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The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword |OT| Home of Punkin' Chunkin' Champion 2011
- Thread starter Amir0x
- Start date
I agree.
When the Water Dragon sent those damn things out, I was thinking to myself, "haven't I already saved your ass like twice, and now you throw this shit out at me? It's not my fault that you were a moron and decided to FLOOD A FOREST to solve a monster problem when YOU'RE A HUGE FREAKING DRAGON WHO COULD SLAUGHTER THEM WITH LITTLE EFFORT. Prove myself more? Eat a garbage bag full of dicks, you stupid, stuck-up bitch.
My lord, I was so glad to get to Lanayru, and see that its song quest involved new areas and actual Zelda mechanics.
Skellig Gra
Member
The limited edition bundle. $20 for the wii remote plus on top of the game.
That's been sold out everywhere since release though, hasn't it?
Wow.
I do address this in my review, saying that there is clear gameplay fatigue for those who rush through the game, but wow... did others get angry? Maybe there is a predisposition going into it that ruined it rather than the event itself. Perhaps that's what Nintendo needs to fix.
InvincibleAgent
Member
The problem with (near end of game)
tadtones is the character of the water dragon. She's a bitch. People don't like her, and since she punishes Link, the player is punished as well and people don't like being punished.
It was better in MM because the baby Zoras had to be retrieved to progress the plot. The Water Dragon just decided to be a bitch.
It was better in MM because the baby Zoras had to be retrieved to progress the plot. The Water Dragon just decided to be a bitch.
decoyplatypus
Member
Eh, the zora eggs quest is still my least favorite Zelda quest; very boring and takes too long. Tadtones was out of place, but it was short and borderline fun. It would have been better as a sidequest, but it wasn't as bad as some make it.
I'm absolutely loving it.
I may be a little biased, seeing as my top two games of all time are Ocarina of Time and A Link to the Past, but I love the way the game makes ME feel.
With all the other games I play, this game is a breath of fresh air.
It's not a FPS, it's not bland in its color palette, the controls are (95% of the time) intuitive, the soundtrack is great and in the end, it's Zelda!
I've put 10+ hours in at this point and I'm not even to the third dungeon. I want to soak up the experience as much as I can, see all I can, and enjoy everything about the game. I don't want the dungeons to end and I don't want to complete the game, simply because I love playing Zelda, but of course I'll have to.
I haven't gotten to the stealthy part of the game which people seem to dread, and I haven't seen it to the end, but I love the "darker" take on the Zelda franchise.
I love it, can't play it enough, yet don't want it to end- but that's how I feel about most Zelda games...
InvincibleAgent
Member
The quest itself (MM) was ok story-wise, though. What you were doing made sense, and wasn't the result of a character being mean for the purpose of fluffing up the game.
That doesn't make it less terrible.
Really tadtones has context too. Faron is an untrusting jerk.
Fought Lizalfos last night. Those enemies are the toughest ones yet. It's refreshing to fight challenging normal enemies in a Zelda game again. The first one came close to killing me after resorting to some waggle and almost broke the second shield too. They seem to do their tail swipe and fire breathe a lot more than their laughing taunt so it takes longer to get in sword thrusts. I don't know, maybe it it depends how close you are to them. Anyway, I eventually figured out that you can do a jump attack and fatal blow to finish them off in two hits.
I'm also really enjoying the loftwing now. The controls are intuitive and responsive and travel is very fast and convenient. I always look forward to going back to Skyloft even if its just to get a single potion before jumping back into the dungeons.
The apparent lack of mini games is a disappointment. I really miss TP's two water-based mini games. So far, the only one I have done in SS is the
.
I'm also really enjoying the loftwing now. The controls are intuitive and responsive and travel is very fast and convenient. I always look forward to going back to Skyloft even if its just to get a single potion before jumping back into the dungeons.
The apparent lack of mini games is a disappointment. I really miss TP's two water-based mini games. So far, the only one I have done in SS is the
bamboo (got 24 hits) chopping. I skipped on the digging mini game for now
I brought this up in a way earlier post, but it is worth repeating:
Those sections are not part of the formula. They happen once, are horrible and universally accepted to be the worst parts of those games. The fetch quest is ingrained in Skyward Swords DNA. They happen before every dungeon. At least in WW you got only had to bang your head against one fetch quest and get it over with.
The fetch quests in SS interrupt the pacing and flow. The game is like a roller coaster of shit, fun, shit, fun, etc. I just wanted SS to find its groove and stick to the fun. Find your fun zone and stick to it and make me want to just absorb myself into the game.
I think the thing that hurts the most for me is that I've had a Skyward Sword lanyard in my pocket attached to my keys since I picked it up at PAX. I was hyped for a new Zelda game, bought the collectors edition, and horribly disappointed. At least I have Skyrim to break up the frustration between dungeons.
Metroid Killer
Member
It's pretty mixed. The majority acknowledges that it's a great crafted game with some minor to middle-sized flaws here and there.
It's mostly the flaws where people disagree though. 'It's too linear! No, there are too many fetch quests! I don't mind the fetch quests, what's bothering me is Fi' etc.
brandonh83
Banned
Yep, still, thus far the game is failing to annoy me like some of the more recent 3D Zelda's with the exception of Twilight Princess. So far I don't think "oh god no" about doing anything. However I do think some parts are going to be a bit too slow on replays. That's about the worst thing I have to say about the game up to this point.
ShockingAlberto
Member
So, here's the thing I don't get. I've been playing Skyrim on my PC since I beat Zelda, and honestly, all I do in the game is travel and fight poorly designed battles. This is my first Elder Scrolls, but I don't understand how people can complain about fetch quests in Zelda and then praise Skyrim for... what? Its atmosphere? (it is a gorgeous game) Its gameplay (eww)? Its voice acting (most is stiff and Zelda characters have more personality)? I just don't get it.
Sadly, I'm not enjoying Skyrim that much.
Princess Skittles
Prince's's 'Skittle's
It'll remain in print, not having a version with Motion Plus would be monumentally moronic.
Lord_Byron28
Member
It is ingrained in just about every 3D Zelda game. What's the difference between collecting parts of keys, finding Kikwi's and finding dials compared to in TP having to find monkeys, find Gorons, fetch soup ingredients, etc.
ShockingAlberto
Member
Hrm.
If you had posted this yesterday, there was a $12 bundle of Flingsmash I could have linked you to.
That was a very prudent review. Well written, but has a couple grammatical errors you might want to edit.
Thanks for sharing
brandonh83
Banned
Skyrim is just a more laid back experience I guess. Not that it isn't fun or whatever, it is, especially while admiring the scale and the environments and such, and the combat is okay, but it's a decidedly different experience from a Zelda game. I actually got Skyrim just yesterday and played it for a few hours before going back to Zelda, and it just reiterated the embarrassing comments I've gotten about playing Skyrim instead of Zelda, that Zelda isn't "with the times" or whatever. Zelds's gameplay is vastly more varied and superior IMO. It's more of a richer gameplay experience to me, whereas Skyrim is more of a... walk around and do shit for hours and hours kind of game.
Note that I'm not bashing on Skyrim. Again I got it yesterday and it's sooooo fucking good. I love the hell out of it. But if you really want to get down to it, I think Zelda's gameplay royally shits on the gameplay of just about everything else I've played this year.
Also, a brief point of amusement: one thing I notice almost every time I go from playing a Zelda game on Wii to playing a console game like Skyrim is that when I switch over to a standard controller, I feel like I'm wearing handcuffs. I almost hate it.
And then when I play with a standard controller for a while I'm like "fuck the Wiimote and nunchuk, too convoluted! How on earth did I play through a Zelda game with that thing!" Until I actually play a Zelda game with that thing, and it's glorious. That's just the thing about the Wii. I think it's a wonderful system and I think the controller rocks. When you get into a good, well made Wii game, it's really great and so much fun. But the good games are so few and far between. The Wii could have been my overall favorite console this gen if it just had more gems like Skyward Sword or Mario Galaxy.
kunonabi
Member
Overall I think SS is the most well rounded and complete of the 3D Zelda games. I loved the denser environments, the changes to each area over time, the variety of quests, and I really liked the pacing. I know some people don't like the trials but I enjoyed them in TP and I like them even more here.
It easily the best looking game in the series and it has my favorite characters.
Best combat since Zelda II and the motion controls are my preferred method of control for Zelda now. So satisfying.
The dungeons are better than WW, OoT and MM but nowhere near the quality of ST or TP.
Bosses were fun but I still prefer TP despite their formulaic nature.
I also really loved the sidequests and actually 100%ed it which I haven't done in a Zelda game since ALttP.
My main letdowns were the story, low difficulty(still the best of the 3D Zeldas), and over reliance on the beetle. 9/10 times the solution is the beetle.
It is the ALttP of the 3D Zeldas. I played the game nonstop and I haven't had this much fun with a game in a long time. I'm on a like 3 hours sleep since I stayed up till 6am so my apologies for the rough impressions.
It easily the best looking game in the series and it has my favorite characters.
Best combat since Zelda II and the motion controls are my preferred method of control for Zelda now. So satisfying.
The dungeons are better than WW, OoT and MM but nowhere near the quality of ST or TP.
Bosses were fun but I still prefer TP despite their formulaic nature.
I also really loved the sidequests and actually 100%ed it which I haven't done in a Zelda game since ALttP.
My main letdowns were the story, low difficulty(still the best of the 3D Zeldas), and over reliance on the beetle. 9/10 times the solution is the beetle.
It is the ALttP of the 3D Zeldas. I played the game nonstop and I haven't had this much fun with a game in a long time. I'm on a like 3 hours sleep since I stayed up till 6am so my apologies for the rough impressions.
Arrrgghh, I was just looking for a cheap flingsmash bundle earlier today too. No dice.
Optional vs required. Frequency.
To me, the "quests" didn't interrupted the flow anymore than in in previous games, how you were technically forced in each dungeon to look for:
-A dungeon item
-A map
-A compass
-A boss key
-On top of 2-3 small keys just to move around a dungeon.
On top of the misc. things you had to do; like in Ocarina of Time and rescuing Gorons on the Fire Temple or carrying Princess Ruto around (because she didn't wanted to walk).
The dungeons in Skyward toned that down in half; only that put it (in different ways) to be done before a dungeon. So, having to look for 5 pieces of something, or 3 of other to enter a dungeon (and therefore turning it into a dungeon of sorts) is no more different than running around a dungeon looking for small keys to open doors, so you could get the chest with the map, the chest with the compass, the expected chest with the item you'll use to proceed further, to then find the boss key, to then defeat the boss.
It may not be to everyone's liking, but is not like this game forced gameplay aspects that weren't already there. They just put them differently, if anything. Of course people will be disappointed, but that comes with the territory.
Like that 5 pieces-key dungeon. Many didn't liked looking for those 5 pieces to make a key. Yet, once you're inside what you do? Use bombs, roll in a ball, avoid lava, fight new enemies...
-A dungeon item
-A map
-A compass
-A boss key
-On top of 2-3 small keys just to move around a dungeon.
On top of the misc. things you had to do; like in Ocarina of Time and rescuing Gorons on the Fire Temple or carrying Princess Ruto around (because she didn't wanted to walk).
The dungeons in Skyward toned that down in half; only that put it (in different ways) to be done before a dungeon. So, having to look for 5 pieces of something, or 3 of other to enter a dungeon (and therefore turning it into a dungeon of sorts) is no more different than running around a dungeon looking for small keys to open doors, so you could get the chest with the map, the chest with the compass, the expected chest with the item you'll use to proceed further, to then find the boss key, to then defeat the boss.
It may not be to everyone's liking, but is not like this game forced gameplay aspects that weren't already there. They just put them differently, if anything. Of course people will be disappointed, but that comes with the territory.
Like that 5 pieces-key dungeon. Many didn't liked looking for those 5 pieces to make a key. Yet, once you're inside what you do? Use bombs, roll in a ball, avoid lava, fight new enemies...
Electric Brain
Neo Member
Interesting discussion going on.
I would've preferred, perhaps, that a lot of the fetch quests be optional, rather than part of the story.
Like in mario 64 how 7o stars was all you needed to 'finish' the game, I think SS would benefit from something similar, and leave some of the more controversial tasks to options that you discover and give you rewards for finding and doing them. It would add to the exploratory feel that is slightly taken away by not having a completely cohesive overworld. It would also shorten the main game to be a bit more tight, and give players who want more after they're done a lot of playground to mess about in.
Incidentally, I love having a vast world that takes a while to traverse, even though you use warps. The idea that you can walk from one place to another is what makes the warps themselves feel valuable, and give you that 'part of a bigger world' feel.
I would've preferred, perhaps, that a lot of the fetch quests be optional, rather than part of the story.
Like in mario 64 how 7o stars was all you needed to 'finish' the game, I think SS would benefit from something similar, and leave some of the more controversial tasks to options that you discover and give you rewards for finding and doing them. It would add to the exploratory feel that is slightly taken away by not having a completely cohesive overworld. It would also shorten the main game to be a bit more tight, and give players who want more after they're done a lot of playground to mess about in.
Incidentally, I love having a vast world that takes a while to traverse, even though you use warps. The idea that you can walk from one place to another is what makes the warps themselves feel valuable, and give you that 'part of a bigger world' feel.
I just finished the fourth dungeon and I am heading off to Lanaryu desert. Is it a good idea to buy the sacred shield for 500 rupees, I broke my wooden shield so I figure I will need something to repel electric attacks right? Also in that thread talking about the game breaking glitch they said that I need to do Lanaryu desert last. Are they talking about when you collect the tears or after you have completed all the dungeons?
It's later. You'll know because it's open-ended about which place you can visit / finish first.
I bought the Sacred Shied and fully upgraded it, but only because it looks nice.
The actual shield while it's looks cool and auto-repairs itself; it breaks probably as easy as the wooden one if you get attacked too much.
So, as long as you handle it nicely, you'll be fine.
As for that "bug"; it's after the main dungeons. You'll know, since you'll be told to look for some..things and meet 3 characters in those areas.
Metroid Killer
Member
Good point, although escorting Ruto and rescuing Gorons were some of my most disliked parts of the OoT dungeons
But I get your point. People complaining about extended dungeon gameplay outside of dungeons, yet love dungeons...?All in all I think it comes down to the quality of a fetch quest, dungeon, pre-dungeon or whatever.
Some of the fetch quests/padding sections in the recent 3D Zeldas have been of rather poor quality (triforce quest, tears of light), and people disliking those segments don't necessarily dislike fetch quests per se, bu just the quality of those ones. And this is where it may have had been wise of Nintendo to make them optional.
Lord_Byron28
Member
All of the ones I listed were required in TP. TP basically had you do a "fetch quest" in almost every single dungeon. What's the difference between having to do one outside of a dungeon and inside of a dungeon.
The only fetch quests that really turn me off are MP2 and TWW style fetch quests where it spans across the entire world and is fairly intrusive and extensive( and usually right at the end)or DK64 where the game is layers upon layers of collecting crap requiring you to go through every area 5 + times . There were a few (2 or 3) quests I didn't care for in SS but they took 15 minutes each. That's why I'm not really bothered by it because they all were over in a short amount of time and most of them introduced new game mechanics and play styles.
Beat the game and hour ago. Posted detailed impressions on the game in the spoiler thread, but to summarize; really enjoyed the game. Story telling and characters were easily the best in the series. But I felt a very disconnected (Skyloft is the ultimate hub world), dull world (some portions of the game feel very empty), repetitive battles and questionable controls hold the game back from being in the top tier of Zelda games. I don't even mind the pacing that much. The collection question are nothing compared to the amount of times Fi forces you to pause for useless information.
I hope that they take the better aspects of story telling, and the item system and apply it to the next Zelda game which will hopefully feel more alive to me, in terms of the world itself.
I hope that they take the better aspects of story telling, and the item system and apply it to the next Zelda game which will hopefully feel more alive to me, in terms of the world itself.
By forced you mean: "follow a series of puzzles to the end of the dungeon." Very rarely do you have to hunt down anything in a dungeon the way it works in pre-dungeon areas. Pre-dungeon areas are literally just running from point to point looking for crap. It would be completely different it there was no physical padding that spread out objectives, and instead had more puzzles to gate progress instead.
You can't just boil it down to "oh you collect stuff in both situations so they're the exact same thing".
These are both puzzle mechanics. Not mindless running to items to collect. Hell, the Gorons basically don't even matter. They were just pacing tips next to the keys. The important thing here is that you had to solve puzzles to open up the cages. Not run slowly through sand and pause to let your stamina refill. Details are important.
Right, but again you didn't run around dungeons looking for keys. You ran around and solved puzzles to get the keys. The same way you still do in Skyward Sword dungeons, they just appear to be less frequent.
Changing content pacing is fucking huuuuuuge. Even if the content is already in the game, how and where it is placed makes a giant difference and can make a game bad or great.
The way I know that this game is special to me is the fact that I actually want to do the sidequests. Usually in large games (GTA, Red Dead, Batman), I just cruise through the story. In Zelda, I am legitimately interested in doing the sidequests.
Usually, I organize my zelda play in sittings: pre-dungeon --> dungeon ---> pre dungeon ---> dungeon. With Skyward Sword I find myself feeling like I'm almost always doing meaningful tasks without a lull period. I do one of the temples, then dilly dally doing sidequests for a little while, then do some pre-dungeon stuff, then go back to skyloft to do some more random stuff, then go into the dungeon. The best part is that I'm loving every second of it.
Usually, I organize my zelda play in sittings: pre-dungeon --> dungeon ---> pre dungeon ---> dungeon. With Skyward Sword I find myself feeling like I'm almost always doing meaningful tasks without a lull period. I do one of the temples, then dilly dally doing sidequests for a little while, then do some pre-dungeon stuff, then go back to skyloft to do some more random stuff, then go into the dungeon. The best part is that I'm loving every second of it.
WrenchNinja
Member
Because the stuff you're talking about dungeon wise is engaging the player. There's are puzzles behind how to get the stuff in dungeons.
The fetch quests in the overworld are just...go over here, then go over there, etc. It's not difficult, it doesn't take an iota of intelligence to do, it's the very definition of filler.
Princess Skittles
Prince's's 'Skittle's
I thought it was the best.
Yoshichan
And they made him a Lord of Cinder. Not for virtue, but for might. Such is a lord, I suppose. But here I ask. Do we have a sodding chance?
No...
Of course Alchemy, but I was talking in general aspects. There are some complaints as if stuff was done really different in previous games and now you're forced to do them in Skyward Sword; when the basis is still the same. So instead of doing 8 things in a dungeon, you now do 3 while arriving to it, and 5 inside it..or vice-versa. So instead of escorting characters inside a dungeon, you do it before.
To me, it made both arriving to the dungeon and the dungeon more fun and varied. It doesn't mean that I'd love an entire game made out of tadnotes quests neither.
***
Yeah, Lanayru was my favorite because of the overall concept with "the stones"...
To me, it made both arriving to the dungeon and the dungeon more fun and varied. It doesn't mean that I'd love an entire game made out of tadnotes quests neither.
***
Yeah, Lanayru was my favorite because of the overall concept with "the stones"...
Lord_Byron28
Member
There were quite a number of puzzles and enemies to fight to do in the pre-dungeon areas.
I recall a lot of exploration, environmental puzzles(vine swinging, log rolling, and tight rope crossing) and Slingshot puzzles required for Faron Woods. I remember a number of puzzles making use of the Bomb flowers and defeating the Boboklin camps in Eldin Volcano. I also remember plenty of puzzles built around the time shift stones, bombs and Hook Beetle in the Dessert. Each dial had a giant room filled with enemies and puzzles required to get it.
Princess Skittles
Prince's's 'Skittle's
Um, it wasn't all that enthralling in TP but it's probably my favorite part of SS. So good.
Pretty comparable to the pre-dungeon stuff so far in SS. They were just more clever in disguising it. Dousing is actually worse imo.
It definitely presents the biggest change in traversal once you
get the clawshots
This I can agree with! I love the silent realm sections.
Yoshichan
And they made him a Lord of Cinder. Not for virtue, but for might. Such is a lord, I suppose. But here I ask. Do we have a sodding chance?
And as the credits starts rolling again... I'm going through all the amazing stuff the game had to offer... everything about this game was amazing. I swear to God, if it wasn't for the back-tracking, I'd say "BEST GAME EVER".
Like, god damn. The theme of Skyward Sword is sooooooo good ;_;
Like, god damn. The theme of Skyward Sword is sooooooo good ;_;
Metroid Killer
Member
Yeah besides the game just not 'clicking' with me as I hoped(can't really describe why), the tear drops were the worst part of the game to me. I disliked the twilight realm, disliked being wolflink (both control wise and emotinal), disliked that a first visit to an area was kinda ruined by having to find the bugs, and then rediscover the areas again as normal Link. It really took away any initial impact an area would have had on me.