After the debacle that was "Lair," I was a little worried about "Heavenly Sword," the latest big-name release from Sony for the PlayStation 3.

I worried for nothing.

The story is one of the most interesting parts of the game. The main character, Nariko, is charged with protecting the Heavenly Sword, which once belonged to a god. Any mortal who tries to use it gets its power, but at the cost of their life, which slowly drains away.

Enter King Bohan, who covets the sword and is willing to kill for it. Nariko and her clan run from Bohan, but he takes her father captive and she wields the sword, knowing it eventually will kill her.

Each of the characters has fantastic voice acting, especially Bohan, voiced by actor Andy Serkis ( Gollum in "The Lord of the Rings" film series). "Heavenly Sword" also impresses with its visuals. The characters move smoothly, and their facial expressions are incredibly lifelike.

The battle system is very much a hack and slash -- nothing too complex, yet still satisfying. Blocking is done automatically when not fighting. Motion controls are used, but sparsely, and they can be turned off.

The real downfall of "Heavenly Sword" is its length. A dedicated gamer could easily finish it in one sitting.

Despite that, it's a highly polished, incredibly well-done tale. There's no question that "Heavenly Sword" is a must-play; the question is whether it's a must-buy.

If you're a fan of strategy role-playing games, a must-buy is "Jeanne D'Arc" for the PSP.

Created by Level 5, the guys who made the "Dark Cloud" games and "Rogue Galaxy," "Jeanne D'Arc" is a reimagining of the story of Joan of Arc.

This Joan (Jeanne, the French spelling) also hears voices from God and vows to rid the French countryside of the English. But this storyline centers around a mysterious armlet that gives Jeanne magical powers. The band is one of several that were used in the past to vanquish a demon, which has now been reborn in the body of the young King Henry VI.

"Jeanne D'Arc" is a strategy RPG. Battles are turn-based and take place on a grid. Each battle has a limit on the number of turns the player can take to meet the victory requirement, such as defeating a specific enemy, defeating all enemies or simply making it alive to a certain point on the map. Characters are highly customizable, and can be anything from a healer to a strong attacker.

Graphically, the cel-shaded "Jeanne D'Arc" is pretty, and the cutscenes are done well in anime style.

It's been a while since I really put my PSP to work, but "Jeanne D'Arc" did it for me. There's no excuse for not owning a copy of "Jeanne D'Arc."

{M3'Heavenly Sword'

PlayStation 3

Price: $59.00

Rated: T for Teen

4 out of five stars

'Jeanne D'Arc'

PSP

Price: $29.99

Rated: T for Teen

4.5 out of five stars