Review: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
By: Zach Chovan
Writing a review for a Zelda game is a pretty daunting task, and Skyward Sword required a bit more digestion time than I originally anticipated. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is a fantastic game, one of the best of the generation, and one of the best on Wii, but it's not the best Zelda game.
First and foremost, the question on everyone's mind is how well the Wii Motion Plus controls work, which are required to play the game. I assure you, the controls work extremely well, with a few minor gripes. Slashing your sword in true 1:1 control is extremely refreshing, a bit strange, and very challenging. I found the best way to describe how it feels is to think back to when you played your first 3D game, particularly Ocarina of Time, the first 3D Zelda game. Back then, the newness of that style of gameplay proved to be a bit challenging for a lot of people, simply because of how different it was compared to the over-the-top combat of the 2D Zelda games. I liken that experience to the Motion Plus controls. I found, especially for the first half of the game, that my inexperience with this type of control method made even common enemies a large threat. No longer could I defeat a Bokoblin in passing and continue on my quest. The intricacies of the motion control made defeating a mere Bokoblin much harder, which was a great thing for me (the harder the better!). Eventually I got better, but trying to figure out how to defeat each type of enemy is fun and challenging in its own right. A simple enemy becomes a mini-puzzle, and then you must execute your attack plan properly. You can't defeat a monster blocking on the right by slashing from the right; you must slash from the left (or above or below...or perhaps a stab? You have to figure it out!).
Of course, your sword isn't the only thing using Wi Motion Plus. Nearly all your items use it, too. Most notable is the Beetle item, which is a clever item that provides some interesting new puzzles and obstacles for you. It can also be used as a scouting device, since it separates from Link and can scout inaccessible areas for a set amount of time. Also worth noting: you'll be using every item throughout the entire game--a welcome change from Twilight Princess' once-and-done approach to item use.
What's bad about Motion Plus controls? Well, they're not perfect. They do sometimes need to be recentered (note: not recalibrated--I personally never had to fully recalibrate my controller during my playthrough) occasionally, but this is mostly because it resets its neutral position each time you get out an item that uses it, enter first person, or get out your sword. This is meant to help you, which it does more often then not, but sometimes your hands just won't be in the correct position, which leads to an awkward center. Thankfully, a quick button press will recenter it to the position of your choosing. For me, this was a minor gripe. For some others, this might drive you mad. It's merely a matter of how much tolerance you have, because for me, this hiccup was worth the new gameplay experience offered by playing with Motion Plus. There is no doubt for me: this game simply wouldn't be the same (or nearly as fun) without the Motion Plus. It's just a matter of preference at this point, but I feel most people will love what Nintendo has done here. Most people just need to give it a fair chance, because this is the Wii's full potential and full vision realized 5 years after its release.
This game has Link and Zelda living in the sky, and through a series of events, find their way down to the mysterious surface world below. The tale is grand, the locations pretty, and the characters lovable. I think most people will love the scenario of this game, as it is as charming as it is epic. However, a real disappointment for me was the structuring of the overworld(s). I found the sky, though fun to fly around and explore, to be very small and a little barren. The "second" overworld is the surface world, which is extremely dense and filled with plenty of things, but there is no connectivity between the areas of the surface world other than the sky. You'll also find yourself continually revisiting these regions for a new task, which seemed a little too much like filler material, even though they seem to be conscious design decisions. A few segments of the game had me scratching my head in this regard, but most of the time I thought it was fun. My main issue is that the areas aren't really different enough, as it mainly boils down to a forest, a desert, and a volcano, which isn't quite as varied as previous installments, and a bit disappointing because of that. As someone who just likes to explore an interconnected world and find out its secrets, I was let down by Skyward Sword's world structure.
For this Zelda title, Nintendo chose an "impressionist" art style that some say is a hybrid of the more realistic Twilight Princess and the cartoon-like Wind Waker. Regardless of which you prefer, the graphics of the game aren't compromised and look stunning on screen. These are some of the best graphics seen on Wii.
Music has always played a large role in the Zelda series, and Nintendo gave Skyward Sword their utmost attention. While not completely orchestrated, most of the tracks are, marking a first for the Zelda series. The music here is some of the best they've put into a Zelda title, and their care and attention to music's role in Zelda really paid off. Truly, some of these pieces are absolutely breathtaking.
So without a doubt, this is a must buy and a game everyone should play. The game is a real winner, even with some drawbacks that bring it down in my book as not being quite as good as some other Zelda games. That doesn't make it any less of a feat of gaming and a real standout Zelda title that's one of the best in the series. You need to play this game.
5 out of 5 stars.
