After the amount of hype that surrounded this game during it's development and design, Nintendo had already made it hard for themselves before the latest instalment of Zelda had hit the shelves; Does the Wii game impress though, or will it be the series first flop since the underwhelming Zelda II?
The new art style is an intriguing mix between the chibi charm of The Wind Waker and the more realistic approach adopted by Ocarina of Time and, more recently, Twilight Princess. It seems to be a great match for the Wii and its capabilities. During TP, the screen would just look like a lot of browns, leaving a sometimes dull and dank impression on the player, but as the likes of Super Mario Galaxy and Wii Sports had proven, the Wii really shines when portraying the rainbow. Skyward Sword's art style is certainly a more colourful affair, and so the game truly leaves little to be desired in terms of beauty. It's painted look, apparently inspired by French painter Monet, allows the game to get away with the lack of fine detail its 'next-gen' rivals can manage, and so the development team behind it have cleverly shrouded the Wii's lack of power with awesomeness. This game to me has to be one of the best looking Wii titles of ALL TIME, among the likes of Xenoblade Chronicles and both Mario Galaxies.
The new control system is wicked too. Ever since TP was transferred to Wii in 2006/07, gamers have been desperate to fully control the Master Sword with the oblong-shaped Wiimote. Wii Sports Resort, a game from which many creative ideas have been taken from in this game, brought many closer with its sword-fighting mini-game but finally the Zelda fans can fully control the legendary blade with the new Motion-Plus add-on, as Link (now right-handed) mirrors your every move to precise angle and degree. It truly is amazing stuff. The inclusion of the aforementioned technology has let Skyward Sword be the most innovating title since OofT, when the series became 3D on the Nintendo 64.
The new play control is truly innovative
The days of button pressing seem like ancient past when you play like this and I promise you that you will not want to go back. To many players' delight, the Master Sword isn't the only item to be upgraded. The Bomb Flowers and Fairy Bow have also taken inspiration from Wii Sports Resort, and play almost identically to the bowling and archery mini-games in respective order. The hook(long)shot is equally enjoyable to control. Irritating Zelda staples have even been dismissed. Climbing wall-vines and ladders are speeded up with a flick of the Wii Remote and even swimming can be made faster about 5 hours into the game. Oh yeah, and like most Zelda games, the main mode lasts over 39 hours, and that's excluding side-quests and Hero's Mode which is unlocked after the main game.
The story itself is varied enough to create genuine surprise in some parts, and the cutscenes aid it perfectly. My personal favourite involves Zelda at the Temple of the Time, that can be seen fairly early on in the game. If you'd like to view it, the link will be posted at the end of the review (big spoilers). The new characters are just as rich and you'll even form bonds with minor characters such as Fledge and the Old Lady. The new major villain Ghirahim is suitably disturbing, and a major twist at the end is just pure genius. Fi, Skyward Sword's equivalent to Navi, is less annoying than previous aids and it was a truly sad moment when Link and Fi parted for the final (or is it?) time. Even the elemental dragons that guard the three realms on the surface are well thought out and mesmerizingly animated.
It may sound as if this review is just praise, but it is truly hard to pick flaws with the game. If I had to, I would only comment on the puzzles. Some are incredibly easy and some are frustratingly hard (i'm looking at you, Isle of Songs Puzzle). The difficulty curve is slightly hashed here, but this is the only minor problem. This game is amazing. If you're a long-term Zelda fan: get it. If you're not, still get it. Infact, if you own a Nintendo Wii, then get this game, you wont be disappointed.
Temple of Time Showdown Cutscene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgTFDAk4GVY
9 . 7
OUT OF TEN Reviewed by James Green
The first picture is a drawing done on Colors! 3D and was created by James Green. If you would like to use the picture elsewhere please contact us using the CONTACT US page.
The second picture was created by Nintendo and is owned by them. No copyright infringement is intended by using this picture.
The first picture is based on artwork released by Nintendo for Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, and the official artwork is owned solely by them.
No comments:
Post a Comment