What's the game about: A non-stop action brawler by developer Ninja Theory (a splinter group of one-time parent company Argonaut, originally known as Just Add Monsters, the developer of Kung-Fu Chaos) that features a female heroine known as Nariko, who slices and dices her enemies in a variety of exciting ways.
What's new for E3: We got to play it and play it good. A sample level of gladiatorial proportions was constructed for the Sony press conference and the show itself, showcasing Nariko's melee-range and long-range moves. A reactive combat system is in place, which rewards sharp reflexes with dynamic combos and devastating attacks.
What we like: The action is fast. So fast that it made playing Genji 2 afterwards feel like we were playing with a bag of wet cement. Nariko has a regular stance, a power-stance, and a ranged stance. In regular and power mode, she auto-blocks, and if you press Triangle immediately after blocking an attack, she'll either counter, or mega-counter (a more powerful counter is indicated by much flashier animations). Her "ranged" attacks arrive in the form of flying blades attached to chains, which makes her play something like Ivy from Soul Calibur, but in a much more user-friendly way. The animations that accompany her spinning yo-yo-like buzzsaws are devastating to both her enemies and any nearby objects, like tables, barrels and chairs. Nariko can also pick up and throw items, although this is far less satisfying than filleting your enemies. The Circle button also activates special moves when Nariko's meter is either partially or completely filled.
The graphics are the obvious highlight, with nice bump-mapping accompanying her fluidly animated red tresses. Bloom lighting was in full effect, which made Heavenly Sword look like some parts were pulled straight out of the arena scenes in Gladiator the movie.
What we dislike: It's still a bit early and there are some oddities like barrels, which when thrown would occasionally just stick in the wall. It was also a little imprecise in how effectively Noriko blocked or how easy it was to interrupt her attacks from cheap shots from enemy gladiators. Also, the game in this early state moved at a solid 30 frames per second, but we're hoping it ships locked in at 60. The next-generation (especially at $500-600) demands it. Some points in key battles (usually with bosses) integrate QTE (quick-time events), which fans of Shenmue and Indigo Prophecy might like, but which we've been doing since Dragon's Lair and Space Ace. Time to move on, gents.
