Will Skyward Sword Be the Best?

[Majora's Cat]

In an interview with Nintendo awhile back, there was a statement about Skyward Sword being the best Zelda game. Nintendo has promised us fans that if Skyward Sword is not the most spectacular installment in the series so far, the series will be discontinued. Now, if they're taking this literally I would be very concerned for the future of the series. I would also understand if it was just a statement to raise our hopes in SS, knowing that Nintendo is so confident in the work they've done with the highly anticipated game.

Skyward Sword is looking to be a very promising game, since Nintendo is so confident that it will be stellar. There have been lots of statements in interviews that shed some light on how Skyward Sword is shaping up, but I find the following quote from Mr. Aonuma to be particularly intriguing.

It is definitely a tremendous game - there is so much content that Mr. Miyamoto and I haven't been able to thoroughly play it all. [...] When I say volume, its not necessarily just that there's a big world out there to explore. You come to understand the structures of things in your world, and you'll see a broadening of a kind of game play that goes on in these structures as you're playing through. So, that's one way the game has tremendous volume.

So we know that Skyward Sword will be monumental, not only in size but also in content. That single fact may already make the game worth playing. However, that fact coupled with the introduction of Skyloft and its Clock Town-style build will surely be a plus for us Zelda fans. And with Nintendo's genuine confidence that the game is going to be the best, why shouldn't we believe it?

Well it's one thing to think highly of your own creation. The difficult part is getting others to enjoy the experience just as much, and Nintendo has no say in that. Hence, that is the reason why I believe that the quality and content of SS is still questionable and certainly out in the open.

This brings to mind this question: will Skyward Sword be the best Zelda game there's ever been? Please leave your responses below.

 

[ironknuckle1]

I really hope it is the best zelda yet and I definitly hope it sets many standards for gaming outside of just the zelda series.

 

[ZeldaHunter]

I have pre-ordered my copy of Skyward Sword and from what I've seen, I actually don't think it will be the best. I mean sure it'll be awesome (like all Zelda games) but just not the best. I haven't played the game yet or seen enough evidence that the game is amazing yet. So, if I see something that I think is AMAZINGLY AMAZING, I'll be posting back here.

 

[Kybyrian]

I think Skyward Sword has full potential to be the best Zelda game of all time. It's extremely anticipated —even more so than usual— and has some big words backing it up. There may not be any truth behind what Miyamoto said about it being the best game yet or the final in the series, but I think it's enough to know that we're going to be given a good game from a motivated team. So far I'm absolutely loving the fresh style and what we've been hearing. Skyloft is supposed to be a lot like Clock Town, and that's really got me excited. I think that the connection between the overworld and Skyloft will be a great one, and I'm looking forward to every little thing Skyward Sword is throwing our way.

There is a lot of room in this game for new things, especially with Wii Motion+ capability. We can expect to see all sorts of fancy things that can blow us away. Skyloft itself is a gate that opens the path to many fresh ideas and concepts that we would have never dreamed of before. Skyward Sword will likely be very high-ranked among the rest of the Zelda games, and I have a feeling it could very well be the best yet.

 

[A Link In Time]

I think Skyward Sword has full potential to be the best Zelda game of all time. It's extremely anticipated —even more so than usual— and has some big words backing it up. There may not be any truth behind what Miyamoto said about it being the best game yet or the final in the series, but I think it's enough to know that we're going to be given a good game from a motivated team. So far I'm absolutely loving the fresh style and what we've been hearing. Skyloft is supposed to be a lot like Clock Town, and that's really got me excited. I think that the connection between the overworld and Skyloft will be a great one, and I'm looking forward to every little thing Skyward Sword is throwing our way.

There is a lot of room in this game for new things, especially with Wii Motion+ capability. We can expect to see all sorts of fancy things that can blow us away. Skyloft itself is a gate that opens the path to many fresh ideas and concepts that we would have never dreamed of before. Skyward Sword will likely be very high-ranked among the rest of the Zelda games, and I have a feeling it could very well be the best yet.

I completely agree. Skyward Sword is going to turn the tables 180 degrees but in a good way.

 

[Caeda]

I really hope that it's the best one, because then I really will have to reorganize my top ten games. Outside of my lazieness, I just want it to be the best game.

 

[athenian200]

I think that Skyward Sword may not be anything like the Zelda games we have played before. It may fall into a completely different genre.

The Wii Motion+ requirements will make the game less affordable and accessible for many people. The use of motion controls alone could mean that the game is difficult to play for veterans of the earlier series, who might not be attuned to using motion and reacting/moving quickly in response to enemies. People who are used to using the B button for the sword might not be able to deal with the learning curve of moving to using the remote as a realistic sword, especially with realistic AI detecting and blocking/dodging you.

Also, this game STILL does not include the magic meter. Instead, it tries to limit your PHYSICAL actions, like moving blocks, running, swinging a sword, and even climbing, with a meter. Which basically means if you don't watch the meter, you could find yourself helpless in the middle of a fight. Not good. Also, long fights will be more of a chore because you have to find time to rest while your meter refills. Also, you can't just rush through a dungeon without pausing.

Finally, shields will now "wear out" after a period of time, meaning that we now have to worry about this on top of Like-Likes and burning up our shields. We will have to replace/repair shields before going into a dungeon, giving us one more thing to worry about.

So, it's very possible that this game will be too difficult for longtime fans of the series, and instead appeal primarily to people who are used to non-Zelda games on the Wii. It may be the best game in the series for a new group of people... but I doubt it will be the best for those of us who have enjoyed the series hitherto.

Now, there are some good elements in this upcoming Zelda game. For instance, I think the plot will be very involved and intricate. It may even tie up some loose ends with the timeline. A friend of mine has this theory about the Dark Tribe being in this game, as Ghirahim's race. And he thinks they're connected to the Sheikah and the Twili. If this actually plays out, and we see the origins of those groups, this game will be amazing just for that fact.

Also, the graphical style is absolutely perfect, and I think they've found the right balance between the realistic style of TP, and the anime-like style of WW.

While the gameplay may suffer, I'm sure the story and the graphics will be good. So it won't be the best, but it may be memorable.

 

[98pika]

It has a chance of being the best zelda game because the three pearls of wisdom,power and courage is in the game,new controls that a better then mashing button to attack, the enemies are a little harder to defeat or like a puzzle,Two worlds (Skyloft and below)
and the game just looks awesome! lol.

 

[surferguy7]

It could be amazing, or it could suck.

We won't know until we play the game.

 

[Caelus]

*

I disagree with your comments about the gameplay. Gamers have encountered limits and restrictions all the time, a simple physical meter is nothing, it takes a second to refill. Past Zeldas were easy because there were no such limit, I could hold up my shield as long as I wanted and spin attack everything in sight. I think such limits will make the game more strategic and fun to play. These are not worries to me, but good things that I hope remain.

 

[Twili123prince]

I think Skyward Sword is honestly gonna be a great game, Not necessarily the best though. I disagree with most people on their complaints about how the motion controls will work. I think the motion controls will take a little time to get used and adjust to but after that it will be fun and easy. I personally think Skyward Sword is going to be a good game because it tells the story before Ocarina of Time. It's definitely going to sort out a lot of timeline issues which is going to be a BIG relief to a lot of timeline theorists. I also have a very good feeling that Skyward Sword is gonna have some pretty difficult and memorable dungeons. I feel the dungeons are almost going to be a mix of OOT's dungeons and TP's dungeons and maybe a little bit of WW added which in my opinion sounds like the perfect difficulty for dungeons in a 3D Zelda game. I also don't think it's gonna be the best Zelda game because for me, OOT will always be the best. All us Zelda fans have different opinions on our favorite games though so maybe Skyward Sword will appeal more to a newer generation of Zelda players. I know Skyward Sword will be close favorite of mine though, I can feel it. Definitely not the best though.

 

[Ventus]

I picked other, because I don't exactly know how the gameplay will turn out. To me, I really could careless for the story of SS – I'm pretty sure it won't bring some unheard of concept to the world of fanfiction [things have been done before, believe me], but the characters may be of the Majora's Mask status (that is, memorable both by name and figure, e.g Cremia). I hope the characters are fleshed out to the maximum possibility.

Now back to gameplay, I heard that they are cracking down on the amount of items in the game. We know so far that there isn't a magic meter, so the items presented will most likely be mechanized if anything, and that could be a limitation in the diversity department. Minor limitation to most, probably, but a limitation nonetheless. The 'every enemy is a puzzle' thing is being overhyped and from what I've seen, overrepresented within the game. That could lead to tedious gameplay, which means artificial difficulty and artificial length.

[video=youtube;gPQm7M8ivyU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPQm7M8ivyU[/video]

Watch the above video, did you notice anything about Ghirahim? What I immediately noticed was that he is easily loopable, it only took two 'rounds' for me to figure that out. Of course, that may not have been the finished product, so his AI may be improved by the Nov20 release, but from what I've seen out of him and other enemies in the Sky Temple, they're just tedium waiting to be addressed with some hack and slash, nothing too hard. There could also be a distinct lack of attacking the enemy's weak point for massive damage, or so I believe.

Anyway, if SS doesn't lean too much on that 1:1 gameplay and makes good use of the items, I'm sure it could do as good as my personal favorite OoT. Of course, there will be some concepts that I so badly want within the game, but those may or may not make the cut. We'll find out when the game releases, I guess.

 

[Ronin]

Deep down, I feel Skyward Sword will be the best. Its gameplay will allow for more interaction Link through us than ever before, requiring us to think about what must be done before we actually perform. The enemies are very evenly paced, so that we don't have to hurry on bringing them down, but we can first search out their weak points. Coupled with the orchestrated music, as shown in the video by VanitasXII, we can delve deeper into the immersive qualities that has always--and ever will--permeate Zelda games, so long as the imagination of the game developers does not fade into a stagnant consistency. They will strive to make each new title greater than the last, filled with more collaboration in challenges (such as fighting enemies and completing puzzles), and all the while appease the fires we ignited for anticipation of the next.

 

[water2hp]

I think it will be the best because

1. motion controls make you feel closer to the game and allows for more indepth swordfights (also building up that arm strength giving you those killer biceps)

2. they have taken what made every zelda game uunuique and put it together like zelda 2's needing to atack enemies in a certain way, wind wakers exploration twilight princesses 2n dimension, majoras mask town influenced by your actions, phantom hourglass and spirit tracks stealth.

3. it wont be the traditional overworld, dungeon, boss and will be very different

 

[TheNoobGamer]

This may be the best zelda for me as it will only be my 2nd zelda game. Only worried I have is getting tired while playing it.