How Would You Rate Skyward Sword?

[SNOlink]

What Was Good:
a.) How well Nintendo implemented the 1:1 motion controls into the game: They really went far with this implementing this in enemy battles and nearly every gameplay aspect of the game and did it well.
b.) The treasure/upgrade system: It allowed me to not only look for something else to do in this Zelda game, but also to wonder where else I can find these and what each enemy may give.
c.) Story: I felt this was one of the most unique stories for a Zelda game. Rather than having the princess captured right off the bat, she is actually fine throughout most of the game and doesn't really get captured until the end, although there is still that worry that she might get hurt.

What Wasn't Good:
a.) The harp: Definitely could have been done better. In my opinion, they didn't even have to change the style of playing it, although that still would be good. I mostly wish it could have been used more than it was.
b.) The bosses: Now, you may have thought they were pretty difficult for you, but for me they were too simple. I like having bosses I have a hard time figuring out because I get that feeling of "I finally did it!" This game didn't really had any of that for me.

Overall Rating: 9

 

[Sydney]

I'd give Skyward Sword either 8 or 9. It did fairly well, but had several flaws.

 

[JuicieJ]

The Pros

• Flawless Wii MotionPlus controls

• Spectacular gameplay and combat

• Thought-inducing enemies

• Stellar overworld design (dungeon-like surface, quick air travel, well-implemented Metroid influences)

• Silent Realms (creepy and epic)

• Thematic and well-designed dungeons

• Great boss battles (strategic and action-packed)

• In-depth and emotional story

• Entertaining and well-developed characters

• Glorious music

• Almost all legitimate help not given unless asked for (Fi's non-obvious bits of info and Sheikah Stone)

• Upgrade system (simple but useful)

• Adventure Pouch (slight customization feature and great resource management)

• Goddess Cubes (fun to hunt down)

The Cons

• A little too mechanized

• Too many great ideas spread apart

• Returning to dungeons not executed properly (i.e. used once and used poorly)

• Not enough to do in the Sky

• Goddess's Harp/Harp songs (kinda tacked on and three songs were ear rape)

• Tentalus (should have been an overworld boss)

• No real explanation to the backstory (missed opportunity)

• Second half should've had open choice between 2 or all 3 of the dungeons

• Song of the Hero quest (cool portions, poorly executed as a whole)

• Fi's stating of the obvious

All in all, the positives severely outweigh the negatives. There are definitely some mistakes that don't need to be repeated in future titles, but there are far more influences that should be taken from the game and expanded on to make them even better. Zelda's future is looking brighter than ever thanks to Skyward Sword (and the taste we've gotten of what the Wii U GamePad can do and have witnessed first-hand what the 3DS can do). Here's to hoping Zelda 3DS and Zelda Wii U will be just as great, if not greater.

10/10

 

[Koosholts]

What Was Good

• The Story/Storytelling (excellent cut-scenes)
• The Dialogue
• Skyloft (The Bazaar was amazing)
• The 1:1 motion controls were executed to the best of technologies capability
• Groose and Zelda

What Was Bad

• Poor enemey diversity/progression
• Repetitive Ghirahim Battles
• Weak Boss Battles (although this is a problem with the entire series)
• WAAAAY too linear
• The Sky had barley any content or incentive to explore

I'm not giving it a number.

 

[Ventus]

I gave the game an 8 on accident. What I meant was a 10.

My words cannot express how amazing Skyward Sword truly is. It does everything better than the entire Zelda series combined. It has everything I could ever want from the game. The music is astounding, from the sheer fact that it is the first entry in the venerated franchise to have orchestrated music to the ability for the music to convey the emotions of whatever background it is featured in.

The Stamina Meter allowed for a most expansive Zelda experience. We've never had the degree of realism that the Meter allowed, and Nintendo touched upon realism in one of the best ways ever possible: human limitation. Rolling around was efficient, sprinting glorious, and even simple jogging around made Link's 3D model stand out like a crow because of how spectacular it was. And spin attacks. Limiting spin attacks was the absolute best idea Nintendo could ever do. Put those cheap dastards to rest, no longer shall they be allowed to spam that ridiculously OP move ever again! Nintendo, bring it back, limiting the spin attacks...I beg of you.

The shield bash. What isn't there to love? It's there when you need it in the most intense of situations. That brute about to bring down his sword on you? Shield bashh away, in the hopes of blocking the attack! It's so useful!! It beats out that lame shield attack from Twilight Princess by miles (true story). I mean, compare! Shield Bash is functional 100% of the time. The Shield Attack might register as a spin attack on accident! Talk abuot horrible design on TP's part.

Zelda. Zelda was at her BEST in Skyward Sword. Absolute BEST. I LOVED her dual personality in this game.

I couldn't continue to praise this game more. SS is a solid 10/10.



Hah, I'm just kidding. I meant to give the game a 6. The game displeases me the more I look at it...

 

[Spirit]

Vanitas - I don't feel the need to go over my thoughts of SS again - I've already done that around 20 times.

^ much agreed.

*drum roll*


6/10

 

[Dan]

Judging by stuff ,5/10 I found it pretty meh
Umbrella's weren't inside the game.
I was upset by that.
Can't believe I didn't see any QQ
I loaf this game
Everybody else can like this game but not me.
Jamming it down with the sealions would of been better.

 

[A Link In Time]

I'd give the game a 9/10. In my honest opinion it's the weakest 3D console Zelda game thus far, however, the pros far outweigh the cons. Linearity may bring the title down but not to the extent its critics claim. Seeing as how list format is preferred for this thread, I shall conform.

Pros

• Rich and bustling hub-Skyloft
• Thoughtfully implemented save system
• Upgrade system is a welcome addition
• Stamina and shield meters add a more strategic element to every battle
• Gratitude Crystal sidequest is one of the most enjoyable in franchise history
• Goddess Cubes make for an interesting sidequest
• New races add variety to the mix
• Overworld keeps golden Nintendo's promise of blending dungeons with overworld
• Silent Realms provide great atmopshere
• Boss design is stellar
• Ghirahim is a new spin on evil

Cons

• Harp is underutilized
• Sky is barren
• Certain maneuvers such as thrusting are a pain with Wii Motion Plus
• Hylia backstory is poorly explained
• Second and third Imprisoned encounters feel redundant

 

[Beauts]

I'd give it a 9. It was a good game- not too easy, not too hard, though I wasn't too much a fan of the romancey bits, and indeed, the harp sucked.

 

[winterbbytumblr]

I'm just going to post a blog a wrote a while ago..

Controls
The controls on this game, were absolutely amazing. I couldn't have imagined them better. They were a little hard to get used to at first, but after you got comfortable and figured them out, they were simple and made the game SO much more fun to play! The only downside i could see to the controls, are the fact that some people are left handed, and in SS, Link is right handed. I'm ambidextrous, therefore i tried playing the game with different hands, and it only proved to be slightly more difficult playing left handed. The thing i loved about the controls, was the fact that you felt like you WERE Link, that you became him and engaged in the combat. It felt like you were actually in the battle, and you were fighting the enemies yourself. Controls recieve 10/10

Gear / Weapons
The gear in this game was VERY nice. Honestly, i think the weapons in this game to be some of the best so far. My favorite was the Bow, the added feature that zoomed in on your enemy was perfect! Also, i enjoyed the fact that you could upgrade your items. Sure, there were a few that weren't so great, like the whip that you really only used in one dungeon. But the bombs, arrow, gust bellows, and double hookshot were amazing, and you used them all over the place. Now lets get to my personal favorite item, the newly added beetle. How amazing was the beetle? I personally L.O.V.E.D it! You used it so often, and it was incorporated so nicely into the game. I enjoyed picking up bomb flowers in the Lanayru desert and blowing up those annoying birds. Also, i liked the system of upgrading to the master sword. Overall, the weapons were very nice, and deserve a 10/10.

Characters
Honestly, the characters in Skyward Sword are my absolute favorite of any Zelda game. I love how Link and Zelda actually have a personality, and chemistry in this game. In many other games, Link has only but heard of Zelda, in this game they have a friendship ( that may grow into something more.. ) & you try to rescue her. Also, you get to see Link experience emotion, when Zelda goes into her slumber. Also, i found myself genuinely wanting to help Beatreux turn into a human. Also, when doing the side quests, i was doing it to help them out, not just for gratitude crystals. When characters can trigger your emotions, you know the creaters did something right. Also, during the whole game, my inspiration to finish the game was to rescue Zelda, which is something most games can't do.. The characers of this game absolutely get a 10/10!

Enemies
The enemies in this game, had surprisingly decreased in difficulty. Aside from the beamos and lizalfos, the enemies were, for lack of better wording, simple. The Bokoblins with the electrical swords were a little more difficult, as they would take a large amount of life if they hit you. The enemies were pretty creative, and i loved the addition of some of the new enemies, and the reocurring enemies. Overall, i thought the enemies were fun, but some could be a little to simple, the only downside. 9.5/10 for enemies.

Bosses
The bosses in this game were very creative! A few of them are actually some of my favorites. The difficulty of the bosses in this game steadily increased throughout the game, and then after Koloktos, who was one of the hardest, they steadily got easier, until we reached the end boss, but we'll get to that later. I loved the series of Ghirahim, and fighting him multiple times. Every time you fought him, you wanted to kill him more and more, and he wanted to kill you more and more, and by the end, it was am all lout, full blown, epic battle. A few of the bosses in this game were a little more simple than i would have liked, such as Scaldera, Tentalous, and Bilocyte. However, when played in hero mode, the difficulty increased. Now, i don't think Skyward Sword has overall the best bosses in a zelda game, but a few of the bosses are in the top 5 best bosses in the franchise,(sorry if that sounded immensley repetitive.) With all of that said, i genuinely think the bosses deserve a 10/10.

Ending Boss
Demise, demise, demise. I can't express my emotion deeply enough as to how much i loved that battle. Demise was so graphically magnificent. He was very visually appealing, even though he was a little bit terrifying. Now, the battle was different. It wasn't the best ending boss ever, and it wasn't the hardest ending boss ever, but it was my favorite. Some of the things that made it my favorite was the lead-up to him. The fact that he was the imprisoned, and he kept escaping, time and time again, made it all the more better when you finally defeat him. It felt link you had finished your unfinished business. Another thing that made him my favorite, is how he ties into the story line. Demise is where the legend, basically, starts. He curses Link and Zelda's unborn family with a guarentee that somewhere along the line, these people will be sucked into their own fate, to face his wrath. Ganondorf is actually just a reincarnation of Demise, how mind blowing is that! I thought that was a very nice twist to the storyline, and makes me wonder if the creaters always had it planned out that an entity would reincarnate himself into Ganon, or if they just came up with it while making this game? Also, during the battle, i loved how the Skyward Strike was incorperated into it, and i enjoyed the swordfighting. Another thing about the final showdown, was the two battles before Demise, the horde enemies that you get bombarded with on your way down, and the third battle against Ghirahim. Honestly, i think these two battles were hareder than Demise himself, however i enjoyed the battle with Demise more. The abundance of rouge bokoblins and what not was too overwhelming for me, and i found myself frazzled as i reached the end, but i suppose thats what a good battle does. Overall, i loved this end battle, and i wish i could give it a 10, seeing as it is my favorite. But, this is a review and the lack of difficulty of the battle makes it so the reviewer in me has to give it a 9.5 / 10.

Story / Plot
I won't have much to say about the story in Skyward Sword. It was definately amazing, and one of my favorites! The only problem i had, was that Zelda wasn't a princess, but that was just a personal dissappointment, nothing with the game. The emotions flourishing throughout this game were amazing. The way that everything ties togethor was beautiful, and i haven't a bad thing to say about it. I loved the character development throughout the story, and the way the plot changes people. It deserves a 10 / 10.

Music
The music in this game was beautiful! I loved playing the harp, especially before the silent realms! It was some of the most gorgeous music i have ever heard, and honestly, it encouraged me to go out and purchase a harp for myself! The song that plays before Zelda goes into her slumber, commonly known as Zelda's Lullaby, is my favorite. It has a gorgeous melody and couldn't be any more perfect. Orchestrated or not, the music in this game was flawless. No, some of it wasn't as catchy, and it wasn't a tune you would remember or get stuck in your head, but while you were playing the game, and going through the dungeons, it added so much to the game! People underestimate how much a simple tune can do.. Music definately gets 10/10!

Silent Realms
How many times did i die during the silent realms? Seven. Yes, seven. The silent realms proved to be very difficult to me, and frustrated me to a very high extent. The Faron and Skyloft silent realms were the simplest by far, but the Lanayru Silent realm was more difficult. However, in my opinion the Eldin silent realm reached a new level of difficulty throughout the entire game, for me. The silent realms were beautiful. They had amazing music, a perfect difficulty level, and were genuinley fun. However, i absolutely hate them and never wish to do them again, but that's just a personal preferance. The silent realms had no faults, and deserve a 10 / 10.

Hero Mode
Hero, or hard, mode is definately more difficult than before! The enemies dish out twice as much damage, and you can't find hearts anywhere! Boy, oh boy, did i have trouble in hero mode! However, i never died. I'm not sure if it was because i already knew what i was doing, or because i was so determined not to die, after i died approximately TEN times in the original round, but i managed to finish Hero mode without a single death. It wasn't much different than the original version, but i definately enjoyed it. Hero mode gets a 9.5 / 10.

Graphics
The graphics in SS are gorgeous. They are a mixture of Twilight Princess' very realistic and Wind Waker's Cell shaded and very cartoon-like graphics. Skyloft is absolutely beautiful, and the dungeons and "surface" have such bright and vivid colors, they automatically make you in a great mood, wether you know your going to kill and have the possibility of being murdered yourself. They are a little contoversial, but overall i think they are a crowd pleaser. The graphics get a 10/10.

Dungeons
The dungeons in Skyward Sword weren't all that difficult, i'm not going to lie. However, they were made up for in creativity, and overall enjoyment. Most of the dungeons were very architecturally beautiful and enjoyable to run around in. Some dungeons were actually very difficult, such as Sky Keep, or the sandship in my opinion, and some were a little to simple, like the Earth temple and Lanayru Mining Facility. However, there were a few that had the perfect difficult level, such as the Ancient Cistern and Fire Sanctuary. The length of the dungeons was a little too short for my personal taste, but overall you covered everything you need to, and more. Dungeons get a 9.5/10.

Side Quests
There were quite a few side quests in Skyward Sword, and i genuinely enjoyed them all. Some were very difficult, and some were very simple. The side quests were very linear and all played off of what you had accomplished so far. Now, if you don't find Kukiel, i'm not sure if the side quests aren't triggered, or what happens, so i'd appreciate if someon enlightens me on that subject. Ultimately, the side quests were very entertaining, and put togethor very nicely! i just wish there would have been a few more. They get a 10/10!

Form of transprtation
In Skyward Sword, obviously, your form of transportation is flying on your Loftwing. Now, many people loved the
loftwing, and thought very highly of it. Others felt there was no connection. I can understand both points of view, and i don't really agree with either of them. I felt that the bird was there to get me where i needed to go, and i wasn't very connected with it, but if it got hurt while we were flying, i got a little sad. So, my connection was neither very high or very low. Now, getting used to flying the loftwing was very difficult in the beginning, but overall
i enjoyed it. Form of transportation gets a 9.5/10.

Thunder Dragon's Lightning Round.
I felt that this was a very nice touch to the game. I loved revisiting my past battles and trying to improve my time. When i would go back and fight them, i felt it improved my combat skills and made me more prepared to fight the ending battle. Also, i thought it was a very creative way to recieve the Hylian shield. I have nothing bad to say. Thunder Dragons lighting round gets a 10/10!

Godess Cubes
I thought that this made the game a lot more enjoyable, and you felt like you were constantly searching and searching for more Goddess cubes! And when you found a treasure, i got a little excited inside. It wasn't crucial to the game, but it was something i enjoyed doing. It recieves a 10/10.

Land
This has to be one of the most controversial topics of Skyward Sword. Some love the fact that there is no mainland, and that you soar around and fly to where you need to be, while some hate it. I'm neither. Sure, i do wish there was a large patch of land i could run around on if i wanted to, but the game is no less great without it. I love the fact that it takes place in the Sky, it is something new that hasn't been seen before and i really liked it.
The only thing about the land that bothers me corresponds with the dungeons. I didn't like the fact that they almost all either took place in Faron, Eldin, or Lanayru provinces. I wish there would have been more diversity, but it didn't bother me much, seeing as Sky Keep was in skyloft and there was Thunderhead, which was nice to
visit! The land overall gets a 9.5 / 10.

Skyward Sword
Overall, skyward sword was a great game. It is my favorite in the Zelda franchise, but i tried not to be biased with my opinion. I felt there were a few things missing from this game, but not so much that it impacted the greatness of it. Skyward Sword was epic, and all in all, it had some of the best aspects of a zelda game in the whole franchise. The game exceeded my expectations and i was very pleased with it. There were many minor mistakes in this game, but not a single major one. Skyward Sword is one of the best games of this generation, and will probably go to live on in our hearts for a very long time. I have a feeling that as more people play it, it will grow
in popularity and become many people's new favorite Zelda game.
[I did steal this idea from Axle the best, what i'm about to do now.]
As a Zelda game, it gets a 9.5/10. There were just too many missed opportunities.
As a video game, it gets a 10/10. It exceeded all expectations placed on a video game.

 

[MW7]

I said 10 because it was one of the most enjoyable games I have played in a while. There's plenty more right about the game than wrong, and it's just fun to play. I'd expect it's lasting appeal for most people to not be quite as high as several other Zelda games though. Compared to other Zelda games I'd say it's well above average, and compared to console Zelda games only I'd say it's average to below average.

 

[tjspower]

I dont like to look to much into the technical aspects. If its fun to play and has good controls/story etc. Its a good game.

9/10

 

[Skunk]

I voted 8, uet I think it maay have taken my vote as zero

 

[PokaLink]

What Zelda game doesnt have flaws? What Zelda game does not have someone complain about the controls? Overall for a Zelda game it was standard with other Zelda games and surpassed many, i would have to say 10/10 it was amazing.

 

[surferguy7]

10/10 because any other opinion is a wrong opinion.