More Skyward Sword Impressions – This Time, From Fans!
Posted on August 16 2011 by Nathanial Rumphol-Janc
Skyward Sword was playable for Londoners this past weekend at the local Comic Con, and Official Nintendo Magazine was there to gather all of the public impressions they could. As far as I can tell, this is the first time that fan impressions have taken the center-stage in any online publication, so I was eager to take a look and compare what others had to say to my own impressions from E3 2011. Reception is mostly positive, with particular praise given to the game’s visuals, sound, music, and new features like the stamina meter and inventory wheel setup, though there are some gripes about the Wii Motion Plus controls:
Having finally played it, I was able to appreciate the new graphics. The new art style complemented the orchestrated soundtrack and effects perfectly, adding to the core value and fantasy element of the Zelda series.
Despite what others have been saying however, the controls seemed to be the weak point for me: the new MotionPlus occasionally didn’t pick up all of the swings I was taking, the movement didn’t maintain the same smoothness that Twilight Princess offered, and having to constantly flip between the A and B buttons to use one item was annoying. I’m sure with a bit more work, they can perfect this before release, otherwise everything else was fine.
As I said before, it’s not all bad. You can see what others had to say below:
I really like the motion controls. It probably goes without saying, but the precision of Link’s sword strikes really blew me away at Nintendo Unleashed. I had a lot of fun in the dungeon demo getting the giant spiders to expose their bellies so I could stab them. I also enjoyed hacking away at the Stalfos, trying to avoid the swords he was using to shield himself.
I loved the accuracy of the motion controls. MotionPlus adds a lot to the game, not just to the swordplay, but also to the items. The flying bug was fun to use, and I can’t wait to see the other new items they have created. I knew it was going to be good from the original artwork picture, then the screenshots came along, then the videos, and now, after playing it, I know it is going to be an instant classic. It’s got a lot to live up to but I can’t see it struggling.
I wasn’t too impressed to be honest. I thought the MotionPlus didn’t do what I wanted half the time and I thought the graphics were average. I’m sure the game will be fantastic as I am yet to be disappointed with any Zelda game and the sound and music is perfect.
It’s amazing. The combat works extremely well – particularly the boss battle in the demo against Ghirahim – where you really have to get your sword swipe angles right. It just feels right and it was an extremely difficult battle at that too. If I hadn’t found that my inventory wasn’t filled with potions I’d have lost, as you need to be on your feet. Grabbing hearts from pots left me open to a few attacks and even standard enemies provide a proper challenge now. You really have to think more about what you do with your items now.
It’s the creativity and changes to the formula that excited me the most, though. Stuff like being able to sprint instead of roll, the new inventory system/control set-up and real-time potion chugging really stood out to me. Unfortunately the dungeon portion of the demo had a strict time limit, but from what I played it felt very freeform, and the flying beetle power-up reminded me of Wind Waker’s seagulls.
The music’s a clear win and its orchestrated sounds extend to sound effects. Hearing Zelda’s famous item GET and eight-note chimes was heaven for my ears.
If you’ve gotten a chance to play Skyward Sword at any of the recent comic conventions it’s appeared at, sound off in the comments with your thoughts! Because of the new control scheme and vast effort to improve the gameplay and formula, this Zelda‘s the perfect opportunity for fans to get together and talk about what they think!
Source: Official Nintendo Magazine
