John Dunbar
correct about everything
When you skydive over certain locations and those weird little things show up and you can grab them, is there some reward you get if you do something, or is it just for fun?
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The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword |OT| Home of Punkin' Chunkin' Champion 2011
- Thread starter Amir0x
- Start date
for normal combat the game can be played while sitting down. for boss battles, it's probably best to stand up.
That was so easy. Just aim right next to his head and release an arrow just before when he does his throwing animation. Didn't even have to aim this way and I got like 800 points.
That's one of the things I found rather intuitive. Just flip them over with your sword. Did this in an instant when they attacked me. Easiest opponent in the game.
Went all the way through without standing myself. I've said it before*, but I really learned how to play this game over the course of playing it... it's amazing how good I am at it now when I think about the trouble I had early on. And I think that's really cool, way cooler than the notion of sleepwalking through another game that I'm already good at. Great feeling.
* I don't normally like to repeat myself, but this thread is definitely a broken record.
The most I had to learn the controls in a game since Mario 64. Don't know about everyone else but I was doing post game content before I could consistently do side jumps at will.
eXistor
Member
Well, I'm biased seeing as Zelda is my favorite game series out there, but I freaking love the game. I won't go as far as to say "best Zelda ever", but it's certainly up there with the best of them, which is high praise indeed. I was afraid the supposed linearity would hurt the game, but that's total bs. The fields are expertly designed with a ton of content in each of them, even backtracking isn't a bad thing in this game as they've managed to make them fresh every visit. The dungeons are a blast (the first 2 were fun, but really easy and small though) and the boss fights amongst the best in the series.
Also, I think SS has the best original soundtrack in a Zelda since OoT, there's so much new music that instantly cements itself into the annals of great Zelda music.
The motion controls are genius, anyone complaining about them will get no sympathy from me. This button/motion-control hybrid is the best of both worlds and they would be insane if they went back to pure button controls after this. The only downsides to it would be the constant calibrating if you're not aiming at the center of the screen before going into first person. Also I would have slightly preferred analog stiick control for flight and swimming, but they totally work the way they are.
I'm also glad the npc's have regained their charm after the fairly grotesque Twilight Princess. They're still suffuciently weird, but without being charmless. I've seen some criticism about the game having too many fetch-quests, but again, I don't see it. Yes, there are a lot of them, but it's not like WoW where you mindlessly grind for items. These are involved quests that take you to new areas and as such they don't seem like padding at all.
All in all I absolutely love the game. I had some worries beforehand, but most of these have been negated. If the next Zelda builds on what they started with Skyward Sword we're in for a treat.
Even though I'm not done with the game yet (still a few dungeons left I think), they've really branded this as being the first game chronologically speaking. This is where the titular Legend of Zelda begins right? So I would think this would be a perfect excuse/ opportunity for Nintendo to work on a completely new and different adventure series that is set in the same universe, but way back into the past. Obviously they would have the attention of Zelda fans as the series would be directly linked (pardon the pun), but it would also be a great opportunity to experiment and be freed from a lot of shackles (expectations etc.) the Zelda series has.
Whatever they decide to do, I'm just hapy SS is a fantastic entry into my favorite series.
Also, I think SS has the best original soundtrack in a Zelda since OoT, there's so much new music that instantly cements itself into the annals of great Zelda music.
The motion controls are genius, anyone complaining about them will get no sympathy from me. This button/motion-control hybrid is the best of both worlds and they would be insane if they went back to pure button controls after this. The only downsides to it would be the constant calibrating if you're not aiming at the center of the screen before going into first person. Also I would have slightly preferred analog stiick control for flight and swimming, but they totally work the way they are.
I'm also glad the npc's have regained their charm after the fairly grotesque Twilight Princess. They're still suffuciently weird, but without being charmless. I've seen some criticism about the game having too many fetch-quests, but again, I don't see it. Yes, there are a lot of them, but it's not like WoW where you mindlessly grind for items. These are involved quests that take you to new areas and as such they don't seem like padding at all.
All in all I absolutely love the game. I had some worries beforehand, but most of these have been negated. If the next Zelda builds on what they started with Skyward Sword we're in for a treat.
Even though I'm not done with the game yet (still a few dungeons left I think), they've really branded this as being the first game chronologically speaking. This is where the titular Legend of Zelda begins right? So I would think this would be a perfect excuse/ opportunity for Nintendo to work on a completely new and different adventure series that is set in the same universe, but way back into the past. Obviously they would have the attention of Zelda fans as the series would be directly linked (pardon the pun), but it would also be a great opportunity to experiment and be freed from a lot of shackles (expectations etc.) the Zelda series has.
Whatever they decide to do, I'm just hapy SS is a fantastic entry into my favorite series.
GregLombardi
Member
Just finished. Here's my review [No Spoilers]:
The game industry loves hyperbole. The very definition of hyperbole, however, is an excess overstatement or understatement of the truth. There have been many hyperbolic reviews of Skyward Sword, and none of them are accurate. None of them critique the game in a proper manner. Users on GAF and the like, in particular, look too closely at fleeting perfections and imperfections in the game. If we look back at a couple other recent Zeldas, we see them clearly defined by the faults that kept them from greatness. Twilight Princess, for example, will forever in my mind be defined by its lack of soul, and as a friend once said aptly: its useless and infinite rupee based economy. Windwaker, on the other hand, will forever be defined first by some amazing music, two amazing scenes, and then by its gapingly open and mostly boring ocean and terrible unfinished fetchquest of an end. Gameplay and fun breaking faults, I believe, define both games.
What then, will define Skyward Sword in Zelda and videogame history? The kicker for my final score is that what I believe will define it is nothing negative, but several positive things. In fact, if Nintendo’s internal teams continue in the directions they're heading, I believe the next Zelda could achieve a greatness no one ever thought possible in videogames. In terms of Skyward Sword, I believe that reviewers who scored the game too negatively looked at its motion control as the centerpiece of what it was bringing to the table. I believe that reviewers who scored the game too positively examined the game within only the context of Zelda games and realized that yes, almost all facets of the game are in fact better than Ocarina (which they are). Both of these review styles employ hyperbole and give an unfair representation of the truth. But let’s start with the faults that the game has, and work forward from there.
The one thing Skyward Sword refuses to allow the player to do is to stop and glare at its faults, though it has many.
Firstly, the game focuses far less on an interconnected world and uses the sky as the hub of connection, rather than as a hub of cohesion. It appears Nintendo did this as a result of limitations of the Wii's power. The game has so many awesome things that attempt to address this fault, but to me their purpose is exactly that: to address a design decision that was not ideal to a game's cohesion. And it is not. The broken up areas of the game do not evoke "adventure" in the mind of the player. In fact, I found myself feeling that I was much more involved in a Metroid game than a Zelda game at times -- trapped in a world that I had to solve, rather than investigating one with which I had fallen in love.
Secondly, the game's motion controls are 80% of perfect. The ability to rebalance the Wiimote was a very important addition, but it doesn't quite get to the level of seamless motion control that we want. They are, in fact, the best motion controls I've ever experienced. But in the end, they are not as user friendly as they need to be. Horizontal strokes tend to be much more difficult than vertical ones, and I believe this is as a result of the way in which the controls are communicated to the player (you need to make very wide strokes physically, and, when precision is required, you have to do them more slowly than you want to). In terms of the bird, its controls are pretty much spot on with what one would want (once you get used to flapping to go higher it becomes seamless). Overall, it is obvious that motion controls are still in flux as far as usability is concerned. New technology and new ways of executing motion in software code (as well as new user prompts) will continue to improve in this area.
Finally in terms of faults, there are a couple of nitpicky things that are no brainers for good game designers that are out of whack with Skyward. The most annoying (at first, but you get used to it) is the fact that whenever you pick up treasure materials (for upgrading things), if it is the first time that you picked up the item in the current play session, it notifies you what it is again. This is equivalent, in WoW, to getting notified with a full text screen when you pick up your 15th scrappy bird meat. It’s absolutely unnecessary, though you forgive it eventually.
I would also like to comment on the backtracking in this game: it is not as bad as users have made it out to be. In fact, it is backtracking done right. Whenever you have to search for something, you can simply use dousing to do so. It’s not that big of a deal. It’s like going online and cheating, built into the game. It is Nintendo's answer to online cheating without you having to do anything.
The most important realization I had is that none of the above faults are game breaking (well, other than that one bug heh heh!) and none of the faults will define Skyward Sword in Zelda / Videogame History. So let’s move along to the positives: the aspects of Skyward Sword that I believe DO define it.
First, are Skyward’s graphics. Skyward Sword's graphics represent the future of the series, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind. While not HD, they are a stroke of genius for how the series should look into forever (I can't wait to see them in HD on Wii U). The painting like background in lieu of ultra realistic distance viewing is a godly atmospheric addition (especially later in the game).
Next, let’s talk characters and story. Skyward Sword has my favorite new character introduced in a Zelda since Tingle. And whereas Tingle was batshit insane, this character makes a lot of sense, and touches you. Not only that, Skyward has my 2nd and 3rd favorite new characters introduced in a Zelda since Tingle. On balance, the characters are not intrusive and are all interesting in their own right (with some of them being absolutely amazing if you consider their intricacies). As for the story, I will say no more than say that this is Nintendo’s best execution of storytelling in their history (including a scene which is clearly the saddest ever in the series).
Now let’s talk bosses. Skyward Sword has my favorite boss in a Zelda game ever, with the exception of the Gannon battle at the end of Ocarina. And the balance of Skyward's other bosses are very clearly superior to the balance of all other bosses in all other Zeldas. The battles are smart, fun, crazy, and with the motion control: they always do something you don’t think possible or didn’t think would happen.
On to dungeons. Skyward has dungeons that are leagues beyond Ocarina and puzzles that push the boundary of what most puzzle based games have achieved (probably with the exception of portal/ portal 2). There are some crazy fun things that happen in the game, though no dungeon does measure up, in my opinion, to the forest temple’s atmospheric tricks in Ocarina. But one of them comes extremely close to being the best dungeon in a Zelda ever.
On to Skyward’s rewards system. Importantly, Skyward has a reward system that enhances gameplay better than Ocarina's did, and a rupee based economy in full balance. The several very fun characters push the reward system forward and give it the cohesion that makes Skyward's world interesting. I can’t stress enough that Skyward’s economy and reward system are the best the series has to offer, hands down.
Finally, the game's finale is clearly the best in a Zelda game, defeated only perhaps by the nostalgia of old. It eclipses the best performances from other games. All told, Skyward Sword is not perfect and it is not the best Zelda or game ever. However, it is clearly the second best Zelda (that I have played), and it is a game which clearly achieves more greatness than it fails against its modern counterparts. The only reason it does not achieve Ocarina’s levels of mastery is that the cohesion among the world and places in the game is more forced than natural. Even if I agree that the individual pieces best Ocarina’s, the whole does not. And that’s fine, as it is still an amazing game.
Scores
Graphics 9.5
Motion Control 8.0
Characters / Story 10.0
Dungeons / Bosses 10.0
Rewards 10.0
Cohesion 8.0
FINAL SCORE (NOT AN AVERAGE): 9.5 - AMAZING
The game industry loves hyperbole. The very definition of hyperbole, however, is an excess overstatement or understatement of the truth. There have been many hyperbolic reviews of Skyward Sword, and none of them are accurate. None of them critique the game in a proper manner. Users on GAF and the like, in particular, look too closely at fleeting perfections and imperfections in the game. If we look back at a couple other recent Zeldas, we see them clearly defined by the faults that kept them from greatness. Twilight Princess, for example, will forever in my mind be defined by its lack of soul, and as a friend once said aptly: its useless and infinite rupee based economy. Windwaker, on the other hand, will forever be defined first by some amazing music, two amazing scenes, and then by its gapingly open and mostly boring ocean and terrible unfinished fetchquest of an end. Gameplay and fun breaking faults, I believe, define both games.
What then, will define Skyward Sword in Zelda and videogame history? The kicker for my final score is that what I believe will define it is nothing negative, but several positive things. In fact, if Nintendo’s internal teams continue in the directions they're heading, I believe the next Zelda could achieve a greatness no one ever thought possible in videogames. In terms of Skyward Sword, I believe that reviewers who scored the game too negatively looked at its motion control as the centerpiece of what it was bringing to the table. I believe that reviewers who scored the game too positively examined the game within only the context of Zelda games and realized that yes, almost all facets of the game are in fact better than Ocarina (which they are). Both of these review styles employ hyperbole and give an unfair representation of the truth. But let’s start with the faults that the game has, and work forward from there.
The one thing Skyward Sword refuses to allow the player to do is to stop and glare at its faults, though it has many.
Firstly, the game focuses far less on an interconnected world and uses the sky as the hub of connection, rather than as a hub of cohesion. It appears Nintendo did this as a result of limitations of the Wii's power. The game has so many awesome things that attempt to address this fault, but to me their purpose is exactly that: to address a design decision that was not ideal to a game's cohesion. And it is not. The broken up areas of the game do not evoke "adventure" in the mind of the player. In fact, I found myself feeling that I was much more involved in a Metroid game than a Zelda game at times -- trapped in a world that I had to solve, rather than investigating one with which I had fallen in love.
Secondly, the game's motion controls are 80% of perfect. The ability to rebalance the Wiimote was a very important addition, but it doesn't quite get to the level of seamless motion control that we want. They are, in fact, the best motion controls I've ever experienced. But in the end, they are not as user friendly as they need to be. Horizontal strokes tend to be much more difficult than vertical ones, and I believe this is as a result of the way in which the controls are communicated to the player (you need to make very wide strokes physically, and, when precision is required, you have to do them more slowly than you want to). In terms of the bird, its controls are pretty much spot on with what one would want (once you get used to flapping to go higher it becomes seamless). Overall, it is obvious that motion controls are still in flux as far as usability is concerned. New technology and new ways of executing motion in software code (as well as new user prompts) will continue to improve in this area.
Finally in terms of faults, there are a couple of nitpicky things that are no brainers for good game designers that are out of whack with Skyward. The most annoying (at first, but you get used to it) is the fact that whenever you pick up treasure materials (for upgrading things), if it is the first time that you picked up the item in the current play session, it notifies you what it is again. This is equivalent, in WoW, to getting notified with a full text screen when you pick up your 15th scrappy bird meat. It’s absolutely unnecessary, though you forgive it eventually.
I would also like to comment on the backtracking in this game: it is not as bad as users have made it out to be. In fact, it is backtracking done right. Whenever you have to search for something, you can simply use dousing to do so. It’s not that big of a deal. It’s like going online and cheating, built into the game. It is Nintendo's answer to online cheating without you having to do anything.
The most important realization I had is that none of the above faults are game breaking (well, other than that one bug heh heh!) and none of the faults will define Skyward Sword in Zelda / Videogame History. So let’s move along to the positives: the aspects of Skyward Sword that I believe DO define it.
First, are Skyward’s graphics. Skyward Sword's graphics represent the future of the series, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind. While not HD, they are a stroke of genius for how the series should look into forever (I can't wait to see them in HD on Wii U). The painting like background in lieu of ultra realistic distance viewing is a godly atmospheric addition (especially later in the game).
Next, let’s talk characters and story. Skyward Sword has my favorite new character introduced in a Zelda since Tingle. And whereas Tingle was batshit insane, this character makes a lot of sense, and touches you. Not only that, Skyward has my 2nd and 3rd favorite new characters introduced in a Zelda since Tingle. On balance, the characters are not intrusive and are all interesting in their own right (with some of them being absolutely amazing if you consider their intricacies). As for the story, I will say no more than say that this is Nintendo’s best execution of storytelling in their history (including a scene which is clearly the saddest ever in the series).
Now let’s talk bosses. Skyward Sword has my favorite boss in a Zelda game ever, with the exception of the Gannon battle at the end of Ocarina. And the balance of Skyward's other bosses are very clearly superior to the balance of all other bosses in all other Zeldas. The battles are smart, fun, crazy, and with the motion control: they always do something you don’t think possible or didn’t think would happen.
On to dungeons. Skyward has dungeons that are leagues beyond Ocarina and puzzles that push the boundary of what most puzzle based games have achieved (probably with the exception of portal/ portal 2). There are some crazy fun things that happen in the game, though no dungeon does measure up, in my opinion, to the forest temple’s atmospheric tricks in Ocarina. But one of them comes extremely close to being the best dungeon in a Zelda ever.
On to Skyward’s rewards system. Importantly, Skyward has a reward system that enhances gameplay better than Ocarina's did, and a rupee based economy in full balance. The several very fun characters push the reward system forward and give it the cohesion that makes Skyward's world interesting. I can’t stress enough that Skyward’s economy and reward system are the best the series has to offer, hands down.
Finally, the game's finale is clearly the best in a Zelda game, defeated only perhaps by the nostalgia of old. It eclipses the best performances from other games. All told, Skyward Sword is not perfect and it is not the best Zelda or game ever. However, it is clearly the second best Zelda (that I have played), and it is a game which clearly achieves more greatness than it fails against its modern counterparts. The only reason it does not achieve Ocarina’s levels of mastery is that the cohesion among the world and places in the game is more forced than natural. Even if I agree that the individual pieces best Ocarina’s, the whole does not. And that’s fine, as it is still an amazing game.
Scores
Graphics 9.5
Motion Control 8.0
Characters / Story 10.0
Dungeons / Bosses 10.0
Rewards 10.0
Cohesion 8.0
FINAL SCORE (NOT AN AVERAGE): 9.5 - AMAZING
chronos4590
Member
So i don't know if I'm just super late or something but I just found out that you can kill Octoroks by swinging at the rocks with your sword like a baseball bat.
Regulus Tera
Romanes Eunt Domus
you fucking son of a bit-
Excellent reviews. Thank you for focus on the fundamentals!
You can reflect anything with your sword if your shield bash does it too.
Yeah, the third is still my favorite. The 4th is great too.
The undead Bokoblins were kinda freaky, nice twist to the place.
Feels like I got the controls down as well. Had a bit of a learning curve, but loving them now.
My brother has my old Wii, so I couldn't start SS until now. Played it for six hours straight, just to the start of the second area, and I'm loving it. Everything is just so charmjng and wonderful, and except for some off sword flinging controls and gameplay are great.
The fact that you're some sort of legendary sky spirit that can travel anywhere quickly does take away some sense of discovery or something. Does that change in any way later in the game?
The fact that you're some sort of legendary sky spirit that can travel anywhere quickly does take away some sense of discovery or something. Does that change in any way later in the game?
Heavy's Sandvich
Member
My Wiimote is behaving so mysteriously.
I can use the sword with no issue, precise as per usual. As soon as I climb onto vines I can't leap up nor sideways. In a pretty important part where those abilities are vital.
Any tips on what I can do?
I can use the sword with no issue, precise as per usual. As soon as I climb onto vines I can't leap up nor sideways. In a pretty important part where those abilities are vital.
Any tips on what I can do?
Make sure that no other light sources are interfering. I had to switch off some lights as my Wii Remote thought those were the sensor bar. That's pretty annoying especially when you're fighting. At least in Wii Sports Resort you were able to turn off that "re-center option", in Zelda you can't and it's constantly looking out for the sensor bar.
Chuckpebble
Member
I've seen talk of trouble with the flight controls in this thread, and I've also seen people 'get' them. Is there a nice post, or someone who's up to the task of laying that out for me, because right now I'm in the former group.
It seems I'm supposed to swing my arm up vertically to cause a climb, and then dive out of that to build speed, but I must be doing something wrong because I end up stalling a lot.
Also, can you just not fly at night? Of all the text that the game has thrown my way so far, I'm surprised that wasn't mentioned.
It seems I'm supposed to swing my arm up vertically to cause a climb, and then dive out of that to build speed, but I must be doing something wrong because I end up stalling a lot.
Also, can you just not fly at night? Of all the text that the game has thrown my way so far, I'm surprised that wasn't mentioned.
I was also a bit surprised when my bird wasn't arriving and wondered what was going on...
About flying controls...I don't think you need your whole arm, just move your wrist up and down to climb, then dive. You won't become as fast as you may want to - it's still somewhat slow. However, the sky is small and there's not much to do, hence it shouldn't be much of a problem. Actually, the small overworld is a great plus for me; I also preferred MP3 over the other MP titles because of the lack of an overworld.
Barrow Roll
Member
Do a flapping motion to gain altitude. Up and down quickly. With your wrist or full arm, doesn't matter. Point the remote down and hold it down for a dive. Point it down steeper to dive lower and gain more speed.
You cannot fly at night.
Chuckpebble
Member
Thanks guys! Got it now thanks to this post. I was actually putting a lot of force into the upward motion, but its the downward motion that causes the flap.
Yeah, where were you on that one Fi!? "There's a 100% chance that you will keep falling if you do that right now."
Such a missed opportunity... what were they thinking?
Is there an Ocarina code that lets you fly at night? lol
Barrow Roll
Member
What bugged me is how the patrol knights tell you that only fully-fledged knights can fly at night. So I was anticipating becoming a knight the entire game. Hell, Link is doing crap that these knights wouldn't even believe was possible, does that not warrant a skip ahead in knighthood and the ability to fly at night?
SolarKnight
Member
Just finished the first temple. The Girahim fight was really fun, and also quite easier the second time (redid it because my shield broke).
Also, I don't care how supposedly annoying Fi is, I'm like her already because of her design and that dance. When playing OoT I never though of Navi as an annoyance and was surprised at all the hate online, let's see if I can do the same with Fi.
Even Loftwings need to sleep I guess?
Haha, makes sense, I was too busy running away to try XD
Seriously, giant spiders just freak me out D:
Also, I don't care how supposedly annoying Fi is, I'm like her already because of her design and that dance. When playing OoT I never though of Navi as an annoyance and was surprised at all the hate online, let's see if I can do the same with Fi.
Even Loftwings need to sleep I guess?
Haha, makes sense, I was too busy running away to try XD
Seriously, giant spiders just freak me out D:
phisheep
NeoGAF's Chief Barrister
Sounds like you are sort of vaguely wafting the wiimote instead of giving it a quick purposeful flick in the direction you want to go.
Ah, now that sounds like it might be dodgy hardware. Try it with a different nunchuck maybe? Or play on someone else's kit just to make sure?
It's unusual for the controllers to go wrong, but not unheard of - I've got one old wiimote that can't keep its orientation steady.
Nah, you just couldn't see without the helmet the guys at night have on their bird. I was also shocked that link never got it.
John Dunbar
correct about everything
he carries you to his island if you go to sleep in his shop.
VistraNorrez
Member
Got it for Christmas like a lot of people. I put 2 hours into it this morning and it was the best first impression a Zelda has left me since Ocarina of Time (I have not played TP but I have watched others play the first few hours of it), but just skimming through this thread it seems like people were disappointed in it. Here's hoping the game doesn't let me down after that.
I gotta say, I love dowsing. At this point, my exploration algorithm solves the Metroid system of doors and hallways pretty well. Not only does it work well but it provides me with a very distinct way of piecing together spaces. For Metroid-like spaces, I generally tend to think in locks and keys. That Blue Door is a lock I'll come back later with a key. This next hallway is Below that Blue Door and takes me further to the right. Now I'm in a vertical corridor with 4 more doors that are all to the right of the hallway I took that was Below the Blue Door. And so on.
Now with SS before I even begin searching I had already made myself familiar with the environment. Making associations to the area that are mostly driven by the great moment to moment interaction. There is an enemy there I'll go kill it. Oh a sandy slope I wonder if I can run up it. Wow this tree has a rupee in it if it cut it down. I must cut down all the trees! These events in the environment aren't very well connected in my mind. I know where I cut the Dekubaba is the "clearing". And that clearing leads to the sand ramp at one of the two or three or four(?) exits. And after the ramp I remember looking up and finding someplace interesting, forgot what though.
So when dowsing tells you the thing you want is over "there" I'm trying to remember if I even know what what area is on "other" side of the Gaint Tree. And as I move along I try to piece together a coherent path to take based off of whatever fuzzy notion I have of these places connecting together. Whats more, the dang thing can lead to astray. It all just depends on how to pieced together the environment and what place to decided to dowse from. In the more complex areas I did something close to triangulation to find my target. And that does even take into consideration that specialty evens for dowsing.
*edit*
Forgot about using dowsing as a great way to anticipate keys for locks . Moving through the environments I see a spot that looks to be in a good need of bombing. I got my Metroid mind a going, mental check and I'll come back for that later when I have some bombs. But wait, this dowsing in telling me that the thing I need is in there. Thats means there has to be some bombs around here somewhere. And not just somewhere, close enough to the spot so the bomb won't go off before it gets there. That means it has to be.......over there. That thought process is distinctly different than simply combing the environment, finding the bombs, and then placing the bombs at the cracked wall, framed in view.
Now with SS before I even begin searching I had already made myself familiar with the environment. Making associations to the area that are mostly driven by the great moment to moment interaction. There is an enemy there I'll go kill it. Oh a sandy slope I wonder if I can run up it. Wow this tree has a rupee in it if it cut it down. I must cut down all the trees! These events in the environment aren't very well connected in my mind. I know where I cut the Dekubaba is the "clearing". And that clearing leads to the sand ramp at one of the two or three or four(?) exits. And after the ramp I remember looking up and finding someplace interesting, forgot what though.
So when dowsing tells you the thing you want is over "there" I'm trying to remember if I even know what what area is on "other" side of the Gaint Tree. And as I move along I try to piece together a coherent path to take based off of whatever fuzzy notion I have of these places connecting together. Whats more, the dang thing can lead to astray. It all just depends on how to pieced together the environment and what place to decided to dowse from. In the more complex areas I did something close to triangulation to find my target. And that does even take into consideration that specialty evens for dowsing.
*edit*
Forgot about using dowsing as a great way to anticipate keys for locks . Moving through the environments I see a spot that looks to be in a good need of bombing. I got my Metroid mind a going, mental check and I'll come back for that later when I have some bombs. But wait, this dowsing in telling me that the thing I need is in there. Thats means there has to be some bombs around here somewhere. And not just somewhere, close enough to the spot so the bomb won't go off before it gets there. That means it has to be.......over there. That thought process is distinctly different than simply combing the environment, finding the bombs, and then placing the bombs at the cracked wall, framed in view.
PooBone
Member
I got the game for Christmas, had to go buy the damn Wii Motion Plus add-on. Played about 2 hours and so far I'm bored to tears. I hate how much fucking reading there is. The game is a disaster so far. I can't imagine what type of person would play this much of the game and think "yeah, this is great." It's seems to me like Nintendo being lazy because they know people are gonna buy it anyway because it says Zelda on the box. To be honest I would have stopped if it weren't for the fact that I know it can't be this bad throughout. I hate dowsing, I hate the hud, not a fan of the graphics. My wife, who isn't a big gamer, walked by and said "is this game new?" I told her it came out last month and she responded "that looks terrible." I can't disagree.
So when does it get good?
So when does it get good?
Devin Olsen
Member
Woop woopo, streaming with 3 people in house.
Probably a majority of the games will be running around having fun doing wacky things, but it'll be a good time.
Also listening to good music (Sirius Alt Nation)
http://www.twitch.tv/devinolsen
Probably a majority of the games will be running around having fun doing wacky things, but it'll be a good time.
Also listening to good music (Sirius Alt Nation)
http://www.twitch.tv/devinolsen
I'm sorry... are you blaming Nintendo for being lazy while you only played 2 hours of a game before judging it?
The opening is supposed to weave you in the world, if you just want the action, just wait a bit. The action is coming.
oh god you're right nintendo give me that 55 hours of my life back
Just sell it; you're never going to like it. Someone else will.
Togglesworlh
Banned
The job of the game designer is to create an introduction that immediately grabs the attention of the player. If the game fails to do so, it is not the player's fault (unless they just aren't a fan of the genre/franchise, period), and it is asinine to blame him for not being interested when the game failed to be interesting.
The game does get better, but he shouldn't have to wait. When I replayed OoT on my 3DS, it took me all of like fifteen minutes to get to the first dungeon. OoT has many other flaws that have been improved upon via iteration throughout the series, but it undeniably has the better intro compared to Skyward Sword.
Barrow Roll
Member
This. Some games just aren't for everyone.
wandering goat
Member
Obviously you're entitled to your opinion, but I really liked the beginning and I'm pretty sure a lot of others did too, so I hesitate to say Nintendo's just lazy. I also enjoyed the beginning to Twilight Princess though, so maybe I just like getting immersed into the world more than others who want the action to start sooner.
chris121580
Member
I'm really trying so hard to love this. Game is gorgeous and the story is great but the controls can just be absolutely infuriating to the point where it's starting to make me not want to play. Trying to line up swinging from vine to vine is just ridiculous and it's very difficult to tell if you're going to make the jump. Frustrating all around. Hopefully things get better for me because I see so much potential in this game. I get what they're trying to do with the Wii but I would've loved to have seen classic controls be an option for this game
If you're having control problems you should seek help from this thread. The controls aren't anywhere near broken. If you have problems a simple tweek should do you. As for vine swingin, position and release have nothing to do with motion control. Place that camera at Link's back, make the next rope vanish behind Link, give it a full swing and release.
phisheep
NeoGAF's Chief Barrister
I can kind of sympathise there. Early on for me the game had a sort of "Final Fantasy meets Harry Potter" feel to it which was entirely not my cup of tea. It took some getting used to, like getting past the point where the graphics style actually matters for starters.
But y'know, that's not at all unusual in a Zelda. We've done it all before in game after game after game. It's kind of traditional.
If you hate the hud, turn it off (it took me a while to realise you could, serve me right for not reading the manual).
If you hate dowsing, don't use it (took me a while to realise that it isn't mandatory - but it does become very useful later on).
Nintendo being lazy? Now you're going way too far, especially after only 2 hours huh? I'm in about 83 hours (I like going slow) but there's plenty of good in there. Loads. Don't know where you are right now, but I found the first time in skyloft a bit skant and over-texty and backgroundy and the first bit of overworld unnecessarily fiddly and confusing to navigate.
It got better pretty quickly after that (the first dungeon was, for me, pretty damn hard for a first dungeon) and then it kind of goes crazy - don't expect a predictable progression here from gentle to harder to hardest, it isn't quite that simple. I've had (I think) three genuine shocks in the game so far.
When it gets better for you I can't tell. Your call. But I'd give yourself another 20-30 hours before reaching an opinion.
phisheep
NeoGAF's Chief Barrister
Like a lot of motion controls stuff this seems to be almost entirely down to practice. My son is crap at vine swinging versus my brilliance, but it goes entirely the other way with steering when skydiving, where's he finds it easy and I just can't do it at all. Same controller, same Wii, same game.
Of course, this means that I do his swinging and he does my diving and neither of us gets any better.
I say "almost" because I did have one Wii controller give up and not recognise which way up it was, which kind of confused every other one of the motion inputs. But that's probably your last port of call for control issues.
beelzebozo
Jealous Bastard
i've played about 2.5 hours and am already swooning.