Heavenly Sword was expected to be a launch title when the Sony PlayStation 3 made its debut, but that never came to fruition. Instead, Heavenly Sword was delayed until September 2007. The game is a Sony PlayStation 3 exclusive video game.

Gamers will be in control of a fairly attractive protagonist named Nariko. The storyline in Heavenly Sword is about Nariko and her father. Her father was killed, and Nariko wants to seek vengeance. In order to avenge her father’s death, she must wield a deadly weapon known as the Heavenly Sword. The plot is your usual tale about revenge and tyranny. It is nothing that we have not seen before and nothing out of the ordinary. I have seen this same storyline in a myriad of other video games. The visuals in Heavenly Sword are stunning. Facial animations entail the entire body, so every part someone’s face looks realistic. All of the environments are drop dead gorgeous. From the ancient architecture to the flora, everything in Heavenly Sword looks splendid.

The exemplary presentation of the game does not stop there. The audio in Heavenly Sword is on par with God of War; (though it is not better than God of War) furthermore, the voice acting makes the characters come to life. The gameplay breaks down like this: Nariko has three stances in her arsenal. One stance is a swift stance that enables you to attack foes quickly. The second stance is a powerful but slow fighting stance. Lastly, there is a ranged stance that allows gamers to hit opponents from a distance. Every stance fits Heavenly Sword well, and they all complement each other. For instance, utilizing a swift stance will eradicate minor enemies. But a power fighting stance might work for a boss. There is also a satisfying counterattack maneuver (ala Assassin’s Creed) that can be executed by pressing a button at the correct moment. When it is done correctly, Nariko will perform a one hit counter attack kill. One flaw with the gameplay is that is devoid of a block button. You can block, however it is completely random and arduous to achieve. You have to match the same fighting stance that your enemies are using. If they use a swift fighting stance, then you have to use a swift fighting stance. One of three colors will radiant around your foes that will accentuate what stance they are utilizing. It seemed like blocking was an afterthought in Heavenly Sword, and the blocking mechanic is a disaster.

A great deal of the gameplay is redundant but manages to keep players intrigued. Excluding bosses, most of your opponents are immensely generic looking characters that lack any depth. Speaking of the bosses, they are definitely an attention grabber. Boss fights add some challenge to the game and provide a much needed chance of pace from the repetitive gameplay. Heavenly Sword has its share of contact sensitive moments (ala God of War) that will appease God of War fans. These contact sensitive parts in the game are significantly difficult to accomplish because you are given a limited time to react when the button icons appear. Luckily, the button icons are identical each time (unlike God of War).

Without giving too much away, there is one particular puzzle in the game that involves throwing a shield that will make you want to scream at the top of your lungs. Fortunately, the game developers did rectify a majority of the camera blunders in the demo. Many people will be mesmerized with the dazzling martial arts acrobatics in Heavenly Sword; others will be mesmerized with the red-haired beauty named Nariko (I know I was); some will be mesmerized by both. Overall, Heavenly Sword is not as brilliant as God of War. The most vexing aspect of Heavenly Sword has to be the length. The game is over before you know it; moreover, maybe six or seven hours of gameplay from start to finish. The final verdict on Heavenly Sword is that it is good but not a remarkable game.

final verdict 8.4 out of 10

Vodafone are the biggest mobile phone network operator in the UK and have used their weight to secure exclusive rights with the manufacturer Sony Ericsson for three new models. These new additions are all offered in gold coloured casings and branded as Havana Gold editions by the network, they include the Sony Ericsson W910i Havana Gold, Sony Ericsson W880i Havana Gold and the Sony Ericsson V640i Havana Gold.

What is interesting about the new V640i gold is that it has actually been released ahead of the standard colour version which is due to be launched in black very soon, this is the first time this has happened in the mobile phone industry and has a lot of retailers and dealers up in arms as the gold model is exclusive to Vodafone and no other outlets are allowed to sell the device. Ordinarily, the base colour versions of new models are released first to gage an overall consumer interest in the phone, successful models are then launched in different colours to attract different cliental. So to see a colour variant available before the base model has been released is very uncommon indeed.

Aside from the anger of the retailers who cannot market this product, the handset offers some top of the range features and specifications and Vodafone are set to profit from the exclusive revenues generated from sales of this handset.

The Sony V640i Gold offers exactly the same features and specifications as the base Black model but incorporates a beautiful gold casing giving the handset a sense of worth and sophistication. The phone is 3G enabled opening up a world of multimedia and informational services from the mobile internet, users can gain access to the latest news and sports headlines, new movie trailers and pre release music videos as well as download new mobile content such as games, ringtones, music tracks, wallpapers and themes. 3G connections facilitate fast download speeds similar to that of broadband making viewing email attachments and streaming media a quick and pleasurable experience, there is also a dedicated secondary camera for making and receiving video calls where the caller can actually see and hear the person they are conversing with.

The main camera offers 2.0 megapixels with a built-in flash for low light conditions, a digital zoom for close up photography, auto focus for quick, easy and quality picture capture and support for video recording and playback of short video clips.

The Sony V640i Gold is compatible with Vodafones DJ Streaming Service where users can listen to dJs as they work, there is also another feature called VideoDJ which lets the user edit and cut video clips which can then be uploaded direct to their mobile blog, this is also available for still pictures so the user can simply add some text to a photo they have captured and send it directly to their blog so that friends and family can keep up to date with their movements and experiences.

The new Sony Ericsson V640i Gold Edition is a big improvement on the original V630i, the overall design is far sleeker and the features have been expanded to accommodate music and camera lovers alike.

Sony Ericsson w580i is a slide open mobile phone from the Sony Ericsson kitty. The handset comes with specialized music capabilities that make it one of its kinds. Built-in FM tuners with “music illumination” effects make the mobile music experience more interesting. A stereo headset could also be used to personalize the mobile music experience. The combination of ultra slim design with innovative music features make for a potent combination. Apart from music, the Sony Ericsson w580i comes with other interesting features in gaming, imaging and fitness applications.

The ultra slim design is made more attractive with the incorporation of a 2.0 inches QVGA screen. A 2.0 mega-pixel digital camera ensures impressive shots – each time and every time. The captured images and video clips become all the more engrossing in the 262K colors of the QVGA display. A screen viewfinder and dedicated menus of the in-built camera ensures that users can make the most of their creative instincts in photography. One could also upload selected pictures to personal blogs and share the same with friends and loved ones – all at the click of a button.

The fun quotient is ensured through preloaded 3D games. The gaming experience is optimized through the large 2.0-inch color screen. TrackID is another important feature of the handset; users can record a few minutes of a particular song and the advanced capabilities of the handset would ensure that they know more about the name of the song, artist as well as the album in which it is featured within seconds.

Owners of the Sony Ericsson W580i can also use the same to browse for information in the Internet. Email client and subscription to RSS feeds ensure that one is well connected with a rapidly changing world.

The Sony Erickson K200i is available in either metallic black or pale champagne casing. The February 2007 announcement described a highly attractive case and a keypad which has a good feel. There is no opening system. There is a generally solid bar design to the handset which weighs 82 grams including the battery and measures 103 mm by 46 mm by 16.7 mm.

The mobile phone is an ideal size for slipping into a handy pocket or bag at 103 mm by 46 mm by 16.7 mm.

Its slim design arrives with a 65K colour CSTN display screen of 128 by 128 pixels. You can customize with wallpapers or themes to add visual interest. Large keys and keypad make for easy use and access. The family name for this mobile phone is the K220i but it has dissimilar features. The Sony Ericsson K200i and its integrated features will be a pleasure to use.

The Sony Ericsson K200i arrives with a substantial 2 MB of internal memory. This allows for easily saving contact details, messages and photos. The battery allows approximately 900 hours of standby time and 8 hours of talk time from a full charge.

This great mobile phone includes a VGA camera so that the user can capture all the fun and special ingredients in their day. These photos can be shared immediately with friends by using the K200i picture messaging service. The VGA camera has direct interaction with the messaging features of the phone plus dedicated menus for user-friendly use. The screen functions as a viewfinder so that the user can know they are getting snaps of just the image they want.

Video clips can be easily recorded on the phone and stored for later playback.

The provided network is dual bank GSM 9900/GSM 1800.

32 channels of polyphonic ringtones and downloadable customization are available. The vibration mode is included. A substantial phonebook with allowance for up to 300 entries and 200 received, missed, or dialed calls is included.

The GPRS is class 10 with speeds of 32-48 kbps, HSCSD and both a USB and infrared port. SMS and MMS messaging, a WAP 1.2.1 browser and several other features such as games, slide show, stopwatch, timer and of course, built-in handsfree make the Sony Ericsson a prime choice for users.

The recently released Sony PSP Slim 3000 has caused quite a controversy among new PSP owners who purchased their Sony PSP Slim 2000 units within the last few months. It has not even been a full year since Sony released the PSP Slim 2000, with its biggest feature being the ability to connect to a TV through AV output. Many are arguing that Sony‘s latest addition to its handheld family should not even be considered an upgrade of the current model. Let’s take a deeper look into the features of the PSP 3000.

The 3000 was unveiled at the Leipzig gaming conference last week. The unit has the exact same dimensions as its counterpart, the Slim 2000. However, there were a few upgrades. Sony gave the PSP 3000 a new anti-glare screen, which is supposed to make playing the PSP while outside a bit more bearable. This new LCD screen also features a broader color palette than the older model, which accounts for a brighter, more vibrant picture. Along with this new screen, Sony added a built in microphone to the 3000, which will allow many people who have access to WiFi hotspots peppered through-out a large city to utilize the PSP as a phone-like device with the built in Skype software.

Along with these hardware improvements, the Slim 3000 also features a few cosmetic improvements as well. The ‘HOME’ button no longer exists, as it has been replaced by a PSN button. It functions exactly the same as the old button, but instead has the Playstation logo instead of the word ‘HOME’. Also, the brushed aluminum ring which was featured on both the PSP Fat, as it has become known, and the PSP Slim has been replaced with a more polished and thinner chrome ring. The edges of the PSP 3000 have also been smoothed a bit so that it feels more comfortable while holding it in your hand.

Sony PSP 3000 will be available this October, featuring the colors Piano Black and Mystic Silver. All in all, if you’re already a proud PSP 2000 Slim owner, you might want to skip this upgrade as the anti-glare screen is only a major upgrade if you find yourself playing a lot while outside. However, if you’re looking to purchase a PSP, the 3000 is the way to go.