Purpose of the Harp

[foundthebigkey]

Hey

So I was wondering if aanyone had any ideas on the purpose of the harp for gameplay. There doesn't seem to of been much notice paid to it.
Apparently it won't be used for saving since the statues area confirmed as save points (unless they pull a M's Mask on us, which seems unlikely).
Nor will it be used for accessing the Siren World since the sword does that.

So are we looking at a significant plot / gameplay twist that is unrevealed?
In one of the new trailers Link is shown playing it, and we already know it belongs to Zelda, so it must hold some significance.

My thought when starting the thread was that it calls the Skyloft birds, but then I remembered those things that blast you into the air and it seems unlikely Link would play it while failing back to Earth. The only other option I can think of is that it is purely plot (LinkxZelda) related.

Any thoughts?

 

[ZeldaOcarina]

Well, we have been confirmed that we will play it (using rhythm rather than notes). Obviously there is a plot component to it, otherwise they'd just give us a random instrument, and not one that belonged to Zelda.

My thought is that the harp may be similar in purpose to the ocarina in Ocarina of Time (first half). There probably won't be warp songs (it looks like it'll be easy enough to navigate to different areas), but it may give you the ability to access certain areas (for example, playing the Goddess's Song similarly to playing Zelda's Lullaby). Other than that, I'm not sure exactly how it would be used.

 

[foundthebigkey]

See I'm not convinced that the harp has a similar role to other instruments - the sword, statues and loftbirds seem to have all the traditional roles covered already. For the harp to do the saving, warping, special places seems redundant.

So are there still major elements of the game unspoiled? Or is the the Harp only very relevant to the plot?
Guess if anyone can answer that question, they're on the development team.

Also, why isn't my portfolio pic showing up?
edit
wrong screen!

 

[Dio]

I'm sure this is the harp of the goddess shown in the into video so perhaps it will have divine powers. This will be plot related and will probably serve the additional purpose of granting you access to certain areas, like in Wind waker you need songs to gain access to the wind and earth temples.

 

[Cuju]

I think it will have one big purpose, plot-wise, and have a lot of other abilities like the Wind Waker. For example, we know there isn't a real time day and night cycle (you have to go sleep in your bed to make time advance, like Monster Hunter) so maybe the Lyre will have a song that let's you change the time of day anywere?

All I know for sure is that Link looks so cool playing it!

 

[Night Owl]

Maybe it will let you warp to activated owl statues similar to the song of soaring in MM.

 

[Pen]

I think this harp will hold some mystical powers, I don't think we'll be able to warp with it though. The songs we learn to play might be similar to the kind of songs we could learn as a child in OoT. I'm almost certain that it's the same harp that Sheik plays on in OoT, so it is most likely an instrument passed down by generations in the royal family of Hyrule, since it's Zelda's harp in SS (but Link will probably be using it throughout most of the game).

 

[Zorth]

I hated the Wind Waker instrument.. It was so tedious and you had to wait for the rythm and right tact.
You couldn't just play a long song in 2 nanoseconds like in OoT.

I hope the harp has a different method of playing.

 

[Yonatesf]

...It's the game's main instrument. It has the exact same purpose as every other instrument in the series.
Play stuff to make stuff happen. Like the Ocarina, Wind Waker, etc.

 

[A Link In Time]

To call birds is a possibility. That last trailer left some room for speculation.

 

[Links Brother]

I doubt it will have as much plot as the Ocarina had in OoT, when ever I talk about the lyre I always picture it being used a little bit like the spirit flute in ST. I hope it has some purpose and I want to hear some old songs but in the end I don't want it to over power the other items like the Skyward Sword like it did in OoT. Because I want the sword to be the main focus hence the title being Skyward Sword not Skyward Harp.

 

[BakerGuy]

I doubt it will have as much plot as the Ocarina had in OoT, when ever I talk about the lyre I always picture it being used a little bit like the spirit flute in ST. I hope it has some purpose and I want to hear some old songs but in the end I don't want it to over power the other items like the Skyward Sword like it did in OoT. Because I want the sword to be the main focus hence the title being Skyward Sword not Skyward Harp.

Indeed. The title of most of the games has something to do with an item of some sort as the main thing. like Ocarina of Time, the Oracle items, Majoras Mask, Four Sword, Minish Cap, Phantom Hourglass, Wind Waker; They all have an important part in the story that effects the plot. The Ocarina of Time wasnt the main theme in Majora's Mask for example.

 

[xXDaKidXx]

Maybe to summon that Sheikah..?