Skyward Sword review thread [Newest Reviews - Cubed3 10/10, GC: A, AusGamers: 7/10]

I don't mind the idea of having 3 core areas of the continent below. I would have maybe liked one way to explore all three (as-one) via horseback, like the provinces in Twilight Princess - but lets face it - when you can traverse large distances, but you're basically doing nothing but steering your horse and scouring empty land for collectables - what's the point? That's what the sky is for in this game. The three areas sound really dense and well designed, the IGN review mentions that getting to a dungeon is like a dungeon in itself, that it can take hours - and that none of them feel wasted. It sounds really refreshing to me, I'm looking forward to it!
 
ivysaur12 said:
I consider posting "ughs" and "oh nos!" based off the experiences of one or two reviewers and a general sense of dread to be immature responses, but whatever floats your boat. You're going to make up your opinions in a week anyways, professing constant doom and gloom in one topic isn't helping anyone. Especially yourself.
My pride is in check and I admit that I can agree with you on this. I still stand by my concerns however (which weren't doom and gloom)- three areas isn't an opinion. I just wish you could have expressed yourself in ways that weren't so, if I can use this word again, condescending.
 
Thunder Monkey said:
I understood this line of thinking when I was a child, but I don't get it now.

Don't be sad about it losing out on some metaphoric penor extending thing.

Play it. If you like it yay! If everyone else doesn't... who gives a shit?
I don't really care. It's just slightly disappointing, especially since I'm sure a lot of it is simply due to it being on Wii. :/ Not to mention the troll fuel...
 
Saw some scores, pretty good overall, people expecting SMG type scores were illogical to begin with (it's Zelda after all).

So, I didnt have much time to read all the posts, but how good is the meltdown.
 
Nintendo-4Life said:
Saw some scores, pretty good overall, people expecting SMG type scores were illogical to begin with (it's Zelda after all).

So, I didnt have much time to read all the posts, but how good is the meltdown.
Some cognitive bias showing but nothing extravagant.
 
Even with the pretty good scores I'm still not feeling the hype. Got my special edition preordered and ready to go regardless though. Kinda disappointed to hear the game starts out really slow (not that I'm surprised).
 
BurntPork said:
I don't really care. It's just slightly disappointing, especially since I'm sure a lot of it is simply due to it being on Wii. :/ Not to mention the troll fuel...
You're growing as a person my young ward.

I'm so proud.
 
Feep said:
Really? List of flaws I point out in my review -
- Too linear
- Dearth of content in the overworld
- Minor inconsistencies with regard to Wii remote usage
- Recentering the cursor is frustrating
- The story is decent, nothing special
- The first few bosses are underwhelming
- Cannot skydive directly onto Skyloft
- Crafting system feels ultimately misplaced and useless
- Impressionist blur occasionally inconsistent
- Waiting for stamina gauge can become a chore

And also, I'm not allowed to give out 9/10 (4.5/5)...I had to choose 4/5 or 5/5. So. (shrug)
well, that could be a reason, but let's see what you should give a game like Oblivion (I haven't played skyrim, so can't say):

- Story is bad
- Bugs everywhere
- Alchemy is boring, collecting herbs is a random fetch quest
- Spell/Weapon change is tedious
- Fights can be boring
- Character design is really bad
- a lot of quests do no add to anything
- Enemies level up with you
- Dungeon design is nothing special
- Voice acting is not good

and for the console version:
- fps control using analog

(You could replace Oblivion with a lot of other games that have gotten very high scores)

The point is, does the cons you mentioned make the game less than impressive?
To me, an 8 is not impressive, it means a good game (3 average, etc). Your overall review reads like as if SS is an impressive game, so between 4 or 5, I would it give it a 5 compared to a lot of other games that get a 5 or 4. A game may have quite a few shortcomings, but the overall experience still be amazing due to getting the rest considerably better.
 
So this game hasn't blown everyone away like the Galaxy-games did. People often forget just how good Twilight Princess from a gameplay perspective so I'm not surprised that Skyward Sword doesn't live up to it according to some. It's probably going to be like one of those weird one of a kind Majora's mask type of Zelda's that you either love or hate.

It's a shame they went to a more lineair style though.
 
[Nintex] said:
So this game hasn't blown everyone away like the Galaxy-games did. People often forget just how good Twilight Princess from a gameplay perspective so I'm not surprised that Skyward Sword doesn't live up to it according to some. It's probably going to be like one of those weird one of a kind Majora's mask type of Zelda's that you either love or hate.

It's a shame they went to a more lineair style though.

The fact that it plays better than Twilight Princess is one of the big points everyone (besides EGM) is agreeing on.
 
ShockingAlberto said:
I dunno, today he was running around talking about how DOAD made no money for some reason.
And I admitted I was wrong. It was in a round-about way, but I did. I didn't really know much about about the game, including that it was so chock-full of recycled content that a mediocre figure like that would be good for it. We all say stupid things. No matter how much I mellow out, it's still going to happen. I'm only human.
 
I think there's a problem with 5 points scales in that 4 is seen as one point from perfect, but really what it means is 80%. 10 point scale or nothing is my personal preference.

Ultimately what I take issue with is the apparent divide between people who don't want to play games on Wii, and those who don't care. And that sums up the last 5 years of Wii's critical reception.

And once again, we have a divisive Zelda game. In 5 years time it will invariably be acknowledged as a breath of fresh air for the series, with nothing quite like it. That's what is formulaic about Zelda.
 
Maffis said:
Technically, it is the best Zelda game made.

What does LTTP and OoT have that Skyward Sword doesn't? Probably just the nostalgia feel.

(i know you were joking btw)

What do you mean exactly by "technically"? If you mean production values and the like, well duh, of course it's the best Zelda ever made.

Can't talk for OoT, but it's hard to say that SS, for instance, is straight-up better than LTTP. Both games have very different feels, and most divides you'll see for any given series between fans of 2D iterations and fans of 3D iterations have to with that rather than some sort of irrational love for 2D or 3D. Whether you like 3D Mario or 2D Mario, 3D Metroid (Prime, not Other M) or 2D Metroid, 2D Castlevania or 3D Castlevania, it doesn't take a genius to understand that both experiences are not just a matter of which is better, but of feel. 2D games, by virtue of generally being older, are harder, but most importantly, they're more action-packed, more arcadey, more dense (it takes less time to get from interesting thing A to interesting thing B because the scale is less realistic) with less handholding. They're also more to-the-point and accessible.

If you're asking what LTTP has that SS doesn't, it's that: less tedium, more freedom, more exploration. Maybe you care more about story, production values and dialogue, and if so you'll find SS better, but what's good and what's bad varies depending on who you're asking, and developing one aspect often results in sacrificing another. Personally, I'm willing to sacrifice a bit of graphics and motion controls (even if I was dying for motion-controlled Zelda!) if that means I get those qualities I mentioned. Sadly, SS seems to deliver on all the bad fronts as far as I'm concerned. No big deal, I just won't buy it, but you can't talk like there's some kind of simplistic linear improvement curve between the Zelda games and that SS cannot possibly be lacking something that other episodes had. The fact is: it does lack some stuff, which might or might not please you depending on your tastes.
 
Feep said:
Really? List of flaws I point out in my review -
- Too linear
- Dearth of content in the overworld
- Minor inconsistencies with regard to Wii remote usage
- Recentering the cursor is frustrating
- The story is decent, nothing special
- The first few bosses are underwhelming
- Cannot skydive directly onto Skyloft
- Crafting system feels ultimately misplaced and useless
- Impressionist blur occasionally inconsistent
- Waiting for stamina gauge can become a chore

And also, I'm not allowed to give out 9/10 (4.5/5)...I had to choose 4/5 or 5/5. So. (shrug)

i have no idea how strict you are with the 5/5, i agree with your listed flaws to a certain extent but i still think that what it does good it does better than any game this gen and on a 8-10 review scale it's a 10.
 
ShockingAlberto said:
And a lot of people are saying it is the best Zelda.

It's just a question of who they listen to, I suppose.

I can agree with that. But I would really, really like for once to see the franchise be developed from a different point of view. But Miyamoto & Aonuma are too scared to make such a move.
 
A lot of the reviews are lower than I thought they would be considering the hype IGN has been talking up before and in their review. When I just watched their review I assumed that it got perfect scores everywhere else, universal praise...its not Mario Galaxy then...
 
[Nintex] said:
It's a shame they went to a more lineair style though.

Is it just me or are most Zeldas quite linear anyway? You can't choose which order you tackle dungeons (apart from Zelda 1). The overworld is opened up a bit at a time.
The whole item progression thing prevents non-linearity.

Why is it seen as a negative in this one?
 
Cygnus X-1 said:

and who said it's not the best Zelda game ever made?

The reviews? PFF

You're the judge and you alone.

Look at this thread every Zelda fan has it's own favorite game. If you ask me, there is no best Zelda game.

Some say OOT is the best some say? The fuck? i enjoyed WW much more.

And this is what's so great about this franchise.
 
Just want to warn people that those posting impressions of the game prior to the street date will need to provide proof of owning a physical copy.
 
Feep said:
Really? List of flaws I point out in my review -
- Too linear
- Dearth of content in the overworld
- Minor inconsistencies with regard to Wii remote usage
- Recentering the cursor is frustrating
- The story is decent, nothing special
- The first few bosses are underwhelming
- Cannot skydive directly onto Skyloft
- Crafting system feels ultimately misplaced and useless
- Impressionist blur occasionally inconsistent
- Waiting for stamina gauge can become a chore

And also, I'm not allowed to give out 9/10 (4.5/5)...I had to choose 4/5 or 5/5. So. (shrug)

Fair enough. It makes sense. I just wonder how Edge, IGN and so on came to the conclusion the game is 10/10. The scores of this game have a big standard deviation and it makes me wonder if it's not more a subjective than objective thinking.
 
walking fiend said:
well, that could be a reason, but let's see what you should give a game like Oblivion (I haven't played skyrim, so can't say):

- Story is bad
- Bugs everywhere
- Alchemy is boring, collecting herbs is a random fetch quest
- Spell/Weapon change is tedious
- Fights can be boring
- Character design is really bad
- a lot of quests do no add to anything
- Enemies level up with you
- Dungeon design is nothing special
- Voice acting is not good

and for the console version:
- fps control using analog

(You could replace Oblivion with a lot of other games that have gotten very high scores)

The point is, does the cons you mentioned make the game less than impressive?
To me, an 8 is not impressive, it means a good game (3 average, etc). Your overall review reads like as if SS is an impressive game, so between 4 or 5, I would it give it a 5 compared to a lot of other games that get a 5 or 4. A game may have quite a few shortcomings, but the overall experience still be amazing due to getting the rest considerably better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnC2qlHrfIs#t=6m19s

did he review oblivion? who are you to push what you think a game is represented numerically on someone else? especially when you haven't played the full thing like he has yet.
 
EatChildren said:
Just want to warn people that those posting impressions of the game prior to the street date will need to provide proof of owning a physical copy.

sent, can we open a spoiler thread for those who want to discuss things? or is it to early? i mean it is officially released here.
 
Diprosalic said:
sent, can we open a spoiler thread for those who want to discuss things? or is it to early? i mean it is officially released here.

Imo waaay too early dude. We should at least wait for the EU release.
 
EatChildren said:
Just want to warn people that those posting impressions of the game prior to the street date will need to provide proof of owning a physical copy.

Just in case my previous post was interpreted that way: I haven't actually played the game (don't know anyone who has it, don't intend to buy it), I'm going off reviews, comments, footage and my experience with prior Zelda games.
 
Truth101 said:
Kenka do you live in Switzerland?
I do, I ca't wait to go to World of Games and get this :

skywardswordgift.jpg


and this :

skyrim-b.jpg



Today.
 
I hate that the low end reviews just criticize it for not being HD and perhaps having motion control issues which mean... Stop flailing your damned hand. :P!
 
I think probably the biggest fallacy in this thread so far is that a 4/5 is the same as an 8/10. It sounds silly on paper, but review scales are different. You simply can't compare the two as Metacritic does, even if they're mathematically equivalent. For instance, because the 1-10 scale tends to skew higher, a 1-5 scale might compare better with a 3-10 or 4-10 scale, where a 1 is a 3 or 4, a 2 is a 4.75 or 5.5, a 3 is a 6.5 or 7, a 4 is an 8.25 or 8.5, and a 5 is a 10.

Now, what I've just done is disingenuous, because I already stated that you can't actually compare the two. And you can't, but I believe that when you actually read and compare the tone of a review to the scores, something like what I've stated above is more accurate. For instance, a 4/5 review can, and often is, more favorable than an 8/10. The differences are even more apparent for edge cases: the tone of a 5/5 review won't always be as glowing as a 10/10, and a 1/10 will certainly trash a game more than the 'corresponding' 6/10.

The take-home message is, don't compare reviews (at least not the numbers attached to them); whether they're between different sites or between different people. Hell, even be wary when comparing one reviewer's review scores with his own. In this case, the passage of time can be the 'devil in the details.' And let it be known, another reason why Metacritic sucks.
 
Relix said:
I hate that the low end reviews just criticize it for not being HD and perhaps having motion control issues which mean... Stop flailing your damned hand. :P!

Agreed. I mean GamesRadar for example is a 9 not bad but their cons are a fucking joke.

1Ntf2.png


laughable
 
krYlon said:
Is it just me or are most Zeldas quite linear anyway? You can't choose which order you tackle dungeons (apart from Zelda 1). The overworld is opened up a bit at a time.
The whole item progression thing prevents non-linearity.

Why is it seen as a negative in this one?

It has been said also to be one of the longest Zeldas too, so i don't really get it either.
 
Sn4ke_911 said:
and who said it's not the best Zelda game ever made?

The reviews? PFF

You're the judge and you alone.

Look at this thread every Zelda fan has it's own favorite game. If you ask me, there is no best Zelda game.

Some say OOT is the best some say? The fuck? i enjoyed WW much more.

And this is what's so great about this franchise.

If there is just one or two trolls who give 8/10 with all other reviews above 9.5/10, then of course you'll ignore them. But if there are persistent and well-explained flaws that are being told by different people, I just can't ignore that.
Point is that, from what I read it seems that the gameplay can be problematic and response be difficult sometimes, even if overall it is very good. Second point is the story and the cohesion between part of them, seeming that puzzles and bosses finally were scaled up in greatness, but with some parts just added to the mix as filling elements to bot give the same sensation TP left behind.

TSA is of course just one opinion. I don't know for you, but for me it's very relevant and if he says that Link as hero is compromised, than of course I'll start to worry. He gave some pretty great explication and I just hope he will not consider just the flaws in the review in the end.

Sn4ke_911 said:
Agreed. I mean GamesRadar for example is a 9 not bad but their cons are a fucking joke.

[/IMG]http://i.imgur.com/1Ntf2.png[/IMG]

laughable

Yeah, this is plain stupid.
 
Woffls said:
I think there's a problem with 5 points scales in that 4 is seen as one point from perfect, but really what it means is 80%. 10 point scale or nothing is my personal preference.

Ultimately what I take issue with is the apparent divide between people who don't want to play games on Wii, and those who don't care. And that sums up the last 5 years of Wii's critical reception.

And once again, we have a divisive Zelda game. In 5 years time it will invariably be acknowledged as a breath of fresh air for the series, with nothing quite like it. That's what is formulaic about Zelda.
The problem are people who are of the opinion to need to convert scores. 4 out of 5 is 4 out of 5. It is not 80% or 8 out of 10. Even when metacritic wants to make you believe so.

A 5 point system is fundamentally different than a 10 point system, whoever uses maths in order to interpret a review score understands it completely wrong.
 
Giantbomb: 4/5

"Skyward Sword is simultaneously a very good Zelda game and a rather great adventure game. It has some of the most inventive dungeons the series has ever known, sports the most impactful changes to the combat since Z-targeting, introduces wrinkles to the Zelda mythology that will force fans to rethink the entire series, and will have you gawking at it constantly, 480p 'n all. But the series finds itself facing an identity crisis, as it flirts with expanding what has defined the series without abandoning its charming but waning simplicity. Zelda doesn’t need to become something else to maintain relevance, but at a certain point, when “a brand-new great Zelda game” isn’t enough, there’s reason to pause."
LMAO, this shit's hilarious.

It reads like this:

"This game is great, beautiful, and really freshens things up in the series. But if it isn't a stale turd relying solely on its brand name, then it shouldn't come out at all!! DAMN YOU NINTENDO! DAMN YOU NINTENDO TO HEEEEELLLLLLLL"

Games journalism.
 
Sn4ke_911 said:
Agreed. I mean GamesRadar for example is a 9 not bad but their cons are a fucking joke.

1Ntf2.png


laughable
I doubt they actually docked points because of that though. The Ghirahim 'con' was clearly a joke, as you pointed out. A joke!

Ease up people!
 
Relix said:
I hate that the low end reviews just criticize it for not being HD and perhaps having motion control issues which mean... Stop flailing your damned hand. :P!
I don't necessarily hate it, I mean it's their opinion and if they think less of a game because of low res visuals then they have the obligation to report it, a large part of the gamer population would agree with them. I just think less of them. Critics should know what good game design is, and not judge it by its cover. To me they're the same kind of people that prefer a J.P. Chenet wine because it has a funny bottle over a Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
 
for the swiss people looking for the game: digitec still has plenty of regular versions in stock and they can either be shipped and will arrive on monday or be picked up at the zurich store tonight if you reserve now. i have no idea if any brick and mortars broke the street date though.
 
EatChildren said:
Hopefully Nintendo takes note from these tragic scores and realises Zelda desperately needs a revival, possibly something along the lines of Other M.

I do think that these people who are giving these scores also want to give a signal to Nintendo. A signal they failed to deliver while rating Twilight Princess.

In the end, many interviews pointed out that Aonuma read comments, reviews and boards and since Twilight Princess was highly overrated, Skyward Sword was built up on the same mistakes.

In other words, what I'm trying to say is that Skyward Sword outcome is partly responsibility of the failures of reviewers to say the plain truth about Twilight Princess's faults, which in turn kept Nintendo make small changes in the franchise. It was obvious that sooner or later some "bad" result would have emerged.

So, I'm of course pissed off that Skyward Sword has some serious weaknesses, but this will force Nintendo to act and make big changes.
 
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