The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii) > Reviews (9)

First of all because the game is expensive I will like to say that you must have the Wii MotionPlus to play the game if you don't then you cant play it because it needs it for many things especially the combat and archery that the game has. The Wii MotioPlus can be bought with the game from certain places but it cost considerably more but you also get a golden Wii Remote. On its own you're looking at around £10.

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA SKYWARD SWORD

The Zelda games haven't really been close to being in my all time favourites up until now with the latest game The Legend Of Zelda Skyward Sword really impressing me. The Legend Of Zelda Skyward Sword is similar to most of the Zelda games but a lot has been improved and changed and a few times when playing the game it doesn't seem like a Zelda game. The game is of course an action-adventure game with role playing elements in it and the game is available only for the Wii console. The game was also developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo. There is also a limited edition bundle available for the game that includes a golden Wii Remote Plus with it as well as a few other bits. Also the story to the Zelda games have always been quite good and in Skyward Sword the story is brilliant and one of the best to a Zelda game and it really stands out.

STORY

This game is a prequel to Ocarina Of Time and once again you play as Link (or what ever you would like to call your character). Link and his friend Zelda are to attend a ceremony which involves Link entering a flying contest which he wins. After to celebrate he and Zelda decide to have a fly around but a freak tornado hits and sweeps Zelda to the land below. Link is then given the difficult task of saving her and to help on his quest his villagers and friends give him the famous green clothes and the Goddess Sword. In the sword is a spirit that goes by the name Fi. Fi decides to help Link on his quest to find and save Zelda before she is lost forever. Along the way many obstacles stand in Link's path and you must overcome them. Can you save Zelda and rid all evil from the land and make the world a much safer place.

GAMEPLAY

The Legend Of Zelda Skyward Sword uses a lot of Wii MotionPlus controls as you playthrough the game. The sword play for example is really good but quite sensitive with the MotionPlus and to utilize the controls all you need to do is swing and or aim in the direction where your enemies stand and strike them down until you're successful in defeating them. Also the controls allow the user to use the sword and the direction to better advantages for puzzles and more than previous Zelda titles. Basically the Wii MotionPlus tracks the players movement in finer detail with greater accuracy. You also use the Wii MotionPlus for many other bits in the game as well and its a very important part of the games gameplay as you cannot play the game without it.

There are numerous items in which require you to use the Wii MotionPlus such as using bombs, using your whip, slingshot and other bits too.

You can also upgrade Link's items with certain items that you recover from certain enemies. Also in the game you will use the famous Zelda's harp which will also require the use of the Wii MotionPlus. Something that I like about the game is the sprinting because Link now has a stamina meter which enables him to sprint for certain distances but you always have to be wary where you're sprinting. Also you cannot change the handedness of Link and he is right handed from start to finish which will probably put a lot of left handed people off because the controls are more trickier to get the hang of if you're left handed.

Something you do a lot in this new Zelda game which didn't really impress me so much was that you do a ton of backtracking in the game which basically takes you to places over and over again. There are still a lot of places you go to in the game but even more could of been added and the backtracking at times seems pointless to some degree. Also most locations except the main village may seem small at first but later on in the game parts to those places open up hense with all the backtracking you do. Also the game doesn't let you know about backtracking and you must work most of it out yourself. The game is split into so many different areas in which all have numerous areas you can visit. You will come up against tons of different enemies and a decent amount of different puzzles. The puzzles are quite easy to be honest but they are a lot of fun. Link can also travel between the lands of Skyloft by summoning a loftwing.

There are many different bosses in the game and usually each Zelda game has a lot of variety and surprise surprise so does this one. There will be some bosses that are mini boss battles that require you to do certain things to beat them and some that will require you to approach carefully unless you want to be killed. Link can also basically use his sword to do different attacks and he can use his shield for different types of blocks. There is a lot of variety in the battles as well as exploring. Exploring is a quite big thing in Zelda and in this game most isn't accessible at first but you will come across plenty of secret parts to the game that can contain some really good items. There are lots of items in the game along with lots of platforming elements that don't really offer much of a challenge mainly because these type of games are aimed at everyone. Overall The Legend Of Zelda Skyward Sword has lots to offer fans and new comers to the game series.

GRAPHICS

The Wii isn't best known for great graphics and if I'm honest this is probably going to be the best the Wii can offer and for a Wii game its really good but I don't see them competing against the Xbox 360 and PS3 in terms of graphics not even with the much older games. The Legend Of Zelda Skyward Sword does feature some really good graphics at times. By far the best is the scenery in the game as its astonishing and stands out the most. All of the characters in the game are designed well and Link especially looks good and slightly different from most Zelda games.

Enemies and bosses are really well detailed as are most of the places you visit in the game. I do feel the way the game looks its more aimed at the younger gamers but it does have enough quality to be classed as good.

SOUND EFFECTS

The Legend Of Zelda Skyward Sword features some quality sound effects which was never really going to surprise me. The music is very similar to most of the Zelda games and it actually works well with the game too. Also other sound effects in the game are reasonably well especially the sword play effects as they bring the game to life. There are a few bits that are a little disappointing with the sounds but its nothing major at all. Overall I like the sounds to the game and feel there is enough for them to be classed as good as the graphics.

DIFFICULTY & LONGEVITY

Zelda games have always been fairly easy as the game has many fans of all different ages. Also the puzzles in the game are suited for everyone and aren't very difficult. The game however isn't the biggest Zelda game and is a little of the length of Ocarina Of Time. I finished this game a little under 20 hours which isn't the best because of backtracking and such but its not the worst. Just the main plot alone took me only around 15 hours but the game is still worth having. Average gamers will love this and I'm sure it will last up to 30+ hours. Its not too difficult as you playthrough as there are tons of enemies and quite a few bosses but I don't think they will cause many gamers too many problems. Also most of the platform elements are quite easy and only a few of them might take a couple of attempts. The controls to the game can be awkward but with the Wii MotionPlus its certainly much more accurate than what it would be if you were able to play just using your normal Wii remote. Overall the game isn't difficult and its not the biggest but its still a really great game overall.

PROS

• Its Zelda what more needs to be known for it to be a good thing.
• The Wii MotionPlus controls are really intriguing and work really well.
• The graphics are really good for a Wii game as are the sound effects and both are the best the Wii can offer.
• The story is very interesting and the games has different elements in its gameplay.
• The game is suitable for gamers of different ages.

CONS

• YOU MUST have the Wii MotionPlus to play the game otherwise you will need to get one if it doesn't come with it.
• Also the game isn't the biggest and a lot of backtracking is involved in the game.
• Could be a little too easy for the more experienced gamers.
• The price of the game is quite hefty depending where you purchase it from.

FINAL THOUGHT

The Legend Of Zelda Skyward Sword is a fantastic game that can offer fans something slightly new but offer the new gamer something different. Its not a hard game and in my opinion its suitable for all gamers. I do feel its a little disappointing that you need to buy either the packed version of the game or buy a Wii MotionPlus separate just to play the game. Skyward Sword is both a nicely designed game and a fun game to play with the story being quite exciting most of the time.

This is one of those games that I would recommend to all gamers because of what it has to offer and that includes a lot of fun and entertainment. If you are a fan of Zelda games and have played many then this will definitely be a must buy. Also if you like a good action adventure game that features role playing and platform elements with a hint of puzzle then you will adore this game because it has everything. The game manual is a typical Wii manual but it has some cool artwork on the back.

I bought the game when it was first released but I got it from a Catalogue for the price of £45 which isn't too bad because you don't pay straight up for it unless you want to. The game is much cheaper and one of the cheapest places is of course Amazon who retail the game around the £35 including packaging. Most game shops have it for around £40. ASDA is also a good option because they tend to sell games a few quid cheaper than Amazon sometimes. Overall I think its worth its money because its the type of game you can play again and again.

Overall The Legend Of Zelda Skyward Sword is a great game and I would give it a very respectable 8/10! Not the best Zelda game ever but definitely worth owning!

Review also on dooyoo under the username: simon020187!