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

Neiteio said:
U3 is incredibly atmospheric. The ship graveyard with the sunlight slanting through the clouds while rain pours and the waves rock the wrecks back and forth is haunting in its isolation and humbling in how vulnerable you feel against the ocean. The visuals serve the immersion in U3, absolutely.

Also, many of U3's effects drive the gameplay. In the shipyard and cruise ship levels, the entire ocean is a procedurally generated physics engine. All of the cargo sliding around on the ship is doing so in reaction to the rocking of the ship, and the ship in turn is rocking in accordance with the waves. So in combat in the shipyard, the many multi-level platforms are bobbing back and forth as you leap to and fro, the waves rushing through, the cover constantly changing, and you're free to exploit the changing slopes and sea level as you see fit -- if you're fleet-footed enough, that is.

Those three chapters ("Rough Seas," "Cruisin' for a Bruisin'" and "Sink or Swim") are exhilirating to replay, imo. The entire background is moving independently and affecting the stage; the entire stage is moving and affecting the platforms and props; and all the characters stagger about in response, so you're fighting gravity and momentum as much as you're fighting each other. It's not just a technical marvel. It's impressive from a gameplay and level design standpoint, too.
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I don't want to get too off topic here, but my main point was that I don't think the technical push for atmosphere was worth the sacrifices they made in gameplay. The gunplay was mostly poor, and the flooding of rocket, grenade launcher, sniper, and armored enemies killed the movement in the larger bowl-type areas. In addition to this, the melee combat broke up the flow of action by making fights longer, allowing you more time to be rocketed or shotgunned while fistfighting. As I said earlier, U3 is an example of misplaced priorities in my eyes, using technical prowess to wow you, instead of fun and intuitive gunplay like in UC2. There is no reason why setpieces such as the plane you spend all of 10 minutes in should be the focus of development when there are obvious holes in the gameplay that could be refined.

Btw thanks to Big One for the impressions and tutorial info. I'm relieved it won't take hours to get into the adventuring.
 
BY2K said:
They skipped it?

...

Okay.

Anyway, the Wind Waker dude was more fun to watch.

THE WIND WAKER IS THE WORST WEAPON!
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I think they started playing but got stuck or something.
And yeah, the WW guy is hilarious.
FREAKIN' STINKIN'!
 
Lingitiz said:
I don't want to get too off topic here, but my main point was that I don't think the technical push for atmosphere was worth the sacrifices they made in gameplay. The gunplay was mostly poor, and the flooding of rocket, grenade launcher, sniper, and armored enemies killed the movement in the larger bowl-type areas. As I said earlier, U3 is an example of misplaced priorities in my eyes, using technical prowess to wow you, instead of fun and intuitive gunplay like in UC2.

Btw thanks to Big One for the impressions and tutorial info. I'm relieved it won't take hours to get into the adventuring.
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i dont want to get too much into uncharted 3 here (i have it on my desk but wont be playing until the patch comes out)

but didnt it get like 10s everywhere despite the control issues (that are now being acknowledged and fixed) were in there ?

naughty dog did a good job trying to fix it asap post launch but the gaming reviewers seem to be really shady if there were problems in the game that they both the community and the game devs acknowledge but did not effect scores at all
 
So I'm about to do my first
tear hunt
, wish me luck!

I notice that enemies get harder when you go back to Faron Woods.

Also no repeat puzzles so far, so I think TSA might've been over exaggerating and/or lying. We'll see maybe that'll change later
 
farnham said:
i dont want to get too much into uncharted 3 here (i have it on my desk but wont be playing until the patch comes out)

but didnt it get like 10s everywhere despite the control issues (that are now being acknowledged and fixed) were in there ?

naughty dog did a good job trying to fix it asap post launch but the gaming reviewers seem to be really shady if there were problems in the game that they both the community and the game devs acknowledge but did not effect scores at all
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Yeah, this is bullshit.

Good on the developer for making things right but when you have to invite posters from a gaming forum to help fix your game, it probably wasn't ready to be released.

10s though.

Zelda controls badly though!!!!!

But it doesn't.
 
Most importantly Big One, are you having fun? Is the game awesome so far?

Also, you might want to provide proof of purchase. Not that I don't believe you but the mods were warning of it earlier in the thread.
 
BY2K said:
2. And I can't believe they finished AoL if they have that much trouble getting through ALTTP.
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Nah they had to skip it because it kept resetting them back at the beginning and they want to retry on emulator.
 
Is it better than...
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess? No

The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker? No
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Uh...TP was good...WindWaker was better...Skyward is located somewhere near the bottom!?


No...no I refuse to believe Zelda's getting worse. I'ma play it or blow an ocarina try'n.
 
So it took me 12 minutes to complete the
Silent Realm
.

It wasn't tedious, boring, or anything like that. It's not the tear hunts or the shit from Phantom Hourglass.

It's just a trial that gives you a substantial award.
Mistle said:
Most importantly Big One, are you having fun? Is the game awesome so far?

Also, you might want to provide proof of purchase. Not that I don't believe you but the mods were warning of it earlier in the thread.
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The game is extremely fun. In the beginning I was unsure cause the Faron Woods is a pretty weak area near the beginning, but once I got to Skyview Temple everything really just brought me there. I completed it faster than I should've however cause I already beat the demo.

The game, for me, really picked up when it came to fun with the second dungeon. The second dungeon was easy peasy, but really well designed and ridiculously fun. The boss was the same way; easy, but extremely fun (and also unique to the franchise)

The desert and third dungeon really blew me away more than I thought it did. So far it really is the best area in the game, and one of the best areas + dungeon in any Zelda game.

Also I'm not posting a pic...cause I'm playing the game. If I get banned for that then whatever, just posting impressions from the game. I was able to get a copy early from my Walmart.
 
TheExplodingHead said:
Heard this game has some of the same color banding issues that TP had (the vertical scan lines)...? Is this confirmed, because that would be a shame.
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from what i hear it does, there's tons of banding and dithering. the game looks pretty awful not because of the artstyle but the wiis limitations and really bad video output.
 
Big One said:
Also I'm not posting a pic...cause I'm playing the game. If I get banned for that then whatever, just posting impressions from the game. I was able to get a copy early from my Walmart.
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Then you're going to get banned. Either post a picture to prove you have a copy of the game like was made clear ages ago or enjoy your holiday.
 
Why does he have to post a picture? There are loads of games that people get days early and I've never seen them made to post proof before.

Not that I'm against these lucky gits getting banned because they always make me jealous -_-

Also, I'm starting Dark Souls today. Odds of me finishing it before this is released? Ever so low. I may have to juggle them or have a quick break from Dark Souls next week.
 
Biggest-Geek-Ever said:
I hope that bulky dinosaur doesn't fall and crush you to death.
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I once tried to turn my Trinitron dinosaur and the poor fellow fell flat from like 1m on the ground. The frame broke, but that was about it.

However, the new 720P Bravia LCD picture is better than 'any' other bulb TV I have seen. It's crystal clear and crisp.
 
did I arrive on time to the GT Zelda shitstorm the internet has been concocting for me the last 3 days?

I, for one, welcome our new 8.8 overlords.
 
At this stage I'm finding that I could care less what the reviews say.
It's like cake - everyone would feel much better inside knowing that it's decorated well and covered in icing, but goddamn - I'm having a slice regardless. This is Zelda.
 
Foliorum Viridum said:
Why does he have to post a picture? There are loads of games that people get days early and I've never seen them made to post proof before.

Not that I'm against these lucky gits getting banned because they always make me jealous -_-

Also, I'm starting Dark Souls today. Odds of me finishing it before this is released? Ever so low. I may have to juggle them or have a quick break from Dark Souls next week.
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It's pretty rare for a game to be out early 9 days before the official release. And since these people are getting it right after it leaked, well...yeah. You've also probably noticed pretty much everyone who gets a game early(any, really) typically posts a picture alongside a post about it. To rub it in first and foremost, but also proves that it's legit.

Not like it's hard to take a picture if you have nothing to hide anyway. "I'm not taking a picture because I'm playing the game" doesn't even make sense when you're taking a break from the game to write impressions.
 
sphinx said:
did I arrive on time to the GT Zelda shitstorm the internet has been concocting for me the last 3 days?

I, for one, welcome our new 8.8 overlords.
Click to expand...
No GT official score yet, but there has been some damning video talk from GT about how much they hate a lot of the aspects of the game and the fact it's not HD and doesn't use a traditional controller etc etc etc
 
Papercuts said:
It's pretty rare for a game to be out early 9 days before the official release. And since these people are getting it right after it leaked, well...yeah. You've also probably noticed pretty much everyone who gets a game early(any, really) typically posts a picture alongside a post about it. To rub it in first and foremost, but also proves that it's legit.

Not like it's hard to take a picture if you have nothing to hide anyway. "I'm not taking a picture because I'm playing the game" doesn't even make sense when you're taking a break from the game to write impressions.
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The game has been leaked for more than two days. However, some stores have broken the streetdate. In the land of no war, specially.
 
walking fiend said:
I once tried to turn my Trinitron dinosaur and the poor fellow fell flat from like 1m on the ground.
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Holy shit, the exact same thing happened to me. Except, unlike yours, the damage my TV sustained was internal not external. Looked perfectly fine on the outside, but the old box didn't display anything on the screen any more. We had to throw it out.
 
I agree it's not hard to post a pic but I also think it's poor form to demand pictures and assume everyone is a pirate. Isn't that what we hate about DRM etc?

But I'm not going to get into this here any more :)
 
Ydahs said:
@RMC, like your site. Have a question. I've skimmed through your review and I don't think you mentioned anything about the stamina bar. What's your opinion of it? I've seen some mixed impressions on its implementation so far and it seems people would rather it not have been included at all.
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Thanks for the kind words.

I actually really enjoyed the stamina option. It keeps you from going into battles and spamming your spin attack. It also makes for quick travel that both looks better and makes more sense than rolling across the land.

The best aspect of the stamina gauge might be how it forces you to climb smart and carefully. Finding the quickest path while climbing becomes a necessity at some points, and you'll have to plan your path to the next fruit to replenish your stamina along the way. Helped to provide some tense moments.
 
Medalion said:
No GT official score yet, but there has been some damning video talk from GT about how much they hate a lot of the aspects of the game and the fact it's not HD and doesn't use a traditional controller etc etc etc
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exactly, that's what I read and it seems GT is not going to let us down and provide that review that will finally press some fanboy buttons and make the perfect shitstorm on the internet :) hehehe.
 
Foliorum Viridum said:
Why does he have to post a picture? There are loads of games that people get days early and I've never seen them made to post proof before.
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There's no issue if its a widely known early release. We know shops in Sweden were/are selling the game, but as far as I'm aware there's no wide spread date break elsewhere. We do, however, know the game has been leaked. The policy in these cases, which has been enforced plenty of times before, is that users playing the game provide proof of a legitimate copy.

Thankfully other members have provided me with shots. This isn't a new policy.
 
Fair enough. I've never seen it enforced in other threads, I don't think.

But like that other guy say most people post pictures of the box to rub it in then, something I always thought was a bit dick-ish but I guess not if their account is on the line!
 
I must be the only one that wasn't too bothered about TP's starting area. It's been a while since I played it, but from what I recall it wasn't super tutorializing or babying you. To me it felt more like it wanted to establish a sense of everyday life for Link and his village that could contrast with the rest of the game.

Never gotten around to finishing TP though, so my experience with it may not be the strongest endorsement of the game either.
 
Snow said:
I must be the only one that wasn't too bothered about TP's starting area. It's been a while since I played it, but from what I recall it wasn't super tutorializing or babying you. To me it felt more like it wanted to establish a sense of everyday life for Link and his village that could contrast with the rest of the game.

Never gotten around to finishing TP though, so my experience with it may not be the strongest endorsement of the game either.
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You are spot on with your recollections!
 
so, in the topic of reviews, how do you guys interpret the scoring for high anticipated games?

I mean, if you completely ignore the text of the review and just see a number and nothing else, what thought fits in which score?

on a first impulse, my mind tends to think the following:

100%-95%: "This game won me over and I really like it on all accounts. Recommend all the way. A true highlight on its console and a once in a generation rare treasure."

94%-90%: "It's a fine game, with great moments, worth every penny and for all intents and purposes flawless and enjoyable.. but one or two things didn't completely click with me, most likely it's me not being very fond of what it's being presented than the game having any flaw."

89%-85%: "Fine game, flawlessly executed on all accounts.... but with stuff being from o.k. to annoying (though never broken or flawed), in my personal opinion. I'd rather be playing something else. Had a hard time keeping focused playing this game... in one word: whatever."

84%-75%: Not for me but reviewing games is my job.. so here I am. I am thinking "fuck this shit" from the moment I am inserting the game in the console

I know in most cases reviewers back up their numbers with valid points and arguments but if you notice my comments, my mind or intuition tends to think and wants to convince me that the problem, if there's any, lies in the reviewer having a problem and not in the game having real, evident issues. and to make it clear, that's not something that happens with zelda or nintendo games, it happens with any highprofile game I am anticipating on any console.

I guess it's just that I don't want the game I've been expecting for the last months to suck, not even a little.
 
Are we discussing the tutorials in this game? I must have done something wrong, because I skipped the entire sword "tutorial". When you get the sword you're free to do whatever the hell you want. I can't recall getting to any unskippable tutorials in this game.
 
rogue_pigeon said:
Anyone know how this plays without motion plus?
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It doesn't. You simply can't use your sword or any other weaponry without motion+. It'd be like playing an FPS without your mouse or without a right analog stick.
 
sphinx said:
so, in the topic of reviews, how do you guys interpret the scoring for high anticipated games?
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My rule is I refuse to play any title with a Metascore below 78.

Secondly if I have some games in my immediate backlog, any new game must rival the other game's metascore or it's not worth my time.
 
sphinx said:
so, in the topic of reviews, how do you guys interpret the scoring for high anticipated games?

I mean, if you completely ignore the text of the review and just see a number and nothing else, what thought fits in which score?

on a first impulse, my mind tends to think the following:

100%-95%: "This game won me over and I really like it on all accounts. Recommend all the way. A true highlight on its console and a once in a generation rare treasure."

94%-90%: "It's a fine game, with great moments, worth every penny and for all intents and purposes flawless and enjoyable.. but one or two things didn't completely click with me, most likely it's me not being very fond of what it's being presented than the game having any flaw."

89%-85%: "Fine game, flawlessly executed on all accounts.... but with stuff being from o.k. to annoying (though never broken or flawed), in my personal opinion. I'd rather be playing something else. Had a hard time keeping focused playing this game... in one word: whatever."

84%-75%: Not for me but reviewing games is my job.. so here I am. I am thinking "fuck this shit" from the moment I am inserting the game in the console

I know in most cases reviewers back up their numbers with valid points and arguments but if you notice my comments, my mind or intuition tends to think and wants to convince me that the problem, if there's any, lies in the reviewer having a problem and not in the game having real, evident issues. and to make it clear, that's not something that happens with zelda or nintendo games, it happens with any highprofile game I am anticipating on any console.

I guess it's just that I don't want the game I've been expecting for the last months to suck, not even a little.
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You're giving way too little credit to anything less than 95-100.
 
trinest said:
Theres a video floating around of it rigged to play without motion plus.

As for legitmently, you wont be able to.
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Right so of the few responses I've had:

- You can't.

- You can, but it's not as good.

- You can, but the game is broken without it.

- You can, but it involves some sort of hack/trick.


Which is it?
 
rogue_pigeon said:
Right so of the few responses I've had:

- You can't.

- You can, but it's not as good.

- You can, but the game is broken without it.

- You can, but it involves some sort of hack/trick.


Which is it?
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Use you brain, it says it requires it on the god damn box.
 
rogue_pigeon said:
Right so of the few responses I've had:

- You can't.

- You can, but it's not as good.

- You can, but it involves some sort of hack/trick.


Which is it?
Click to expand...
You can't. It's 100% designed for motion plus. If however it has been rigged for use without, then it'll be an extremely crippled version of the game and will be missing the point entirely.
 
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