Well whatever Ninja Theory is working on, I just hope it at least doesn't feature combat mechanics (if it's a combat-centric game) and AI that is as paper-thin as Heavenly Sword's. First make your game interesting and engaging to play, then worry about the story and technology.

Got to agree with you Christopher. Companies learned the hard way that graphics alone don't make your game a mega seller. If the gameplay isn't right, then no amount of hype is going to save you.

Totally agreed. Since you have a good solid gameplay, you can make a thousand plots on it.

Heavenly Sword is a terrific game and probably one of the most unfairly maligned titles of this generation. The A.I. you gentlemen allude to is no worse that what is found in every other action game out there. Heavenly Sword definitely had its own flavor, playing more like an interactive version of a martial arts sword epic rather than something like God of War or Devil May Cry. Other than some frame rate issues, it was an amazing experience and one I still revisit from time to time.

I look forward to whatever is next on their agenda.

The AI in God of War or Devil May Cry is certainly nothing to write home about either, but any time I pick up an action title I automatically compare it's AI to that of Ninja Gaiden. In NG enemies can both block and dodge and genuinely react to the players actions, taking advantage of holes is the player's defence whilst still making believable errors for the player to take advantage of. The end-result is like a brutal, super-fast game of chess (more-so NG/NGB/NGS than NG2 unfortunately, which was watered-down to make it more accessible to casual gamers).

Enemies in Heavenly Sword on the other hand, fit generally into two categories: brainless cannon fodder that makes zero effort to actually defend itself, and enemies with perfect blocking capability that are just as easily dispatched by spamming heavy-stance combos with guard breakers.

Game designers and AI programmers, particularly in the action and hack-n-slash genres, can take huge cues from Ninja Gaiden as to what "good AI" really means and the profound value it can add to gameplay.

Christopher,

Ninja Gaiden occupies its own tier of quality and always has. Even the flawed Ninja Gaiden II, while rife with issues that should have been polished out before release, enjoys a core combat system that no other action game can even begin to approach. When you compare the pure mechanics of NG, even fantastic games like God of War appear shallow.

The enemies in Heavenly Sword weren't the brightest but they did offer a solid challenge in larger quantities. Also, while you're probably correct about spamming heavy stance attacks, I really loved the counter system employed within the mechanics and found myself compelled to mix things up. My point is that while the A.I wasn't the best in HS, it was certainly on par with most action games available and that, coupled with the outstanding production values and superb combat, made it a standout title.