LostWinds

[panmusic]

I downloadaed this gem yesterday.

 

One word: AMAZING!!!

 

This is not just a game,it's an artist expression.

 

Do yourselves a favor a buy it...

[Guest Maase]

2 weeks and i'l buy this.

 

It looks like one of the best games i will play on the Wii ^^

 

But, i would like it larger, 2 hours is kinda "meh", i can do it in one sitting

[brynpearson]

it is short and there really is no replay value once uve done it and got all totem statues which i have done now. defintly hope the next one s longer

[flameboy]

Well I've downloaded it and played for a bout 45 mins...enjoying it so far if was a mathematical equation it would be

 

Metroid + Endless Ocean X Wind Waker / 2D Mario Galaxy bits = Lost Winds.

 

I'll let you work it out for yourself.

[darksnowman]

Ok, here are my impressions. Most things have been already said about the game, so I'll try not to reiterate too much. Lol, my very first impression was one of bewilderment- the first person I encountered, it came up on screen to press Z to talk to them. I was pressing... pressing pressing but nothing happened. I repositioned myself to try and find the sweet spot that would trigger the action... and eventually, I realised: I was pressing B and not Z.

 

I like how you can interact with the scenery- even if it doesn't necessarily do you any use. Each time I've been going back to Deo, or just heading that way, I always give that woman on the screen to the right of Deo a flick of wind. She's holding a baby and if you give her a breeze up the way, the baby pops up into the air!

 

Gonna mention one or two things that could be spoilery so don't click if you're still fairly early.

 

I got the cape just there now. I think the award for best piece of animation goes to bringing the cape out and putting it away. It has a stop-motion quality to it which is class. I did a bit of gliding, and instead of Toku facing left or right, he was looking at the screen... the way it looked and was animated gave it the feel of Tim Burton's James and the Giant Peach.

 

 

Next up, I lost some progress there now due to being subjected to a glitch. Only look if you've got the first four chests.

 

So as you know, you get the four chests and return to Deo. A scene occurs and he takes you down to the spirit- Magnomok or something. It turns out its hostile cos the baddies have already got to him and battle ensues. I was watching and waiting to see what pattern the battle was going to take, after a little while Magnomok (or whatever) slammed down is right hand. Somehow I got stuck in that little bit of land under where Deo spectates from! I tried to get out by running, wind, cape... but I was stuck in there. I pressed minus, and that somehow moved me to an upper left position, then I pressed it again and I dunno where I went but the camera was pointed to the sky! I played on a bit by zooming the camera out and flicking fire and Magnomok and stuff, but I was getting nowhere so I turned it off.

 

I won't mind having to redo that bit later...but its annoying that it happened.

 

 

I think the biggest problem with the game, imo, is that the baddies aren't that imaginative. There are blobs, flying green things and crabby beasties so far- none of which are overly memorable.

[MadDog]

Eh?

Is it really 2 hours long?

[That Guy]

It's only £7.

[flameboy]

it has to be the best £7 you will ever spend on a downloadable game (so far) I feel this even early into the game.

[Eenuh]

Ah, I just tried this for a bit, and it looks beautiful! I only went so far as the first save point (so yeah, not far), but this game looks lovely and I love how you can interact with pretty much everything. Plus having a big gust fly by people and hearing them go "ooh" is funny. X3

 

I'll be playing this in short bursts, so it'll last me a couple of days. =P

[flameboy]

Ah, I just tried this for a bit, and it looks beautiful! I only went so far as the first save point (so yeah, not far), but this game looks lovely and I love how you can interact with pretty much everything. Plus having a big gust fly by people and hearing them go "ooh" is funny. X3

 

I'll be playing this in short bursts, so it'll last me a couple of days. =P

 

Thats how I intend to make it last.

[Tellyn]

Same here. To get the most enjoyment out of it I've been playing it in segments, stopping when I get to a save point.

[canand]

I like this game and, I can't wait tell Lost Winds 2 comes out.

[Sentient//]

Fantastic game. I think that the 'worst thing' is the lack of a world map to see where you have to go

[flameboy]

Fantastic game. I think that the 'worst thing' is the lack of a world map to see where you have to go

 

would agree somewhat but also think that it allows for more exploration based gameplay.

[mr_bogus]

Loving this game so far, but not v far after about 1 hour of playing -

3/24 statues & can't find the bloody shrine they tell me about to the "west" of the waterfall...

[darksnowman]

Same here. To get the most enjoyment out of it I've been playing it in segments, stopping when I get to a save point.

 

Lol, sometimes save points are very close together. So you sometimes have played it in two minute bursts?

 

Fantastic game. I think that the 'worst thing' is the lack of a world map to see where you have to go

 

I think if the game was bigger then it would need a map. As it is, I've found that its easy enough to get to where you're meant to go. At the beginning I hoped for a map, but when I went looking for the mines or wherever else, I found they were easy to find. I like how the game is designed in that when you do a "level/ dungeon" it brings you back around nicely to an exit.

 

I didn't play any more of this last night- thats my tactic at making it last a little while. Though I dare say, the next time I fire it up will likely see me complete it. Oh, and for anyone wondering, its worth the asking price- MadDog/ Plankton! I'd even go as far as to say its maybe better if you know the game is short, because then you go in with the mentality to savour and appreciate everything that bit more.

[ShadowV7]

I think there's gonna be a few sequels giving the WiiWare limit. If you've completed the game you might realise this aswell.

 

There's 16 spirits or something, 2 is in the first game. Give or take that the bad guy might get some, still a few sequels to complete the story.

 

[Hellfire]

I play almost everything in short bursts, so I don't care about the length, the game is fun and relaxing and is one of those games that makes you feel that not all game developers are dead inside. I play it sometimes just to relax and mess around with the wind, so I can see myself coming back to this lots of times.

[darksnowman]

So, lol, I finished this. I didn't know I was at the end either! Despite the quality of the game, after having finished it now (all but a 2-3 of those wee statues) I think that anyone who is disappointed with the game due to its short length shouldn't be scoffed at.

 

I knew it wasn't gonna be a long game, but it ended when I was expecting it to open up even further and for me to kick on into the adventure. It feels like this was the prolog to a bigger game- I would liken it to the opening section of most Zelda games where you collect three items before the real game begins. LostWinds took me about 2h30, then I played it another 20 mins cos I couldn't believe it ended.

 

I'm glad it has three save slots, it should be a game I play again over a weekend sometime.

[James McGeachie]

I knew when I was given a "goal" to meet that was where the end would be, just based on what everyone had said about the length. It was obvious the whole game through was almost more of an introduction to LostWinds, like the sequels were planned as sort of "episodic content" since the game is virtually just an introduction to the story and gameplay concept and some nice puzzles and abilities, but basically just the bare minimum they could do with the set up.

 

I'll be very interested in the next sequel solely to see what interesting new abilities they can come up with that build upon the ones in the first game. Hopefully the puzzles will be more advanced too as they were really just scraping the tip of the iceberg with what they could do with them in this game.

 

Also I hope in a second game I don't have to watch my guy climb ontop of food and crush it before I'm finally given health for eating it.

[tapedeck]

I hope it's not £7 everytime I want 2hours of gaming...Knowing there wont be an "end" as such.

 

Mind you, it's like £9 to see a film or get a new DVD so I guess 7 squids aint bad.

[darksnowman]

A move I think they should incorporate into future instalments is puzzles where you have to do more than just crash through with a rock. Ok, we all knew that already... but I noticed in it that you can combine the vortex move with fire, i.e., you have a spinning, flaming rock to fling around. I was hoping that it would have had some use... but as far as I know, it didn't. "Complicating" things like that for future games could be cool.

 

I just read this Wired review of LostWinds, and I think this paragraph sums it up perfectly:

It's actually not the length that left me wanting so much more. It's the depth. LostWinds sets up a whole variety of different powers for Toku and creates a few clever puzzles out of them. But the whole game feels like an extended tutorial: The puzzles are basic and simple, and you never even get to the more complex ones that your gamer-sense tells you are coming.

[flameboy]

I hope future sequels to some extent reuse the same assests so that the file sizes are relatively small... Also hope we see it as more episodic so you have to say own this game but then can download the next episodes for cheaper, say 500 points.... £3.50 for a couple of extra hours seems fair.

[Jav_NE]

I'm stuck as well. I dont know where to look for the fourth chest (at the highest point of Wither Falls apparently). It's really annoying that places arn't labelled, i don't know where Wither Falls is and there are loads of waterfalls around so i cant even hazard a guess. I got frustrated and had to stop playing as i was going round in circles. Its a shame because they could avoid all this nonsense with a map or on-screen indications of where you are when you enter them.

[darksnowman]

Yeah, a map would have been handy. I kind of happened upon that chest before I got bored and frustrated with having no idea where to go. If you explore to the left of the town/ village, you will come across a bit where the game steps in and reminds you that you can do that move to go up, so basically when you find that, you've found the chest.

 

Sorry I can't be more specific, but have a nosey about for statues in the areas to the left of town and you should sooner or later get the chest, lol.