Grabbing hold of Heavenly Sword

State of the art storytelling, incredible visuals and astonishing combat combine in this PlayStation 3 exclusive.

Heavenly Sword is easily one of the most anticipated games lined up for PS3 this year - a hugely ambitious adventure that aims to raise the bar for telling stories in a game. And with massive input from Andy Serkis, the actor responsible for sublime performances as Gollum and Kong in the Lord of the Rings series and King Kong, there's every reason to believe the team at Ninja Theory is about to achieve its goal.

The detail evident on the faces of the game's characters is leaps and bounds ahead of anything that's gone before; these are faces that are truly able to communicate emotions. And in a game packed with memorable characters, it's the heroine Nariko and the dastardly King Botan - played by Serkis - that prove particularly enthralling to watch.

The big budget feel encompasses the whole game, with the combat proving just as spectacular. It's accessible, allowing all players to get stuck in and watch Nariko pull off some impressive moves. With extended play, though, you'll become aware of whole new layers of depth: Nariko is able to switch between ranged attacks, heavy attacks and her normal stance on the fly, allowing for swift, extended combos that give that wonderful feeling of being in control in the midst of chaos.

It certainly looks as if Ninja Theory is on course to deliver one of the standout games of the first year of PS3. Check out the demo on PlayStation Store and find out for yourself.