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Of All The E3 Rumors, This Is The One I Dearly Wish Is True…

Ben-Dutka 33 Comments

It seems like just about every last facet of Sony's upcoming E3 presentation has been leaked.

Of course, none of it is confirmed and we must apply the "rumor" label to such information. That being said, when I was perusing the speculative list , my eyes were drawn toward one thing:

The possibility of a Heavenly Sword 2 announcement. Could Ninja Theory finally be working on a sequel?

Sure, I want games like Uncharted 4 , The Order: 1886 , and a new God of War just like everyone else. I think Quantic Dream's project ( The Dark Sorcerer ) will be amazing whenever it decides to arrive, I can't wait to see what studios like Sony Japan and Sony London have in store, Media Molecule is forever the accomplished creative innovator, I'd love to see a Syphon Filter reboot, and an RPG from Guerrilla definitely got my attention.

But above all, HS2 is what I want. To this day, I think Heavenly Sword is one of the most underrated and under-appreciated games of the previous generation. I still remember writing the review and wondering how other critics could've seen fit to bash the game. I just didn't get it. The story was good – better than most action titles, that's for sure – and the acting and writing were unbelievable. Some will complain about the gameplay but honestly, I didn't have any problem. Shallow? Eh, depends on how you look at it.

Everything, from the setting to the character(s) to the combat, kept me absorbed from start to finish. Furthermore, I've always respected Ninja Theory; Enslaved: Odyssey to the West was another sorely under-appreciated game. It just seemed like this team always got the short end of the stick last generation, and if they do deliver Heavenly Sword 2 , I hope they're rewarded. I can almost guarantee that the audience will be very appreciative of the announcement at E3…if it comes.

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Hey Sony, Isn’t It Time To Announce Heavenly Sword 2 For PS4?

Ben-Dutka 28 Comments

It was one of the first great games for the PlayStation 3. It helped us to recover from months of "PS3 is doomed" headlines. To this day, it's widely regarded as one of the most impressive, accomplished titles of that generation.

Granted, it had its detractors, but I still say the game was a tremendous achievement, and it was especially important for a relatively new piece of hardware. The PS3 has just suffered an abysmal launch 10 months earlier, so when Heavenly Sword hit store shelves, Sony's machine wasn't exactly getting a lot of good press. Despite those aforementioned detractors, Ninja Theory's title showed what the PS3 could do, and that was critical.

Now, of course, the PS4 is off to a much better start, comparatively speaking. It probably doesn't need the help. But wouldn't it be perfect to start off another generation with a new Heavenly Sword entry? Fans have been begging for a new installment for years. Perhaps the best way to generate more excitement for the PS4 is to announce a long-awaited sequel, one that's also exclusive to Sony's console. If handled by the right team, it could be fantastic .

I'd want this more than a new God of War , to be honest. There was just something very special about Heavenly Sword …

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Heavenly Sword 2 Concept Art Surfaces, And We’re Depressed

Ben-Dutka 9 Comments

This is one game that should never have been axed.

Heavenly Sword was, in our opinion, one of the first great PS3 exclusives. We were hoping developer Ninja Theory would do a sequel but instead, they produced the solid Enslaved: Odyssey to the West ; they're currently working on the Devil May Cry reboot.

But a Heavenly Sword sequel was in the works at Sony's Cambridge studio, and some information along with a bunch of ditched concept art has surfaced at Siliconera . The enemies in the scrapped game were going to be the Ravens and the Raven King, and we also get a glimpse of a pair of twins that would've provided "comic relief." We even see something that hinted at a Nariko resurrection…

Honestly, if there's any chance of this project getting resurrected, we hope Sony takes it. We get tons of sequels these days but I still think Heavenly Sword was unique in a number of ways…and I want another!

Related Game(s): Heavenly Sword

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If Heavenly Sword 2 Exists, It’s Time To Tell Everyone

Ben-Dutka 37 Comments

Ninja Theory didn't want to do it. They said the first game "didn't make enough money," which, at 1.5 million copies sold, is a tough pill to swallow. Supposedly, though, the sequel is in the works at an unknown studio.

So…what's up? Where is it? If the project does exist, the developer in question should probably speak up and build some hype. They have to know that Heavenly Sword generated plenty of fans, and those same fans have been hoping for a sequel since 2007. It wasn't a perfect action title but it laid the groundwork for a fantastic franchise and to this day, I maintain it boasted the best lip-syncing I've ever seen; i.e., the spoken words actually lining up with the mouth movement. It also featured great acting in general, a lot of beautiful visuals, a solid story, and a reliable, entertaining action mechanic.

The bottom line is that people do want Heavenly Sword 2 . It isn't a first-person shooter; the competition would only be significantly stiff if it came out alongside a new God of War (or perhaps the Devil May Cry reboot). The only thing that worries me is that if a new development team is in charge, how will they approach this sequel? We assume they won't have access to Ninja Theory's same resources so HS2 will undoubtedly look and feel a little different…and that might prove tragic. Even so, we just gotta know: is there a sequel in the works somewhere or not? Tell us!

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Rumor: Heavenly Sword Survives With Another Developer

Ben-Dutka 90 Comments

Heavenly Sword was one of the first quality PlayStation 3 exclusives but evidently, 1.5 million sales wasn't enough to warrant a sequel.

Now, though, it seems the IP survives…only with another developer. Unfortunately, according to HipHopGamer , that developer remains unknown, despite the supposed fact that the idea of a trilogy remains intact. Ninja Theory handled the first and have since gone on to deliver Enslaved: Odyssey to the West , a multiplatform effort that went over well with critics, but sort of bombed out on the sales charts. The fall competition and lack of promotion likely hurt its potential, and we know Ninja Theory is currently cranking on the new Devil May Cry . So who has Heavenly Sword ? Our vote would go to Sony Santa Monica; the same team that handles the stellar God of War series. Anybody else have good ideas for a competent developer…?

Of course, until we see a more official source, we're not saying this is confirmed. We just love the idea of a new HS title, that's all.

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