Skyward Sword: The Worst 3D Zelda Title

[4815162342]

Skyward Sword: The Worst 3D Zelda

I am going to preface this review by stating that I have been a Zelda fan for years. I have played almost every game, and many of them multiple times. To nobody’s shock I purchased Skyward Sword first thing Sunday morning and jumped right into it.

I am always prepared to accept new ideas when it comes to Zelda – the three day cycle from Majora’s Mask turned that game into one of the best Zelda titles around – so I was initially excited to experience the plethora of changes I had read about that were coming to Skyward Sword.

Prior to Skyward Sword’s release, I had also read glowing review after glowing review (with the exception of Tom McShea’s 7.5). As a result, my expectations were high – maybe too high.

I had mixed feelings about the game while playing through it, however I feel that one cannot entirely judge a game until they’ve completed it. I just finished this afternoon, and here’s my assertion: Skyward Sword is the worst 3D Zelda home console title.

Let me begin with the positives: The controls were solid, the story wasn’t terrible, the graphics were as good as can be on a Wii, and for the most part, it was the Zelda I was used too. The absolute most genius part of the game was the use of timeshift stones – those were one of the most innovative gameplay elements I have seen in a long time. But there were so many things that I thought didn’t work.

Skyward Sword lacked a majestic over world full of things to do – sure, the sky was majestic enough, but it was entirely void of gameplay. Spotted islands – one of my issues with The Wind Waker - are nowhere near interesting enough to compete with the vast over worlds of Twilight Princess, Ocarina of Time, and Majora’s Mask. I was hoping for something of that style to emerge beneath the clouds – some sort of Hyrule or Termina Field, but unfortunately nothing of the sort emerged. I believe that this element is essential for Zelda games to succeed.

The next issue I had with Skyward Sword was the dungeon design. Except for the Ancient Cistern and the Sandship, I felt that many of the dungeons were stereotypical Zelda dungeons that could’ve been designed by a 5th grader – they lacked many innovative elements that had been present in previous dungeons – and none of them were anywhere near as good as the Stone Tower Temple from Majora’s Mask or the Spirit Temple from Ocarina of Time – two of my favorite dungeons.

Another issue I had was the use of the harp. The Ocarina in both Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask was a musical instrument that I felt like I was playing. The harp was a joke. The sad thing is I have always wanted to play a harp in a Zelda game, and I was ecstatic when I learned the Harp was the musical instrument of Skyward Sword. Playing it is an unfortunate chore that I tried to avoid at all costs – like something out of Wii Music.

The next thing I felt this game lacked was a bustling metropolis. Ocarina of Time had Castle Town, Majora’s Mask had Clocktown, Wind Waker had Windfall Island, and Twilight Princess had Castle Town. All Skyward Sword has is Skyloft – a tiny city compared to the biggest ones in other games. I was hoping for a large city beneath the clouds, but no city was there to meet my wishes.

Because Skyward Sword lacked so many different elements that make Zelda great, I have decided that it was the worst 3D title – not the worst in the series, but nowhere near the top.

This brings me to my next point – I just can’t see how people are calling this the best Zelda game when it is nowhere near as good as any other 3D Zelda title? Am I the only one who thinks that Skyward Sword was a disappointment? Or is everyone else jumping on the perfect score bandwagon?

 

[Majora's Cat]

In light of critic reviews of Skyward Sword, I have been able to maintain the mindset that the new game is the most technically advanced and enjoyable game in the entire series. Critics are just trying to attract more site traffic and attention by slinging mud at what is arguably the greatest Zelda game of all time. For some reason I have a feeling that your opinion of the game has been affected by these overly-critical reviews.

Let me begin with the positives: The controls were solid, the story wasn’t terrible, the graphics were as good as can be on a Wii, and for the most part, it was the Zelda I was used too. The absolute most genius part of the game was the use of timeshift stones – those were one of the most innovative gameplay elements I have seen in a long time. But there were so many things that I thought didn’t work.

The story wasn't terrible? It was by far the most elaborate and neatly strung together story the series has ever seen. Nothing feels fragmented, and the gameplay is woven seamlessly into the heartfelt story. I’m actually quite offended that you view the story as average, even given that it’s that of a Zelda game. The franchise is known for its heartwarming cutscenes and presentations. I have to disagree with what you said about elements of the game not working.

The next issue I had with Skyward Sword was the dungeon design. Except for the Ancient Cistern and the Sandship, I felt that many of the dungeons were stereotypical Zelda dungeons that could’ve been designed by a 5th grader – they lacked many innovative elements that had been present in previous dungeons – and none of them were anywhere near as good as the Stone Tower Temple from Majora’s Mask or the Spirit Temple from Ocarina of Time – two of my favorite dungeons.

I disagree completely. SS took a step in the right direction with dungeon design, in my opinion. Taking a page out of Metroid’s book, Skyward Sword approaches dungeons in a more graceful manner. There are less floors to be explored, yes, but so much content is packed into them that it can take the player a good two hours to trudge through the entire dungeon. Skyward Sword is compact, yes, but that was Nintendo’s intention.

Level design has improved significantly since the N64 Zelda era. I seriously have no idea why you believe that SS’ dungeons are inferior to those from a decade ago. Puzzles are more intricately designed, the player needs to stop for a moment and think often, and the rooms aren’t bland and rectangular. OoT and MM both featured fairly similar rooms throughout the dungeons while Skyward Sword is able to make dungeons seem less repetitive and more interesting. The architecture of said dungeons are amazing, and the bosses waiting behind locked doors are even better.

The next thing I felt this game lacked was a bustling metropolis. Ocarina of Time had Castle Town, Majora’s Mask had Clocktown, Wind Waker had Windfall Island, and Twilight Princess had Castle Town. All Skyward Sword has is Skyloft – a tiny city compared to the biggest ones in other games. I was hoping for a large city beneath the clouds, but no city was there to meet my wishes.

Ouch. Skyloft is actually larger in size in comparison to all those safe havens. There’s certainly more fun to be had in Skyloft than in the Market, Windfall Island and Castle Town. The only major metropolis in a Zelda game that is possibly more entertaining than Skyloft would have to be Majora’s Mask, in my opinion.

This brings me to my next point – I just can’t see how people are calling this the best Zelda game when it is nowhere near as good as any other 3D Zelda title? Am I the only one who thinks that Skyward Sword was a disappointment? Or is everyone else jumping on the perfect score bandwagon?

I think the bad reviews for Skyward Sword are overshadowing the good ones. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is one of Nintendo’s finest works and certainly deserves the distinction of one of the best Zelda games of all time. Some will have their qualms with the motion controls and other aspects of the game, yes, but SS is not tailored to everyone’s tastes. I have to admit that Skyward Sword does not appeal to as abroad a spectrum of gamers as previous Zelda games did, but I still think it is the most fantastic experience out of all of them.

 

[A Link In Time]

Unfortunately, on Metacritic the critics agree. The fanbase, however, adores Skyward Sword and upholds its greater emphasis on story, tight motion controls, short but sweet dungeons, and amazing boss battles. Pick your side. You pick at a game where there are close to no problems.

 

[Ventus]

This brings me to my next point – I just can’t see how people are calling this the best Zelda game when it is nowhere near as good as any other 3D Zelda title? Am I the only one who thinks that Skyward Sword was a disappointment? Or is everyone else jumping on the perfect score bandwagon?

Well technically speaking, SS surpasses just about all the other 3D Zeldas in graphics (meaning graphics, not art style). So that's a good point to some.

I personally think Skyward Sword disappointed, but it wasn't in itself a disappointment. I mean, sure, it didn't quite have the charm/backbone that Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask or TWW did. It didn't have anywhere near the difficulty that OoT or MM did (in my opinion), and definitely lacked the NPC density and expansion that MM featured. However, despite those disappoints, I feel like Skyward Sword brought more to the table than it appears to under the critic's eyes. To me, I feel like a majority of the game flopped because it was so...predictable. The story, the characters, the items and their uses, and the dungeons were predictable. But like any other game, it has some sorta captivating power. Perhaps it was the amazing gameplay that does it – bringing the blade around and laying death upon enemies in real time rather than mashing a button felt...real. I dunno. What I'm trying to say is, the game can disappoint people but it was still great.

I jump on and off the bandwagon. Sometimes, it just shines so brightly that the game is a perfect 10/10. Then my opinion fluctuates a bit and makes the game turn to a 9.3/10 or so.

 

[4815162342]

Because you are confusing fact, with opinion.

If you don't like the game, don't play it. Leave the playing to the people that appreciate it.

Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed playing it - chances are I'm going to play it again just to see if I was off the first time I played it - but I keep on seeing reviewers say that Skyward Sword is the greatest Zelda game of all time. And yes, I do see where you're coming from with many of your points. I just think that many of the changes made in Skyward Sword to the Zelda series were ones that did not need to be made.

I would also like to point out the game was a lot shorter than I thought it would be... I finished it in under 35 hours, and I really stretched that out with side quests (Bugs, treasure, upgrades, all the heart pieces, etc...) And that was just sort of a letdown as word around the block was that it would be 50-100 hours. However, I really enjoyed all of the in-between dungeon missions. I thought those were original and innovative - and had they been combined with stellar dungeons this game would've been much better.

 

[maiden]

I here ya man. I do not think that it's a dissapointment but I understand your thoughts. One thing I just can't figure out is how did it take 5 years for this game to come out. The game like you said is smaller overworld and population wise. And while the story was great in my opinion it's not a complicated story really. The wii motion plus came out early 2009 and i think that if this game would have been released as a launch title for wii motion plus or maybe during fall 2009, it would have been better for the time.

 

[JuicieJ]

I really can't disagree more, here. For one, many of these things are just personal disappointments rather than things that actually make a game good. Those are two things to never get confused. All it leads to is disaster due to the fact that these things are what make the game good. As for everything else, Majora's Cat pretty much hit all of my high points, so there's no real need to repeat what he said. Believe me, I'd love to go into full detail of my own thoughts, but they're just too similar to his.

I will say one more thing, though. I don't understand why you were expecting a metropolis below the clouds. It was stated countless times before release that there was no humans below the clouds. Why would you expect something like Castle Town when there's no human civilization? That really doesn't make any sense at all. You can't have something that isn't possible to have.

 

[Skullkid96]

Skyward sword is the beginning of the zelda timeline, the hylians were put on skyloft by the goddess so there aint no big metropolis like in twilight princess. Also the dungeons aren't small because in of the interviews miyamoto said that he wants the overworld to be kinda like a dungeon. Even Aonuma said twilight princess will be the last zelda game of its kind. One of of them even said the games in a few words " you get your sword and shield and go to a field find the dungeon, finish the dungeon and then return to the field and repeat. In skyward sword you go back to all the areas a couple of times. so skyward sword is better in a few areas.

 

[Ventus]

I will say one more thing, though. I don't understand why you were expecting a metropolis below the clouds. It was stated countless times before release that there was no humans below the clouds. Why would you expect something like Castle Town when there's no human civilization? That really doesn't make any sense at all. You can't have something that isn't possible to have.

It doesn't have to be a human populated metropolis. What about the Gorons, which we already know to exist? What about the Parella (though I think they're confined to their province - I wouldn't know), the Mogmas and the many other races? Sure enough, the Surface was unknown to Skyloft...but the Surface WAS known to the Surface. Hylia did her job with sending the outcropping to the sky. I don't think that is grounds for no other race to make a notable appearance outside of forced story concerns.

Skyward sword is the beginning of the zelda timeline, the hylians were put on skyloft by the goddess so there aint no big metropolis like in twilight princess. Also the dungeons aren't small because in of the interviews miyamoto said that he wants the overworld to be kinda like a dungeon. Even Aonuma said twilight princess will be the last zelda game of its kind. One of of them even said the games in a few words " you get your sword and shield and go to a field find the dungeon, finish the dungeon and then return to the field and repeat. In skyward sword you go back to all the areas a couple of times. so skyward sword is better in a few areas.

My only problem is that we still complete a dungeon, go back to the field (and the sky), find the next dungeon, complete, return to the field and repeat. It's just that there is no Hyrule Field, so it's masked with "oh, deep exploration lol!" when it's us going to the same places over and over and over again.

 

[mortelkill]

most of the races weren`t civilisation but tribes and lived directly in nature

i admit that the goron city is missing

 

[4815162342]

In light of critic reviews of Skyward Sword, I have been able to maintain the mindset that the new game is the most technically advanced and enjoyable game in the entire series. Critics are just trying to attract more site traffic and attention by slinging mud at what is arguably the greatest Zelda game of all time. For some reason I have a feeling that your opinion of the game has been affected by these overly-critical reviews.

In no way has my opinion of the game been damaged by the overly-critical reviews, if anything, my opinion has been damaged by the reviews that deemed Skyward Sword the perfect and greatest Zelda game. It's all about expectation management. If I read a review from IGN that states "Skyward Sword is the greatest Zelda Game ever created", my expectations are pretty high. And when it find that it's not perfect, I'm frankly going to be a little upset. I'm also offended that you think I'm only doing this for attention by giving Skyward Sword a less than perfect review. I'm simply voicing my opinion about I game that I had hoped to be far better than it was.

The story wasn't terrible? It was by far the most elaborate and neatly strung together story the series has ever seen. Nothing feels fragmented, and the gameplay is woven seamlessly into the heartfelt story. I’m actually quite offended that you view the story as average, even given that it’s that of a Zelda game. The franchise is known for its heartwarming cutscenes and presentations. I have to disagree with what you said about elements of the game not working.

I admit I chose poor words when describing the story of Skyward Sword - I was unfairly harsh on an element of the game that I had no reason to be unfairly harsh on. However, it wasn't the best story. It was a solid story that tied up many loose ends in the series, but I felt that it had a high level of predictability. Three dungeons, plot twist, more dungeons, final boss - that same pattern had been used in Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker, and Twilight Princess.

I disagree completely. SS took a step in the right direction with dungeon design, in my opinion. Taking a page out of Metroid’s book, Skyward Sword approaches dungeons in a more graceful manner. There are less floors to be explored, yes, but so much content is packed into them that it can take the player a good two hours to trudge through the entire dungeon. Skyward Sword is compact, yes, but that was Nintendo’s intention.

Level design has improved significantly since the N64 Zelda era. I seriously have no idea why you believe that SS’ dungeons are inferior to those from a decade ago. Puzzles are more intricately designed, the player needs to stop for a moment and think often, and the rooms aren’t bland and rectangular. OoT and MM both featured fairly similar rooms throughout the dungeons while Skyward Sword is able to make dungeons seem less repetitive and more interesting. The architecture of said dungeons are amazing, and the bosses waiting behind locked doors are even better.

Have we been playing the same Zelda games fro the past decade? From Ocarina of Time - the Fire Temple, the Shadow Temple, and the Spirit Temple were three beautifully designed levels that were so well-designed I can remember every nook and cranny of them. The Snowhead Temple, the Great Bay Temple, and the Stone Tower Temple - all works of art in my book. Those were temples that made me think, and each of them took far longer than any temple from Skyward Sword - each of which I could knock out between 30 and 45 minutes, which was disappointing compared to previous games' dungeons.

I do agree that Skyward Sword had fantastic boss after fantastic boss. I thought Nintendo really knocked the ball out of the park on that one.

Ouch. Skyloft is actually larger in size in comparison to all those safe havens. There’s certainly more fun to be had in Skyloft than in the Market, Windfall Island and Castle Town. The only major metropolis in a Zelda game that is possibly more entertaining than Skyloft would have to be Majora’s Mask, in my opinion.

I disagree with you on this point - Skyloft was relatively empty compared to the urban areas in every other previous game. The fact that it did not have a lot to it really hurt the entire Skyward Sword game because it was the only urban area in the whole game. Had they added another urban area or made Skyloft more intricate I would've been happier on this issue.

I think the bad reviews for Skyward Sword are overshadowing the good ones. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is one of Nintendo’s finest works and certainly deserves the distinction of one of the best Zelda games of all time. Some will have their qualms with the motion controls and other aspects of the game, yes, but SS is not tailored to everyone’s tastes. I have to admit that Skyward Sword does not appeal to as abroad a spectrum of gamers as previous Zelda games did, but I still think it is the most fantastic experience out of all of them.

I know that everyone has their own opinion, but I can't see why so many people are calling Skyward Sword one of Nintendo's finest works. When compared to any other game in it's series, Skyward Sword doesn't look that good.

 

[JuicieJ]

I admit I chose poor words when describing the story of Skyward Sword - I was unfairly harsh on an element of the game that I had no reason to be unfairly harsh on. However, it wasn't the best story. It was a solid story that tied up many loose ends in the series, but I felt that it had a high level of predictability. Three dungeons, plot twist, more dungeons, final boss - that same pattern had been used in Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker, and Twilight Princess.

I don't see your point. That's what Zelda's built around. So it's a bad thing that it followed that pattern? I'd say not. The story this time around was completely unpredictable and had a small twist around almost every corner. The outside-of-dungeon bosses also added a sense of it being a real adventure. This story was also the most in-depth ever, getting more involved than even Majora's Mask with the surrounding characters. There's no reason to believe that it isn't the best story.

Have we been playing the same Zelda games fro the past decade? From Ocarina of Time - the Fire Temple, the Shadow Temple, and the Spirit Temple were three beautifully designed levels that were so well-designed I can remember every nook and cranny of them. The Snowhead Temple, the Great Bay Temple, and the Stone Tower Temple - all works of art in my book. Those were temples that made me think, and each of them took far longer than any temple from Skyward Sword - each of which I could knock out between 30 and 45 minutes, which was disappointing compared to previous games' dungeons.

Dungeons really boil down to opinions, so I don't think this is worth something getting into an argument about. Each person goes through the dungeons and his or her own pace. Some people are better at figuring out puzzles than others. The dungeons are always a widely diverse topic (unless it's a really good dungeon).

I disagree with you on this point - Skyloft was relatively empty compared to the urban areas in every other previous game. The fact that it did not have a lot to it really hurt the entire Skyward Sword game because it was the only urban area in the whole game. Had they added another urban area or made Skyloft more intricate I would've been happier on this issue.

"Did not have a lot to do?" There's no way you completed the game 100% if you're saying that. This game can easily last up to 100 hours in content, and most of it starts out in Skyloft. And don't think I'm saying "100 hours" just because of Miyamoto. It took me about 75 hours to do it all, and I've been playing Zelda for 12 years. My first was Ocarina of Time, followed by Majora's Mask, so I know what standards to hold Zelda to with content. Skyloft also was much bigger than all the other hub areas. It just wasn't filled with endless amounts of people. But that was to make it seem like a hometown rather than a bustling Castle Town. The area is constantly being revisited and has plenty to offer. You just have to explore to find out what there is. It doesn't pop out at you and say, "Here I am!"

I know that everyone has their own opinion, but I can't see why so many people are calling Skyward Sword one of Nintendo's finest works. When compared to any other game in it's series, Skyward Sword doesn't look that good.

Well, then that's your opinion (as you said, everyone has his own). But I must say that I think you're highly misguided in saying this. It seems you were more disappointed by not having things you wanted rather than you actually thinking the game isn't great, which is called a bias.

 

[4815162342]

Whoa whoa whoa, is this coming down to graphics now? I certainly hope not as if so, you really need to find a new series to play.
I'm all for opinion and everything, but I won't let a game like Zelda be judged by its graphics.

Not at all - I thought the art design in Skyward Sword was perfect - some of the best I've seen on the Wii. Graphics are the last thing I care about when I judge games (Majora's Mask is my favorite) - by doesn't look that good I meant that when you compare every aspect of every 3D game to every other aspect of every 3D Zelda game, Skyward Sword doesn't match up very well against the others.

I don't see your point. That's what Zelda's built around. So it's a bad thing that it followed that pattern? I'd say not. The story this time around was completely unpredictable and had a small twist around almost every corner. The outside-of-dungeon bosses also added a sense of it being a real adventure. This story was also the most in-depth ever, getting more involved than even Majora's Mask with the surrounding characters. There's no reason to believe that it isn't the best story.

I have nothing wrong with the "three dungeons - plot twist - more dungeons" pattern, it just all comes back to expectation management. I read many articles prior to the release of Skyward Sword that stated the formula would be changed, and I expected something different. But as a whole, I found the game to be one of the most predictable of the series. And in terms of depth I found it to be nowhere as deep as Majora's Mask. That game just had so much to do in it, but with so little time...

"Did not have a lot to do?" There's no way you completed the game 100% if you're saying that. This game can easily last up to 100 hours in content, and most of it starts out in Skyloft. And don't think I'm saying "100 hours" just because of Miyamoto. It took me about 75 hours to do it all, and I've been playing Zelda for 12 years. My first was Ocarina of Time, followed by Majora's Mask, so I know what standards to hold Zelda to with content. Skyloft also was much bigger than all the other hub areas. It just wasn't filled with endless amounts of people. But that was to make it seem like a hometown rather than a bustling Castle Town. The area is constantly being revisited and has plenty to offer. You just have to explore to find out what there is. It doesn't pop out at you and say, "Here I am!"

To be completely honest, I am not 100% complete with the game, but I have done many sidequests - I have the every gratitude crystal, upgraded everything, gotten every heart piece - and while I admit that there are probably still things to do, my total play time will not be anywhere close to 50 or 100 hours. And this again comes down to expectation management.

Well, then that's your opinion (as you said, everyone has his own). But I must say that I think you're highly misguided in saying this. It seems you were more disappointed by not having things you wanted rather than you actually thinking the game isn't great, which is called a bias.

What it really boils down to is the fact that I wanted Skyward Sword to be my favorite Zelda game of all time, and I found that it did not meet my expectations, which I admit I may have set too high. And I'm not saying Skyward Sword isn't a great game. It's the greatest game I've played since Twilight Princess came out. And I'm entirely biased, but so is everyone. I (the 1%) am biased against the game, and the other 99% is biased for the game.

 

[xGummiBearsx]

I agree with pretty much everything you have said. Exploration is something I always looked forward to in a Zelda game and sadly Skyward Sword really took that away from you. None of the surface was connected and you had to go back to the sky to go to another part, the sky itself was empty and Skyloft wasn't much of a party either. xD

The Harp I was very disappointed in. If you look back at what we have already had, the Orcarina and Wind Waker, we can use them for a variety of things. The Harp was just for the story and you couldn't really do much with it.

Another thing I missed was the Night&Day cycle. Riding on Hyrule Field during the night, or on the ocean when dawn breaks were always great moments for me. Not only that but even if you do sleep untill night you cant ride your Loftwing during the night meaning you cant go anywhere. (Unless you count hitching a ride with Beedle and ending up on his Island. )

 

[4815162342]

I agree with pretty much everything you have said. Exploration is something I always looked forward to in a Zelda game and sadly Skyward Sword really took that away from you. None of the surface was connected and you had to go back to the sky to go to another part, the sky itself was empty and Skyloft wasn't much of a party either. xD

The Harp I was very disappointed in. If you look back at what we have already had, the Orcarina and Wind Waker, we can use them for a variety of things. The Harp was just for the story and you couldn't really do much with it.

Another thing I missed was the Night&Day cycle. Riding on Hyrule Field during the night, or on the ocean when dawn breaks were always great moments for me. Not only that but even if you do sleep untill night you cant ride your Loftwing during the night meaning you cant go anywhere. (Unless you count hitching a ride with Beedle and ending up on his Island. )

Finally someone agrees with me, thank you! I did forget to include the exploration and the night and day cycle in my Skyward Sword tirade, as well as the harp usage. Also going back and forth to the sky to get from region to region was irritating - the map could've used a field to connect the regions and for exploring - that would've seriously improved my outlook on the whole game.