As someone who greatly enjoyed Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice a few years back, I’ve been meaning to check out some of developer Ninja Theory’s previous work for some time now. After looking through their back catalog of games, I landed on an early PlayStation 3 title called Heavenly Sword. The setting, story and combat all seemed to pique my interest, but I honestly ended up choosing this one due to its protagonist being a redhead like myself, because why the hell not?
Heavenly Sword tells the story of a young woman named Nariko. Nariko’s birth falls in line with the prophesy of a divine warrior, but, due to being a woman, her clan refuses to believe her claim to the prophesy. When the evil King Bohan invades their land with his group of grotesque generals and a massive army, it’s up to Nariko to prove her role in the prophesy by wielding the mythical Heavenly Sword and saving her clan from complete and utter destruction. It’s an admittedly straightforward tale, but it’s backed by solid writing and takes a few unexpected twists and turns that keep things interesting.
One of the strengths of the game lies in its cast of characters and the actors who bring them to life. Nariko is a fiery spirit, full of kindness to those she cares about, but quickly able to slip into ferocity when encountering her enemies. One of Nariko’s only friends is a young girl named Kai, the only remaining survivor of a clan wiped out by King Bohan’s army. Kai suffers from severe emotional and mental damage from witnessing the eradication of her clan, with Nariko being the only person who can help her cling to sanity. Anna Torv (of Fringe fame) plays Nariko excellently, providing warmth when needed, but also a playful taunting tone to her foes. Likewise, the lesser known Lydia Baksh (who hasn’t been in much outside of this game) captures the emotionally fractured state of Kai wonderfully, including some of the most realistic and heart-wrenching screams of terror you’ll ever hear. Lastly, the one and only Andy Serkis (Gollum from The Lord of the Rings) portrays King Bohan and is an absolute delight. He delivers a performance that’s slimy and disgusting, while also dramatic in an intentionally over the top manner.
Sight-In Games 