Heavenly Sword's slimiest moments

Sept 6, 2007

Whatever complaints critics might have about Heavenly Sword's action, it's undeniable that its visuals - particularly its cutscenes - are some of the most striking to ever be put into a game. And it's the individual characters that really stand out, with hyper-expressive faces and broad, theatrical performances that are simultaneously riveting and ridiculous.

At the center of it all is actor Andy Serkis, best known for his portrayals of King Kong and Lord of the Rings' Gollum. Here, he pulls double duty as Heavenly Sword's dramatic director and as its villain, an endlessly watchable old bastard named Bohan. Serkis and actor Steven Berkoff - who lends his voice and face to the weird boss character Flying Fox - provide some of the game's most memorable scenes. They also provide some of the most skin-crawlingly creepy moments we've ever witnessed, in a videogame or otherwise. They terrorize small girls, scream about their genitals and misinterpret dying gasps as attempts to be sexy. They're perverted, foul and way too full of themselves for anyone's good, and they're fascinating because of it.

To give you an idea of what we mean, we've assembled a video montage of the absolute slimiest moments from Heavenly Sword for your "enjoyment." Prepare to be sketched out like never before:

Whatever complaints critics might have about Heavenly Sword's action, it's undeniable that its visuals - particularly its cutscenes - are some of the most striking to ever be put into a game. And it's the individual characters that really stand out, with hyper-expressive faces and broad, theatrical performances that are simultaneously riveting and ridiculous.

At the center of it all is actor Andy Serkis, best known for his portrayals of King Kong and Lord of the Rings' Gollum. Here, he pulls double duty as Heavenly Sword's dramatic director and as its villain, an endlessly watchable old bastard named Bohan. Serkis and actor Steven Berkoff - who lends his voice and face to the weird boss character Flying Fox - provide some of the game's most memorable scenes. They also provide some of the most skin-crawlingly creepy moments we've ever witnessed, in a videogame or otherwise. They terrorize small girls, scream about their genitals and misinterpret dying gasps as attempts to be sexy. They're perverted, foul and way too full of themselves for anyone's good, and they're fascinating because of it.

To give you an idea of what we mean, we've assembled a video montage of the absolute slimiest moments from Heavenly Sword for your "enjoyment." Prepare to be sketched out like never before:

Mikel Reparaz
After graduating from college in 2000 with a BA in journalism, I worked for five years as a copy editor, page designer and videogame-review columnist at a couple of mid-sized newspapers you've never heard of. My column eventually got me a freelancing gig with GMR magazine, which folded a few months later. I was hired on full-time by GamesRadar in late 2005, and have since been paid actual money to write silly articles about lovable blobs.