The game is an action-adventure title with heavy elements of hack and slash gameplay. The gameplay of the game resembles a martial arts title focused on melee combat while featuring opportunities for ranged attacks. The main character, Nariko, uses a weapon called the "Heavenly Sword" which changes into one of three forms depending on what attack stance the player uses as part of a unique fighting style. Speed Stance provides an even balance between damage and speed, where the sword takes the form of two separate blades.[1] Range Stance allows fast, long-range, but weaker attacks, with the sword being two blades chained together. Power Stance is the most powerful, but slowest style, where attacks are made with the sword in the shape of one large, two-handed blade.
The game's story and mythos revolves around the titular Heavenly Sword, a blade said to have been wielded by an unnamed Heavenly deity against a demonic warlord called the Raven Lord.[2] After the battle was won and the Raven Lord defeated, the sword was left in the mortal world, becoming the center of wars over its power.[3] The fighting made the sword lust after the life of its users, eventually killing them after a short time.[4][5] A warrior tribe finally took charge of the sword, ending the wars and pledging to keep it safe and unused for the world's own good.[6] Among the tribe, a legend said that the sword's original wielder would be reborn in the year of the "fire-horse", and that this figure would unite the world's scattered tribes and lead the world to peace.[7]
The game begins in medias res, with Nariko fighting the forces of Bohan. As she is fighting the sword finishes draining her life and she seemingly dies, waking in a field and speaking to the power within the sword about what has happened. Five days before, Nariko's clan is assaulted by King Bohan's forces. Before she joins the fight, Shen thrusts the sword into the ground next to her demanding that she take care of it. Nariko fights alongside her father and her clansmen as their defenses are weakened and stretched by scores of Bohan's warriors scaling the city walls accompanied by catapults. As the warriors and Shen escape from Bohan's Army, Nariko protects them until spotting a catapult moving toward the fort. As Shen had earlier instructed her, she flees, as the fortress is apparently destroyed behind her. She passes a large black bird with a golden head, the animal form of the Raven Lord. When Bohan's army captures her father and corners her Nariko has no choice but to wield the sword to defend herself in order to escape. She takes a flying leap off a cliff edge as Bohan's archers begin firing at her. Kai finds Nariko after disobeying Shen's orders to hide and informs her of the temple where her father and clansmen are held captive. Nariko infiltrates the temple and is ambushed by Flying Fox. She defeats the general and continues on to rescue her father. Meanwhile, King Bohan plots to set up a trap for Nariko with Whiptail. Nariko falls into the trap, and Whiptail, after watching most of her personal guards defeated, tells Nariko the truth behind her father's original feelings about her birth - Shen wanted to kill Nariko shortly after her birth, but was unable to bring himself to do so.[13] Nariko tells her father to leave her and fights with Whiptail. After Nariko impales Whiptail with the sword, King Bohan turns up and snaps Whiptail's neck in her dying moments, then captures the sword and an incapacitated Nariko.
As Shen escapes, Kai makes her way to Nariko's cell. Kai is able to find where Nariko is imprisoned and begs that she comes home with her. Nariko explains to Kai that she needs to reacquire the Heavenly Sword to kill King Bohan. She asks Kai to retrieve the sword and Kai accepts the task. Kai succeeds in finding the Heavenly Sword, only to also discover her mother's skeleton. In a flashback, it is revealed that, some years ago, Kai's mother was murdered in front of her eyes by Flying Fox. Returning to the present, Kai is confronted by Flying Fox and barely manages to escape from him with the sword. Meanwhile, Nariko is forced by Bohan to fight before his army against Orangumen, pets of Roach's. During the battle, Kai arrives and throws Nariko the sword. When Nariko defeats all the Orangumen, Bohan orders Roach to murder Nariko. After defeating Roach, both Nariko and Kai flee from the pit. Bohan then commands Flying Fox to kill Kai while his soldiers take on Nariko. As the two try to escape, Flying Fox cuts Kai off from Nariko and they are separated. Nariko desperately tails Flying Fox, but when she finally catches up, he seemingly hangs Kai in front of her. Believing Kai dead, Nariko flies into a rage and battles with Flying Fox. As Nariko and Flying Fox duel, Kai, who survived the drop, uses her crossbow to shoot an arrow into Flying Fox's head, killing him. Nariko releases the injured Kai from the noose and returns her to the care of the clan.
King Bohan rallies his men to launch a final attack to regain the Heavenly Sword. Nariko fights alongside her father and clansmen once more. Nariko kills countless numbers of Bohan's troops with ease and destroys his catapults. Despite her efforts, the sword kills her, bringing the events of the game full circle. But this time, Nariko reverses her death by making a pact with the sword to protect it from becoming a useless and dusty relic, since it needs her more than her clan needs it.[14] Nariko returns as a goddess-like figure, and proceeds to slaughter Bohan's troops. Desperate, Bohan begs the Raven Lord (who has been seen repeatedly throughout the game watching Nariko or being with Bohan) to give him the power to destroy Nariko. Bohan gets his wish and the Raven Lord merges with him.[15] An epic battle ensues similar to the one foretold in the prophecy. After Nariko manages to defeat Bohan, the raven leaves his body, and, despite Bohan begging for mercy, pecks his eyes out and flies away.
As Nariko raises the sword to strike the final blow, Roach comes to his father's side and begs Nariko to let him take Bohan. Nariko relents, then Roach and Bohan leave, with Bohan calling Roach his son for the first time.[16] Though successful in protecting the sword from coming into the hands of Bohan, Nariko still must give her life for wielding it, for that is the price for using the almighty sword, and the story comes to its end. Nariko reflects that she believes they have fought in vain for the prophecy, that the sword was not from Heaven, but feels gratified that she chose to be the one who was going to save her people from evil: she took the sword, paid the price and ultimately defeated Bohan's army, but nevertheless she was still a normal woman.[17] Nariko heals Kai, and gives her the sword for safekeeping, before passing away. At the funeral, Nariko's body is placed into a boat filled with blossoms, and Kai and Shen cast her out to sea.
The game's story and mythos revolves around the titular Heavenly Sword, a blade said to have been wielded by an unnamed Heavenly deity against a demonic warlord known as the Raven Lord.[1] After the battle was won and the Raven Lord defeated, the sword was left in the mortal realm, becoming the center of wars over its power.[2] The fighting made the sword lust after the life of its wielders, eventually killing them after a few days.[3][4] A warrior tribe finally took charge of the sword, ending the wars and pledging to keep it safe and unused for the world's own good.[5] Among the tribe, a legend said that the sword's original owner would be reborn in the year of the "fire-horse", and that this figure would reunite the world's scattered tribes and lead them to the "Promised Land".[6]
In that year is when the main character, Nariko, is born. Soon after her mother dies, she's immediately reviled by her clanmates as a mockery of the prophecy and a portent of doom.[7] Fast forward 23 years, a tyrannical ruler named King Bohan is determined to bring the world's tribes to heel and pave the way for a new golden age and, for that, he seeks the Heavenly Sword.[8] Nariko, now a highly skilled young warrior, is shouldered with the task of protecting the sword from him. However, she eventually decides to wield the Heavenly Sword and exact vengeance for all those who died in its name. Can she end Bohan's invasion and fulfil the prophecy before the sword drains her life?
There's also a form of upgrade for Nariko's swordsmanship in the game by obtaining glyphs, which are rewarded to the player at the end of a level based on their performance. Normally, avoiding damage and getting high combos are good ways of achieving all 129 glyphs.
While he said that he would become a Murim family, he could not pretend not to know the work of Hanam Murim. The son of the true moon swordsman Yeon Mu-ryong, he would always be ridiculed if he was left out of this job.
Heavenly Prison Fire Swordedit天牢火劍 (Tenrō Kaken)NameEnglish animeCelestial Prison Flame SwordDebutMovieNaruto the Movie: Blood PrisonAppears inMovieDataClassificationHiden, NinjutsuNature
"The Gods, Buddhas, hellish Ghostly immortals, and I shall mind our own business. But if the heavenly rules imprisons me, if the heavenly restrictions orders me, I shall turn this world upside down and break all the forbidden rules of the sky palaces!"
Heavenly Sword was a great, albeit short game that was originally released in the early days of the Playstation 3's life cycle. For many gamers it was one of the first experiences they had on their PS3, so much so that there remains a strong fanbase for the game to this day 8 years later.
Although the developers of the original (Ninja Theory) have stepped away from the series they did have a whole trilogy planned out around the series, with a sequel already written. And while Ninja Theory may not be in the picture anymore Sony still owns the rights to the IP (Intellectual Property) for heavenly Sword.
With the release of Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale in 2012 Sony clearly acknowledged the popularity of the game by including the main character of Heavenly Sword, Nariko, in the roster. What's more with Sony backing Shenmue 3 it's evident that they are willing to back games that have a strong fan following. So let's make sure Sony knows that we want to see Heavenly Sword get similar treatment.