrate on planning your next move.

    The mechanics themselves are very similar to their previous game, Kung Fu Chaos, but I feel that those worked better. They were always challenging.

  • belziah #193 4 years ago

    @headbog

    So that 360 I bought for my bro in September(that I didnt give to him till March cos big bruvs are allowed to take the piss), that died in February and was replaced. Then the replacement died last night in the middle of Bioshock so you can tell its a real quality piece of kit. I advise every one to rush out now and buy one.

    The £500m MS set aside for repairs roughly translates to them having to fix 5-6million consoles in the next 3 years which is over half of the consoles they've sold to date.

    Does it not strike you as strange that every time a big game comes out(games that really push the 360's limits) 360's around the world commit mass suicide? It must be some new-fangled religious thing weirdo's like me dont get!

    The only loser in this situation will be you when Mass Effect and Halo 3 kamikaze your cheap-arsed piece of tat hardware(and witless fucks, such as yourself, have the cheek to call playstation owners chavs).

    Of course the 360 has a good software line-up(thats why I bought one and compared to the PS3 that has never been in dispute), its been out for two years with nigh on no competition, but contrary to your belief, there's some top-notch software coming to all formats and for the moment, at least, I dont have to worry about whether the next game I buy is gonna kill my machine 5 hours in.

    And stop lying about MS fixing the design. So-called Elites are dropping like a Surrey cow living near research labs. Its called an inherent design fault because, guess what, its a built in fault.

    Microsoft have got a great deal right this gen, unfortunately hardware design wasnt one of them.

    @my-gel

    Do the world a favour and hold your breath.


    Indefinitely.

    Edited by 1 at 15/09/07 @ 01:28

  • spookyzombie #194 4 years ago

    Heavenly Sword is only £34.99 in Blockbuster.

    That's it..........

    Resume the bitching.

  • Arwin #195 4 years ago

    Love the game! Simple as that. And it looks great. In that respect, the game does deliver. There isn't much out there that looks this good. As for the rest, I like the fighting a lot too - pretty decent crowd dynamics, and having the different styles of attack both at your own disposal and against you switches it up plenty.
    Edited by 1 at 17/09/07 @ 13:08

  • joncowcare #196 4 years ago

    A fair review but not one I agree with.
    You ignore the glorious bloodshed and compelling character portrayals that are part and parcel of this game and which imerses the player fully into being a part of the game.
    You don't play HS, you join in !
    When Kai starts shooting you are her, she is so realistic and as you follow one of your shots to it's target is that you that gasps as it misses by millimetres or her ?
    "Bastard son", a classic expression that spills from Bohans lips as he slaps his mentally retarded boy.
    Yes reviewer, you're right in parts, but SO wrong about the effect playing this game will have on you.

    I really don't understand some of you pathetic prats who whinge about, "Oh Gamestore gave it 4/10" or "Peter Piper gave it 3/10". Who the hell really gives a damn about how a particular source has marked or rated a game ?
    Play the game yourself, make up your own mind and please don't be swayed by others opinions.
    In other words, GROW UP . . . !
    Edited by 1 at 22/09/07 @ 02:56

  • Apologie #197 4 years ago

    the game is great, the caracters, the story, the visuals, the music..., gameplay is fine as well, just takes a little practise. Don't mind the pathetic review eurogamer as well IGN and other sites gave, i was not so shure about to buy it after reading thouse but i'm glad i did..., a great game.
    Edited by 2 at 09/10/07 @ 23:52

  • deamonized #198 4 years ago

    I must agree 100% with Apologie. This game is worth every penny.

    I was also a bit discuraged about whatever to buy it or not because of these 'now' totally ridiculous reviews (did some specific you know who pay them a good handsome of cold hard _ _ _ _ ?)

    Its by best the greatest ps3 game to day, and atleast deserves an 9 for such a glorious game.
    From now on whenever to buy a game I wont base any reviews on whatever to buy the game or not, I'm tired of fan boys.

    Buy this game and I promise you, you wont ever regret it.

  • oldergamer #199 4 years ago

    I'm halfway through and I can't believe how much my actual experience with this game differs from my expectations, based on the reviews. This game is utterly under-rated. Such a shame. 9/10 so far.

    FYI, the last two games I played were Bioshock and Gears of War.

  • j-bo #200 2 years ago

    I really enjoyed this game when picking up a ps3 recently - definetely worth as it's knocking around for under a tenner now.