Whoa! Playing this game now is a trip! It's like the most PS3 game that ever existed, the over reliance on sixaxis, the low framerate, fighting thousands of clones, Ueda-esque visuals and the first baby steps of mocap in video games.

It's fascinating to play this game now and see just how far games have come, from the beggining of last gen to end of this gen, and just how much Ninja Theory have improved with each game. The only reason i've decided to give this game a shot, was because i loved Enslaved and DmC, and just how talented Ninja Theory is at creating interesting characters is really something else, there's so much personality and fun in how they are presented, the cutscenes are clearly a highlight of the entire game, unfortunatly the game itself, feels a bit disconected from them, it obviously lacks the seamless transitions, that games today have revolutionised. The story is very video game'y, but i'm not complaining and the music is actually kind of great, it adds a lot to the tone and setting.

As to the gameplay, it's quite rough and incredibly dated, but i do like the combat and animations, it's not entirely a torture to play, there is some satisfaction in destroying hundreds of enemies at once ala Dynasty Warriors, the most frustrating part though, are the motion controlled sections, steering the arrow and trebuchet, is quite awful, but also kinda fun...ish, once you get the hang of it.

I probably wouldn't recommend it now, but it's still an interesting title to play, through the prism of time.

This game is buckets of fun and is very charming in an early PS3 exclusive kind of way. Oh you better believe there are tacked on sixaxis controls - you'll be guiding arrows like they're dragons in Lair. I have also been playing Lair. I am sick.

Upon release it was often referred to as "Goddess of War", which is apt, as it pales in comparison in many respects. The combat isn't as fun, but its stance-based system of passive blocking is a clever way of discouraging buttonmashing. It also lacks the sense of progression that makes GoW so satisfying, both in regards to upgrades and the environments you travel through.

Where this game excels is in its presentation. Featuring mocap performances from mocap performer Andy Serkis, as well as the always awesome Anna Torv, the cutscenes are a genuine delight to watch. Torv brings an intensity to Nariko that makes her far more compelling than that yelling angryboy Kratos. Speaking of yelling - Serkis chews scenery with such relish that it helped cement Bohan as one of my favourite videogame villains. The other villains are also a lot of fun.

Overall Heavenly Sword is a fun flawed little game with a big personality.