The Legend of Zelda - Skyward Sword
Quite possibly the greatest Zelda game ever created. The only thing that separates it from that title is personal preference. Skyward Sword pushes the Zelda formula and mechanics further than any other Zelda game and brings forward an extremely fun and innovative way to play Zelda. I can see just why Skyward Sword is being hailed as the greatest Zelda game created by a lot of people because it opens up such a fun and interactive way to play the game.
Ocarina of Time was a game that created such a deep and intense reaction within it’s fans when it came out that it became something more than just a game. The experience of playing it was euphoric and that experience became priceless and as such Skyward Sword may not in the eyes of these people be the “greatest Zelda game”. I am one of those Ocarina of Time fans, but I will have to admit that Skyward Sword is the superior game. Still, the experience from playing Ocarina of Time which has been refreshed by my recent playthrough of the Master Quest version on the 3DS causes me to still see Ocarina of Time as the best Zelda game. Anyway enough about comparing two epic games, lets just get on with what makes Skyward Sword such an amazing game.
Zelda and her Loftwing
Firstly the Wii MotionPlus takes the Zelda experience to whole new dimension and the combat in Skyward Sword is the best I’ve seen from any of the Zelda game I’ve played. Skyward Swords reveals how the Wii is meant to played and sets the bar for future games on Wii on a whole new level. It was strange because when I went from Xenoblade to Skyward Sword, the MotionPlus controls felt weird, but after completing Skyward Sword and going back to Xenoblade, it felt so empty and plain to not utilize motion controls, especially the level at which Skyward Sword was utilizing them at. It goes without saying that Skyward Sword has become the best game on Wii, because it reveals just how the Wii is meant to be played.
Zelda game boss fights were always very enjoyable to play, and now with the Wii MotionPlus, the boss battle become so much more satisfying and compelling to play – even fighting the lesser monsters becomes very enjoyable to play. The Wii MotionPlus gives a different feel to the Zelda formula and even makes that formulaic approach refreshing and very fascinating to play. The first boss battle did take me a while because I hadn’t been using the Wii MotionPlus controller in exactly the right way but once I got it, I realised just how different Skyward Sword will be from the other Zelda games.
The origins of the Master Sword finally revealed
The story for Skyward Sword is the typical Zelda set-up, though it’s still very very important in the Zelda lore (the time before Ocarina of Time), but the main highlight of the game along with the MotionPlus is the characters. Zelda is very awesome here and the new characters are so lovable. Those who ship (i.e. support) the Link and Zelda relationship will be immensely satisfied by Skyward Sword (yeah!!). The development of Fi was handled brilliantly, it was subtle yet noticeable enough to cause you to end up falling in love with her character by the end of the game and what a moving end it was, ahhh Fi =). And Groose, oh boy, he is awesome, from start to finish he keeps you entertained and amused.
The wonderful new character - Fi
The side quests are extremely fun and there are a lot of them to keep you entertained throughout the whole game. The side quests are amusing and add to the game rather than exist as something extra. The side characters while minor still help to build and flesh out the world Skyward Sword is created in – the Goron researching the Goddess relics, the Robot who helps you, the Mogma’s, the Kikwis, etc. While generally unrelated to the main plot, their colourful personalities still end up creating memorable impression in you.
The mini-games in Skyward Sword, hahah, I find them the hardest out of all the Zelda games I’ve played, but the harder the challenge, the more satisfy the feeling when you triumph over it – though I still have the bamboo cutting mini-game to beat =P (it’s hard!).
Graphics, the Wii proves you can have great graphics without high-res textures. The Wind Waker feel is apparent and the background which has the painting effect when Link is a certain distance from it is beautiful. Skyward Sword just like the other Zelda games proves there can be ART in gaming. Skyward Sword is masterfully created and beautifully portrayed, anything short of epic wouldn’t describe just how good Skyward Sword is. Nintendo have really done an outstanding and incredible job with Skyward Sword.
Skyward Sword takes you on an epic adventure and engrosses you in its world for hours on end. It’s a long game (a 40+ hour game – took me 68 hours =P) and by the end of it, you will be completely satisfied and drawn into the story and characters. There is a Hero Mode which opens up after you complete the game – haven’t played it yet, but if it’s anything like the Master Quest version for the 3DS version of Ocarina of Time, than I can’t wait to play that as well.
Thanks for reading, signing off from the floating land of Skyloft,
-Syphin
12Dimension 