PlayStation 3’s Forgotten 2007 Action Game Remains One of Its Best—and Most Surprising—Single-Player Games

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The PlayStation 3 had some unique qualities, and the 2007 game Heavenly Sword really showcases them. Developed by Ninja Theory, it’s a single-player action game where you battle enemies with swords. While it was often overshadowed when it first came out – and some might remember it simply as another action game with a female protagonist, like Bullet Witch or Primal – Heavenly Sword offers a lot more depth than that.

Heavenly Sword follows Nariko, a warrior from a unique fictional tribe. What made the game stand out was its ambitious and creative story and how it was presented, even if it wasn’t flawless. Combined with gameplay similar to God of War, critics generally liked it, giving it scores around 7 or 8 out of 10 – similar to the reception of Black Myth: Wukong today. Unfortunately, Heavenly Sword didn’t sell well enough to cover its development costs. This disappointing performance caused the developers, Ninja Theory, to cancel their plans for a three-game series.

Heavenly Sword’s Single-Player Campaign Deserves Its Flowers

By 2007, video games were increasingly focused on complex and mature stories. However, while games like Metal Gear Solid 2 and BioShock succeeded, many others – such as Dark Sector and Alone in the Dark – attempted to be dark and intense but ended up feeling awkward and boring. Heavenly Sword, with its drab colors, bleak fantasy setting, and sword-fighting hero, risked falling into the same trap. Its initial mixed reception was likely due, in part, to the market already being flooded with similar, unoriginal action games.

While many games of its time existed, Heavenly Sword stands out with its bold and admirable story. The main character, Nariko, is particularly engaging; she’s a complex and fully realized person, a refreshing change from the often one-dimensional female characters common in games of that era. The story centers around a prophecy concerning the powerful Heavenly Sword, said to be created by the gods for a specific hero – a man born in the year of the fire-horse. When Nariko is born during that year, and with the predicted red hair, her tribe rejects her, believing she brings bad luck. Because she’s a woman, not the prophesied man, they see her as an unwelcome and unnatural occurrence.

The strongest part of Heavenly Sword is how it portrays the complicated relationships between its characters. Like Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, the game truly comes alive when it focuses on the emotions and connections between people, and really explores what makes them tick. The game is filled with little details that make the characters feel real – for example, Nariko’s difficult relationship with her tribe, or the villain Bohan’s insecurities about his son. These details create a rich and believable world, making the characters – both heroes and villains – feel complex and human.

The characters in Heavenly Sword are voiced by a talented cast, featuring Andy Serkis as Bohan and Anna Torv, known for her role in Mindhunter, as Nariko.

How Heavenly Sword Was Ahead of Its Time

Image via Sony

When Heavenly Sword first came out, players really connected with its characters, especially its strong, complex female protagonist. However, the game was truly groundbreaking for its technology. It featured impressive physics and incredibly realistic motion-captured cutscenes. While it might have initially seemed similar to God of War, Heavenly Sword’s visuals, detailed environments, and realistic physics were far more advanced than anything seen in that series at the time.

Heavenly Sword successfully combines impressive technology with a strong artistic direction. Although it sometimes uses the common gray color scheme of games from the 2000s, it also features splashes of bright color, creating a unique and memorable visual style. This artistic approach has helped the game hold up well over time, as its distinct look remains noticeable even with advancements in gaming technology.

Is Heavenly Sword Worth Playing in 2025?

While Heavenly Sword doesn’t get the recognition it deserves, it still plays like a typical action game from 2007. The camera is fixed, and while the weapons feel good to use, they lack a sense of weight. Combat often boils down to simply pressing buttons repeatedly, and the controls have some dated quirks, like dodging using the right analog stick. Compared to games like Devil May Cry and God of War from the same period, the combat isn’t as complex or varied.

If you enjoy action-packed hack-and-slash games, especially those inspired by this time period, you’ll likely have fun with Heavenly Sword. While it doesn’t reinvent the genre, it comes together to create a surprisingly enjoyable experience.

Sadly, Heavenly Sword hasn’t been updated for newer consoles or re-released. But you can still play it by streaming it with a PlayStation Plus Premium subscription.

Modern Games Like Heavenly Sword

  • Bayonetta 3
  • Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
  • Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
  • Ninja Gaiden 4
  • Final Fantasy 16

Heavenly Sword Might Be Gone, but Its Spirit Burns Bright at Ninja Theory

After the plans for a third Heavenly Sword game fell through, the team moved on to develop Enslaved. While Enslaved doesn’t continue the story of Heavenly Sword, it shares a similar artistic spirit. Interestingly, Heavenly Sword foreshadowed many elements of Hellblade, including its dark themes, complex female protagonist, and focus on curses. The way cutscenes are directed in Hellblade also feels very similar to Heavenly Sword.

Although an animated movie based on Heavenly Sword was released in 2014, it didn’t successfully revive interest in the game.

Despite not getting any follow-up games and often being forgotten in conversations about games from the 2000s, Heavenly Sword was a crucial step in the development of Ninja Theory as a creative studio. From the start, they aimed to push the boundaries of video game storytelling, focusing on impressive motion capture, animation, visuals, and strong writing and performances. While a sequel to Heavenly Sword might not happen, fans can be sure Ninja Theory will continue to pursue that same level of innovation and quality in their future projects.

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2025-12-13 12:05