Zero Punctuation: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

[Taunta]

I really really enjoyed the game. I thought the motion controls worked well, and the soundtrack and visuals look awesome.

That being said, I do agree that there's not enough stuff to do in the sky. I didn't enjoy the vast world of Wind Waker because it took five days of sailing to get anywhere, but I just wish there could be a happy medium.

Also, I thought the bosses that don't involve you using the dungeon's item were supposed to be a good thing? Because everyone complains that "enter dungeon, get item, use on boss" is too samey? Well, which way do you want it, Yahtzee?!

Anyways, I actually liked this a lot more than Twilight Princess, because it's more challenging. The dungeons and monsters in TP were a cake walk for me, and in SS I find myself actually getting stuck and having to think about it, and (gasp) actually have to use my health potions and stuff because the fights were challenging.

I wish the lyre wasn't terrible. I would actually really love the lyre, if you played it like a real instrument. I didn't mind going back to the same three areas again, because they felt huge to me, like I could spend the entire game there and never find everything, and when you go back for the sacred flames the bulk of it doesn't take place in the same area, it takes place in a different area connected the first one. Also, the surface world areas actually involved puzzles, instead of a giant field that you have to run across to pad the game.

The Silent Realm sections were fun. They took the boring tears section from Twilight Princess and made it exciting, and they took the Phantom idea from Phantom Hourglass/Spirit Tracks which I liked.

My main complaint is that at least the first half of the game feels directionless to me. Like I get that I have to go through these temples, but it's never really explained why, except "go find Zelda, go find Zelda". So I go through three dungeons trying to play catch up with Zelda, who doesn't even need me because she can bypass the entire dungeon, and she has Impa around.

Also, for the worst Zelda game I've played? Phantom Hourglass, hands down. Especially because of the stupid Temple of the Ocean King. Whoever thought that was a good idea needs to be punched.

 

[Carnagath]

I'm playing this right now actually. My main issue are the controls, they are absolutely miserable, I failed the parachute landing at the start about 30 times and took about 15 minutes to catch the golden bird thing, while my sword seems to misinterpret my moves. I move my wiimote from its default position to the right in order to later perform a right slash, but the game performs a left slash because I moved the bloody thing and then when I actually do the move I intend to it doesn't register. It's frustrating as hell. Also the cursor constantly needs recalibration and centering midgame, and the worst part is that you don't even realize it's happening most of the time. I was trying to aim my sword to the sky for a good 2 minutes before I realized that just pointing the wiimote straight up didn't do shit so something was wrong. Recentering fixed it, but then it got fucked again.

Also, the graphics are atrocious, for a Wii, PS2 or late PS1 game. Seriously, what the fuck. Not only are they blocky, blurry and jaggy, they also lack detail. Not texture detail, environment detail. Flair. They are bland. Everything's pretty much empty. Why? What's their excuse? Are the cel-shady faces supposed to make up for that if you are a Zelda fanboy? Fucking God of War 1 looks a generation ahead of this game. That is inexcusable.

As for the dungeons and gameplay, looks good so far. Looks Zelda, as always. Gonna have some fun with them. But seriously, Nintendo need to really, really step up their game with their core franchises. Nostalgia only goes so far, especially if the games feel lazily designed. And usually they don't, but this one does. It hasn't made me give up on it, but I will very hesitant to pick up another Zelda game in the future, unless they really start mixing things up.

 

[OldNewNewOld]

Yahtzee: "It's bad because it's the same as the previous games."
Yahtzee 2 minutes later: "It's bad because it's not like in the previous games."

Well Yahtzee, decide. You can't hate the game because it's "the same as previous" and then later say it's bad because it's different. (talking about using items found in dungeons against bosses of those dungeons).

I didn't have the problem with the responding of the motion controls. It worked really fine.

The harp was lacking compared to the previous instruments. a no brainer.
But you ignored the great music. You didn't say how good the music is? Why? Ignoring the good parts of the game just to make a bad review?

Skyward Sword has only 3 regions, but those 3 regions are bigger than any previous Zelda game.
Well, not really bigger in the sense of just the terrain size, but bigger in the sense of content. The "big" worlds of the previous Zelda games where mostly empty spaces. Wind Waker sea, Ocarina of Time was HUGE, but it was really empty. The main area which is bigger than the newest CoD was empty. It had only the entrances to the other areas and the Lon Lon farm.

Fi was indeed annoying. "I calculated x%..." was indeed annoying, but I think that was Nintendo's intention. She had to look as artificial as possible. That way of talking fits her perfectly. The only really annoying thing that I found about her was that she basically solves the puzzles for you. but even with her I've seen people having problems with the dungeons.

Did you mention how well designed the dungeons are? No? Why? To make the review worse?

Did you mention the new art style? Did you say how good the game looks on the Wii? No?
You're the one complaining that the only games selling are gray/brown shooter games jet you say for a game that is great and refreshing compared to the games that came out in the last 4 years.

When someone watches your review of any FPS game, they would say that any Zelda game except Twilight Princess would get a 11 out of 10. Then there comes a Zelda game and the review is worse than of the BF3 vs CoD review.

I'm NOT butthurt because this is a Zelda game. I enjoyed it and I don't care what other say. I'm butthurt because with all the FPS shit coming out any non-fps game that is just above average should be praised. Yahtzee, you have a big influence on the gaming community. People who aren't part of the escapist community come here just to watch your reviews. instead of stomping every potential nonFPS game into the ground, try at least to give a semi-positive review even if they don't really deserve it. You CAN change the opinion of a big part of the online community. You could do it for the better.

If someone watched several of your latest reviews, he would go buy BF 3 and CoD MW3 while ignoring any other semi-decent game.

 

[Carlioo]

This was easily one of my favorite episodes, even though I personally loved pretty much everything about Skyward Sword. But to be honest I thought Yahtzee was gonna hate this one

 

[Landis963]

No fair complaining how Zelda games are all the same, and then expressing extreme shock that a recurring boss, get this, DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THE DUNGEON ITEM, then going on to imply that its worse for not sticking to the formula. Please try to stay consistent in a review in future. Also, your bias against motion controls loomed on the horizon like a particularly petulant storm cloud, and the mentioned delay is much less of a problem than you think, particularly while you're playing it. Most everything else was pretty good, except for the order of the MacGuffins:

Spoiler

The first Macguffin is Zelda herself, being continually spirited away by Impa until they both go into the past and block the doorway behind you. The second set of Macguffins is the sacred flames, which get you the master sword, and the third is the Song of the Hero.

"I FOUND A PLOT HOLE! NURSE!" left me in stitches (esp. since it's all true), Fi's probabilities are annoying but she's a limp biscuit in terms of personality otherwise, and haven't played past the 6th dungeon.

 

[burn e]

I had to watch this several times, because i fell off my chair laughing every time he went:
"I've found a plot hole!!! NURSE!!!!!!"

Freaking Hilarious XD

 

[Rangerboy87]

"I found a plot hole. NURRRRRRRSSSSSE!!!!"

OMG!! I think I died laughing right there. That came outta nowhere.

 

[SD-Fiend]

I do agree that it was rather small I had heard that they made it with only 1 town because people were saying that the towns in zelda games were for side quest and didn't really help anything so they put them all in one place and left the ground for exploring. I didn't like it because it felt like I was never going anywhere. I also agree with what he said about link needing to prove his worth for everything he already has the sword what other proof do you need? (stupid water dragon)

 

[Rangerboy87]

Also, I thought the bosses that don't involve you using the dungeon's item were supposed to be a good thing? Because everyone complains that "enter dungeon, get item, use on boss" is too samey? Well, which way do you want it, Yahtzee?!

I think it's easier to say that he just wants the franchise in general to die. See this is why I come in hear and call him out on his bullcrap (or complain, depending on your point of view) every time he reviews a Nintendo game. Let's ignore the fact that I am myself a Nintendo fan for a second, okay? That doesn't change the fact that his hatred of the company is getting old and isn't funny any more and just making him look more and more like a self-righteous Nintendo hater and I think it's bad enough that the Sony fanbase is full of those idiots as is.

I think it's better that if Yahtzee can't give the company credit where credit is due, then he should keep his opinion on it to himself and just not review Nintendo games anymore.

If he could get away with it...I'm sure he would...but then fanboys would complain if he doesnt review super mario 3d land

 

[Trishbot]

Let's see... does Yahtzee hate on the Motion Controls in the review? Yep? Dammit, that stopped being funny about four YEARS ago. It's old hat at this point.

I am still baffled that Zelda games, out of most games, get the most vitriol from critics and fans for being "too samey" when they're often the most fundamentally different games to exist. Skyward Sword has a totally new world, totally new art style, totally new story, totally new characters, totally new puzzles, totally new upgrade system, totally new world navigation, totally new bosses, totally new items, totally new monsters and races, and a totally new control system that no other video game has... and yet the same "it's too the same" card gets thrown out.

Skyward Sword, while not flawless, is still a more fresh and original game than, say... Call of Duty, Assassin's Creed, Saints Row 3, Dead Rising 2/Off the Record, Arkham City, Gears of War 3, Uncharted 3, and even Skyrim. Seriously, Skyrim is great, but it's just a better looking, better playing version of Oblivion/Morrowind/Daggerfall/Arena.

I'd love to see other games follow Zelda's formula of changing so much per game while keeping the things that work. Nobody who has seriously played a Zelda game can say Majora's Mask is hardly anything like Spirit Tracks, or Skyward Sword is anything like Zelda 2, or Wind Waker is anything like Four Swords. Yet they're all great in their own way and yet very, very, very different.

So, maybe that's why I didn't find Yahtzee's complaints funny this go around. It's stuff I've heard for years now, and yet I fail to see the truth of it. Yeah, things like Link wearing green and using a sword and going to dungeons are in every game, but not even Ganon or Zelda are in every game, and that's like saying Mario should stop jumping on enemies' heads and getting mushrooms and fighting Bowser to save Princess Peach... it's the same thing, right? Yet Mario games, from Super Mario Bros to Mario Galaxy, are rarely called too "samey". I would like to know why Zelda, more than any other series, one where we get one great game every 3-5 years, gets called out for it when we've had over 8 Call of Duty games in less than 10 years.

 

[Jennacide]

"Skyward Sword is the worst Zelda game ever".

Wow, we aren't just going to need a flameshield, we need a flamebunker!

Except that barring the CDI games, I think he's dead on. Skyward Sword is easily the least inspired of the series, even though the crazy Zelda fanboys will ignore that fact. Especially when he uses the examples of the newer Kirby games, which are constantly doing new and interesting things.

Nintendo has been pumping out the same Zelda game pretty much since Link to the Past, with Wind Waker being enough of an offshoot to not mind. What is grim is my favorite Zelda game isn't even made by Nintendo. (Capcom's Minish Cap, fuck yeah.)

 

[OldNewNewOld]

I would like to know why Zelda, more than any other series, one where we get one great game every 3-5 years, gets called out for it when we've had over 8 Call of Duty games in less than 10 years.

If I remember correctly, it's 14 CoD games in 10 years while it's 16-18 Zelda games trough 25 years (including all platforms).

But you're completely right.

 

[blalien]

This is the first time in a while ZP reviewed a game I actually played. All his criticisms are valid, but I still liked the game. Motion controls seriously need to go away, though.

 

[Erttheking]

Put your hands up everyone that was surprised. No one? Yeah I thought so.

 

[OldNewNewOld]

SNIP

Same for you. Why put yourself through it if you don't enjoy it?

Because I actually enjoy Yahtzee. (90% of the times or even more often).

I just hate it when he completely forgets that he does have a bigger impact on the community and starts being a complete hypocrite.

He does point out to flaws of the games, he does have good points, but in some cases (like this one), he just sounds dumb (I know he isn't dumb, I say he SOUNDS). He says how all developers do nothing but make the same gray/brown shooter. Then there comes Nintendo, make a really nice game which isn't bad and he stomps it into ground.

Yes, people's tastes differ from each other, but this isn't a different taste. This is someone who intentionally ignores all the good parts of the game and tries to make it sound as bad as possible. Skyward Sword isn't maybe the best Zelda game. I'm not saying it's the best, nor the worst. All I'm saying is that he should be a critic and not a biased, Nintendo hating, 11yo CoD playing brat.

And it did not ruin my day like for the other guy.
I take nothing on the internet serious enough to have a bigger, negative impact on my day. A positive impact? Yes. Negative? Nope. I'm not gonna let something on the world wide web affect me in a negative way.

Me writing this isn't showing that I'm "hurt". It's just a discussion (some critic and some ranting because I have to much free time )

 

[esperandote]

Well that's because you haven't played de CDI ones