The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

One of the best reviews I've read in a while, Adam.

Skyward Sword was a completely fresh experience for me. Blacked out on the game and knew next to nothing about it, and never played a Motion Plus game before that either. Whilst we likely all experienced some frustrating moments with the sword not going where you want every time, overall the motion controls are such a joy to play with. To actually sit there and move the remote around in all sorts of directions and see Link doing the exact same thing on screen makes you realise how much of a step up in gaming we've come to. I would sometimes purposely hold the remote and nunchuk in a way that I would like to hold a sword and shield in real life, watching Link copy me and feeling even more in his shoes.

I was initially sceptical of the motion control thing. I've not been a massive fan of them at all in games, much preferring to play with a traditional controller. Most games seem to have them tacked on. But as proven with a Motion Plus game like Skyward Sword, they have completely changed my opinion on them. Perhaps it's because it's now 1:1 control and that I'm finally playing what I thought the Wii would be capable of from the start that I have become a fan of them. But just seeing how accurate and smooth it is to swing your sword in any direction and fire arrows with precision makes me crave more. I never thought it would suit a Zelda game, but it's clear that the guys at Nintendo spent a lot of time in getting it right.

I enjoyed the game so much. I love having a story in the Zelda games, even if Nintendo do find it hard to think of how to fit the games together, but SS didn't disappoint me on the plot side of things. There is a lot to ponder on how this game ties in to the rest of the series, but I shan't be discussing that here, to save from spoiling people.

Dungeons and puzzles were great. One dungeon in particular really stood out to me, as well as one of the bosses. It didn't feel so much that this game remedied an awful lot from previous Zeldas, unlike Twilight Princess, which I thought was a great game, but reused too many things.

On the point you brought up about TP, it sounds like you don't agree with the 10/10 score Mr. T gave it. Some magazines/sites update scores with new reviews after time/newer games come out; opinions change. So why not keep the original review in tact, but perhaps write a revised review as well, to go as the official new score? I see no harm in that at all.

Back on SS, I was a little underwhelmed by the soundtrack. It was beautiful and the ambient themes fitted perfectly with each place, but there weren't so many memorable themes as compared to previous Zeldas, which is a bit of a surprise. I am sure it was stated that they would be remixing quite a few old songs in this game, but I don't recall many at all, save for one or two. The Ballad of the Goddess song is one of my new favourite themes in games right now though, and the credits theme is a god send.

Definitely the game of the year for me, and probably my favourite game on the Wii. Cannot wait for the Wii U's Zelda now!

I haven't finished it yet but I'm very close to and my thoughts pretty much mirror yours, Azuardo.

The only thing that really keeps Skyward Sword from beating The Wind Waker as my favourite Zelda game is the music, just as you mentioned. Now, we all have come to love many of Zelda's soundtracks over the years with countless replays of the series' games and the same will definitely happen with Skyward Sword in a few years but I was still missing those catchy, memorable soundtracks that instantly had me humming along. The Ballad of the Goddess is really the only exception here, that one is simply godlike. It's no surprise that I'm listening to it as I'm writing this. The soundtrack that plays while you're flying through Skyloft comes close to being one of those instant classics I mentioned but it's still not quite there. It's still a top notch soundtrack, though. It just misses those few tracks that I find myself listening to long after I finished the game.

That's all I have to say about Skyward Sword for now. I'm sure I'll go into more detail somewhere else in a while.

It really is fantastic. Part of me is missing the large and complex dungeons (I've only done two so maybe they get bigger, but I know the overworld area is as much a part of the dungeon as the temples themselves), but everything feels very well paced and fluid.

Still not sure about Skyloft as a setting. It doesn't feel as much of a 'real' place as Ocarina's or TP's Hyrule, or WW's islands. I'd have preferred it more fleshed out, and to feel like a place that could conceivably exist in and of itself (these people have existed here for apparently centuries, but there's like 30/40 people there and only a handful of buildings), but obviously that's not what they were aiming for.

The controls are essentially perfect, and I have high hopes for the future of this kind of technology being applied to other games following Zelda's example (the process of progress is still the same after 25 years).

A superb review, for a superb game.

For me, my only main gripe is the same as others, the music (and even then it's not major enough to spoil the game or anything). The controls are a learning process and I've been getting on with them a lot better as I've played through the game. That said, the bomb rolling can still be irritating to pull off on occasions and I still get sword swings that don't register properly now and again.

There's was some moments where I didn't enjoy the game as much, but they weren't bad. It was just a different type of objective and I'm not a big fan of it (something similar was in the DS Zelda titles).

The cutscenes are so good, I wish there was more, especially the ones involving Link and Zelda. One of them nearly brought a tear to me eye. The whole introduction part on Skyloft was superb, as well. The best of any Zelda game, I'd say.

( Edited 24.11.2011 21:24 by Marzy )

The pacing is something I thought was spot on too, Lynk. The game doesn't seem to have a down time or boring periods. At least for me anyway. Things progress smoothly.

The same thought crossed my mind about the small number of people on tiny Skyloft too. When I read about the goddess taking people to live in the sky, I assumed it would be a much bigger chunk of land than what Link lives on, and I was surprised we were supposed to believe these guys had lived up there for what, thousands of years?

I agree on the cutscenes, Marzy. This was a big step up from what we've seen in the past from Nintendo. Shows they definitely have got what it takes to deliver on that front, and really gets you hyped for what they can produce on an HD machine.

what a fucking fanboy review, srsly

Care to elaborate?

EDIT: Ignoring that baseless comment, I agree with the pacing as mentioned in the review. The way Nintendo delivers the story throughout is far better than in past games. It definitely feels like the story develops and builds up layer-by-layer the deeper you get into the adventure.

I really love the bowling pots/boulders/bombs part, by the way

( Edited 24.11.2011 22:15 by jesusraz )

Easily the best Zelda. M+ definitely makes this far better than Ocarina or Wind Waker!

I'm not far into the game to place a final judgement on how I appreciate the settings and environments, but I crave to finally be able to explore a vast open field in a Zelda game, with the same grandeur that can be found in Xenoblade Chronicles.

My hope was that there would be something along those lines in Skyward Sword, at long last, and not the same forgettable multiple small Hyrule Fields from Twilight Princess interconnected by corridors that only served the purpose of hiding the load times. Here, I feel like I'm in some sort of Super Mario 64 again, were Skyloft is the hub world, and you constantly need to travel back to it if you want to explore a different area of the world down below, and this came as a HUGE disappointment for me.

Sure, I didn't expect the game world to meet my every single expectations, because that would be totally unrealistic. But the fragmented nature of the in-game world makes it less enjoyable than what could have been if it was more open, IMHO.

That being said, at the same time, I like what we DID get, because admittedly, the world of Zelda offers a far more interactive open world than Xenoblade Chronicles (where you can pretty much only admire the settings, but not interact with them in the same way that Skyward Sword permits). It's even pretty much the most interactive world in any Zelda game to date. There's so much stuff you can cut, pick up, throw, see moving in reaction to your moves, etc...

I like that world of Zelda so far for that high level of interactivity within it, all made very intuitive with a clever and, as Adam said, meaningful use of the M+ capabilities (albeit with some quickly forgettable movement detection issues). And the icing on the cake is that the dungeons are INCREDIBLE ! So well-thought and well-designed .

I still hope for my vast open Hyrule Field à la Xenoblade though, with that same level of interactivity, if not pushed even further. Maybe the horsepower of the Wii U will make that possible .

( Edited 25.11.2011 00:04 by Kafei2006 )

I am sorry but what is this fan-boy drivel?!?!? Skyward by all means is a step up for such a dated and boring series. But this game have a lot of flaws in the control that it evolves from tolerable to downright ridiculous.

I have the golden MotionPlus AND an old Remote and MotionPlus dongle. They both function the same. They have full batteries and calibrated. I can't play this game.The syncing issues and alignment are retarded; seriously seriously retarded. Why did they not stick with AR?!?!? In Twilight Princess aiming and shooting was perfect. This is troublesome later in the game. Earlier on it seems like a novelty.

How much of Skyward Sword did you play in order to review this game? All 10s? Ridiculous and impossible. This game is by far not perfect. Better than Twilight Princess (which you also gave a 10?) Yes. But no way near 10 like most websites and Famitsu gave it. I agree with GameSpot who are real games not fanboys. I used to have so much more faith in this website but now it echoes fanboys who are so up Miyamoto's anus that they can't escape. No dungeon key can save your blind-sighted approach to reviewing Nintendo games.

This is why Nintendo won't listen to gamers and actually progress with gameplay. People proclaiming Nintendo perfection. Do you even have an Xbox? Graphics I won't moan about because they are actually pretty decent.

I agree with GameSpot who are real games not fanboys.

Your argument is hard to take seriously after that, unfortunately. I think you also need to remember that a 10 doesn't mean a game is perfect. Even Ocarina has flaws.

Well I knew cubed3 would give it a ten but it all feels like a 10 with what I have played so far.

I love the music the controls, the bosses are by far the best bosses ever seen in a zelda (and I have only encountered 4)
Very tight editing with regards to the cinematics.

Fantastic art style and graphics. Never thought I would enjoy looking at the scenary in the far distance on the wii.

My only gripe is the bird which like the boat in WW feels so slow. The clouds like the water cause the same problem as well: you have no sense of distance traveled because it all looks the same which adds to the sense of going no where.

I wish there were more fleshed out smaller islands.

Metacritic seems to have brought cubed3 additional trolls. You should switch off the guest comments during nintendo releases.

^gotta love the hate

Anyway i'm 40 hours in and haven't had to recalibrate the controller yet, granted i am playing in 6 hour sessions, so that could mean i'm recalibrating once every six hours. The only issue I have is that sometimes when i swing the wiimote and link starts running in one direction, so i have to disconnect and reconnect the nunchuck(could just be my controller though).

The only issue I have with your review is the sound, its so not a perfect 10, if you compare the soundtrack to previous zelda games, mario galaxy or metroid prime its subpar at best. Plus the Harp is a complete dud.

30 hours in, and no complaints. I think the people beefing on the controls are just that one dude

Thanks for the enjoyable read. I would echo your sentiments, but would also highlight some of it's flaws with the odd nine. I'd still give it an overall 10 though.

The games sound work could be a lot better, in my eyes it lacks those catchy aural hallmarks of the series, the kind of stuff you hum along to easily. It does a decent job with some locations though, Lanaryu's Mining Facility and Cistern, being the only ones I can remember off the top of my head...I think that says something.

I do like the use of the Romance Theme, that is admittedly very good as a track - it slot's in nicely and always alludes to love when used.

Nintendo should have got Yokoto-san and Kondo-san to work closer together, Kondo should have had more influence in his role!, instead it seems the younger guy, while bringing very welcome fresh ideas (love the ambient music), forgot the most important old one. The music in this game simply isn't as memorable as Wind Waker's, it lacks the same level of quality in melody.

I've had an excellent experience with the game - absolutely none of the annoying control issues some claiming above.

I agree with GameSpot who are real games not fanboys.

( Edited 26.11.2011 04:03 by Squidboy )

Jacob4000 said:

Even Ocarina has flaws.

Honestly I think Skyward Sword is a great game. I'm not sure how far in I am (I would guess around 60%) but I've been having a blast. Personally I would probably give it a 9, because there are a few little niggles here and there, but I'll reserve a final judgement until I've finished.

Jay (guest) said:
^gotta love the hate

Anyway i'm 40 hours in and haven't had to recalibrate the controller yet, granted i am playing in 6 hour sessions, so that could mean i'm recalibrating once every six hours. The only issue I have is that sometimes when i swing the wiimote and link starts running in one direction, so i have to disconnect and reconnect the nunchuck(could just be my controller though).

The only issue I have with your review is the sound, its so not a perfect 10, if you compare the soundtrack to previous zelda games, mario galaxy or metroid prime its subpar at best. Plus the Harp is a complete dud.

Link running of in his own direction after you swing is a sign that the connection between the nunchuck and your controller is compromised. This happened alot to me when play other MP games. Part of the reason I think a wireless nun chuck is well overdue

There are too many control flaws that this reviewer clearly ignored. The more you play this game the more these issues arise. I just can't comprehend how the entire game is 5 10/10 scores, it is no way near a 10. Strong 9 at best but not perfect by any means. The controls are flawed, so how is the gameplay a 10?

There's little to no voice acting, glitchy controls and an average soundtrack but you disregard this in favour of boning Nintendo. Fail!

Nice review Adam, I can't wait to actually play this come Christmas, I already knew the controls were great from playing the E3 build earlier in the year but glad to see the game's getting praise all round from people that actually play it properly.

( Edited 25.11.2011 13:18 by Stulaw )

meeto_0 said:
Link running of in his own direction after you swing is a sign that the connection between the nunchuck and your controller is compromised. This happened alot to me when play other MP games. Part of the reason I think a wireless nun chuck is well overdue

Such opposing contrasts to controls.
Funny thing is, half of the people I ever read about "bad controls" or "control problems" fixed theirs almost immediately afterward...

Option 1) Tilt Wiimote+ face-down downwards, spank the bottom. It actually works and is recommended by Nintendo technicians.

Option 2) Unplug and replug Nunchuk, ensure that no buttons are pressed and that its stick is perfectly straight-up while doing so... calibration problems.

Option 3) Remove bluetooth device away from control area. Won't affect most people, but it does for a certain few.

Honestly, I've NEVER had any problems with this game in controls. One could easily recalibrate their Wiimote+ with the down d-Pad press... and it's not like it takes too long or removes from the gameplay.

Oh, and seriously, don't expect the game to track your hand movements complete 1:1... not even the Kinect can do that. It works well enough, as responsive as a basic fighter game response-time. Any more responsive and we'd start seeing "too sensitive" complaints (Link would probably swing his sword if you just blinked).

Great review!

I picked up my CE copy but I'll be playing it in late 2012... probably on a Wii U hehehe. I've got a huge backlog to take care of and right now I'm taking on a very large project that is due on the 10th so until then I won't be getting any gaming time... at all.

Ocarina of Time is a ten, never Skyward Sword. what a shame. Cubed3 gave Zelda TP a ten haha wow Fanboy page confirmed 100%

OoT >>>>>>>>>>>>>> SS 8)

For the record, I didn't review Twilight Princess, and if I'd done so at the time it would have received an 8/10. Perhaps one of the staff will have the time and inclination to re-review TP at some point, but for now we're quite snowed under.

I actually see a lot of both Ocarina of Time and A Link to the Past in Skyward Sword. It also has a slight feel of Minish Cap as well, to be honest. All three are big favourites of mine, by the way

Midna, what don't you like about Skyward Sword?

I think this may just be the best game I've played on Wii and the best I've played in general this generation.

Fuzzy graphics on my 32" aside, the game looks gorgeous. AS said above, the cutscenes are so beautifully done. Now Nintendo just need to go out of their comfort zone even more and perhaps give other characters a voice.

I don't really get the reaction to the music, I think it's perfect. I've not managed to play SS for the past three days but have had tracks from the game stuck in my head all that time. Love everything I've heard. Even the dungeon music (which normally I aint too keen on in Zelda games minus the odd track) became instantly lovable and a joy to listen to.

The motion controls work almost spot on. I don't think I ever want to go back to button presses or random waggle ever again on a console Zelda. The WiiU is where I worry though. Will we use the WiiU controller completely ditchin motion? Or will we be able to use that along with WiiMotion Plus?

The difficulty seems spot on for me too. I was one of the rare people that found Twilight Princess challenging and this has been even more of a challenge. The puzzles have been great and I even died twice on the first boss (died once on the 2nd dungeon too against the 2 lizard men).

I also like the Wind Waker vibe brought on by Beedle (identical music yay!! ) and the "In a house" music that mostly resembles the WW version. Skyward seems to perfectly blend the serious part of Twilight with the fun atmosphere of WW with a bit of Minish Cap's creativity. Love it!!!

( Edited 26.11.2011 17:33 by Ifrit XXII )