HeavenlySword
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American PSN Store updates for July 26th
Mere minutes after the European PlayStation Store was updated with the Heavenly Sword demo, American users of the PlayStation Network will be able to download the hotly anticipated demo, along with a few additional goodies. Here's this week's line-up: Heavenly Sword playable demo Metal Gear Solid 4 gameplay demonstration Resident Evil 5 game trailer Haze "Origins" game trailer "30 Days of Night" movie trailer "Across the Universe" movie trailer "August Rush" movie trailer "Vacancy" Blu-Ray movie trailer GripShift 2.0 full game - $9.99 {Update: "Previously available on the PLAYSTATION Store, this updated version includes faster load times and other minor fixes. If you've previously purchased GripShift from the PLAYSTATION Store, you can download this new version for free."] This is quite possibly the most significant update the Store has ever received, providing a high profile game demo, hot game trailers, and a surprise new downloadable game. Log on to the Store now.
Heavenly Sword demo in NA this week too
That was touch and go there for a bit. After confirming Europe would be getting their chance at the Heavenly Sword demo this week, there was still the lingering question of the North Americans. We don't want Sony giving Europe a big head, considering they're already getting the PSP Lite before Japan. The PlayStation blog confirms Heavenly Sword will also be making its North American public demo debut this week as well. Now everyone with a PS3 will get some time with Heavenly Sword and decide whether it's the next great Sony exclusive franchise -- they could use 'em. In the demo players take control of Nariko on a quest for Kill Bill-style vengeance. The game is slated for release in September.
Heavenly Sword planned as trilogy, part two penned
In an interview with AMN during E3, Ninja Theory co-founder Tam Antoniades said that Heavenly Sword is being planned as a trilogy and that the story of part two has been written."When we set out to do Heavenly Sword ... we wanted it to be a three-game story," he said at around the 11-minute mark. "We've had the story for the sequel for awhile now. Hopefully if this game is successful, then there's no reason why there shouldn't be a sequel and we'd very much like to go into that."Given the hype for the title and our impressions playing it, Heavenly Sword is very likely poised to be one of the standout PlayStation 3 titles this holiday season. Just don't be surprised if you defeat the final boss and receive a cliffhanger ending.[Via PS3 Fanboy]
Sony confirms Heavenly Sword demo in Europe this Thursday
We knew the demo was done, but now we officially find out that many will get to experience the intensity of Heavenly Sword this Thursday. We hope it ends up being everyone, but we only have confirmation of Europe at this point from EuroGamer. IGN says it should "hit other territories around the same time as Europe, according to Sony." Hopefully this Thursday, PS3 owners will be able to experience the demo – the same one used at Sony's Gamer Day – that everyone has been desperately trying not to call Goddess of War. Heavenly Sword is expected in September, giving PS3 owners something to play while Xbox owners immerse themselves in all things Halo 3. Heavenly Sword is one of the games coming this fall which will hold the system together through this non-critical holiday season. We're just glad to finally be able to play a good PS3 exclusive that doesn't start with Resistance and end with Fall of Man.
[Update] Heavenly Sword demo out in Europe this Thursday
It looks like we were completely correct with our post a couple of weeks ago when we laid out a sumptuous platter of downloadable content that would be available on the European PSN this month. ThreeSpeech has confirmed that everything that we listed will be available on the store this Thursday (looks like the EU updates will no longer be happening on Fridays after all). For those with lazy clicking fingers, here is the list of upcoming downloadable content for this week: Heavenly Sword demo Crash Bandicoot 2 PS1 game for PS3/PSP Spyro 2 PS1 game for PS3/PSP WipEout 2097 PS1 game for PS3/PSP MediEvil PS1 game for PS3/PSP As well as all of this, there will be a couple more trailers from E3 going up. Namely, Ratchet and Clank and Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. Though chances are most of you will have downloaded them from the US Store already.[Thanks Ian][Update]IGN has confirmation that the demo *should* be arriving this week in America and Japan as well. Woot!
Heavenly Sword is a trilogy -- second story already complete
Following even further into the footsteps of action-gaming-powerhouse Kratos and the God of War games, Heavenly Sword was recently given the trilogy treatment. In an audio interview with co-founder of Ninja Theory, Tam Antoniades, this information was divulged to us in addition to the exciting tidbit that the second part of the story is already complete! By complete we mean "written" and not "developed". If you're curious, it's right around the 11:00 mark in the interview (the last minute of it, really). Also mentioned were downloadable content possibilities (based on what players would like to see added) and support for Home. The sequel depends on the original game being treated to a successful run, so let's all pitch in and make sure Heavenly Sword makes it through the trilogy loop.[via N4G]
Heavenly Sword demo is 'in the bag,' ready for release
We've told you how impressed we were with Heavenly Sword, and soon you'll get your chance to find out for yourself. That demo that was reportedly coming in the "very near future" has now been confirmed by Ninja Theory as being finished. "Let me just tell you all that the dev team has finished work on the demo ... it's in the bag," said Ninja Theory co-founder Mike Ball in a forum post. "So now it's a case of Sony deciding when they feel is the best time to release it to PlayStation Network."PlayStation Network releases generally fall on a Thursday and, while we're not holding our breath for a surprise release tomorrow, we are hoping it pops up on the network next Thursday, July 26. Or Sony could hold onto the demo until closer to the game's September launch. Or not.%Gallery-3174%[Via PS3 Fanboy]
Heavenly Sword demo gets a date, no tongue
It shouldn't be a surprise to any of us that the demo for Heavenly Sword is on its way. Heck, we already said that it was making its debut sometime in July. We've now got confirmation that the demo is, in fact, complete. Part of the Ninja Theory team came out on their official forums and said "it's in the bag ... so now it's a case of Sony deciding when they feel is the best time to release it to PlayStation Network." By that, we couldn't help but squeal like a schoolgirl with a crush. Could they mean this Thursday's update?Not likely. Seems the demo itself is actually slated for next Thursday. You know, the 26th. We don't mind waiting an extra week, since most of the PS3 Fanboy staff is still in a hot competition to keep the highest score amongst one another in Super Stardust HD. As far as the game itself, Heavenly Sword is complete and going through the bug-fixing stage. If that's true, they should release it early. We're tired of waiting for this fantastic looking "launch title", honestly.[Thanks, DolphGB!][via PS3Attitude]
Joystiq impressions: Heavenly Sword (PS3)
No, it's not Goddess of War. Many (including myself) have been quick to pass this game as "God of War with a chick." Although being compared to one of the best action games of the last console generation is far from an insult, it does take away from the qualities of Heavenly Sword that make it so unique.The most important thing to note about Heavenly Sword are its controls: don't start playing the game, expecting it to control like God of War. This is a vastly different beast to tame, and button-mashing isn't as encouraged in this battle system. Expect to be a lot more methodical, and observational, as analyzing enemy movement and stances becomes crucial to true success in the game.Nariko has control over three forms of the Heavenly Sword, each feeling drastically different from the other. In its default state, it forms two separate swords, which give Nariko the best overall speed and range. However, holding either L1 or R1 will change the sword into one of its other two forms. First;y, there's a chain, which is best for keeping large groups of enemies at bay. Secondly, the sword can transform into a massive blade, one which would make Cloud Strife jealous. Obviously unwieldy, this one will attack for massive damage.%Gallery-3174%
Hands-on: Heavenly Sword
No, it's not Goddess of War. Many (including myself) have been quick to pass this game as "God of War with a chick." Although being compared to one of the best action games of the last console generation is far from an insult, it does take away from the qualities of Heavenly Sword that make it so unique.The most important thing to note about Heavenly Sword are its controls: don't start playing the game, expecting it to control like God of War. This is a vastly different beast to tame, and button-mashing isn't as encouraged in this battle system. Expect to be a lot more methodical, and observational, as analyzing enemy movement and stances becomes crucial to true success in the game.Nariko has control over three forms of the Heavenly Sword, each feeling drastically different from the other. In its default state, it forms two separate swords, which give Nariko the best overall speed and range. However, holding either L1 or R1 will change the sword into one of its other two forms. First;y, there's a chain, which is best for keeping large groups of enemies at bay. Secondly, the sword can transform into a massive blade, one which would make Cloud Strife jealous. Obviously unwieldy, this one will attack for massive damage.%Gallery-4886%
July's European PSN Store offerings - Heavenly Sword demo and more
We've managed to get our hands on what exactly we can expect from the EU PSN Store this month. After this week's huge update, we had high hopes that this month would continue offering us some excellent content. Those hopes seem to be well founded. Check out the list of releases for the upcoming weeks. While not exhaustive, this list focuses on major, highly-anticipated playable content. Heavenly Sword demo Crash Bandicoot 2 PS1 game for PS3/PSP Spyro 2 PS1 game for PS3/PSP WipEout 2097 PS1 game for PS3/PSP MediEvil PS1 game for PS3/PSP We've also heard mention of the Blast Factor expansion, Snakeball and Feel Ski but aren't certain whether these will be coming our way in July. If not, then we'll probably see them in August. Also on the horizon is news about Warhawk and the Motorstorm Coyote Weekend VIP Pass update. Oh, and in the run up to the Heavenly Sword release in September we'll be seeing five "Animated History" videos which give the game some backstory, along with some more making-of content appearing on the Store too. No doubt each week will be peppered with the normal trailers as well.
Gamer TV airing a Heavenly Sword special for the UK this weekend
Showing on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, the latest episode of Gamer TV will be a Heavenly Sword special. The show will feature developer interviews as well as new footage from the game. There will also be an interview with Andy Serkis and some critical discussion of how the game is looking.This is a great opportunity to get an in depth look at the game before E3 hits next week. Gamer TV will be showing on Bravo at different times throughout the weekend. Look below for details and when and where it will be airing. Saturday: Bravo 2 @ 10am Sunday: Bravo @ 11:30am Monday: Bravo @ 5:30pm
New Heavenly Sword details; demo coming in 'very near future'
A demo for Heavenly Sword is just around the corner, according to comments made by producer Mat Hart (as NinjaMat) in the comment section on the Ninja Theory developer blog. "Keep an eye out for this in the very near future...and i mean very near future!" he said.Also discussed was the use of blood ("fairly elegant"), game length (12 to 15 hours), and the lack of a Special Edition for the game. "Instead," he said, "we would cram the retail release with as many extras as we could fit onto a [Blu-ray disc]." Expect to see behind-the-scenes features as well as the first two episodes of an animated series that explores the "history of the Heavenly Sword prior to the start of the game."Heavenly Sword is reportedly due out this September.%Gallery-3174%[Via PS3 Fanboy]
Heavenly Sword devs promise blood, one edition, demo
If you don't want to get any information about Heavenly Sword by cycling through the comments section over at Ninja Theory's blog on IGN, don't worry. We've got the skinny and we're delivering it to you, list style! All answers come courtesy of Mat Hart, producer of Heavenly Sword. Blood: "We took a conscious decision to deliver a fairly elegant blood effect rather splashing it all over the walls as this is far more in keeping with the look and feel of the game." We take it that means we'll see some stylish blood-letting. Special Edition: In a word, no. Sony has decided that, instead of making you pay extra for a special edition of the game, they're going to let Ninja Theory cram as many as they can onto the single Blu-ray disc. So far, they're planning for the retail disc to feature "a series of behind the scenes features as well as the first 2 episodes of a special 'animated series' exploring the history of the Heavenly Sword prior to the start of the game." Can you say, awesome? Game Length: "It's hard to estimate exactly how long it'll take someone to run through it the first time but we believe that you can expect somewhere between 12-15 hours of play." Demo: He explains they've got plans for a demo in the very near future and have been working on it for some time. If you want his words exactly, he says to "keep an eye out for this in the very near future...and i mean very near future!" Our clocks are ticking. That's it for now. We think the word about no special edition is fantastic. It's a great example of a developer really taking advantage of all that extra space. Much better than shoving an extra disc in the case and upping the price $10-20. We'll look for a demo every week until we get one, but from his tone of voice, we might see one either right before or right after E3. Our bet is on right after.[via N4G]
Developer's Studio: Nina Kristensen and Heavenly Sword + Joystiq interview
The PlayStation.Blog's "Inside the Developer's Studio" feature continues in its run up to E3. Yesterday we got a little bit of insight into the upcoming collectable card computer game Eye of Judgment from Felice Standifer. Today Nina Kristensen, co-founder of Ninja Theory, answers Sony's questions regarding the much anticipated Heavenly Sword.As well as posting her thoughts on the PlayStation.Blog, Kristensen has also had a very interesting interview with Kevin Kelly of Joystiq. Make sure you read both interviews for some insight into the game's story, the goings-on at Ninja Theory, Nariko's mega combo attacks and the trouble with "bollocks". Also, check out the videos that were posted just a wee bit earlier. Hypetastic. We can't wait for this game.
Joystiq interview: Heavenly Sword's Nina Kristensen
We caught up with Chief Development Ninja Nina Kristensen inbetween sword fights and developing video games at Ninja Theory, and managed to get some skinny on the upcoming PlayStation 3 ubertitle Heavenly Sword. She lets us know all about their influences on the look and style, some of the sexy Nariko's backstory, gives the definitive answer on multiplayer, and what games they play around the office whenever they're lucky enough to find some free time.Check it out after the break, it'll help you kill some time while you wait for this game to hit the shelves.
An angelic duet of Heavenly Sword videos
The above video, captured at the official press event at the Mayfair hotel in London (again, our invitation must have got lost in the mail), may just be enough to get fence-sitters to buy the game. Opening with a cinematic revealing some backstory of the eponymous Heavenly Sword itself, the video then launches in to some frantic in-game combat. Expect bone-crunching combo moves and a bazooka to feature heavily. Yes, a bazooka.Despite being captured on shaky-cam and then uploaded to YouTube, the video is still able to impress. From the way the barrels move to the explosion partical effects. Another, clearer, video has been uploaded to Jeuxvideo.fr from the IDEF in Cannes. In it we see a new character talking to Nariko (friend, sibling, lover?) as well as one of those "press the button at the right time to make stuff happen" sequences that are all the rage nowadays. This game is one to watch out for at E3, where no doubt we'll be seeing plenty more of it. [Via NeoGAF & N4G]
Jack Tretton teases E3 surprises, promises "more than 100 titles" by year end
Sony has been going full throttle on it's new PlayStation.Blog with some of the biggest names at the company doing regular posts. This time, the president and CEO of SCEA, Jack Tretton weighs in with an interesting post about the past successes of the PlayStation brand and some of his thoughts of the future. It's interesting stuff and definitely worth reading. He also gives game-starved PS3 owners some good news by implying that the drought is almost done: "We have more than 15 games coming from our own internal studios alone this year for PS3. Our third party partners will weigh in with a host of great games giving us more than 100 titles by year end on that system alone."Later on in the piece are hints that we're in for some cool surprises at E3 too, stating that not only will we see new stuff on the known titles like Ratchet and Clank or Heavenly Sword, but also they will announce "a few surprises we have up our sleeves that no one has seen." Intriguing and exciting stuff and we'll find out in less than a month! Anybody want to start the random unsubstantiated guessing on what they're gonna show? I say ... Killzone Bowling and Barbie's Xtreme SOCOM Adventures.[Via N4G]
North American PSN releases for June 7th
Sorry, but nothing playable hits the Store in today's update. Not even a demo of The Darkness. What we do have are tons of videos. So get the microwave ready, pop up some popcorn and get ready to watch: Heavenly Sword Gamer's Day trailer. With this trailer on your PS3, at least you can pretend to be playing it. MLB 07 The Show trailer. Just in case watching last week's videos wasn't sufficient. Stranglehold trailer. John Woo's Hard Boiled sequel-turned-to-game gets another visit to the Store. Transformers movie trailer. In full HD, you'll get more than meets the eye. Bruce Springsteen with the Sessions Band: Live in Dublin trailer. Hey ... where's our old 1080p Midway remake for this week?
Heavenly Sword tutorial -- stances and how to use 'em
If you don't really care about learning how to control Nariko, heroine of the upcoming Heavenly Sword game for PS3, you can at least watch her in her element. We're talking about the different battle stances for Nariko. There are three: slow/strong, normal, fast/weak/ranged. Those are very vague and shoddy descriptions, but we feel that's the best way to convey the idea behind them in a short sentence. The video itself goes over the stances as well as a bit of behind-the-scenes discussion about Nariko and the game itself. We're so excited, we can hardly wait for Fall! Enjoy the video, and Nariko's "posh" English accent.
