Heavenly Sword is a video game developed by Ninja Theory exclusively for the Playstation 3 console and published by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.
Series Description[]
Heavenly Sword began development in 2002.[1] After establishing early concept, a CGI trailer was produced which helped guide future development, described by the team as an iterative process where many other things changed around the central concept. The team began production without a specific console in mind, tailoring gameplay elements to the PlayStation 3 when the game was picked up by Sony as an exclusive for their upcoming platform.[2] The game was developed using Havok Complete, a combination of Havok Physics and Havok Animation.[3] Production began with the aim of telling a cinematic action adventure inspired by then-recent films including Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero, with a later fantasy influence inspired by the themes of The Lord of the Rings.[4] Other influences included the game Ico (2001), the graphic novel La Tour, and the South Korean movie Musa.[2] The game eventually developed a distinct visual and narrative identity while maintaining elements from these early inspirations.[4] Nariko's three combat styles drew direct inspiration from the dragon forms in Panzer Dragoon Orta (2002).[2]
The character designs were intended to stand out from each other, with distinct elements ranging from color coding to how a character moved. Nariko was made recognisable both with her unique red hair and the simplicity of her outfit compared to other characters.[4] The early concept designs were heavily influenced by Japanese art, and while it retained a strong Far Eastern theme with influences from Japan and China, the team also incorporated references to Mongolian and South American environments and architecture.[2]
Character movement was an important element for the team. Kai's movements were based on several elements, including cats and Princess Mononoke protagonist San.[2] While they were still faced with technical restrictions, the team had access to hardware which better enabled them to realise their world and character design. Ninja Theory collaborated with Peter Jackson's company Wētā FX to create realistic facial expressions both during cutscenes and in gameplay.[4] All of the actors involved in the project had previously been involved in film or television.[2] Actor Andy Serkis performs as the voice and motion capture actor for King Bohan, one of the major characters in Heavenly Sword; he also acts as dramatic director for the game and is one of the writers of the story of the game. Nariko is voiced by Australian actress Anna Torv.[5]
A demo was released to the PlayStation Store on July 26, 2007, featuring a short, cinematic clip at the beginning and two brief enemy battles, lasting approximately five to ten minutes. An eight-second clip of the game was seen in an episode of the TV series Heroes entitled "Parasite", ostensibly being played by Jessica Sanders and her son, Micah. It featured Nariko running across ropes as they were cut by Bohan's soldiers, before landing on the platform to face them.[6] While the episode was broadcast over four months before the actual release of the game, the level displayed remained in the released build, including the rope sequence shown; the icons in the final game used to inform the player which buttons to press were changed from large, central icons as seen in the clip, to be smaller and positioned at the bottom of the screen. Sony and Ninja Theory have made five 'making-of' videos about the production of Heavenly Sword, with each one detailing a certain aspect of the game's production, from music to motion capture. The videos can either be unlocked while playing the game or downloaded from the PlayStation Store.
A series of five shorts were released to act as a prologue as apart of the marketing. They were produced by London studio Blinkink and animated by CHASE Animation Studios. In 2014, a CGI animated film adaptation was released that served as an adaptation to the game, with Anna Torv reprising the role of Nariko.
The future of the series is uncertain. Although Ninja Theory co-founder Tameem Antoniades revealed that a trilogy was planned, it was later revealed that Ninja Theory had no plans for a sequel and decided to instead work on a seperate project, which likely became Enslaved: Odyssey of the West. Even after Ninja Theory's buyout by Microsoft, Sony Computer Entertainment still holds the rights to the series, though has remained dormant since the film adaptation release in 2014.
The game follows the story of Nariko (Anna Torv), the fierce red-haired warrior whose clan has long protected the "Heavenly Sword", a god's blade of immense power that drains its wielder of their life force. A power hungry ruler known as the evil King Bohan (Andy Serkis) seeks to obtain the sword to gain its devastating power.
Connection with All-Stars[]
- Nariko is a playable character.
- Nariko's sister, Kai, appears as her Level 1 Super, as a minion, and in the background of Fearless.
- Heavenly Sword is featured in the DLC stage Fearless.
Games[]
- Heavenly Sword - 2007 (PS3)