This may seem belated, but I can't wait to play this game....over Christmas break when I have time to sit down and at least put in a good foundation without annoying anyone.
Anyway, I've tried to stay away from as little info about the game as I can until then, but I caved today and read the reviews.
I just want to ask on a consensus level if people think it is really the best Zelda game ever like IGN said? I don't care about voice acting or HD at all when it comes to Zelda (though I will admit that I still think Twilight Princess's art direction was more enjoyable from the previews I've seen of Skyward Sword), I just want to know if the gameplay and story is up to snuff.
Also, is it true there is no real overworld with villages, towns and sidequests/minigames to explore? Because I find it hard to believe there's a Zelda game that doesn't have those key, amazing staples that is so well received. I heard someone compare it to the first Super Mario Galaxy in terms of "overworld" use. That kind of makes me sad.
Is it the best Zelda game? No. Not by far. Here is a rundown of where I would rank it with the console games... remember, my judgment might be different because I played all these games when they were new... not 10 years after their release:
http://derkindervolksbiergarten.com...-Skyward-Sword&p=107650&viewfull=1#post107650
But note what I said about Skyward Sword. It's not as bad as that list would imply on a first glance... it's just it's a lot lower than others for me.
As for the overworld, this is the least involved overworld ever. I'm not sure that fully hurts the game... but it's something new and it didn't really work for me personally. The dungeons are the best dungeons, as are the pre-dungeons. There is a lot of blending between the two.
Sidequests and minigames are minimal and to be honest, largely unfun with the exception of maybe one or two. There is nothing like that snowboarding game from TP, or horseback archery from OoT where you will spend hours just trying to get the perfect 2000 points. They've been scaled back to a minimum, and most of them I played only once or twice, save perhaps the arrow game which is kinda fun. Also the bug catching game kept me involved. But there is just not much to explore, and you're taken to all corners of the game since you'll have three separate treks through each of the three sections over and over. Stop back to Skyloft in between and you've seen the entire game. No real nooks and crannies that you have to go out of your way to discover... a trend I'm seeing less and less of in Zelda games.
But my biggest reason why SS is not the best is the quality control is at a minimum. This game felt rushed... camera is not the best (especially early on) and the controls don't feel great... although you can adapt as the game moves on, and a few times when it does work really well you can be pleased, but those are way too few and far between to be happy about. I'm in two minds as to whether I sincerely want them to take sword control and improve it, or scrap it and give us a classic controller option.
Playing swordplay on Wii Sports Resort in comparison was buttery smooth... if Zelda could get closer to that, I'd be happy. I think they need to take an element from the defense stance, where you can move your sword into position without fear of swinging it and causing an accidental strike, thus leaving yourself open. Perhaps if when your shield is raised it would limit your sword movements, and you'd have an opportunity to reset your hand position... much like in an actual battle. The only question would be how they'd account for your hand movements if you weren't armed with a shield... but it's an idea to improve things. I'm sure 1:1 controls aren't a loss cause, but I don't want to play another Zelda with these controls... I longed for the simplicity of the Wii version of TP's controls. I remember the bow and arrow being more fun with that too.
Lastly on presentation, this game has a huge, game-breaking bug in it (a warning to anyone not at this point yet):
http://www.gamespot.com/news/zelda-...firmed-6347222?tag=updates;editor;all;title;6
That is the only time the game breaks from a linear path and it looks like it's not really designed to handle it. I know as games get more sophisticated there's a greater need to create parameters to avoid too many breaks (much like how more laws need to be created to prevent more chaos and create more freedom... somehow...), but I still feel this is overkill. While you're technically free to do whatever you like, the game does push you in a very controlled way, especially early on. Not like I knew Zelda growing up. Majora's Mask was the last time I remember them not doing this.
So that's it in a nutshell. I'm like you... I didn't think I cared for HD presentation / voice acting, etc... but this game made me realize I do. The story is great, but loses points in presentation. The dungeons are the best and so imaginative, I cannot foresee how they'll top them. The story felt like a real 'legend of zelda' entry, even if it fell a little flat at the end. I can see why it got the scores it did from both reviewers who wanted more, and ones who graded it on the kind 'IT'S ZELDA' scale... because you can come away feeling as mixed as they did... but the truth is it's a good and enjoyable game that could've been better.
