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If epic tales could be recited using the shimmering blade of a sword, Heavenly Sword would be the outcome. The game takes epic story telling to a whole new level, breaking the zenith of production values you’ve seen in almost any modern day game and executing every cutscene, every in-game action sequence with enough finesse to rival any top Hollywood martial-art flicks. Make no mistake; at its core, Heavenly Sword is a hack-n-slash game. What transcends it from the lot is the fact that each and every element of the game is so minutely worked upon (even the ones that most action games overlook) that it blurs the line between cinematic and interactive entertainment. The voice acting for instance is the best I’ve heard in a while – it isn’t overacted, nor is it bland; the fact that they’ve hired actual actors to play the role of the various characters really gleams through. The voice acting coupled with the extremely well done facial animation stacks up to breathe a great amount of depth into the characters, setting them apart from those paper-thin ones you’re used to seeing in most other action games. The storyline on the other hand is your standard ‘Sword meets Girl and kills millions’ kind. Ok, that might not be too standard, but you can certainly say that it lacks depth. The game manages to immerse you nevertheless, thanks to some inspiring narration and amazing story-telling mechanics that add to the grand feel of the game. The way this works out is that between missions Nariko comes on screen reflecting on her actions and exposing the way she feels in a very believable way that’ll draw you in; it’s a lot like what we’ve seen in The Darkness’ loading screens, only emotionally charged (she is a chick after all). All this happens with a picturesque backdrop that has jagged blades ripping out of the ground, each representing a different Chapter in the game. You can use these blades to select different segments of the game that you wish to replay, which is a great feature since there are quite a few parts that you’re sure to love and will want to play again. The duality of the transition screen is truly commendable, since it manages to please you aesthetically as well as maintain its functionality. It just goes to show the amount of work developer Ninja Theory has put into something as small as the mission transition screen. Kudos to Ninja Theory for that! |
Tags: Ninja Theory , Heavenly Sword
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