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Heavenly Sword (PlayStation 3)

common sense media says

Immersive hack n' slash for mature teens.

parents & educators say
See all 5 reviews | Review it

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that while Heavenly Sword is only rated "Teen" (instead of "Mature"), the cut scenes depict some genuinely unsettling situations, like when a screaming Kai is pursued by a villain intent on stabbing her to death. The game contains examples of parental cruelty and whole-scale violence on the part of heroes and villains alike. While the story is interesting, it's designed for an older audience.

Educational value: Not applicable.
Positive messages: This world is a brutal one. Characters are threatened with disembowelment and torture. Nariko's own father contemplates killing her because she is cursed, and Bohan is physically and verbally abusive to his son (although both relationships are eventually redeemed.) Nariko and Kai are motivated by their friendship for each other.
Violence: Players will rack up a mind-boggling number of kills -- one level's goal requires Nariko to knock down 700 soldiers with a cannon. There is spattering blood and graphic finishing moves including plunging two swords into an enemy's back. Kai's mother is murdered in a flashback.
Sex: Bohan desires Nariko sexually and makes a couple of references to his genitals. Nariko wears very revealing clothes.
Language: Enemies hurl various insults at Nariko including "hell-whore," "bitch" and "hell-hag." There's also "dammit" and "s--t."
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.
Our ratings and reviews are informed by child development guidelines. Learn more.

More on Heavenly Sword

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about the principles of motion-capture technology and how it helps bring characters like Bohan and Nariko to life. (Players can unlock the game's extra features to see how motion capture was used along with other interesting making-of features and interviews.) What makes this game work? The graphics? The strong storytelling? The battles? Or is it the right mix of the three?

What's the story?

What's the story?
HEAVENLY SWORD centers on Nariko, a young woman whose clan has guarded the Heavenly Sword for generations. When the twisted and power-hungry king Bohan threatens her countrymen with annihilation, Nariko takes the sword into battle -- which grants her great power but also comes with great cost. Like any hack n' slash game, Nariko must dispatch wave after wave of baddies using various attacks and combo moves. Players also control a secondary character, Kai, who specializes in projectile weapons; through a system called Aftertouch, players can actually guide the projectile after it's been launched by either tilting the SIXAXIS controller or using the directional pad (we recommend the latter).

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

Heavenly Sword boasts near-flawless character models, sweeping scenery, and a story that's every bit as emotionally charged as a film. Characters look alive and don't move with the usual stiltedness. Battle scenes are truly epic, with hundreds of soldiers on-screen at once.

Heavenly Sword clocks in at only about six hours -- slightly more if you unlock all the bonus content, which includes the making of vignettes and artwork. You can't skip cut scenes, even when you're watching them for a second time, and there are a few uneven difficulty spikes, most notably the frustrating final boss. But Heavenly Sword is so exquisitely rendered that it's pretty easy to forgive these minor faults. Gamers who can handle the game's mature themes and realistic violence will enjoy the cinematic experience.

Game themes & details

Game Details
Available on: PlayStation 3
Not available online
Genre: Action/Adventure
Developer: Sony Computer Entertainment
Released on: September 12, 2007
Price: 59.99
ESRB Rating: T for Blood, Language, Suggestive themes, Violence
This review was written by Erin Bell
 
 

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Most useful reviews by all members

NickTwo
kid, 13 years old
 
great
very bloody for a T(Teen).
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helped me decide (6) | had useful details (4) | read my mind (5)
derrlck
teen, 15 years old
 
button masher
dont get me wrong this game is good, but a little repetitive and a button masher. there are better games than this one.
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helped me decide (3) | had useful details (3) | read my mind (5)
the action gamer
teen, 15 years old
 
don't try this stuff at home
Heavenly Sward really stretches the T ratting to it's limit. Im sure that half the people at ESRB would have made it an M.I even found a website that mastaked it for an M.Anyway,the game is pretty fun, the endless cool combos and finising moves are often neat, and the storyline is intreging.Athough the Heavenly Sword presents some of the games coolest combos, you spend a large portion of the game wondering how an average ancient woman could do such fast and amazing combos with a 100 pound sword.Also, half of the characters are stangly and anoyingly retarted in various ways.Despite these flaws,Heav- enly Sword is an exiting,fast-paced,sexy thrillride. On the whole, id rate this game 8.5 of 10 (7 being the average. Replay value: moderate
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delfin
adult
 
Good but short
The game is really short, it took only 7 hours for me to beat it, and for how much it costs it's not really worth it. Another thing is at times it is very violent. The special moves are very detailed and the kills are graphic. Also blood is seen frequently. The language is a bit rough at times, but not too bad. This game really pushes the T rating and could easily be rated M. I say its ok for kids 15+ but not much younger.
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Awesomeness12
teen, 15 years old
11
 
Some violence, a little blood but not a very bad game
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helped me decide (2) | had useful details (3) | read my mind (3)

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