The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Wii
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: 20
November 2011
Nintendo has made a
fortune over the years between Mario and Zelda. The franchises
newest entries are always eagerly awaited and fans flock to stores to
buy them at launch. Zelda enters it's 25th year with an
entry built from the ground up for the Wii: The Legend of Zelda:
Skyward Sword. Since this will be the swan song of the Wii, I
figured it was as good of time as any to finally experience a Zelda
title. So, having no nostalgia-driven memories of saving Hyrule, nor
a deep seeded loathing of Gannon to spur me onward, I delved into
Skyward Sword and the world of Zelda for the first
time. The experience turned out to be one of the best I've ever
played.
Link and Zelda, the
beginning of the legend
All legends have to
begin somewhere. Skyward Sword tells the tale of hero Link
and Princess Zelda just as all the others have done. However, this
time is the first time. Herein lies the origin of the Master Sword
and the fated hero's green attire. Skyward Sword shows us how
all the iconic tools and equipment came to be. This is the first
appearance of Zelda, and of Link working against all odds to save
her. This is where the legend was born.
Link's adventure
starts off on the floating island of Skyloft. Here, a small group
lives their lives in comfort among the clouds. Below the floating
isles is a sea of impenetrable clouds and myths about a strange
“surface” below. The folks all ride large birds to travel the
skies, and the game starts as Link is about to take his final test to
become a Knight, the protectors of Skyloft and her citizens. After
the ceremony, Link and best-friend/love interest Zelda share a
celebratory ride that is cut short by a sudden tornado. When Link
awakens to find Zelda missing, he sets off in search of her; their
intertwined destinies sending Link searching above the clouds and
about the mysterious and wild surface. Both play their parts in the
coming battle with an evil force sealed away aeons ago, when Skyloft
was created as a last bastion of humanity. We guide Link through
many treacherous lands and fulfill his part as a hero foretold long
ago. The foil, the effete demon lord Ghirahim (series villain Gannon
is no where to be found), is out to revive his master, Demise, and
needs Zelda to do it. The clashes between Link and Ghirahim
culminate in the ultimate battle, and every meeting feels suitably
epic. Link is joined by a sentient program in his sword, the Goddess
Blade, named Fi. Fi helps Link make headway in his journey and is a great
companion the whole adventure. She offers insight when stuck, and never feels like an annoying nag.
Fi, an adventurer's
best friend
This harrowing
adventure plays out in many interesting locations. Each region
visited by Link in his quest is self contained. However, this
doesn't mean that the world doesn't feel vast. The puzzle filled
lands are linear paths to temples which lead to more
clues/items/challenges that progress the story. Though there is a
lot of backtracking, each successive visit changes the land in some
way. At first, it might be subtle, like a path being open to
exploration (thanks to a tool or ability acquired elsewhere) or a
friendly creature moving an obstruction. Later, it might be major,
like a flood, which changes familiar ground in a dangerous new
region. I found I wasn't too concerned with backtracking because the
changes made familiar places seem alien. Though the overall layout
rarely changed, finding new paths made it feel fresh. There are a
few times where Link must return to Skyloft to open the next dungeon,
and these suffer a bit. Replenishing supplies is always necessary,
but running back to the temple to watch a brief scene where the next
area is opened and then heading off again gets a bit tedious.
Skyloft has plenty of side quests, most are simple fetch quests that
don't really add much. If Link helps his fellow citizens, he will
get items that make his quest easier. These didn't have the same
allure as the main quest though, and I found myself neglecting them.
Returning almost seems like an extra step to pad an already lengthy
game out, which is a shame.
It is a gorgeous game
Skyward Sword
introduces some new ideas that add positively to the game. Found in
the environment or dropped by foes are 'treasures' that can be used
to upgrade equipment. Most tools have an upgraded form that is leaps
and bounds better. This means that tools that are picked up early
can change and still be useful. New tools join series staples and
offer fresh ideas. My favorite is the mechanical beetle. It can
scout ahead, and hit switches out of reach. Upgrading this tool
allows Link to deliver bombs to enemies or items to locations Link
cannot reach. Shields can also be upgraded, and repaired. This new
wrinkle means that you have to be aware of your environment and
enemies. A wooden shield isn't going to be very useful when enemies
shoot fire. If it breaks, it's gone, but a helpful Skyloft citizen
offers repairs and upgrades. Upgrading tools and shields is a great
way to keep adventurers scouring the lands for parts.
Dungeons are
puzzle-filled joys to explore. Each room contains some manner of
challenge to overcome. These are not the mundane
“find-the-key-to-proceed” puzzles either. They require careful
consideration of the environment, the tools at your disposal and the
abilities you have learned. There are not a lot of secret areas, and
a thorough adventurer will find everything while working toward the
exit. Enemies don't respawn too often, though some are necessary for
puzzles/obstructions. At the end, where the treasure lies, also
waits a boss. These are some of the best and most involved fights in
the game (as it should be). All of them require not only use of the
proper tools (usually found shortly before the dungeon), but also
your skill. A particular favorite of mine involves a giant scorpion.
The claws are destroyed with precision strikes and the beast
burrows. Through use of a tool, the beast is forced out where his
eye is exposed. The heavily protected eye can only be hit with a
thrust, so the player must position themselves and then drive their
swords forward to eventually fell the best. It's intense, clever and
immensely satisfying to finally stand victorious. The boss
vanquished, Link can claim his prize and begin the next leg of his
journey.
Link VS the scorpion!
When Link reaches
the tests of the Goddess to prove he is worthy, players enter the
Silent Realms. These challenges task Link with collecting items
scattered throughout a familiar area. The catch is that Link has no
items or tools besides his legs. There are no enemies to fight, but
plenty to flee. Guardians await any adventurer foolish enough to
draw attention to himself, and the terrifying music and washed out
visuals as they close in ramp up the tension. Guardians are
silenced/stilled temporarily when the collectable is gathered. Link
must swiftly traverse the land, avoiding ghosts with lanterns and
water lest the Guardians awaken; a single hit from a Guardian will
result in restarting the entire challenge. I found these stages a
welcome change of pace and they were hard, but fun. I actually spent
a hair-raising 30 seconds (it felt much longer) fleeing toward the
last item with several Guardians nipping at my heels. I relished the
relief at finishing that challenge, and it's just one of several
memories I made while playing.
To sell the world,
the game employs an amazing art style. The Wii isn't known for it's
visuals, but the water-color inspired vistas of Skyward Sword
are breathtaking. The style also helps the game process the data
better. Objects further way fade into the vague color pallet, and
come into focus as you near them. The bright colors pop off the
screen and make for a vibrant, living world. Pictures don't do the
game justice; it really is one of the best looking Wii titles
available. To compliment the visuals, iconic tunes are blended
together with new music that always fits. The aural soundscapes go a
long way to making an incredible journey memorable. I still find
myself humming some of the tunes.
The Main Menu theme of
Skyward Sword
Combat is the only
bit where Skyward Sword stumbles. Wii controls have always
been hit or miss, even with Wii Motion Plus (required for Skyward
Sword), and when precision is needed, it can be a drag. It may
sound like hyperbole, but when it works, Skyward Sword can be
as rewarding as Demon's Souls. You cannot rush into enemies
and waggle the Wii-mote frantically and hope to survive. Each enemy
has a pattern to learn, and openings to exploit. Some are simple
enough, openings either length or width-wise, while others require
much more patience. For example, there are four-armed skeletons
offer only one safe attack avenue that constantly shifts. Miss and
you'll face a powerful counter attack. When you get into a rhythm of
attacks, parries and exploits, you truly feel like a hero. Enemies
fall around you and collecting the spoils makes you feel bad-ass.
But, when things do not work as they should, there are senseless hits
and even deaths. I was using a Wii Motion Plus attachment (not the
built in model), and occasionally it wouldn't register properly.
Rarely, this would have the Wii-mote register the inverse of what I
wanted. Other times, especially when thrusting, even a slight twist
of my wrist or a not-perfectly-straight-forward thrust would instead
lead to a slash. In the above mentioned boss fight, a thrust would
injure the boss. A slash would leave Link open to attack. Needless
to say, this was frustrating. It wasn't constant, but it occurred
enough to knock the score a bit. Other reviews have mentioned
similar issues, while some have never experienced them, so it could
have been my controller, but it may not have been.
Bosses are mostly
well designed and offer outsized challenges that fit their epic
scopes. These fights follow the age-old trend of finding the pattern and
countering it. Bosses on the whole are great fun, with a couple of
exceptions. Some great ones include the scorpion, a lava fiend that
approaches on spindly legs, a kraken and the first Ghirahim fight.
While those are memorable and straddle the challenge/fun line well,
the last few are some of the most rage-inducing fights in recent
memory. The repeated boss battle is one that deserves a special
place in the “Hall of Damned Annoying Fights.” Still, the
challenge these creatures present nearly always ends up being more
fun than frustrating.
Demon Lord Ghirahim
toys with Link
While it sounds
like some of these issues may be deal breakers, they really don't
detract a lot from the game. This will be a classic, and it is a
reason to own a Wii (or dust one off). Since I don't have the
nostalgia factoring in, I got to enjoy Skyward Sword on it's
own merits. I loved nearly every minute of it. Whenever frustration
mounted and I walked away, I found myself drawn back. This game
deserves high praise, and I could go on describing more amazing
situations or fantastic memories. For an introduction to Zelda,
this one is amazing and deserves consideration for Game of the Year.
I heartily recommend it to anyone looking for a great adventure. I
know that I'll now be returning and experiencing the rest of Link and
Zelda's tales now that I know what all the fuss is about. I can't
give it higher praise than that.
Score:
9.5 out of 10
Bottom
Line:
An amazing adventure that even sporadic control issues cannot derail,
a future classic for sure
Check
it out if you like:
The Zelda
series, Okami,
Darksiders,
adventure games, sword fights
Game of the
Year Contender – 2011
No comments:
Post a Comment