Glad they gave Ghirahim a different style fight, though it did seem a little... odd that he'd just willingly hold up his sword like that for Link to whack into pieces. Ah well, it was still a fun challenge.
And since Hylia was reincarnated as Zelda, I totally called Demise as the origin of Ganondorf. That should make it much less convoluted to bring him back in future games. Damn, he looked great and imposing, with just enough resemblance to Ganondorf without restraining his design from going interesting new places. I liked the fight... well, after I finally went to gamefaqs after five deaths and realized you're supposed to steal the lightning from him. Am I dumb or did others of you struggled with that?
And while it was a waggle-fest that wasn't a challenge in the least, I really dug cutting through hordes of Bobokins. That was some unexpected fun.
Wired.com: It’s come out since Mario Kart 7 came out, there have been some articles about how Retro Studios was very deeply involved in the making of this game, and it’s considered a landmark for the series because you had this collaboration between EAD and Retro. And I’m curious as to whether you think that this would be an interesting model for more games, like a Mario platformer or a Zelda game, to have a Western team and a Japanese team working in close concert to produce a game like that.
Miyamoto: First of all, let me talk a little bit more in detail about how we collaborated with Retro Studios this time. Of course, they were taking care of the game designing aspect. Specifically, they were taking care of the design of the courses and the artwork about that. But when it comes to the gameplay and the control mechanism itself, that’s being taken care of by EAD once again.
People often say that videogames made by Western developers are somehow different in terms of taste for the players, in comparison with Japanese games. I think that means that the Western developers and Japanese developers, they are good at different fields. And that resulted in a different taste in [their games]. Mario Kart, I believe, was good in order to express that kind of different taste because we have many kinds of different courses for the Mario karts to run and race around. So for each of the different courses, we could identify: Retro is supposed to take care of this course, and EAD is going to do that, and such and such. Then, we were able to join forces in order to realize a variety of different courses, a variety of different tastes. I think that’s one reason how it worked out well between a Japanese development team and a Western development team.
As you know, we have already collaborated with Retro for the Metroid Prime series in the past. And I think when we talk about any other franchise, Zelda might be a possible franchise for that collaboration.
Wired.com: It did seem to me, playing Skyward Sword, that Aonuma-san and his team were maybe looking at some Western role-playing game convention to add to Zelda: you know, collecting hundreds and hundreds of bugs and collecting lots and lots of treasure and loot, crafting items. That seems to me something that you haven’t really seen in Zelda games before or really in Japanese role-playing games, that idea of that giant inventory and that feeling of freedom is maybe something they pulled from Western games. Would you say that as well or am I really off the mark?
Miyamoto: I just don’t have that kind of idea actually. Of course, when it comes to Japanese role-playing games, in any role-playing game in Japan you’re supposed to collect a huge number of items, and magic, and you’ve got to actually combine different items together to make something really different. Of course, in the beginning, there’s got to be some influence from the original role-playing games that originated in the Western PC game format.
And when it comes to The Legend of Zelda, we look at the recent series in the Legend of Zelda franchise other than creating the new items and making some new riddles and puzzles in the game franchise, we were simply making something larger. In other worse, in the course of the evolution of the Legend of Zelda, the only way that the developers were able to take was making something more. And for that matter, I think the inclusion of insect collecting and combining the different potions or medicines, for example, I think that I myself actually thought that was a good idea or direction to make a kind of change in the franchise for this time around.
But then, when I’m asked, did the making of Skyward Sword have a great impact from the Western way of making RPGs, I just don’t think so. On the other hand, I also think that Zelda in the first place was a game where players were given a lot more freedom. In my opinion, the recent works of The Legend of Zelda lacked that kind of expanded freedom. With Skyward Sword one of the things I wanted to realize is going back to the basics, so that players would be given a lot of freedom.
Wired.com: So with Skyward Sword, a lot has been said about pushing the series forward with orchestrated music. One of the only complaints I’ve read about the game, and this was something I noticed, is that I think in the five years since Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword… when Twilight Princess came out nobody really said anything about this, but when Skyward Sword came out and the game had no voice acting, it makes an impression now because it’s one of very very few games in that genre which do not have the characters actually speaking in full voice. And I’m curious, I know we’ve probably spoken about this before in the past and I know Nintendo has very deliberate — it’s not a question of technology, it’s a question of artistic style and there are reasons you do it that way. But I’m wondering if there’s any pressure now as games keep evolving to add voices to Zelda to keep it current.
Miyamoto: After all, it’s a question of, what do we really want to make? As the director, of course I want to be getting involved, have direct hands on as many parts and as many things as possible. So it depends upon what kind of direction we are taking for certain projects. For example, if we are pursuing photorealism, I do not think that the director can do a lot — in other words, the staff working on the forefront of development are having their hands on, and the director cannot have their hands on, these details.
But what kind of game, it totally depends on what kind of direction I really want to [take]. And … whether the voice actors should play a key role right now is one of the elements that we’ve got to decide in terms of entirely what things we’d like to make. And talking specifically about the possibility of hiring voice actors to play over the roles of the main characters, we have to ask ourselves, after all, what kind of things do we really need them to speak out? Are they important, and are they really doing anything good for the expanding of the attraction of the Zelda franchise itself?
My opinion is actually against that. I mean, by having the voice actor speaking out the main character’s opinions and messages, I’m afraid that they are going to narrow down the actual characteristics that people can imagine or apply to each character they are controlling, for example. But after all, it depends upon how much work the developer has to show, how many things the director can do, and is it going to do anything good to expand the charm or attraction of The Legend of Zelda? So once again, in terms of all these, if you ask me, isn’t it important for Link and other main characters to speak? I just cannot think so, because of, in terms of what I can do and what Zelda should do.
The stuff in SS like bug collecting arose from a desire to make a bigger game with more stuff. But SS also streamlines and eliminates a lot of items, too.
He was disappointed that recent Zelda games had less freedom so he's glad that Skyward Sword has more. (It really doesn't).
His last three-paragraph responds is completely incoherent to me. It has to do with what a director wants ... which also has to do with photorealism ... and expanding the attraction of the franchise. What is he trying to say? If he just said "Zelda dialogue is too goofy for voice-acting and we like not having Link talk," that would be one thing...
I liked the fight... well, after I finally went to gamefaqs after five deaths and realized you're supposed to steal the lightning from him. Am I dumb or did others of you struggled with that?
Yes, same problem here.
Fi basically said "oh you can't Skyward Strike because this is his realm, but whoa look he gets to use lightning!" so I assumed I couldn't. And I didn't! I won with timed shield blocks and slashes.
Miyamoto: As you know, we have already collaborated with Retro for the Metroid Prime series in the past. And I think when we talk about any other franchise, Zelda might be a possible franchise for that collaboration.
Ooohhh man, that would be an amazing collaboration to see! Retro Studios redesigning classic Zelda enemies and creating new enemy types and bosses; working with the current Zelda team on the overworld and dungeon layouts. The end result of that would have to be nothing short of one of the best products to ever come from Nintendo.
I have to say that as a whole, those questions from that Wired article are kind of offhandedly nervy though. They all seem to be insinuating "why don't you make games more like Western RPGs?" and "what about more of this Western element and/or influence?" Its like he is another one of those people that is currently playing a lot of Skyrim and doesn't fully grasp that this is not what The Legend of Zelda is trying to be. I really like how this series has always done its own thing. Also the way it takes on RPG elements currently, just wading in them and only extracting little bits, is pretty much perfect. Link doesn't need to have a Fallout scale inventory system where about half of the items are useless or simply different varieties of other items.
Considering their great work on DKCR, I want Retro to make a Zelda side scroller with modern sensibilities. Throw Zelda 2 out the window, or include nods if you like, the point is that people will see it as being Zelda 2-style even if it's nothing like it. Just make it a thoroughly modern Zelda game, only side scrolling.
This is getting off topic, but Retro has absolutely earned the right to do anything they damn well please with pretty much any of Nintendo's properties.
The stuff in SS like bug collecting arose from a desire to make a bigger game with more stuff. But SS also streamlines and eliminates a lot of items, too.
Miyamoto was referencing other recent Zeldas, which I assume Twilight Princess is a prime example of; not Skyward Sword, indicated by the past tense 'were'.
He was disappointed that recent Zelda games had less freedom so he's glad that Skyward Sword has more. (It really doesn't).
You're right in the progressing sort of sense, but in terms of exploration, it offers more freedom than for example the train in Phantom Hourglass. You can fly anywhere in the overworld right from the start. There might not be much to discover, but it's still considered freedom. In Twilight Princess, you're essentially going from point A to B to C, into a dungeon and never returning again. It's restrictive. In Skyward Sword, you go back to places to find new areas and secrets. That is what I think he means with freedom.
His last three-paragraph responds is completely incoherent to me. It has to do with what a director wants ... which also has to do with photorealism ... and expanding the attraction of the franchise. What is he trying to say? If he just said "Zelda dialogue is too goofy for voice-acting and we like not having Link talk," that would be one thing...
Basically, what is the director's vision when conceptualizing? If (IF) the director wants photorealism, he or she can't get too involved in the many facets that encapsulates a game's production, since the development team and manhours that entails with photorealism would be massive. If he's directing the game, he and his team ask themselves: "What is important? Would this and this cause the franchise to go forward?" In the case of voice acting in Zelda, his answer is no.
Considering their great work on DKCR, I want Retro to make a Zelda side scroller with modern sensibilities. Throw Zelda 2 out the window, or include nods if you like, the point is that people will see it as being Zelda 2-style even if it's nothing like it. Just make it a thoroughly modern Zelda game, only side scrolling.
A Metrelda, if you will.
That would be especially interesting given this recent statement from Aonuma:
If you're a fan of the Legend of Zelda series but dislike the motion controls, prepare for disappointment. According to Eiji Aonuma, the producer of the Legend of Zelda, it would be too difficult to go back to implementing a standard button control system for future Zelda games. His direct quote is below:
I honestly think we cannot go back to button controls now, so I think that these controls will be used in future Zelda titles, too.
Can't get more definitive than that.
Zelda's opening debut with motion controls was a bit rocky with Twilight Princess, but Skyward Sword showed how great the motion controls could be thanks to the Wii Motion Plus. So, even though the Wii U's controller looks more traditional than the Wii Remote, it doesn't mean that future Zelda games will revert to traditional controls. How this will fully integrate we cannot say, but surely E3 2012 will give us more to go on, particularly in terms of final console design.
Could always be a 3DS game though.
Rehab on
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Alfred J. Kwakis it because you were insultedwhen I insulted your hair?Registered Userregular
edited December 2011
so, just out of curiosity, what's the general consensus about Skyward Sword? Is it really the best Zelda game yet?
Personally, a few things are holding it back for me - mainly, it's the linearity of the game (yes, this has been touched in the last thread, and I'm aware it's the case with every Zelda ever). This time around, I find it really noticeable how I'm being railroaded through a lot of the game's areas, when I'd much rather be freely exploring, which is sadly not really possible (because of the corridor level design, and the areas are just too small). Other, minor points include the way that Skyloft feels disconnected from the rest of the game world (WW solved this better, imo), and my continuing struggles with the controls. But then again, I'm still only at the 5th dungeon.
Oh, and my favorite thing in this game? Helping all the people in Skyloft with their daily problems, MM-style. Yeah .
see, small areas is a complaint I can understand. I personally think their sizes are fine, but I get how someone else would think they are too small. but I literally have no idea what people are talking about when they say the SS overworld is made up of cramped corridors
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Alfred J. Kwakis it because you were insultedwhen I insulted your hair?Registered Userregular
edited December 2011
I don't want to be the one responsible for warming up that argument again, but it kind of is :P
I think someone mentioned the Fable games in the last thread, and that's an apt comparison. The game (through the means of level design) strictly tells you where to go and where not to. For the most part, you're guided through the areas along the one and only path, there are preciously few places that open up a bit, and what might be perceived as a wide open area (the forest, the desert) really is just another series of corridors (not necessarily enclosed by physical walls). Again, this is the case with every Zelda game ever, but I think it's finally the time to change the formula.
I think part of the charm of earlier Zeldas, and why this one feels more linear even with "open" maps, is that it always gave you the choice to go somewhere you weren't supposed to go. In OoT, as soon as I got past the fucking owl, I could go to Lake Hylia or Gerudo Valley, even though I wasn't supposed to actually be there for a while. It gave me the freedom to figure out where I wasn't supposed to be on my own, instead of telling me outright that I wasn't supposed to be there.
It'd be different in SS if there were hidden paths to get between the surface areas without going to the sky; if I could walk through the forest and find a path somewhere else, even if I couldn't use it (something like the path to Goron City through the Lost Woods: you could find it and half-way use it, but without bombs, you couldn't actually go through all the way, so the path just taunted you), it would be better than the game not really letting me explore the world below me.
Honestly, a lot of the game's world-design problems stem from the fact that it's impossible to get around WITHOUT using the Sky. At least I could get between the desert and the lake by using that river in OoT; I didn't HAVE to use the overworld, and it made the gameworld feel more real. All of SS's areas feel too disconnected, like they are simply separate maps, and not pieces of a whole world. Linking the ground areas would have fixed this AND streamlined late-game travel.
So, it's not that the gameworld is a series of corridors, or even that it's too small (although the Sky definitely is too small, by an order of magnitude), but rather that the separate nature of the world spaces and the way the game locks you out of preliminary exploration makes the world feel not like a world, but like a bunch of levels... well, in a game.
Finally polished off Dark Souls and got started on Skyward Sword.
Does flying ever become not annoying? Maybe I'm missing a little trick that would make it easier, but pointing the Wiimote up and down, up and down, gets tiring fast and I feel like it's difficult to maintain a consistent height.
Imagine holding a butcher's knife and start going up and down to gain some altitude. You don't have to be at the highest altitude. Then dive by tilting the remote downwards. Press A to accelerate. There are boost rocks with little holes scattered around Skyloft so you can get to places in no time.
oh, I'm sure there'll be a story event and then I can finally open those damn chests I keep finding everywhere
You're right, you do figure out how to open those chests, but it's not quite what you're thinking.
EDIT: For the gaining altitude in The Sky, the chopping motion does make your loftwing flap. Generally I just flap to the top of the world, then dive wherever I need to go.
Imagine holding a butcher's knife and start going up and down to gain some altitude. You don't have to be at the highest altitude. Then dive by tilting the remote downwards. Press A to accelerate. There are boost rocks with little holes scattered around Skyloft so you can get to places in no time.
Tilting it down is uncomfortable though. I feel like I have to bend my wrist downwards as much as I possibly can to get it to start diving... which is gonna set off my de quervains tendonitis something fierce if I have to continue doing this throughout the entire game.
I think I'll try upping the sensitivity and see if that helps.
Tilting it down is uncomfortable though. I feel like I have to bend my wrist downwards as much as I possibly can to get it to start diving... which is gonna set off my de quervains tendonitis something fierce if I have to continue doing this throughout the entire game.
I think I'll try upping the sensitivity and see if that helps.
Try this. When flying, hold the remote between your thumb and middle finger, with the ring and little finger supporting the remote underneath. Use the index finger to press A. To gain altitude, grip it with the index finger and shake up and down.
Tilting it down is uncomfortable though. I feel like I have to bend my wrist downwards as much as I possibly can to get it to start diving... which is gonna set off my de quervains tendonitis something fierce if I have to continue doing this throughout the entire game.
I think I'll try upping the sensitivity and see if that helps.
Try this. When flying, hold the remote between your thumb and middle finger, with the ring and little finger supporting the remote underneath. Use the index finger to press A. To gain altitude, grip it with the index finger and shake up and down.
I think "corridor" is the wrong metaphor for SS's linearity, though. The overworld reminds me most of the levels in Super Mario Sunshine, in that they're basically obstacle courses. The linearity comes from the game forcing you to explore each obstacle course in a set order. In fact I read somewhere that Aonuma had exactly the Mario-style "course selection" structure in mind when designing the Sky as a way to go from area to area.
"Corridor," on the other hand, brings to mind cramped passageways of a Metroid game.
Personally, I don't prefer one style over the other necessarily. I also think SS has a lot of exploration on a smaller scale. Individual areas, like rooms in dungeons and sections of the overworld, are much larger than in other Zelda games. Scouting these big areas with the beetle, your little Predator drone, introduces a new sense of freedom that sort of makes up for the lack of big-picture exploration in the game.
Skyward Sword is definitely top three for me. LTTP is probably my favorite (thank you nostalgia!) but its a tossup between Wind Waker and Skyward Sword.
I think I'm gonna go through a Zelda phase. Probably gonna do Link's Awakening, MM and finally Spirit Tracks.
@Ragnar, try sitting up on the edge of the couch and holding the remote (pointed down) over the edge of your seat for dive-bombing. Also helps when rolling bombs.
To gain altitude, I always pretend that I'm holding the reigns so I end up shaking both the remote and nunchuk, which is unnecessary but more fun.
@Ragnar, try sitting up on the edge of the couch and holding the remote (pointed down) over the edge of your seat for dive-bombing. Also helps when rolling bombs.
To gain altitude, I always pretend that I'm holding the reigns so I end up shaking both the remote and nunchuk, which is unnecessary but more fun.
I think asking people whether a game is best in the series when it just came out and is fresh in their mind isn't going to get you accurate responses. We'll know in 2 years.
so, just out of curiosity, what's the general consensus about Skyward Sword? Is it really the best Zelda game yet?
I actually don't think I've seen *anyone* say it's the best Zelda game. There doens't seem to be much consensus about it on here period, actually. Plus everyone seems to enjoy Zelda games in general for very different reasons.
It's my second favorite after OoT, but I friggin' love the motion controls. I think a lot hinges on the controls (my primary reason for enjoying Zelda games is the "feel" of being Link). I enjoyed the game's learning curve, of not being an expert at it as soon as I picked it up—swordfighting a Stalfos in SS for the first time felt almost as fresh and thrilling as it did in OoT. Some people really don't like the controls, though.
I think the game makes other important advances: running and stamina are awesome, the shield system is a great addition that makes Link feel more vulnerable. I love flying on the birdie though I wish it was more connected to the rest of the game. I also like the subtle shifts in level design—dungeons have fewer rooms but the rooms are much bigger now.
The music is amazing, just friggin' amazing. I'm surprised more people don't gush about it. Not just that it's orchestrated—the way it's used, the way it changes based on where you are, how deep you are in a dungeon, how many hearts you have left. Obviously Zelda games have been doing this since OoT, but SS just nails it. It's probably my favorite music in any videogame.
The dungeons are, I think, pretty good, probably some of the best in the series, though there's only 7 of them and I thought OoT had better and more creative dungeons overall. I'm pissed that there's two fire dungeons and neither of them are very interesting. However, the bosses are by far the most fun in the series (combat in general is the most fun in any game I've played, though this is coming from someone who loves the controls).
I am less sold on "density." Sometimes I think it works very well. More than anything, the overworld structure, and how you have to return to areas after they've changed, reminds me of Link to the Past. But I really didn't like the volcano area very much, which sucks because it's like a third of the game. And because of the Wii's graphical limitations, the overworld areas often lack the rich atmosphere you find inside dungeons and so feel more like bare scaffolding that holds up gameplay ideas, rather than actual places. That kind of design works better in a Mario game, but an immersive sense of place is important to Zelda.
By far the worst thing about the game, in my opinion—and this is something where there probably is consensus—is the heavyhanded way it presents information, essentially doubling down both on Navi's obnoxious "Look at that gate! Do you think there's a switch that opens it?" hand-holding in OoT and on the infuriating "You've found a red rupee! It's worth 20 rupees" shit from Twilight Princess. I am dreading playing the game through again in Hero Mode for this reason.
I think I agree with the reviewer from Joystick who said something like "Somewhere, buried in Skyward Sword, is the best videogame ever." But it has a lot of infuriating flaws that would be easy to fix but result in literally hours of annoyance for the player. It's a big step for Zelda games, the biggest since OoT, but in lots of ways it doesn't step far enough. On the other hand, it's gotten me excited for the future of videogames, something I can't really say about any other game I've played recently.
Alfred J. Kwakis it because you were insultedwhen I insulted your hair?Registered Userregular
edited December 2011
Regarding the dungeons, so far I don't think they hold up to TP's dungeons. The first one was passable, nothing really special aside from the dungeon item and boss, but not bad. Didn't like the second one, hated the third (I disliked the whole area, actually, also the part that opens up when you return) and loved the fourth dungeon. I heard the last dungeon reaches a Stone Tower level of complexity.
-Bosses don't really appear intimidating, but kind of silly and unfitting
hm, up until now, I didn't notice anything particularly unusual about the bosses - well, no, there was one boss
the giant demon, of all things. I mean, I have to hit it's toes, really?
Alfred J. Kwak on
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KorKnown to detonate from time to timeRegistered Userregular
Dungeon bosses:
Well, Ghirahim didn't earn any points in the coolness area. I mean his dialogue was awesome, but it didn't seem to fit his sudden costume change into the tights.
The Imprisoned look awesome, until you see his full body.
5th dungeon boss was a fucking joke. Looked like it was pulled straight out of a Kirby game.
2nd dungeon didn't really do anything for me either. It was a giant rock with really weak/scrawny legs.
Posts
So, thoughts on the ending.
And since Hylia was reincarnated as Zelda, I totally called Demise as the origin of Ganondorf. That should make it much less convoluted to bring him back in future games. Damn, he looked great and imposing, with just enough resemblance to Ganondorf without restraining his design from going interesting new places. I liked the fight... well, after I finally went to gamefaqs after five deaths and realized you're supposed to steal the lightning from him. Am I dumb or did others of you struggled with that?
And while it was a waggle-fest that wasn't a challenge in the least, I really dug cutting through hordes of Bobokins. That was some unexpected fun.
Because its goddamn gorgeous.
I wish I could post that as one photo.
3DS FC: 5343-7720-0490
Miyamoto's early drug use finally taking its toll?
He was disappointed that recent Zelda games had less freedom so he's glad that Skyward Sword has more. (It really doesn't).
His last three-paragraph responds is completely incoherent to me. It has to do with what a director wants ... which also has to do with photorealism ... and expanding the attraction of the franchise. What is he trying to say? If he just said "Zelda dialogue is too goofy for voice-acting and we like not having Link talk," that would be one thing...
Yes, same problem here.
Ooohhh man, that would be an amazing collaboration to see! Retro Studios redesigning classic Zelda enemies and creating new enemy types and bosses; working with the current Zelda team on the overworld and dungeon layouts. The end result of that would have to be nothing short of one of the best products to ever come from Nintendo.
I have to say that as a whole, those questions from that Wired article are kind of offhandedly nervy though. They all seem to be insinuating "why don't you make games more like Western RPGs?" and "what about more of this Western element and/or influence?" Its like he is another one of those people that is currently playing a lot of Skyrim and doesn't fully grasp that this is not what The Legend of Zelda is trying to be. I really like how this series has always done its own thing. Also the way it takes on RPG elements currently, just wading in them and only extracting little bits, is pretty much perfect. Link doesn't need to have a Fallout scale inventory system where about half of the items are useless or simply different varieties of other items.
A Metrelda, if you will.
Miyamoto was referencing other recent Zeldas, which I assume Twilight Princess is a prime example of; not Skyward Sword, indicated by the past tense 'were'.
You're right in the progressing sort of sense, but in terms of exploration, it offers more freedom than for example the train in Phantom Hourglass. You can fly anywhere in the overworld right from the start. There might not be much to discover, but it's still considered freedom. In Twilight Princess, you're essentially going from point A to B to C, into a dungeon and never returning again. It's restrictive. In Skyward Sword, you go back to places to find new areas and secrets. That is what I think he means with freedom.
Basically, what is the director's vision when conceptualizing? If (IF) the director wants photorealism, he or she can't get too involved in the many facets that encapsulates a game's production, since the development team and manhours that entails with photorealism would be massive. If he's directing the game, he and his team ask themselves: "What is important? Would this and this cause the franchise to go forward?" In the case of voice acting in Zelda, his answer is no.
That would be especially interesting given this recent statement from Aonuma:
Eiji Aonuma Says No More Button Pressing for Zelda
Could always be a 3DS game though.
Personally, a few things are holding it back for me - mainly, it's the linearity of the game (yes, this has been touched in the last thread, and I'm aware it's the case with every Zelda ever). This time around, I find it really noticeable how I'm being railroaded through a lot of the game's areas, when I'd much rather be freely exploring, which is sadly not really possible (because of the corridor level design, and the areas are just too small). Other, minor points include the way that Skyloft feels disconnected from the rest of the game world (WW solved this better, imo), and my continuing struggles with the controls. But then again, I'm still only at the 5th dungeon.
Oh, and my favorite thing in this game? Helping all the people in Skyloft with their daily problems, MM-style. Yeah .
I think someone mentioned the Fable games in the last thread, and that's an apt comparison. The game (through the means of level design) strictly tells you where to go and where not to. For the most part, you're guided through the areas along the one and only path, there are preciously few places that open up a bit, and what might be perceived as a wide open area (the forest, the desert) really is just another series of corridors (not necessarily enclosed by physical walls). Again, this is the case with every Zelda game ever, but I think it's finally the time to change the formula.
I don't have the game yet myself so I don't know firsthand, but it sounded like that was the case from what was said in the Iwata Asks interviews.
It'd be different in SS if there were hidden paths to get between the surface areas without going to the sky; if I could walk through the forest and find a path somewhere else, even if I couldn't use it (something like the path to Goron City through the Lost Woods: you could find it and half-way use it, but without bombs, you couldn't actually go through all the way, so the path just taunted you), it would be better than the game not really letting me explore the world below me.
Honestly, a lot of the game's world-design problems stem from the fact that it's impossible to get around WITHOUT using the Sky. At least I could get between the desert and the lake by using that river in OoT; I didn't HAVE to use the overworld, and it made the gameworld feel more real. All of SS's areas feel too disconnected, like they are simply separate maps, and not pieces of a whole world. Linking the ground areas would have fixed this AND streamlined late-game travel.
So, it's not that the gameworld is a series of corridors, or even that it's too small (although the Sky definitely is too small, by an order of magnitude), but rather that the separate nature of the world spaces and the way the game locks you out of preliminary exploration makes the world feel not like a world, but like a bunch of levels... well, in a game.
Not really the vast majority of them are just a small bit of land with a single chest
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hm, think WW and it's small random treasure islands, but even tinier and, most of the time, not nearly as interesting
Skyloft is kind of ... odd, honestly. I think they could have done a lot more with it. Imo, it's a bit of a wasted opportunity.
Does flying ever become not annoying? Maybe I'm missing a little trick that would make it easier, but pointing the Wiimote up and down, up and down, gets tiring fast and I feel like it's difficult to maintain a consistent height.
Tips please. :^:
I guess that is default state of mind for Chen.
You're right, you do figure out how to open those chests, but it's not quite what you're thinking.
EDIT: For the gaining altitude in The Sky, the chopping motion does make your loftwing flap. Generally I just flap to the top of the world, then dive wherever I need to go.
Tilting it down is uncomfortable though. I feel like I have to bend my wrist downwards as much as I possibly can to get it to start diving... which is gonna set off my de quervains tendonitis something fierce if I have to continue doing this throughout the entire game.
I think I'll try upping the sensitivity and see if that helps.
Alternatively, maracas.
Try this. When flying, hold the remote between your thumb and middle finger, with the ring and little finger supporting the remote underneath. Use the index finger to press A. To gain altitude, grip it with the index finger and shake up and down.
Thanks man. I'll give it a go.
"Corridor," on the other hand, brings to mind cramped passageways of a Metroid game.
Personally, I don't prefer one style over the other necessarily. I also think SS has a lot of exploration on a smaller scale. Individual areas, like rooms in dungeons and sections of the overworld, are much larger than in other Zelda games. Scouting these big areas with the beetle, your little Predator drone, introduces a new sense of freedom that sort of makes up for the lack of big-picture exploration in the game.
I think I'm gonna go through a Zelda phase. Probably gonna do Link's Awakening, MM and finally Spirit Tracks.
To gain altitude, I always pretend that I'm holding the reigns so I end up shaking both the remote and nunchuk, which is unnecessary but more fun.
Haha! I think I'll start doing this too! :rotate:
I actually don't think I've seen *anyone* say it's the best Zelda game. There doens't seem to be much consensus about it on here period, actually. Plus everyone seems to enjoy Zelda games in general for very different reasons.
It's my second favorite after OoT, but I friggin' love the motion controls. I think a lot hinges on the controls (my primary reason for enjoying Zelda games is the "feel" of being Link). I enjoyed the game's learning curve, of not being an expert at it as soon as I picked it up—swordfighting a Stalfos in SS for the first time felt almost as fresh and thrilling as it did in OoT. Some people really don't like the controls, though.
I think the game makes other important advances: running and stamina are awesome, the shield system is a great addition that makes Link feel more vulnerable. I love flying on the birdie though I wish it was more connected to the rest of the game. I also like the subtle shifts in level design—dungeons have fewer rooms but the rooms are much bigger now.
The music is amazing, just friggin' amazing. I'm surprised more people don't gush about it. Not just that it's orchestrated—the way it's used, the way it changes based on where you are, how deep you are in a dungeon, how many hearts you have left. Obviously Zelda games have been doing this since OoT, but SS just nails it. It's probably my favorite music in any videogame.
The dungeons are, I think, pretty good, probably some of the best in the series, though there's only 7 of them and I thought OoT had better and more creative dungeons overall. I'm pissed that there's two fire dungeons and neither of them are very interesting. However, the bosses are by far the most fun in the series (combat in general is the most fun in any game I've played, though this is coming from someone who loves the controls).
I am less sold on "density." Sometimes I think it works very well. More than anything, the overworld structure, and how you have to return to areas after they've changed, reminds me of Link to the Past. But I really didn't like the volcano area very much, which sucks because it's like a third of the game. And because of the Wii's graphical limitations, the overworld areas often lack the rich atmosphere you find inside dungeons and so feel more like bare scaffolding that holds up gameplay ideas, rather than actual places. That kind of design works better in a Mario game, but an immersive sense of place is important to Zelda.
By far the worst thing about the game, in my opinion—and this is something where there probably is consensus—is the heavyhanded way it presents information, essentially doubling down both on Navi's obnoxious "Look at that gate! Do you think there's a switch that opens it?" hand-holding in OoT and on the infuriating "You've found a red rupee! It's worth 20 rupees" shit from Twilight Princess. I am dreading playing the game through again in Hero Mode for this reason.
I think I agree with the reviewer from Joystick who said something like "Somewhere, buried in Skyward Sword, is the best videogame ever." But it has a lot of infuriating flaws that would be easy to fix but result in literally hours of annoyance for the player. It's a big step for Zelda games, the biggest since OoT, but in lots of ways it doesn't step far enough. On the other hand, it's gotten me excited for the future of videogames, something I can't really say about any other game I've played recently.
I mean... I naturally use the Wiimote in my right hand, so it's not a big deal, but I would switch if it were an option!
I wonder if it bugs Shiggy too?
Majority seem to very much enjoy the game. Most complaints are of minor detail, and are not generally agreed upon.
The overall opinion seems very high, but the complaints stick out to far to ignore.
Common complaints would be as follows.
-Bosses don't really appear intimidating, but kind of silly and unfitting.
-Motion controls aren't responding the way I want them to.
Pokemon Safari - Sneasel, Pawniard, ????
hm, up until now, I didn't notice anything particularly unusual about the bosses - well, no, there was one boss
The Imprisoned look awesome, until you see his full body.
5th dungeon boss was a fucking joke. Looked like it was pulled straight out of a Kirby game.
2nd dungeon didn't really do anything for me either. It was a giant rock with really weak/scrawny legs.
Pokemon Safari - Sneasel, Pawniard, ????