[Spoiler-Free] Zelda: Skyward Sword

[Serebii]

Review lulz time;

 

http://video.msnbc.msn.com/in-game/45440025/

[Magnus]

To be fair, he did sound pretty drunk.

[Grazza]

I thought the same with the graphics at first, especially with distant objects, but then I think what Nintendo were going for was a kinda of oil painting like feel.

 

I don't think it was due to low power given what we've seen Xenoblade pull off so I'm personally marking it down as an artistic choice to try make the game look like a painting.

 

It might have been because I was playing it at 50hz. I've switched to 60hz and it seems a lot clearer.

 

Liking this game more and more every minute.

[The Peeps]

OH MY GOD you can stab a pumpkin with your sword and fling it away! PUMPKIN SWORD!

 

 

[dazzybee]

I fucking LOVE the visual style to this and the impressionist draw distance. Most of the music is beautiful. It has the best, most satisfying controls of any game ever and it felt like the best Zelda yet. But there was something niggling me, the predictable structure, the over familiar enemies, locales and items, different feel different enough.

 

Since completing the 3rd dungeon however, the game has kicked into a hole new gear and I'm absolutely loving it even more, just getting better and better in every regard! 22 hours at the 4th dungeon and can't wait to continue!!

[Dog-amoto]

Is anybody else finding it difficult to find side quests? Want to explore a bit more before moving onto the next dungeon, but most NPCs have nothing for me. Do I have to visit them at home at night?

[Magnus]

Yes, you'll have to make two complete rounds around town. It's a bit annoying.

[Diageo]

I've been swimming in sidequests, this game is packed to the brim with them.

[Ronnie]

I've been swimming in sidequests, this game is packed to the brim with them.

 

Really? Because I can hardly find a single one apart from a missing girl and the quest ones like bugs etc.

 

Skyloft is massive and nice to look at, but how many people actually inhabit it, a dozen?

[Diageo]

Well get ready for the spoilers then:

3 quests to pay back for breaking the chandelier of the man in the pumpkin shop.

Finding the potion guy's rattle.

Healing the girls bird.

Giving the letter to either the girl or the ghost in the toilet.

Getting the gratitude crystals for the demon.

Finding the lost girl that got taken by the demon.

Helping your coward friend become strong.

Etc.

[Magnus]

Really? Because I can hardly find a single one apart from a missing girl and the quest ones like bugs etc.

Well, you're apparently taking your time, so maybe you haven't gotten far enough in the game to unlock any more sidequests.

 

I wouldn't say I was ever 'swimming' in sidequests, but there are certainly quite a few of them.

[FalcoLombardi]

Speaking of swimming... how do I do that? I can't dive.

[Magnus]

Speaking of swimming... how do I do that? I can't dive.

You'll learn how to dive eventually.

 

[Hero-of-Time]

I've finally got around to starting this properly this morning, put a couple of hours in so far. At the moment i'm still not feeling the game. I'm not sure what to make of the blurry visual effect, seems a little weird at times. I usually play while lying on my bed but i'm finding some of my movements aren't being picked up correctly. I'm also still a little unsure about upgrading items. I was using my wooden shield and he was practically knackered after 2 hits.

 

It's still very early days so i'm hoping it grows on me the more I play on it. I may try playing while standing up to see if my movements register better.

[Mokong]

Found the 5th dungeon last night, enjoyed the 2nd trial also.

 

Don't know what it is about the trials I like so much, there's nothing particularly ground breaking about them but I think it's the atmosphere created by the time limit and lack weapons.

 

Was surprised by the item you get for it though, I had thought the Whip was maybe replacing any kind of hookshot, haha. I also thought those targets you use the clawshots to grap onto were meant to be targets hit by the bow and was waiting to get that soon.

 

 

Enjoyed there whole section then after doing the trail in search of the 5th dungeon... though there was one part I wonder what the point to it was.

 

Going to the shipyard.... at first I enjoyed it the hell out of it, the whole rollercosaster thing was awesome. Then you have to defeat a dungeon boss again? Felt too "hhhmmm got no ideas left lets reuse this guy".

 

And then your told "sorry there's actually nothing here for you to find"

 

WTF? I can understand when your looking for clues to something you might not always find something in releation to that objective but at the very least you could have gotten some sort of reward/item for beating the boss (again) like a heart piece or a gold rupee or something.

 

Instead nothing? Felt like there was no real point to it other than the dev team had this nice idea for rollercoaster motion controls and just shoe horned it in.

 

Other than that though loved the other locations visited in search of the 5th dungeon.

 

Then when you do get a clue for it and have to dowse to find it I was not expecting that the damned thing was still moving, haha. I got right up to it, fired a cannonball and hit nothing.....confused.... checked dowse again and it was now miles away... WTF, GET BACK HERE BICTH!.

 

[philcollins]

^ 5th dungeon

for me, is the weakest part of the game. the area before it and the dungeon. i felt like i was playing an average n64 game. the boss is great though.

 

[Hero-of-Time]

So i'm wandering around the first dungeon and the Skulltulas keep owning me.

 

I get them spinning and then go to hit the weak point but half the time the wiimote won't pick up my stabbing action. By the time I get it to work the thing has spun around again!

 

I got so annoyed I rage quitted. Yeah, it ain't going well.

[Mokong]

Can't remember if this works for the hanging ones but try hitting them from below, as in an upward swing

[Hero-of-Time]

Can't remember if this works for the hanging ones but try hitting them from below, as in an upward swing

 

I'll give it a go once i've calmed down.

 

So far the motion controls haven't made the game more engrossing for me, they have only frustrated me.

[Serebii]

I'll give it a go once i've calmed down.

 

So far the motion controls haven't made the game more engrossing for me, they have only frustrated me.

I was the same, early on.

 

Trust me...they are awesome

[dazzybee]

I just don't understand the issues with the controls, I've never had a problem with them and they work flawlessly for me. Somone mentioned earlier about the wii settings or something. I never stand up, always sat on the sofa, don't have to make massive gestures (though a lot of the time I want to ); sometimes tricky to roll bombs but other than that flawless!

[Grazza]

I'm also still a little unsure about upgrading items. I was using my wooden shield and he was practically knackered after 2 hits.

 

Yeah, I don't really get that. Upgrading is a nice idea, but why punish us for using the shield? Think back to what happened if you tried to block a boss attack with your shield in OOT, WW, TP... You'd get knocked off your feet! Thus, you couldn't just rely on it anyway. So, Nintendo has introduced a mechanic that simply makes us dodge small enemies as though they're bosses! Rather than developing the shield as an item, it makes it redundant.

 

So i'm wandering around the first dungeon and the Skulltulas keep owning me.

 

I get them spinning and then go to hit the weak point but half the time the wiimote won't pick up my stabbing action. By the time I get it to work the thing has spun around again!

 

Spin them round with a side slash, then step back and wait for them to stop spinning. They'll still be the right way round for you to attack. Carefully step forward and use your thrust.

 

 

I must admit, I'm not really having problems with the motion controls. Unlike Red Steel 2, where it encouraged you to use your whole arm, Skyward Sword can basically be played with wrist flicks, and locked to 8-way too. I like that.

 

On the other hand, I don't have any enthusiasm for motion control post-Wii. I haven't finished the first dungeon yet (by the way - this game really drains the batteries), but it seems Skyward Sword is going to be about "Do I attack from the left? Do I attack from the right? Do I attack diagonally?" etc. I don't really have a problem with that for this game, but is that what Zelda is about? I don't think so.

 

More than the motion controls, though, my biggest issue is with the Metroid-style overworlds. I hope this formula is only temporary.

 

It's nice to have someone started it as late as me, anyway Hero-of-Time.

[Hero-of-Time]

I went back on and positioned the sensor above my tv to see if that would help...it did, a little. I still can't get the game to copy my movements exactly and seeing how this is a game that relies heavily on this it's killing the fun for me.

 

When I was fighting LG, Fi kept telling me to attack the opposite way from the hand he was holding up. I kept trying to do this but it just wouldn't work. I spent ages trying to be precise and eventually I just got sick and waggled the hell out of the wiimote until I landed the hits I needed.

 

When he started attacking with his sword it got even worse. I could see the way he was blocking and what way I needed to strike but the wiimote just would not copy my movements and so he kept blocking my attacks and then countering.

 

 

 

It's really starting to annoy me because i'm being punished for something that isn't my fault. I know exactly what to do but the wiimote just won't respond for me.

 

Any suggestions on how to set up the wiimote so that it's more responsive?

[Grazza]

Sorry, all I can say is that I'm kneeling on the floor (probably not good for my knees, but that's how I play all consoles!) with the sensor bar on top of the TV (if it's even used). Wii sensitivity is on default.

 

I do have to keep recalibrating though. The pointing in this is way inferior to infra-red pointing.

[Ronnie]

I went back on and positioned the sensor above my tv to see if that would help...it did, a little. I still can't get the game to copy my movements exactly and seeing how this is a game that relies heavily on this it's killing the fun for me.

 

When I was fighting LG, Fi kept telling me to attack the opposite way from the hand he was holding up. I kept trying to do this but it just wouldn't work. I spent ages trying to be precise and eventually I just got sick and waggled the hell out of the wiimote until I landed the hits I needed.

 

When he started attacking with his sword it got even worse. I could see the way he was blocking and what way I needed to strike but the wiimote just would not copy my movements and so he kept blocking my attacks and then countering.

 

 

 

It's really starting to annoy me because i'm being punished for something that isn't my fault. I know exactly what to do but the wiimote just won't respond for me.

 

Any suggestions on how to set up the wiimote so that it's more responsive?

 

This had me nearly throwing the wii remote towards the tv in frustration, a quick hint would be...

 

The point is not to telegraph your moves to him so that he sees which direction you're going to attack from. If you point your sword to the left, and then move it to the right quickly (but not so quickly that it registers as a swipe), his hand won't follow you and in that half second you strike from your new position.

 

In the second phase, my advice would be to wait for him to disappear and appear directly right behind you in a position to attack, that's your chance to quickly target him and slash horizontally. Everything leading up to that just make sure he doesn't have time to land a blow on you.

 

Edited November 29, 2011 by Ronnie