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[oatmeal]

Basically, the utilization of a controller with true 3D spacial awareness means that one can provide a far more lateral thinking puzzle experience. Think of what they did in Zack & Wiki, for example. Constant use of 3D space for puzzles, constant use of angles and motion tweaking and item context that could only have been done using a motion controller - and that was minus motion+! The possibilities that open up with near 1:1 ability of 3D spacial awareness is incredibly diverse, and from what people are saying now it sounds like basically most of the puzzles are standard Zelda fare which make little use of the idea.

If you're simply saying "well now you can waggle the controller to throw a bomb into a switch instead of pressing a button", that is NOT true motion+ application in the way I'm talking about. If you're saying "you have to navigate a pipe through a puzzle box, using forward thrust and angular motion, making sure to recognize your place in the 3D space", that is what I mean.

There is a full 3D puzzle where you move the controller to correspond with a key to put it in the door properly.

I think you'll dig it.

 

[CassSept]

3rd dungeon is fabulous.

And no, the game tells you it's high and low in the same room that has a low switch.

It's easy to get confused.

The boss is kind of disappointing but overall, woah. If dungeons really get better this thing will be insane.

Perhaps there was a switch in this room, I don't remember, I just remember I figured out instantly where to go.

Well, alas, on to the find-where-to-go-now part, but if it already isn't the best of it's kind in the history of Zelda I don't know what is (

Spoiler

Imprisoned out of nowhere really surprised me. I thought I'd quickly go through story part when BAM, BOSS FIGHT

)

 

[Dmax3901]

Well I've got to leave this thread. All the impressions are making it seem like this game is going to be disappointing so I'm just not going to pay attention to anything else till I have it. I really hope we haven't waited five years for a disappointing zelda game. I do know at the Japanese Zelda concert Miyamoto got on stage and said he wanted to tackle the WiiU Zelda game. Maybe he'll take it back to the basics and then we can go from there.

I've never been disappointed with a Zelda game while I'm playing it. Only with Twilight Princess (after I'd finished it) did I think 'Hmm this could've been better' etc.

Skyward Sword will be amazing, but this thread is getting me down. The only reason I keep checking is to see if it's getting sold early.

 

[ASIS]

...

Of course I am what? Nitpicking?

How a games progression is slowed down is nitpicking?

How the satisfaction from solving puzzles is neutered by having it explained to you before you can even try is nitpicking?

Really?

1. Personally I have no idea how the progression is being slowed down. It's changing it's pace again and again, the thing is, this game has no specific pattern yet no one is even mentioning this.

2. I just finished the 5th dungeon, and there was only one time where I felt that was true, only once.

So yes, nitpicking.

 

[fernoca]

Guess is why my expectations are really low when it comes to.. everything...which Is why I have no problem from what I've seen or the "negatives" that has been pointed out. In my mind, even if the game was "bad" it was still going to be a good game; so guess I'm easy to please.

The only thing I "hated" in Twilight Princess was the mandatory fishing in the beginning..now there's no fishing, so that automatically made it better.

Glad to see dowsing is not mandatory either; was the only thing that kinda worried me about the game. And I really like Fi and her Glados-like voice; so if it's true that she appears a lot, well ..even better!

 

[Slurpy2k20]

I'm about 4-5 hours in now. I'll be blunt about it:

Keep in mind that for me A Link to the Past is a perfect game. I love it, I play through it about 5-6 times a year.

Right now I'd give Skyward Sword a 6/10. And the saddest part is that it's not even because of the controls, but purely because of the design. A few points:

1) The intro is terrible. Nintendo introduces a few bad guys (that have absolutely no character and are more annoying than the stupid Captain in Phantom Hourglass) that really don't play any role up to this point anymore, but stretch things out til eternity. I really, really, really hoped this time the intro would be more streamlined after the terrible intro of TP, but because Skyward Sword doesn't have fishing right at the start, this one's a little bit better. But just a little bit. It still takes ages for Link to get his tunic and to actually get to the real gameplay. Compare this to the epic rainstorm intro of ALTTP.

2) The design of the first dungeon is terrible. I mean... There are even stones in there that pretty much tell you: "Look, the switches are in the most confusing places, so find them and press them." I walked around for 40 MINUTES only to find the one at the bottom, just because I didn't think it'd be in that spot in terms of architecture / geometry.

The puzzle design... There's a cool puzzle where an eye looks at your sword, so you start rotating your sword, the eye gets confused and falls to the bottom. That's cool, let's move on. Oh, in the next room they REPEAT THE EXACT SAME PUZZLE, only that now there are 2 eyes. Note that the solution to the puzzle hasn't changed, they just simply want you to do it again. Well, okay, I thought, maybe they were a little lazy. But guess what - 5 minutes later, they repeat it AGAIN with 3 eyes. Are you kidding me? This isn't fun, it's just repetitive and mindless, if I ALREADY know what the solution to the problem is, yet you force me to apply that solution tons of times, you're just wasting my time instead of entertaining me.

3) Near the Earth Temple, I naturally can't enter the temple, cause someone has split the key up into 5 parts (it's hilarious how they try to explain that Zelda did run through all those dungeons in terms of story...), so now I'm on a fetch quest. Get this:

I spent over an hour now to find out where all those 5 parts are. I SPENT OVER AN HOUR TRYING TO EVEN GET INTO THE DUNGEON BECAUSE OF A FETCH QUEST. And doing so, I've been running around the SAME TERRAIN over and over again. That dowsing mechanic is complete shit in my book (Nintendo trying to copy Metroid Primes Scanning in a bad way) and Phai gives me bullshit hints all the time ("If you can't throw a bomb, try rolling it!" No shit, you stupid.... fuck, where's Navi?)

And then there are a ton of smaller issues, like:

I bomb up a wall, I find a silver rupee, but my money bag is full - so my 100 rupees are forever gone. WHAT THE HELL. They even fixed this in Twilight Princess, where they popped up a message that said: "Oh, but your money bag is full, so let's put it back for now!".

At this point I've been running around aimlessly so much, I'm not enjoying the puzzles, I still waggle a shit ton (the first hit is always important, then you waggle your ass off) and the pacing as well as the design is just average.

Im sorry, I'm ranting a lot here, it's actually a good game, but for a Zelda game... it just doesn't hold up. It doesn't have the charme the others have and so far there's nothing new. The controls are great, I love how Link moves his arm when I move my Wiimote, but there's just nothing here up tot his point that gets me excited.

Now the question is: I'm not even 5 hours in and this is easily the worst Zelda I've ever played. The controls are great, the core mechanics are solid, but the design of it is just lacking sooooo much. Why is this thing getting such insanely high ratings? Why did people complain about the 7.5 in Gamespot? I don't want to troll (again, I'm a HUUUUUGE Zelda fanboy), but right now I'd give the title a 6. It performs well in all regards, it's just pretty darn shallow in what usually makes a Zelda game great.

I hear that the game is supposed to get a LOT better after 10 hours, so here's hoping. But right now I'm just completely disappointed by the design of it.

I agree with almost all your points. I also got stuck where you got stuck, because of confusing and vague directions that seem to intentionally mislead you. Also, I ran out of deku seeds in that place, which you require, and spent 1/2 hr going around cutting up grass and shit, but nowhere to replenish. Had to exit the temple, fly all the way back to the bazaar in skyloft to buy some more, then get all the way back to the temple. It was frustrating and silly design. Anyway, all I can say is that the game gets ALOT better. Definitely starts off slower than I would have liked.

 

[Refreshment.01]

For those who have already completed most of the game, are there dungeons with vertical progression like (for example) the Goron one in MM? I miss the multiple floors

Yes, more or less. And a very good one at that.

 

[Big One]

It's not nitpicking when they're real problems.

Nitpicking is something like "I don't like the way Link's hair moves when he runs" or "I don't like how few rows of desks there are in Skyloft Academy."

These are real issues with the game, issues that are hampering our enjoyment of it.

The issues hampering your enjoyment of the game aren't actually badly designed things.

Everything you mention negative about the game is highly over-exaggerated. "The game is linear!" you know, maybe have you ever thought, that this game is designed to be linear rather than open ended? Ever consider that the open ended parts in the previous Zelda games were some of the weaker parts of the games? "The game has fetch quests!" but have you ever thought that it isn't a real point against it when the fetch quests are extremely well designed sans one or two arguably? Neither of those points hamper the experience of the game, unless you went in expecting more of the same. This isn't Other M levels if shit-a-tude when changing the gameplay style of the series, this is still a genuine Zelda experience, just different from Ocarina of Time and other Zelda games. It is absolutely not an over-exaggeration or hyperbole to say this game has the best combat, best boss battles, best dungeon design, and best overworld structure (not talking about the sky here) in the entire series. Usually those aspects are highly grounded in reality and it makes me sick to see users rejecting the thoughts of reviewers especially from the perspective of a gamer who happens to agree with a lot of things Eurogamer and Edge has said about the game.

And then you have people legitimately complaining that the game is hard.

Complaining about Fi is valid but it can only go so far considering her forced interjection in the game is lesser than the ones from Midna, Tatl, Navi and are only used to introduce Link to a brand new area. You can only complain so much about something that doesn't really happen that much throughout the journey

 

[Refreshment.01]

1. Personally I have no idea how the progression is being slowed down. It's changing it's pace again and again, the thing is, this game has no specific pattern yet no one is even mentioning this.

So yes, nitpicking.

Rephrase that part of the post please, you just didn't said that or im becoming insane?

 

[oatmeal]

1. Personally I have no idea how the progression is being slowed down. It's changing it's pace again and again, the thing is, this game has no specific pattern yet no one is even mentioning this.

2. I just finished the 5th dungeon, and there was only one time where I felt that was true, only once.

So yes, nitpicking.

So, in YOUR OPINION, I'm nitpicking? That's fine.

But since there's a ton of people here who agree with me, it seems like it might be a real problem here.

The game has a very specific pattern, just like every other Zelda game. Get to dungeon, complete dungeon and secure some sort of artifact that is part of a series that, when all of them are obtained, will move the story forward. It's incredibly linear, and nothing except

Spoiler

The Imprisoned fight

has made me go "oh wow, this is unexpected in a Zelda game."

And it wasn't spoiling you on an answer when the game...

Spoiler

Tells you exactly how to solve the windmill puzzle in Skyloft? Instead of hinting that they need to point towards the structure, they tell you exactly how to move it and everything...ruined the puzzle completely.

You're enjoying it more than most of us, that's great. But don't say stupid shit like "NITPICK NITPICK" because you sound like you don't know what you're talking about.

 

[ASIS]

Rephrase that part of the post please, you just didn't said that or im becoming insane?

LOL yes sorry, I meant to say pace .

 

[Yoshichan]

but it's like every GAFer I trust real impressions has slashed every hope I had about the game

You're missing my impressions!

 

[Glass Rebel]

Basically, the utilization of a controller with true 3D spacial awareness means that one can provide a far more lateral thinking puzzle experience. Think of what they did in Zack & Wiki, for example. Constant use of 3D space for puzzles, constant use of angles and motion tweaking and item context that could only have been done using a motion controller - and that was minus motion+! The possibilities that open up with near 1:1 ability of 3D spacial awareness is incredibly diverse, and from what people are saying now it sounds like basically most of the puzzles are standard Zelda fare which make little use of the idea.

If you're simply saying "well now you can waggle the controller to throw a bomb into a switch instead of pressing a button", that is NOT true motion+ application in the way I'm talking about. If you're saying "you have to navigate a pipe through a puzzle box, using forward thrust and angular motion, making sure to recognize your place in the 3D space", that is what I mean.

Ah okay. A few examples then (it's a bit hard without spoiling stuff):

- The beetle is used to navigate (sometimes through tunnels) to get bombs (and drop them on objects or enemies), keys etc.
- Every key to a boss room is a complex shape that you have to rotato to fit it in the lock
- Boss battles and even some minor puzzles involve using the motion+ capabilities of your sword

There's more I guess but frankly, you shouldn't be too concerned with the quality of the dungeons and puzzles. I think everyone agrees that they're fantastic from the 3rd dungeon (which has one of the coolest puzzle elements in the whole series IMO) onward. The whip and especially the beetle and the wind jar open up some really great possibilites for puzzles.

 

[Big One]

So, in YOUR OPINION, I'm nitpicking? That's fine.

But since there's a ton of people here who agree with me, it seems like it might be a real problem here.

A ton? I could count the amount of people on a single hand, and most of them went in expecting to think Skyward Sword was going to be shit.

 

[ASIS]

So, in YOUR OPINION, I'm nitpicking? That's fine.

But since there's a ton of people here who agree with me, it seems like it might be a real problem here.

The game has a very specific pattern, just like every other Zelda game. Get to dungeon, complete dungeon and secure some sort of artifact that is part of a series that, when all of them are obtained, will move the story forward. It's incredibly linear, and nothing except

Spoiler

The Imprisoned fight

has made me go "oh wow, this is unexpected in a Zelda game."

And it wasn't spoiling you on an answer when the game...

Spoiler

Tells you exactly how to solve the windmill puzzle in Skyloft? Instead of hinting that they need to point towards the structure, they tell you exactly how to move it and everything...ruined the puzzle completely.

You're enjoying it more than most of us, that's great. But don't say stupid shit like "NITPICK NITPICK" because you sound like you don't know what you're talking about.

I figured out the

Spoiler

windmill puzzle

in the tutorial stages, so yes, that really didn't bother me at all.

And also, people complaining about the beginning is slow, how there is MIDI in the game (when they can't even tell the difference), how the dungeon design is confusing, etc. is all nitpicking and nothing game breaking.

The game is linear yes, but it also has some of the best ideas in the series.

And of course this is my opinion, what else did you expect it to be?

 

[XAL]

So after seeing skyward sword running on pc with the dolphin emulator I have to ask, do you NEED a wiimote and sensor bar for dolphin? Or do you just need a copy of the game and a pc...

...because I sold my wii awhile back because there weren't any games for it that I wanted for the longest time/none of my friends wanted to play wii games.

:\

 

[Boney]

I know you thought this was profound, but the appropriate level of challenge is directly related to how engaging something is. If something is not challenging me, I am not engaged because it doesn't feel rewarding.

I guess something like 999 isn't engaging then?

edit: I know you're gonna say it's not.

 

[cloudyy]

So after seeing skyward sword running on pc with the dolphin emulator I have to ask, do you NEED a wiimote and sensor bar for dolphin? Or do you just need a copy of the game and a pc...

...because I sold my wii awhile back because there weren't any games for it that I wanted for the longest time/none of my friends wanted to play wii games.

:\

Yes, you NEED wiimote+ and sensorbar. And I even recommend to have always the sensorbar and not just for passing the first screen, the game uses the sensorbar to sort of recalibrate the WM+

 

[Glass Rebel]

...all this talk about puzzles and dungeons makes me want to go back and replay Twilight Princess, the game with the best dungeons ever.

 

[Refreshment.01]

A ton? I could count the amount of people on a single hand, and most of them went in expecting to think Skyward Sword was going to be shit.

Oatmeal didn't said is shit Bigone.

Btw, Skyward is tied with Majora as my favorite 3D Zelda game. However, that shouldn't prevent me to form constructive criticism, which is what i think Oatmeal is doing.

...all this talk about puzzles and dungeons makes me want to go back and replay Twilight Princess, the game with the best dungeons ever.

Being sarcastic, im asking honestly? Anyway, i like the dungeons in this game more than the ones in Twilight Princess, just that... (for the 1000th time) the hand holding gets on my nerves

 

[MiamiWesker]

2 midnights from tonight's... midnight. This is SURREAL

HOLD ME. I cant believe its almost here.

 

[oatmeal]

The issues hampering your enjoyment of the game aren't actually badly designed things.

Yes they are.

Everything you mention negative about the game is highly over-exaggerated. "The game is linear!" you know, maybe have you ever thought, that this game is designed to be linear rather than open ended?

Being linear isn't a complaint. I think everyone understands that it was designed that way. That's not something we're complaining about.

Ever consider that the open ended parts in the previous Zelda games were some of the weaker parts of the games?

I certainly liked being able to tackle the dark world levels in ALTTP. And going to either the Shadow or the Spirit Temple in OoT.

"The game has fetch quests!" but have you ever thought that it isn't a real point against it when the fetch quests are extremely well designed sans one or two arguably?

There's more than that. And even when they're well designed (like the power one in the desert), it's still annoying. A lot of the time it just serves as padding the games length. If the game just let you enter the dungeon, do you think you'd go "Gosh, I wish they made me find some key shards first...I wasn't ready for this."

I doubt it.

In fact, I remember all of the press claiming that "you won't even know when you're in a dungeon!!!" Oh really? It's pretty much the exact same formula as old Zeldas. There's a giant structure, and you enter it, and it gives you a little flyby video of the first room and tells you that you're in the dungeon.

Neither of those points hamper the experience of the game, unless you went in expecting more of the same.

It does hamper the game. I went into it expecting LESS of the same, and what we got was MORE of the same.

This isn't Other M levels if shit-a-tude when changing the gameplay style of the series, this is still a genuine Zelda experience, just different from Ocarina of Time and other Zelda games.

It is definitely still a genuine Zelda experience, but not all Zelda experiences are created equally. And Nintendo has been trending downwards for years.

It's not actually that different from the standard that OoT set. It has very similar traits to how the story unfolds. Still has 3 dungeons and then an Act break. Still has areas which lead to the dungeon. It's still a very similar progression.

It is absolutely not an over-exaggeration or hyperbole to say this game has the best combat, best boss battles, best dungeon design, and best overworld structure (not talking about the sky here) in the entire series.

It's not an over-exaggeration for YOU to say that, seeing as those are your opinions. But not everyone shares that with you.

Usually those aspects are highly grounded in reality and it makes me sick to see users rejecting the thoughts of reviewers especially from the perspective of a gamer who happens to agree with a lot of things Eurogamer and Edge has said about the game.

Sure.

And then you have people legitimately complaining that the game is hard.

It's a bit tougher, but most of that goes to the new combat controls.

That one poster was complaining that he couldn't figure out that one puzzle and at least 3 more (myself included) mentioned why it was odd design. You have a room with two switches, one that you instinctively go to because it's right out in the open.

Then you go through and you hit another room that has a tablet that says that there are switches high and low...so you look and you find that you can go DOWN into a room and hit a switch. There's the low one...where's the high one?

And you spend some time searching for something that isn't there because it's not referring to that room. It's not bad design, but it's easy to see why you could get confused.

Complaining about Fi is valid but it can only go so far considering her forced interjection in the game is lesser than the ones from Midna, Tatl, Navi and are only used to introduce Link to a brand new area. You can only complain so much about something that doesn't really happen that much throughout the journey

For one, Navi and Tatl were dealing with a new audience to a new genre where everything we experienced was brand new.

Secondly, their dialogue boxes could be skipped through pretty quickly.

Third, Fi jumps in FAR MORE, and it's MUCH SLOWER than Navi/Tatl. And she tells you information that you don't really care about "85% chance that Zelda has been here."

Of course she has, that's why I'm here, remember?

 

[Big One]

Oatmeal didn't said is shit Bigone.

He went in being underwhelmed by it previous as did you I believe.

I just don't understand how these are complaints, none of these points sans Fi actually tamper the game experience in any way. It's just all personal preference which is fine with me and understandable, but this game doesn't have any glaring terrible design decisions for what it does. It's also rather offensive to say this game doesn't do anything innovative since there is a ton of things this game does that sets it apart from other Zelda games drastically

 

[Kai Dracon]

It's almost reassuring to see the Zelda Cycle is off to a cracking good start.

Reminds me of Twilight Princess-gate. Hatehatehatehatehate and "this is the worst Zelda ever!" when it finally came out and right after it, then four years later it's like "Hmm, yeah, pretty great game, second or third best Zelda in fact. Just a few flaws, overworld was kinda drab. But great game!"

Of course, I'd point out that a lot of the immediate sour impressions are from self-professed Zelda fanatics. The biggest fans do pin the most hopes on every new installment... but I guess that's par for the course.

 

[butter_stick]

I need help, I'm quite far in, beat 5th dungeon

Spoiler

So I did the third spirit trial thing. Fi told me to go bomb a hole where there's three tents, which I did. There's a game in there, Thrill Digger. She said there's two things to talk to. I found a second one, and all he told me is how to do better at the game. Am I missing something?

Please don't tell me I have to be able to complete a game of Minesweeper to continue, because I'll cry.

 

[oatmeal]

Oatmeal didn't said is shit Bigone.

Btw, Skyward is tied with Majora as my favorite 3D Zelda game. However, that shouldn't prevent me to form constructive criticism, which is what i think Oatmeal is doing.

Yep.

I want nothing more than this to be the best Zelda game I've ever played. Why would I want a game that I'm going to spend 40-50 hours with to be bad?

But I'm older and I'm wiser and I've played more games than the last time a big Zelda game came out (TP)...and I'm seeing things that are standing in the way of it being the 10/10 I wanted it to be.

And when people agree with me on these, yet we're still called nitpickers...well...not sure what to say about that.

Sounds like you're just nitpicking our nitpicks.

 

[butter_stick]

I have two words.

Swimming controls.

That is all.

 

[Zekes!]

Zelda cycle

 

[oatmeal]

He went in being underwhelmed by it previous as did you I believe.

I just don't understand how these are complaints, none of these points sans Fi actually tamper the game experience in any way. It's just all personal preference which is fine with me and understandable, but this game doesn't have any glaring terrible design decisions for what it does. It's also rather offensive to say this game doesn't do anything innovative since there is a ton of things this game does that sets it apart from other Zelda games drastically

I went in with low expectations because of some of the stuff I heard, but I had nothing but the highest of hopes. I wouldn't have the PAL/JAP/US versions all ordered if I didn't.

But please, tell me more about how I feel about something.

It's almost reassuring to see the Zelda Cycle is off to a cracking good start.

Reminds me of Twilight Princess-gate. Hatehatehatehatehate and "this is the worst Zelda ever!" when it finally came out and right after it, then four years later it's like "Hmm, yeah, pretty great game, second or third best Zelda in fact. Just a few flaws, overworld was kinda drab. But great game!"

Sounds like you have it backwards.

TP was 'amazing' for everyone until a year or so later when everyone turned on it. And it's still regarded as a lower Zelda.

Having negative impressions about something doesn't mean anything other than the game failing to deliver to a set group of people.

 

[Aeana]

I have two words.

Swimming controls.

That is all.

You think they're bad? I find it much easier to maneuver in SS than any other Zelda. The only really awkward part is the nunchuck shake thingy.

 

[nckillthegrimace]

It's almost reassuring to see the Zelda Cycle is off to a cracking good start.

I don't think the Zelda cycle is a real thing. It's not like someone who thought Twilight Princess was terrible suddenly likes it now. It's just different people who like different things asserting their point of view at the release of the new game.

 

[Glass Rebel]

Being sarcastic, im asking honestly? Anyway, i like the dungeons in this game more than the ones in Twilight Princess, just that... (for the 1000th time) the hand holding gets on my nerves

I'm being perfectly honest. While I mostly love the dungeon and environment design in Skyward Sword, especially the ones in the desert, I'm not sure they reach the height of TP. I mean, Lakebed Temple, Snowpeak Ruins, Arbiter's Grounds, Temple of Time, City in the Sky, Hyrule Castle... some of my all-time favourites.

Edit: Aeana has it right with the swimming controls. The spin is awkward, should have been a button prompt honestly, but other than that they're perfectly fine.

 

[TheExplodingHead]

I have two words.

Swimming controls.

That is all.

Yeah I've already been hearing a lot of shit about the swimming controls, seems like they just pulled a DKCR on that one. I haven't even touched it and I already hate the idea.

 

[F#A#Oo]

I mean, look, this is largely a puzzle game. Let's examine.

1)

Spoiler

Switches are always close to doors.

2)

Spoiler

One switch was in plain sight, above the door.

3)

Spoiler

You received a hint that one switch was above, and one switch was below.

4)

Spoiler

There is another door.

5)

Spoiler

Where is the second switch?

I mean...I'm sorry. But come on.

I agree...btw if you naturally explore room-to-room you won't miss anything...

People just don't have patience anymore I guess...

I agree with almost all your points. I also got stuck where you got stuck, because of confusing and vague directions that seem to intentionally mislead you. Also, I ran out of deku seeds in that place, which you require, and spent 1/2 hr going around cutting up grass and shit, but nowhere to replenish. Had to exit the temple, fly all the way back to the bazaar in skyloft to buy some more, then get all the way back to the temple. It was frustrating and silly design. Anyway, all I can say is that the game gets ALOT better. Definitely starts off slower than I would have liked.

WTF...

When you recieve the slingshot you are told very very clearly where and how to replenish it...you are surrounded by tree's...

 

[Tuck]

I have two words.

Swimming controls.

That is all.

That's unfortunate. Majoras Mask had some of the best swimming controls I've ever used.

 

[ASIS]

You think they're bad? I find it much easier to maneuver in SS than any other Zelda. The only really awkward part is the nunchuck shake thingy.

They're not bad, they are precise and all that. But there is a reason why I like sword fights in this game, they make more sense using the motion controls. Swimming, though, doesn't. Using the analogue stick would have felt better for swimming IMO.

 

[Aeana]

They're not bad, they are precise and all that. But there is a reason why I like sword fights in this game, they make more sense using the motion controls. Swimming, though, doesn't. Using the analogue stick would have felt better for swimming IMO.

I disagree. The analog stick would have been worse, as demonstrated by N hundred other 3D games with bad swimming controls, including other Zelda games. At least in SS I can actually get where I want to go with minimal hassle. Also, you can use the analog stick to turn while under water, which is immensely helpful. The stick and motion plus in conjunction made the swimming fairly decent. I don't want to imagine how terrible a certain fetch quest later in the game would have been with standard swimming controls. Ugh.

 

[cloudyy]

I have two words.

Swimming controls.

That is all.

I think they are way better than MM Zora swimming controls for example. But a friend of mine said he also had a hard time with the swimming and also with the beetle.

 

[Big One]

Yes they are.

Okay what design decisions in Skyward Sword are badly designed?

And why are games like Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Wind Waker, and Twilight Princess are better?

I certainly liked being able to tackle the dark world levels in ALTTP. And going to either the Shadow or the Spirit Temple in OoT.

That's not what I mean by open design, I mean in terms of overworld structure. When Link walks across land in Ocarina of Time, it's in a huge open field. When he does in Skyward Sword, it's a condensed dungeon-like field. I don't really see how one can prefer the open one when it had practically NOTHING in it to explore in the first place, while Skyward Sword has tons of shit you can do in every area.

There's more than that. And even when they're well designed (like the power one in the desert), it's still annoying. A lot of the time it just serves as padding the games length. If the game just let you enter the dungeon, do you think you'd go "Gosh, I wish they made me find some key shards first...I wasn't ready for this."

I doubt it.

In fact, I remember all of the press claiming that "you won't even know when you're in a dungeon!!!" Oh really? It's pretty much the exact same formula as old Zeldas. There's a giant structure, and you enter it, and it gives you a little flyby video of the first room and tells you that you're in the dungeon.

Wait what? You consider the desert switches to be a fetch quest? What in the flying fuck. You are in denial goddamn. I'm sorry but that's just way off.

It isn't padding when it's the core of the game design. You basically admit that it's well designed but then say it's "padding" when it isn't. Every pre-dungeon area has things to do in it, it isn't artificially extending anything when you're actually solving puzzles on the actual overworld to net a result from, like, you know, dungeons. That's called gameplay.

It does hamper the game. I went into it expecting LESS of the same, and what we got was MORE of the same.

What, in Skyward Sword, is "more of the same"?

For one, Navi and Tatl were dealing with a new audience to a new genre where everything we experienced was brand new.

Secondly, their dialogue boxes could be skipped through pretty quickly.

Third, Fi jumps in FAR MORE, and it's MUCH SLOWER than Navi/Tatl. And she tells you information that you don't really care about "85% chance that Zelda has been here."

Of course she has, that's why I'm here, remember?

I thought you said you weren't being nitpicky?

 

[ASIS]

I disagree. The analog stick would have been worse, as demonstrated by N hundred other 3D games with bad swimming controls, including other Zelda games. At least in SS I can actually get where I want to go with minimal hassle. Also, you can use the analog stick to turn while under water, which is immensely helpful. The stick and motion plus in conjunction made the swimming fairly decent. I don't want to imagine how terrible a certain fetch quest later in the game would have been with standard swimming controls. Ugh.

I didn't know about this 0_0.

 

[Skiesofwonder]

Oh wow the negativity in this thread is staggering.

Someone just get me this dang game already so I can form my own opinion.

 

[Sinthetic]

This game is absolutely delicious. I'm overloaded with awesomeness with this and 3D Land.

 

[BorkBork]

You would have thought the game was broken from the last few pages. Yikes.

It's good to go in with lowered expectations. I've gone into every 3D Zelda with an insane level of hype that no game could possibly fulfill. Yes, even OOT.

Maybe this will finally be the one that breaks that trend. I do like my linearity if it's well-designed.

 

[BY2K]

Good God, guys, give us something, judging by the last couple of pages, the 7.5 seems not only justified but a little too fair for the game. You make it sound like a bad game period.

And I know some of you say it's still a great game and all, but give us GOOD comments from time to time.

 

[ASIS]

Oh wow the negativity in this thread is staggering.

Someone just get me this dang game already so I can form my own opinion.

This game is going to be the new Majora's Mask. I can't say for sure because I still didn't finish it, but I can almost guarantee it.

 

[DDayton]

Wait a sec... people are getting this NOW? Where is it vaguely out?

 

[Sinthetic]

LE arrived today. Played for about 3 hours, about to enter the first dungeon. It's an incredibly slow, close to sleep inducing start with tons of exposition, but once you get introduced to the combat it starts to pick up a bit.
I didn't mind TP's slow intro all that much, but this felt way worse. I quit knowing (hoping?) I could really start playing the game next session.

More and more my fears are coming true.

I felt the exact opposite. I savoured the slow start, I wanted to take in my surroundings and just piss about with the controls and environment. I am just about to enter the first dungeon and I feel like I've been with the game for a while and I feel totally comfortable with it.

I spent about 10 minutes in one area because I didn't want the music to end, people like me who like to see the sights and really spend time interacting will find the beginning to be in their element.

 

[Gregorn]

At least it's not as bad as Spirit Tracks.

 

[ASIS]

Good God, guys, give us something, judging by the last couple of pages, the 7.5 seems not only justified but a little too fair for the game. You make it sound like a bad game period.

And I know some of you say it's still a great game and all, but give us GOOD comments from time to time.

- Some of the best dungeon design in the history of the series.

- Wonderful over world (the sky is NOT the overworld, but I love it all the same).

- Beautiful cinematics.

- Constant change of pace.

- stunning music.

- gorgeous graphics.

- Great control scheme.

Is that enough?

 

[Cow Mengde]

So can we like Twilight Princess now?

Spoiler

I had a bad feeling when I read the Iwata asks that this was headed by the people who made Minish Crap. It was easily one of the worst Zelda games ever made not counting the CD-i games.