The Legend of Zelda: Skyward sword
Since A link to the Past came out in the early nineties the Legend of Zelda series has gone from strength to strength, producing some of the best games ever, including the best game ever Ocarina of Time. Even its worst (if you ignore those awful CD-I games) still has the power to blow you away.
When the Wii came out it promised to revolutionise the way we play games by including games with motion control Gameplay. So far the best uses of this outside mini game collections and sport titles have been just simple shaking your wiimote to attack. Something a button can handle just as well. Even the Wii motion plus has failed to inspire developers to use the technology in a way that works.
While Nintendo dabbled with Motion control with Zelda in Twilight Princess it hasn’t been used anywhere near as much as it has in Skyward Sword, the latest in the series and probably the Wii’s swansong. The problem with motion control is that while it has the potential for unique Gameplay it more often than not just gets in the way.
I have yet to see a game which has actually benefitted from Motion controls, although Skyward sword has come closer than any other game in achieving it. The swordplay is excellent offering all sorts of new strategies when dealing with enemies. They will read your stances and prepare blocks and counters to how they think you are going to attack. Other enemies can only be beaten when you slash your sword in a certain way.
For example the Beamos enemies are towers that you have to cut down first with horizontal slashes. Get the angle wrong and your sword will just bounce off its body. Once you cut it down to just its head you have to thrust your sword forward to stab it in the eye.
This leads to a more challenging game as you have to learn how to fight all over again. It’s not 100% perfect but it works.
Although the Motion controls work really well for some things for others it fails badly. There are parts here where Motion controls are definitely not welcome in particular the swimming. To swim you have to hold A and move the Wiimote to turn. This is hard to get right and something which should be simple, like picking something off the floor becomes a nightmare of hand twisting. They should have just left it to the stick like normal as the motion controls complicate things too much.
You spend a fair amount of time flying a bird and again the same problem rears its ugly head. These flying sections can be just as bad for awkward arm “twisted-ness”. Also to gain height you have to flap the Wii remote like a wing, but the slightest tip to the left or right will turn it in that direction dramatically. Flying straight forward for any period of time becomes a challenge all of its own, an unwelcome one.
The Sky overworld filled with Islands (a bit like Skies of Arcadia) is joined by three areas on the surface world below. To keep the game a decent length each area has new areas that open up when you get new items. The Sky overworld is disappointingly empty and the three Surface areas don’t feel all that big.
Skywards swords biggest failing is the amount of repetition in the areas you visit. There is a Forest, a Volcano and a Desert. That is it, and you visit these areas at least three times each. On top of that there are two bosses you fight three times each, getting progressively more difficult but rarely deviating from the same patterns and weaknesses.
On the other hand the way they have used the three areas is inspired, particularly with the use of water. One area becomes flooded with water completely changing the dynamic of the area. Another uses crystals to change the time of a small area. On later levels these crystals move either by machine or your hand. There is an inspired section where a boat holding one of these time crystals turns a vast desert into a small ocean.
The dungeons are the highlight of the game. Although sticking with the tried and tested formula of holding a key item that opens the rest of the dungeon, they are very well designed. It’s the bit in-between the dungeons that are a little lacklustre.
As is the musical instrument. Previously we had the ocarina, loaded with songs to learn and play through five buttons. Then the wind baton which used C-stick directions determining the differences between songs. This time we have a harp, while there are different songs you can’t choose which to play. They all only open up new areas and so are nothing more than a way to accelerate the plot. Playing the harp is down to Rhythm, you move it in time with an onscreen hint. The Instrument feels pointless.
So for all its inspired hits there are some annoying misses, overall though Skyword sword is still a fantastic adventure and another amazing game to add to an impressive Christmas rush, but it’s not the best Zelda, in fact it is pretty far down that list.
8/10
When the Wii came out it promised to revolutionise the way we play games by including games with motion control Gameplay. So far the best uses of this outside mini game collections and sport titles have been just simple shaking your wiimote to attack. Something a button can handle just as well. Even the Wii motion plus has failed to inspire developers to use the technology in a way that works.
While Nintendo dabbled with Motion control with Zelda in Twilight Princess it hasn’t been used anywhere near as much as it has in Skyward Sword, the latest in the series and probably the Wii’s swansong. The problem with motion control is that while it has the potential for unique Gameplay it more often than not just gets in the way.
I have yet to see a game which has actually benefitted from Motion controls, although Skyward sword has come closer than any other game in achieving it. The swordplay is excellent offering all sorts of new strategies when dealing with enemies. They will read your stances and prepare blocks and counters to how they think you are going to attack. Other enemies can only be beaten when you slash your sword in a certain way.
For example the Beamos enemies are towers that you have to cut down first with horizontal slashes. Get the angle wrong and your sword will just bounce off its body. Once you cut it down to just its head you have to thrust your sword forward to stab it in the eye.
This leads to a more challenging game as you have to learn how to fight all over again. It’s not 100% perfect but it works.
Although the Motion controls work really well for some things for others it fails badly. There are parts here where Motion controls are definitely not welcome in particular the swimming. To swim you have to hold A and move the Wiimote to turn. This is hard to get right and something which should be simple, like picking something off the floor becomes a nightmare of hand twisting. They should have just left it to the stick like normal as the motion controls complicate things too much.
You spend a fair amount of time flying a bird and again the same problem rears its ugly head. These flying sections can be just as bad for awkward arm “twisted-ness”. Also to gain height you have to flap the Wii remote like a wing, but the slightest tip to the left or right will turn it in that direction dramatically. Flying straight forward for any period of time becomes a challenge all of its own, an unwelcome one.
The Sky overworld filled with Islands (a bit like Skies of Arcadia) is joined by three areas on the surface world below. To keep the game a decent length each area has new areas that open up when you get new items. The Sky overworld is disappointingly empty and the three Surface areas don’t feel all that big.
Skywards swords biggest failing is the amount of repetition in the areas you visit. There is a Forest, a Volcano and a Desert. That is it, and you visit these areas at least three times each. On top of that there are two bosses you fight three times each, getting progressively more difficult but rarely deviating from the same patterns and weaknesses.
On the other hand the way they have used the three areas is inspired, particularly with the use of water. One area becomes flooded with water completely changing the dynamic of the area. Another uses crystals to change the time of a small area. On later levels these crystals move either by machine or your hand. There is an inspired section where a boat holding one of these time crystals turns a vast desert into a small ocean.
The dungeons are the highlight of the game. Although sticking with the tried and tested formula of holding a key item that opens the rest of the dungeon, they are very well designed. It’s the bit in-between the dungeons that are a little lacklustre.
As is the musical instrument. Previously we had the ocarina, loaded with songs to learn and play through five buttons. Then the wind baton which used C-stick directions determining the differences between songs. This time we have a harp, while there are different songs you can’t choose which to play. They all only open up new areas and so are nothing more than a way to accelerate the plot. Playing the harp is down to Rhythm, you move it in time with an onscreen hint. The Instrument feels pointless.
So for all its inspired hits there are some annoying misses, overall though Skyword sword is still a fantastic adventure and another amazing game to add to an impressive Christmas rush, but it’s not the best Zelda, in fact it is pretty far down that list.
8/10
posted by Master hunter at 5:30 pm
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