Well, the demo is a bit short to my liking. However, it does give you some idea as to the combat and (unique?) fighting mechanics that they've employed in the game. I downloaded it on Friday and I've been replaying it ever since. I'm currently playing Ninja Gaiden so my first assessment of it wasn't fair because Ninja gaiden has a more frenetic pace because he's a ninja after all. So when I first played it, the lack of a jump and block button was uhh...lacking. But then, when I looked at the combo list. There's just so much , that it would take time to master all of them and know when to implement them. So there's some depth there, which I like, because I'm into fighting games. I have yet to pull of an aerial move, of which there are several. Finally, I wanted to be able to move the camera around like in Ninja Gaiden, but I didn't have that option in Heavenly Sword. You can only pan the camera from right to left. I wanted to be able to zoom in or even get a first person view so I could just check out all of the heavenly goodness. Anyway, this will be a must buy for me.
The framerate is still ass though
Hopefully it'll be revamped by the time it ships. The new MGS4 trailer had a much higher framerate than the ones shown in the past, so I'm hopeful...
Did anyone else find the basic movement to be a little overly unresponsive. She seems to take far too long to change direction when running which while perhaps realistic feels really nasty in a game that really needs to be fluid. The lack of jump kind of bugged me too, but I imagine that'd be something that wouldn't feel quite so irksome if the game was played from the beginning through the introductory sections.
I hope they take some time to refine the controls before release. It'd that they be left as they are in a game that otherwise seems pretty polished.
That's the best game cutscene I've ever seen, I'm stunned.
Shame the game doesn't look like my kinda thing, those constant slash combo games bore me to tears.
if ever there was a game that made me wanna buy the PS3....
that cut-scene ["the second one"] was awesome. i love the whole "cinematic-experience" that games are moving towards. The only thing i'm thinking is that, gameplay wise, isn't this game just Devil May Cry with a girl and a different story? those with the demo please spill the beans
Its more like God of War with a girl and different story, right down to the chained blades and annoying timed button sequences. Not that theres anything necessarily wrong with trying to stand alongside the best of the genre, but it does set them up for people to compare the two games and in terms of gameplay I'm not convinced it can beat its PS2 predecessor. Mind you thats based on several plays of a 5 minute demo.
Completely pwns GOW in the cinematic department IMO, if they can get close with the gameplay then they've got a great game on their hands . I think the story telling in the cut-scenes is whats gonna get people hooked, I'm already amped.
I completely agree with you Jackablade, that it just feels like God of War with a girl character, especially with the chained blades. The environments looks nice, but I still like the look of God of War 2 slightly more. Especially seeing as it was made with ps2 specs.
But the cutscene... WELL! Different story altogether. Great lip sync, stunning characters, looked completely amazing! Hopefully the gameplay can match the quality of the cutscenes.
AFAIK It's being developed by Ninja Theory, who are based in England. I think they just signed a contractual agreement to Sony that it'll be exclusive to PS3.
I loved the cutscene, very awesome facial expressions. I can't help but feel that this is a step in the wrong direction for games though. The cutscene feels so separate from the actual gameplay, it might as well be a short or movie in itself released, if their goal is just to tell a story well. From looking at the gameplay, it looks like they could have spent that time/money/effort on making it a lot more fun, which is what a games primary directive should be anyway.
Who cares if the king's lips move correctly, if her legs don't actually impact the characters in game? I'd rather see that time spent on making the animations in the game match up 100%, the art direction work completely, and the gameplay be smooth and fluid. Right now the art direction of the main character is really wonky. Her face has tons of photosource when you get up close, and looks fairly realistic, but if you get back even a little, it blends into flat flesh tone, and she looks almost cel-shaded.
I just feel like this is another case where gameplay is taking 2nd place to story, to the detriment of the gameplay.
Yeah, I loved the cutscene but think the game looks boring. I'd check it out if someone had it fired up next to me, but I would never buy it as it stands.
Ben, I don't think that the story being well acted and written is hurting the gameplay really. They simply paid a lot of money to have the cutscenes done right by a very solid studio. As we both know, throwing money at the gameplay doesn't really equal a better game.
I think I'm the only person I know that wasn't bowled over by the cut scene. I appreciate the fantastically fleshy, fluid looking facial animation, but I found the mocap awkward, and the extreme over acting a little uncomfortable to watch and hard to follow.
I think what Poops driving at, is that you're in danger of going down a dodgy path when you put that much effort and dollars into cut scenes, and I'd be inclined to agree. EA spend millions in this way, on both rendered and in game cut scenes, and it was everything that I hated about the company /mumbles something about dressing mutton as lamb.
gahahh!
Finally cutscenes that arent just the general parade of lame, and bad animation.
There is nothing worse than a bad framerate....
In a cutscene.
Then again, Blizzard and Square Enix are even worse offenders when it comes to spending bajillions on cinematics that are even less important to the gameplay and it sure hasn't hurt them much.
Then you look at a game like Metal Gear Solid that can actually be beat faster than it takes to watch all the cutscenes. Did the focus on cinematics make it a worse game? Does it matter? MGS is totally awesome. Is it necessary to be totally awesome +1?
I'm really playing devil's advocate though. I would prefer the money invested into better tech for animation/physics/AI/etc than fancy movies. I would prefer the money spent on a longer, less crunched up development cycle. I would prefer it spent on hiring top talent to create the game instead of act in it.
But some companies can pull off good stuff even while wasting tons of moolah on movies, and good movies can help enhance the game, so it doesn't appear to be an inherently bad thing.
Really nice cut-scene. The characters look really stylish.
Its very well written, nicely acted and the overall scene just feels right for me.
But I am afraid, from what I seen and heard so far, the game will play 3 - 5 hours or so? For a player that might be a high price to pay for fancy cut-scenes.
darn... it is exclusive...
but still, now that i've thought about it... its not only the graphics and cinematic experience that make a game for me... the gameplay has gotta rule, and this is just the same [looking at least] as quite a few other games on the shelves that are non-exlusive....
360 it is.
I don't like the look of the gameplay which is indeed the main thing (too many *paf *paf impressive looking but pathetic feeling attacks..) but still find myself liking/identifying with the 'brand' because of the cutscene.. I *want to like it, which is quite a powerful effect since before seeing the cutscene I couldnt give a monkeys either way. So I would say that the money was well spent, if I was even halfway inclined to buy it before I'd have been swayed now. I'd need a ps3 first of course
From what I've seen of the gameplay, it hasn't swayed me to buy this game. In fact, it has done quite the opposite. I'd need to see something really impressive before I fork out a thousand dollars to buy a PS3 and this game.
I dont like her hair, it looks too clayish/cartoonish, like it were from different game. I think on the old screens the whole game was more cartoony and the hair was bareable but now it distracts me way too much. They should have done something about it even if its "important" element of the character cause they obviously cant pull it off technically but whatever.
Replies
Watch the 2nd Video
http://www.serkis.com/heavenly/index.htm
that is a fucking cool cutscene
Hopefully it'll be revamped by the time it ships. The new MGS4 trailer had a much higher framerate than the ones shown in the past, so I'm hopeful...
I hope they take some time to refine the controls before release. It'd that they be left as they are in a game that otherwise seems pretty polished.
going to have to get a damn ps3 soon...
Hoho. Such a good cutscene.
Watch the 2nd Video
[/ QUOTE ]
I can't tell if we've leaped ahead a few years there, or finally just caught up, but that was brilliant.
Shame the game doesn't look like my kinda thing, those constant slash combo games bore me to tears.
just so you guys know, weta made those. That's why they're so farking awesome.
that cut-scene ["the second one"] was awesome. i love the whole "cinematic-experience" that games are moving towards. The only thing i'm thinking is that, gameplay wise, isn't this game just Devil May Cry with a girl and a different story? those with the demo please spill the beans
But the cutscene... WELL! Different story altogether. Great lip sync, stunning characters, looked completely amazing! Hopefully the gameplay can match the quality of the cutscenes.
-caseyjones
if im not wrong, its being made by sony themselves right? so its like zero chances of a 360 release? dang
exclusive... or "exclusive" like devil may cry 4 and gta 4?
[/ QUOTE ]
Sony is the publisher, so, exclusive.
Who cares if the king's lips move correctly, if her legs don't actually impact the characters in game? I'd rather see that time spent on making the animations in the game match up 100%, the art direction work completely, and the gameplay be smooth and fluid. Right now the art direction of the main character is really wonky. Her face has tons of photosource when you get up close, and looks fairly realistic, but if you get back even a little, it blends into flat flesh tone, and she looks almost cel-shaded.
I just feel like this is another case where gameplay is taking 2nd place to story, to the detriment of the gameplay.
Ben, I don't think that the story being well acted and written is hurting the gameplay really. They simply paid a lot of money to have the cutscenes done right by a very solid studio. As we both know, throwing money at the gameplay doesn't really equal a better game.
I think what Poops driving at, is that you're in danger of going down a dodgy path when you put that much effort and dollars into cut scenes, and I'd be inclined to agree. EA spend millions in this way, on both rendered and in game cut scenes, and it was everything that I hated about the company /mumbles something about dressing mutton as lamb.
Finally cutscenes that arent just the general parade of lame, and bad animation.
There is nothing worse than a bad framerate....
In a cutscene.
Then you look at a game like Metal Gear Solid that can actually be beat faster than it takes to watch all the cutscenes. Did the focus on cinematics make it a worse game? Does it matter? MGS is totally awesome. Is it necessary to be totally awesome +1?
I'm really playing devil's advocate though. I would prefer the money invested into better tech for animation/physics/AI/etc than fancy movies. I would prefer the money spent on a longer, less crunched up development cycle. I would prefer it spent on hiring top talent to create the game instead of act in it.
But some companies can pull off good stuff even while wasting tons of moolah on movies, and good movies can help enhance the game, so it doesn't appear to be an inherently bad thing.
Its very well written, nicely acted and the overall scene just feels right for me.
But I am afraid, from what I seen and heard so far, the game will play 3 - 5 hours or so? For a player that might be a high price to pay for fancy cut-scenes.
but still, now that i've thought about it... its not only the graphics and cinematic experience that make a game for me... the gameplay has gotta rule, and this is just the same [looking at least] as quite a few other games on the shelves that are non-exlusive....
360 it is.
it still looks sooooo great!
-caseyjones
I saw her pants.