The Best Worst Zelda | The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD REVIEW
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2021
- Skyward Sword and I have had a rocky relationship. Can this remaster turn things around?
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TWOOTER: @ArloStuff
BOOKFACE: ArloStuff
This video was edited by the lovely Kane!
/ farfetchdreviews
Additional footage provided by ZeldaMaster.
"Reloaded Installer #11" by LHS.
/ @lhschiptunes - เกม
"And anyone who never played the original? I cannot properly express to you how annoying the item descriptions were."
Arlo can't, but Chuggaconroy's 'unnecessary item description' counter in his Skyward Sword LP sure can.
I feel like Chuggaaconroy can make even the most tedious and annoying things in a game into a humorous moment.
....cause he does.
Lookin at you, Ursula blade quest.
@@chickennugget6684 also - "Hello, it's your dad"
I love Skyward sword but I have to agree with you that item description thing most certainly was bad.
I can’t believe it was 20 MINUTES OF DESCRIPTIONS
@@adomali87yearsago.71 : I think it was closer to a half hour wasn't it? XD
I already liked Skyward Sword before, but replaying it with the improvements made me like it even more. It showed me how much I enjoy linear games. I know what to do and I just do it. Odd for a Zelda fan to feel that way when everyone sings the praises of open ended exploration, but that's the cool thing about Zelda. There's something for everyone.
Based
@@bartowo ratio
@@fellowculturedhuman4156 job
I to appreciate a linear game!
There really is :)
I’ve just got to say, your style of reviewing is basically “geeking out and long form talking about a game you just finished” in a way I USED to talk with my friends after we all finished the hot new game. Now I’m older, have less videogame playing friends, so videos like these really help to scratch that itch of “hey I just want to talk about everything I loved and hated”
So thanks :)
This game NEEDED a "Super Sail". I recently finished my 100% playthrough and that's the second thing I wished for the most.
The first one was WARP POINTS. NINTENDO. This game doesn't need to be 40 hours long.
Most games don’t need to be 40 hours long lol.
The amiibo let's you fast travel from anywhere. Just pay an additional $20 for this free upgrade.
@@atomictoasteryo1109 As long as the pacing is good, I don't mind lengthy games. What I meant was that you could cut down at least 5 hours worth of just traveling around the world if you had warp points or a way to travel faster.
@@theotherjared9824 $25
Just buy the $25 amiibo and you're all set!
20:27
Arlo: skyward sword doesn’t really stick the landing
Link: falls on his face
Give your editor a raise
I was going to say the same hahahahah
He is the editor… Is it really that amazing to you ? Lol. So easily impressed.
@@SiLverAnDwiNe 0:00 Says on the bottom left that Kane is the editor. Nothing wrong with pointing out a funny visual gag.
@@SiLverAnDwiNe Edgy.
@@SiLverAnDwiNe KanesTheName is the editor, don't say someone's wrong when your the one who's wrong.
I wish they made it so Link DECIDES to save Zelda and that fact MAKES him a hero, without him being predestined to be one. In that case it also makes a bit more sense to have him "prove his worth" before he's allowed to get stuff, especially towards the end. It would also tie into later games with the whole spirit sequences, Link strengthening his soul so even his reincarnations would forever be known as legendary heroes.
they wouldn't even have to change much of the lore, just replace all the "you are the chosen hero" with "you're trying to become the chosen hero"
Well, depending on its canonicty this is already the first reincarnation for Link and Zelda, per a manga prequel thing, where the original Link died holding the line while the land was being pulled into the sky and Hylia deciding to reincarnate along with him after being impressed by him
@@thomasfleming8131 Yeah the manga ain't canon. I love Akira Himekawa's works, but that manga story is entirely noncanon, and frankly if it were to even be considered to be added to canon it would make Skyward Sword's ending completely fall apart, since it's _Demise_ that starts the reincarnation cycle and the entire point of the game is to lead up to that one fact. Suddenly making it Hylia's idea because a manga artist didn't want to accept that the admittedly-lackluster Skyward Sword was the absolute beginning of the timeline makes the already-fragile thread Nintendo tried to build completely fall apart.
No why; just let the Successful people with experience do their thing? I don't want the ridiculous new 'aimless' experiences these 'neo Zelda' games have. The whole point of Nintendo games was always the simple joys and different spins and takes on saving the damsel in distress. Skyward Sword just needed Breath's engine to be the complete Modern game, that's all. I don't want 5 different branching endings involving ''evil Zelda'' or ''alternate ASMR Good Ghirahim'' oddities just to please the casuals or mainstream.
@@tatltails3923 Demise only started the reincarnation ‘cycle of hatred’; he had nothing to do with Link and Zelda being reincarnated down the ages, just that they would be plagued by an unending evil. Hylia could very well have started the cycle of the Princess and the Hero. Also, I must disagree with ‘admittedly lacklustre’, but of course that is a matter of taste.
I just hate how the plot seemingly deescalates the longer the game goes on. You feel less adventurous as you revisit the same areas, you feel less urgency as the game sends you on a bunch of slow paced fetch quests, and you feel like you’re going nowhere because there aren’t really any big changes to check off your progress and you’re just being moved from quest to quest by Fi. The padding comes in hard in the third act and it just sucks to be so bored and disinterested right before the big climax.
Dungeons are top tier though, damn those dungeons are fine as hell.
I think it's more just people hearing the "mistakes", playing the game and noticing the mistakes as they are just in their mind. Games like wind waker, twilight Princess and ocerina of time follow the exact same formula of being told where to go and you could literally use the exact same points with them but like skyward sword, they find Interesting and unique ways making that experience really fun. Although you revisit the same areas something new always comes up to make you want explore the areas Futher. And even with the 3 act it still offers more with you losing all your items and having to stealth to get your items back. It kinda just feels like people focus on extremely little things like fie and the sky and ditch out everything the game does correctly. Amazing dungeons, difficult segments (don't just blame the motion controls when you die), great characters, story, item customisation and really great puzzles.
@@sismail4689 You're still going through Forest World, Lava World, Water World. It doesn't matter if you are doing different things, you are still going through each region three times and it's the worst kind of padding.
This is the longest 3D Zelda, at lest before Breath of the Wild, but the latter has the benefit of being an open world. You can go in any direction and you can pick and choose what content you want to do. You are forced to go through the entirety of Skyward Sword, it's incredibly linear experience. Every single time. And it's too long and honestly too repetitive.
The whole game's storyline was just "your Princess is in another temple."
I mean the other Zelda games does this also, so I don't get ur point. For example twilight princess,oot,wind waker,and etc. All these games require back tracking to get an item, or talking to a person and doing a quest to enter a temple.
Yeah the third act does kinda feel flat compared to the excellent first and second acts!
Never touched this one. You got me wanting to give it a try now though. Thanks for the vid, dude.
The motion controls for the sword aren't as bad as people say. Honestly, once you get use to them, it adds a fun new level to the game.
@@SilentBudgie good to hear a positive about it. Arlo doesn't seem to mind either. Back in the day any motion controls forced into games was a huge turnoff for me most of the time.
@@kruggsmash It’s a good one! I just played it for the first time.
Don't waste your money on this game. You've been warned.
@@thisisfyne A striking argument
You hit the nail on the head. I never thought I'd be upset about too many dungeons until you showed me that the Overworld itself is a dungeon, and that there is only one narrow way to puzzle your way through it.
For me (and my kids), the biggest whiplash of going from BotW back to SS is realizing just how insanely easy everything would be if you could just... climb _anything._
And yet that's also earned the game praise too, in not just having the overworld be empty traversal like the sky field. It sounds like a pretty typical 50/50 split between people wanting substance vs. freedom. I think while Zelda wants to find ways to balance it, some people will always want a larger portion of one over the other, which is why I'd say games like SS and BotW should both exist. Zelda doesn't have to stick to one balance all the time. :)
I’ll take SS’s overworld over roll spamming across Hyrule any day.
@@theoaremevano3227 I don't quite know how I'd "fix" Skyward Sword, but I do feel like the sky is the root problem. The overworlds being more linear and dungeon-like is FINE, but somehow the fact you can fly to the different regions, and that they're sectioned off, really highlights that. Even Metroid Fusion, a game that's said to be linear and sectioned off, has a point where you can travel a bit more freely from sector to sector. If there had just been SOME way to connect the three regions, while keeping them linear as intended, I think most people would have liked the game more.
@@theoaremevano3227 Breath1 oh yea lol, that uh-mazeingggg game where you're so so free until ,,,
you try and dive into Lake Hylia like _every_ other 3D Zelda before it.
Breath1 *why do I hear Boss music?? Is this the only actual Boss in my game??*
On the switch was the first time playing the game for me and I had a blast with it. Engaging story with huge and challenging dungeons. It’s so different compared to BotW, but great on its own.
@Logan McGlynn i dont think anyone cares man, stop wasting ur time commenting on every praise this game gets
@Logan McGlynn The game itself is honestly worth the $60 price tag. They made the overall experience much more bearable. The game is awesome now. They did a lot more with it than they did with other ports.
@Logan McGlynn It's not a scam
@@PikaLink91 BOTW is different from older 3d Zelda's, and thus, older 3d Zelda's are different from BOTW. The order of the sentence doesn't change anything.
Botw goes back to the original LoZ in terms of open exploration.
@@PikaLink91 that is fair
It’s like that to me and I have yet to play this but I’d like to
However I *am* aware this is the case, but the fact remains that my first Zelda experience I’d different from the classic games
I did grow up watching my oldest sister and cousins play it though, especially twilight princess
When I was younger I was weird about certain games, I low key wanted to play them but I also didn’t at them same time?? Lol idek
Fast forward to botw, I walked in knowing it was a different formula but I was also recommended it by the same sister and cousin that played the games growing up and it didn’t require any experience with older Zelda games so it felt like a good start
“A wild Groose chase.” Never change, Arlo.
Idk, the dowsing feature seemed like a perfect way to decide your level of hand-holding. Casual or inexperienced players might wanna use it frequently to find their next objective, but people who know the game or want a challenge can just...not use it.
I like that idea because I've always been bothered by how games seem to just split 50/50 between too much and too little hand holding instead of giving players some more nuanced options. Some people like finding things themselves, but don't like having absolutely nothing to go on. Even if people generally do find things/figure them out on their own, sometimes the game's intended train of thought just.... doesn't click with them and they need a little more information to get on the right train of thought to solve it themselves. It's not fun having to look things up outside the game. Even if it's too much help, I personally would rather have help in the game than outside it.
I loved this game growing up and playing it now on switch, I love it more than I ever thought I could. Hardcore disagree on the story tho. I honestly think it’s my favorite Zelda story of all time. The story is def more character driven, which people def might not like, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad, I personally love it
Agreed. Easily the best Zelda story. WW and TP are better games, and have great stories, but Skyward Sword nails it’s characters like no other Zelda game does. Easily the best Zelda, Easily the best Link, Fi (at least story wise) is amazing, Groose is a gift from the goddess herself, and Ghirahim is the creepiest villian in the series.
To me, the story definitely gives you more purpose on your quest to save your best friend as opposed to some princess you don’t know. The relationship between Link and Zelda is very sweet. Best Zelda story.
@@Nope2479 absolutely, which makes Links desire to save Zelda all the more urgent. I remember the first time I played it, I was so desperate to save Zelda it motivated everything I did.
Can't say I cared much for the story personally. The intro and the Groose segments were the highlights for me and even then, Groose didn't get enough moments to engage in the story and the intro was needlessly long considering how few of Skyloft's characters are relevant.
I feel that if they had the time to do so for the wii release, the game would've greatly benefited from making Skyloft into a properly explorable set of regions with the other characters being able to pitch in at different points. This kind of thing could replace the extreme area repetition/spirit-trials and allow for both more adventure with the cast, and more succinct/content-dense trips through the original regions.
I like Majora's Mask's story a lot more personally but I'm happy you found so much enjoyment from Skyward Sword's.
frame rate is EVERYTHING, i'll take 480p (not i, i is never acceptable lol) at 60 fps over 4k at 30 any day
I mean, as long as it doesn’t look like a f*cking PowerPoint and I can actually play the game, it should be alright. SS isn’t really that fast-paced like a shooter, so (at least for me), so I can deal with that.
But then again, I could tolerate Crysis at 20 FPS when I first got it and I wasn’t bothered by Age of Calamity’s frame rate drops, so I think this is more of a me thing.
@@liansmith4038 I remember when certain Let's Plays in 2008 looked like they ran at 5 fps either coming from a crappy screen recorder or a webcam, I suppose as long as a game runs at 30 fps I'm fine with it, but when a game company purposely makes a game chug on constant intervals (cough)Final Fantasy Tactics on PSP(cough) that's when I either look for a better option, or just not play at all.
Sorry i’ll take the 4k 😅
... I'll take 4k 30fps over 480p 60fps any day as long as its not a fighting game.
I get sum ppl get sick at low frame rates but to me 30fps is standard framerate.
:/
Wait… the wii version is 60FPS?? and the switch is 30fps?
"Pretend I'm a carrot."
Sure thing Arlo haha
He is way too blue to be a carrot.
@@Atariese Just be colorblind, no problems here!
I thought he said "pretend I'm a Karen" 😂😂😂
@@SenyoMena same honestly
Does he... want to be eaten?
Been waiting for this dude. Just beat the game and it was great imo, motion controls were definitely the most challenging part (since you constantly have to recalibrate them with Y) but other than that I really liked the story, especially how much they humanized Zelda/her relationship with Link. (As everyone says haha)
Well, you can play with button control.
@@Zoroark_Master I tried the button controls and they were pretty decent, but personally it was my first time ever playing SS so I wanted the original experience. I’ll admit I wish I used stick controls for some of the bosses/mini bosses cause the motion controls aren’t as precise at times, but next playthrough I’ll definitely try to use the button controls more :)
@@ghoststori6578 well, I never played the original so I can’t compare. But I did play with button control and I had a great experience.
Personally, I think Spirit Tracks is the best Zelda game in regards to humanizing Zelda and her relationship with Link.
@@matthewmuir8884 I’ve only played a little bit of Spirit Tracks, but yeah I’ve heard that their relationship in that game is pretty good too. I should get back to that game :)
20:29 “Skyward Sword doesn’t really stick the landing” as Link face plants
I’m dying😂
i came looking for this comment lol
I didn’t know you like Zelda probably cause ya know watching it
No one has ever called me "perfectly calibrated" before, but I'm glad it was you Arlo
As others have said, the flying is STILL absolutely miserable, and the back third of the game still tanks pretty hard, with the one standout being the prison escape sequence. The button controls worked well enough, and I enjoyed my time with the game. Certainly won't replay it, but I'm glad I got to experience it at least.
The blur filter for distant objects is actually still there, but it blurred bits to a certain number of pixels on diameter, and with HD, those circle spots are so much smaller, they almost don't seem to be there.
@xg223 You should watch Nerrel's videos if you haven't
@xg223 _"There's no value in anything [Nerrel] has to say"_ What was it that he said that upset you so much that you decided that everything he says is wrong? Was it him criticizing Majora's Mask 3D? Him disliking Hollow Knight? Him advocating for gyro aim in more games (unlikely, seeing as you're commenting in a Skyward Sword review)?
Yep, they've refined it much better now. Being honest though; the Wii (and Nintendo) 10 years back were still 'crude' in the way they delivered UI's a lot of the time (but were always polished on Mario games for some reason - like the Galaxies lol). It's funny seeing how much this guy dwells on it to the point of just being a plain bore. Literally 3/4 of his video is about 'textures', framerates, button assignments,, jeez he should just go and play Microsoft Flight Simulator!
Other than being in the mostly empty sky, the Goddess Cube/Chest mechanic is an improved version of the Treasure Charts from Wind Waker. Instead of finding a chest and opening it only to find directions to another chest, you have the Cubes being large and generally in the open with the difficulty being how to reach them. You also know right off the bat how they'll function, as opposed to being bait-and-switched with a Treasure Chart.
Yes I agree. I have never been interested in getting all the sunken treasure.
_Phantom Hourglass_ did a better job with Treasure Charts. They pretty much work the same as they do in _Wind Waker_ except you have to play a minigame with the Salvage Arm to retrieve the chests at the bottom of the ocean.
@@samuelstephens6904 Which is why Phantom Hourglass did a worse job. I don't need a mini-game getting in the way of me getting the item when the process is already so tedious. The pace is already slow, a mini-game just makes it even worse.
@@mjc0961
Treasure hunting was “tedious” before specifically because there was nothing to it. Sailing around in TWW in general was hampered by how uneventful it was. PH added some things to make that part of the experience just a little bit more engaging. And a little bit goes a long way. That the treasure minigame in PH makes the treasure hunting experience take a bit longer is hardly a problem when it does so via meaningful interactivity and gameplay.
I'm not sure if anyone else had this issue but the incessant reminders that the battery was low in your controller drove me nuts as well
That was annoying as well as the wii controllers just losing charge constantly
Yes!
I actually had one of my joycons run low on battery and was able to ignore it without being hassled by Fi - really appreciate those little changes.
Every now and then it happens on the joycons where it was just charging and it says low battery constantly
I remember Eiji Aonuma talking about their mindset when making Breath of the Wild as "making a better Skyward Sword." I hope that "better Skyward Sword" mindset is still there, and Breath of the Wild 2 will not only be a better Skyward Sword but also a better Breath of the Wild. Maybe Arlo's criticism of Skyward Sword's unfulfilled potential will be realized there, as we are tackling the skies once again.
That's interesting, I don't see a single feature from SS that carried over. Linearity? Gone. Dungeons? Gone. Music? Almost nothing. Story? Bare-bones at best. Even the traditional green outfit can't be found without amiibos or completing 85% of the game's content. Every single thing that set SS apart was stripped away from what I see. To be quite honest, the only similarity I see is in the names and the Goron race. It does look like BotW 2 will be heavily influenced however, and I hope they implement some of that other content! I'd love to see more immersive dungeons, a gripping story, and a beautiful soundtrack in the next installment!
@@jonathanwilliams1271 yeah I don’t remember that particular quote. Botw seems like the opposite of Skyward Sword in many ways. They were trying to take the series in a new direction both times though so they have that in common.
@@jonathanwilliams1271 I think the only things that carried over were the stamina wheel, finding items (amber relics etc), and breakable gear. Everything else was stripped away. Not just everything about SS was stripped, but everything good about Zelda. To me BOTW was a huge misstep.
@@cbalan777 Open world is a great genre for Zelda, but BotW definitely did trip over itself. It missed just about all of its potential, even if it did come out being a good game. It's one of my least favorite Zeldas so far.
@@cbalan777 I’d say the opposite, it didn’t strip away whag made Zelda Zelda, it just took what Zelda was and put it in a different genre and I think that if they bring more traditional elements from previous Zelda’s then they could make something really special
Something I've long said is that Breath of the Wild is "half a Zelda game" - it's got amazing overworld exploration, but no Dungeoneering.
Skyward Sword is sort of the polar opposite, having no overworld exploration worth a darn, but some truly fantastic Dungeoneering!
I'm hopeful that the signs they're taking inspiration from Skyward Sword in Breath of the Wild's Sequel means that we will get both elements represented well once again!
This highlights something I've felt for a while before botw2 was revealed, alongside the 2nd trailer for it. That breath of the wild is what skyward sword was supposed to be, at least in terms of exploration. This is further cemented by details of the thought process behind skyward sword's development, and how it did try to deviate from tradition a bit. Putting together the best elements of skyward sword and breath of the wild could make for the best zelda game to date.
If you listen really close at the beginning of the game, there is an optimal way to fly. If you are constantly diving, you are at your top speed. To spend the most time in a dive state, begin any flight by flying to the highest point and angle your loftwing downwards and towards your destination. After a little bit, you are at top speed, but your height has decreased. After your height has decreased enough, spend the time to reach maximum height again, angle the loftwing down again, and continue to repeat this process until you reach your destination. It is up to the player to decide when to put the effort into traveling efficiently or enjoying the scenery at a leisurely pace. Thank you for listening to my Ted Talk.
I never felt like it actually added a lot of speed.
@@IAmNotASandwich453 it most certainly does, and it also makes flying with motion controls fun
1. It doesn't increase top speed that much to dive.
2. Diving means you're going fast _down,_ not _forward_ (probably why #1 is a thing)
3. A tedious cycle of dive, climb, dive, climb, etc isn't fun gameplay. It's an annoying chore to attempt to traverse a boring empty sky a little faster. The correct solution would have been to have a more interesting sky that players enjoy traveling through.
4. The whole process is super annoying to do with the motion controls, trying to flick up to climb always ends up in slight turns and whatnot as well.
The first Zelda I played was skyward sword and I loved it. was constantly confused why so many people disliked like, I never had any controller issues either.
I genuinely couldn’t get through this game without having to stop and catch breath and slow my heart rate down after completing a silent realm trial or an imprisoned boss fight
SAME THOSE SILENT REALMS ARE TERRIFYING😭
Weak
Dude chill out they're just sharing their experience
"Pretend I'm a carrot."
So you're a pikmin.
As someone who never played the original on Wii, and consequently never carried the baggage of that game, I absolutely loved Skyward Sword HD.
It’s honestly up there with Ocarina and the other greats for me. For me at least, that tells me they did their job with this remaster.
@Logan McGlynn shut up
@Logan McGlynn for me, it was well worth $60 and I'm glad Nintendo sold it to me. I don't want a Wii. I want all the Zelda, on my Switch, all the time.
@Logan McGlynn Buy the wii... spending more money is your solution?
@@DiamondAxolotl he spam the same shit in multiple comments.
@Logan McGlynn What are you? Some type of oracle? People know what they spend their money on, and if they choose to spend it on a game they enjoy, then so be it- Let people play what they like.
Botw was the first Zelda game I played, and this the second. I really loved it and might actually call it my favourite. Its not as replayable and I struggled with the controls a lot at first, but I love the story and the clever areas. The final boss was extremely difficult for me, so finishing it may be my greatest gaming accomplishment.
I appreciate how careful you are being with spoiling stuff
bro that ending sequence is the best thing ive ever seen in an Arlo video
Honestly, I'm _really_ curious about a Warriors game based on that legend in the beginning of Skyward Sword. An origin story for an origin story.
Have you read the prequel manga? It's probably not canon but it's terrific and deserves a game of it's own.
@@alexinabox6931 The prequel manga has been confirmed to be non-canon; none of the manga are ever canon.
Given recent history with Hyrule Warriors games, Nintendo would probably falsely advertise it as a Skyward Sword prequel that takes place during the fight against Demise, while the game turns out to actually be an alternate timeline narrative where a robot cucumber goes back in time and kills Demise.
@@matthewmuir8884 Ahaha, I can relate to the Age of Calamity salt here. I felt the same way about that game.
Bought it believing it was actually a prequel and canon to the events in BotW, but it's 100% a time-travel "change the future" / alternate timeline story and I immediately lost all interest. Just felt lied to and cheated out of my $60. -_-
@@Semudara I know what you mean. My only interest in the game was that it was advertised (falsely) as a prequel to BOTW.
I was fortunate in that I was suspicious after hearing about the demo, and I chose to find out the truth after the game released. After learning the truth, I thought, "There goes the only reason I was interested in the game" and I chose not to buy it. So, I narrowly avoided being cheated out of my money.
I just finished Skyward Sword for the first time and I absolutely loved it. Admittedly I had a harder time getting into it on the Wii, but I feel like the HD version on the Switch fixed just about everything for me. Can’t sing this game’s praises enough!!! All time great game!!!
@Logan McGlynn sourpuss
@Logan McGlynn Because it’s a good game that a lot of people haven’t played.
@@wrestler375 For people who haven't played it, maybe. But it should have been a lower price as a rerelease
A superbly delicious chonker of a review. Arlo is a seriously talented reviewer.
Lol, shilling much?
He spends 3/4 of the 'review' talking about button configurations and textures. I mean, please; make it make sense to stop me yawning already!! 🥱🥱
Plus, where's the score? And why does he score out of 7, wth?! 🤣🤣
My biggest issues with skyward sword are the meandering padding, and how 90% of the story is lock and key design. The stuff you quest for are never something you actually give a shit about getting. They do nothing for you beyond opening the way to the next thing that similarly will have zero impact and only progress the story because the devs wrote it to do so.
For example, the songs you "learn" aren't a thing you now have in your repertoire. They're an invisible checkmark that declares you've done a thing. You can't use them or do literally anything with them at all. All they do is let you open the "trial" after wasting 5-10 minutes flying to damn song island for the third time! If the Fi simply knew where the next trial was and you could just go to it, the game would not have changed in any way.
The entire game is designed this way. No, you can't just go do the thing, first you have find a guy who knows about the thing, have him tell you about a map, ask someone where to find the map, be told a general location, find a tiny piece of the map there, then go somewhere else and dowse for the pieces, find all of them, and THEN you get to go to the dungeon and get the thing. Rinse and repeat 30 more times over 15-20 hours. It's not good game design. It's meandering padding that only serves to make the game 12 hours longer than it needs to be. The actual story only consists of about 3 total events that get tweaked and recycled ad nauseum.
I completely agree.
I feel that if they had the time to do so for the wii release, the game would've greatly benefited from making Skyloft into a properly explorable set of regions with the other characters being able to pitch in at different points. This could replace the extreme area repetition/spirit-trials/tedious backtracking and allow for both more adventure with the cast, and more succinct, content-rich trips through the original regions.
You could for instance:
Explore the forest, do a dungeon, find the dragon (skipping the flood or at least the tad tones), learn a melody, go to the sky.
Next:
Talk to Pippin or Groose in Skyloft in a story event, explore a new region of the sky with the help of whatever magic power the Dragon melody gave you, do some cool stuff there (maybe find a lost village or something, maybe a boss), get some development for Pippin/Groose, activate the next hole in the sky, then head to the next surface region.
No dumb repeated boss fights, no needless backtracking since you're exploring new sky areas to find your new destination, more actual fun, more item-use and character interactions, and better-paced surface regions.
!! You have exactly put into words why I found the original game such a slog, thank you
Even you getting the first flame and the sword upgrade that’s supposed to be a damage upgrade I’m not even sure actually changes the damage you deal to enemies.
Yea, just beat it, sadly your review gets everything right. Some scenes stick out, and the game has some charm, but otherwise it really felt like a slog.
You have expressed so clearly and so logically, in a handful of sentences what takes me pages of frothing hysterics to convey because I'm so angry: well done.
It was fun revisiting this game again. The dungeons remain fun, the characters are a joy to see, and the game, for the most part, was fun to play.
I can't lie that I don't feel very attached to the areas. The Sky is pretty barren and doesn't seem to have much going for it, and the areas on the Surface are mostly one giant puzzle waiting to be solved rather than a number of thriving, complex communities.
I also like the character development (where it can be found). Link, going from a lazy sleepyhead to a serious and talented swordsman worthy of his destiny and sword. Groose, going from a common bully to an honorable fellow who is happy to play his part and be proud of his contribution. And interestingly, Ghirahim is fleshed out as well. Only in his case, instead of development, he regresses and reveals more of his TRUE nature with each encounter. He goes from being a cocky, arrogant show-off villain, to a dangerous, rage-consumed beast of a character - which makes sense, considering what his true identity is revealed to be at the game's end.
I can't call Skyward Sword my favorite Zelda game, but it's certainly a game worth playing.
Plus, I really love the relationship between this game's Link and Zelda. They're so sweet. ❤
For me, the thing that keeps me from buying the remaster is the same thing that kept me from buying the original on the Wii: the lack of a left-handed mode for the motion controls.
Lefties represent 😤
@@Cedar-wz5vw weirdly link is a leftie in most game besides this one
@@maximussaktish Indeed. Skyward Sword and Breath of the Wild are the only two Zelda games where Link is right-handed. In literally every other main series Zelda game, Link is left-handed.
Thank you very much. This was very helpful in answering the most burning questions I have had since the release and nobody has seemed to have been able to give me a clear answer on.
I played Skyward Sword for the Wii as a kid and got so frustrated with the first Spirit World part I quit the game and never looked back, calling it easily my least favorite Zelda game I'd ever played. Now that I'm a lot older though, I'm looking forward to picking the game up for Switch and experiencing it all the way to the end
The spirit worlds are that one “I’m going to fricking kill someone i’m so angry” part that’s in every game.
@@chickennugget6684 Found those parts to be extremely easy, never understood how people thought it was hard
@@Dead_Hitoriit isn’t hard, just annoying sometimes. If you’re having a bad day, you’re gonna struggle on it.
i love twilight princess and botw and went in skyward sword very critical but i was shocked by how often i found myself SMILING while playing this game. just finding so many reasons to feel joy!! that means so much
I'm still really mixed about a lot of the ways that this game does what it does but it still has my favorite dungeons in the series. The Ancient Cistern especially goes above and beyond what any water themed dungeon has done in the past. One of my favorite soundtracks for the series too.
The filter isn't gone, it's just more subtle thanks to the higher resolution. If I remember correctly, in both versions it converts blocks of 10 pixels from the background to "brush-strokes". Since the remaster has so many more pixels (1080p vs. 480p), the effect is much more subtle.
that song at the lumpy pumpkin is harder than any boss battle
This was my first time playing Skyward Sword and I was thoroughly impressed by how fun it is. I just loved moving through the world and dungeons. As much as I liked Breath of the Wild, Skyward Sword had everything I felt that game was missing. It's a very nice counterpoint for the series to have on the Switch.
Did Kane...play the game for you?
Arlo has neural network chips installed in all his business partners to save time playing games with his troublesome fuzzy fingers.
If you mean the footage, Kane always plays the game for him. It's rarely ever footage from Arlo.
Easier for Kane to record the footage he needs himself than for Arlo to capture all his hours and hours of gameplay and send it over for Kane to sift through
Whose Kane?
11:46 I'd say so
I had always a pet peeve with this game being a prequel, and then you go to the desert stage and the main mechanic is going to the past when robots still worked and I am like "Wait this is the earliest game in the series but intelligent robots were already created and abandoned"?
It's not a really good attempt at origin story when it leaves you with more questions than when you came in.
Bruh. Its not like its the first 100 years of the world in SS. This is just when the first link was born and the reincarnations cycle started.
@@masonmurphy5402 Sort of....? This isn't even exactly the first Link, since the one in the Hyrule Historia manga seems to be the very first hero of the Goddess.
@@Semudara that even further supports my point
Before I watch this, I want to throw my personal opinion here:
I really love this game. I have played it 4 different times since I got it in 2015, and have never really had a problem with it. The motion controls were always enjoyable to me (which is why I actually quite like the original still with it’s superior calibration. Still prefer HD though) and the overall linearity was never a concern. I adore the dungeons, and the way that each overworld area feels sort of like an open-ended one is actually something I enjoy. This fact also makes Skyloft feel even more comfortable, colorful, and filled with people going about their days walking or standing in their predetermined spots. It’s great. The story is what really causes people to like this game overall or not from what I found, though, so how do I feel about it? Do you really need to ask that? Of course I love it. It’s my favorite single-game story in the timeline, mostly because of the fun characters that it provides (I mean…Groose. Groose. Groo… he’s Groose. That’s all I have to say.) and the way that it ties the timeline together and makes it more comprehensible.
If I had to rank it with the other 3D Zeldas, the original Wii version would probably still be at #6 even with the above mentioned, but now with HD I think I’d put it at #4. There was just that much improvement, and I’m honestly still just as appalled as I was before at the people who would try to say that it wasn’t worth the price of admission. It’s a Zelda game. That has been remade into a piece that is more than acceptable to the modern day. I get that it used to be $50 on the Wii, but with inflation counted for, this game is an absolute steal.
Ok, onto the video, which is surely better written than whatever I just spent 15 minutes on above. I love your videos, Arlo, even when I don’t necessarily agree with your opinions.
I'm kind of sick of some people being like "Ha ha, lol, Skyward Sword is bad, lol XD". I too never had any problem and loved the game and consider that this version is the definitive with the exception of being able to use a Wii Motion Plus.
Yessss Skyward Sword is probably my #1 favorite Zelda game, for much of the same reasons. Story, characters, fun dungeons, beautiful watercolor world, everything. I actually loved the motion controls from the start, to me they felt really immersive. Like the scene where you have to fight the skeleton on the bridge was so fun because the controls made it feel "real." You have to figure out how to hit each enemy and over time you naturally polish your own skills and fall into a rhythm with it. Gryro for looking around and aiming the bow was also super amazing for the time, so good it got added to subsequent games. (I used to dream of an Animal Crossing with a motion control net and fishing rod.) Oh and also the music! Running around places like the bazaar and listening to the music change was like magic, there's so much thought put into the whole experience to pull it all together.
But I will admit I don't care for the surface overworld, or for the two-step treasure chests where you have to hit the block then go back up to the sky to get the thing. Like...if they could have made the sky part huge and full of secrets like the Wind Waker sea, and then made the surface part more open and less crowded in the style of Twilight Princess or OOT, it would be perfect to me haha
@@jeltajink Ignore those people. They only want to play their baby games for babies.
@@cbalan777 I love your comment. Yeah, thats pretty much what I try to do, but sometimes the babies are too fricking loud.
@@cbalan777 People can't think Skyward Sword is bad without being babies. Confirmed! I like Skyward Sword's story but get out of your bubble and think. The reason people didn't like Skyward Sword was because of awkward gameplay mechanics and a long history of Nintendo wanting to shove motion controls in every single game that they made. That is not even including the attachment that you had to buy just to play the game and the attachment barely made motion controls better. Then you have Fi being more annoying than Navi. The Wii aging because it was already low-tier hardware. And a bunch of other problems. Whether that doesn't bother you or not is up to you, but the reason why people like the approved commenter can't fathom others hating a game that they like is because they lack critical thinking skills. Skyward Sword had and still has flaws. Fans overstate the pros that the game had and completely disregard its flaws and haters overstate the cons that the game had and completely disregard its pros. The truth is always somewhere in the middle, but let's stop discrediting others' opinions just because they don't align with yours. It doesn't make you look good as a fan. It makes you look like someone who can't handle criticism of your favorite game.
One thing I’m surprised you didn’t touch on was the pacing. For my first 2/3’s of my playthrough I was thinking “why have I always been so hard on this game in the past?” Then playing the final 1/3 it was so apparent that I was slogging through padding that killed the momentum when it should be ramping up! Collecting seahorse babies near a finale? Having to recollect all my items even closer to the end?? Ugh. It was as if the developers were just trying to hit an hour mark goal.
(That being said, this time around I really appreciated those popping colors!)
I really liked Skyward Sword even with all its flaws back a decade ago. The dungeons are usually the highlight of most Zelda games and this game was no exception. Honestly, the rest of the game was decent but the pacing of the game was all over the place. Between dungeons there was just so much filler that it really bogged down the momentum of the game.
The game drags on a bit too long and gets a little tiring. I think had they removed some of the filler quests and tasks, the game would be a bit stronger. I'd rather a shorter, faster-paced experience than one that just kind of overstays its welcome and creates fatigue while playing.
It's not a bad game by any means, but it just feels like a watered down Zelda game compared to many of the previous 3D Zeldas.
-"Between dungeons there was just so much filler that it really bogged down the momentum of the game."
I feel the opposite. _Skyward Sword_ has some of the best content outside of dungeons in any 3D Zelda game. There's a lot of action, puzzling, and some cool areas to move through before you even get into the dungeons.
Your reviews are always fun and hilarious. Thank you for making these videos.
Man i want loftwings to return in botw 2
The origin of the master sword was shown in skyward sword. It started as the goddess sword made by Hylia and through the trials that Link did later in the game it became the master sword, though I suppose I see the missed opportunity of seeing Hylia make it herself.
Also completely retconned the original stories of the master sword origin prior though and its link to the sages in older games, most notably A Link to The Past.
I only finished the fourth dungeon a few days ago, but up until now I loved my experience. Every dungeon was fun, the dungeon-like overworld is a part I really appreciate, and I overall just have a GREAT time. I saw a Let's Play many years ago and even back then just by seeing the game I imagined that I wouldn't dislike it as much as "everyone" else
Good review as ever. Was not expecting that ending. Kane really did some good editing there.
This is a great and well written review. The potential of flying between islands in the sky and the world beneath that you mention looks like it might be the basis of BoTW sequel. The skyward sword flying reminds me of one of the hidden mini games in SNES Pilotwings. If you getting into game design and Zelda dungeon design, I recommend Mark Brown’s Boss Keys.
I was with you, loved my first playthrough, but to this day it is the only Zelda game I haven't been able to get through a replay. Would be curious to revisit with this version sometime if I ever see it on sale, but I'm not about to drop 60 on it lol
20:28 “But Skyward Sword doesn’t really stick the landing in most areas.”
**shows Link falling flat on his face**
Kane, you absolute genius.
Holy cow, that was a great review. Glad you are doing what you are doing, keep it up!
I was waiting for your take on SS. Thank you so much 🥰🥰🥰 you're a great great great entertainer.
overall i agree that the story felt really lacking and like it failed to live up to its potential, but what really saves it for me are the primary characters. the dynamic between link, zelda, and groose is just delightful, and though its a pretty simple arc, groose’s development over the course of the game is incredibly endearing and well done. although he isnt complex by any means, ghirahim is just a really fun villain, and his characterization makes it really satisfying to bring him down in his comparatively difficult combat encounters. though im really glad theyve added the otion to skip them, some of the cutscenes in skyward sword are among my favorites in the whole series, between the great music, the well written dialogue, and the exciting choreography. broadly i think the story is on the weak side, but in these moment-to-moment kinds of examples i think theres a lot to love about it
18:55 "you even get some interesting glimpses" Arlo that scares me
jumping off a ledge and getting on your bird is magical, and landing on islands is similarly cool, but both of these things are hamstringed in Skyloft proper. You have to jump off the platforms, and skydiving down onto Skyloft requires a loading transition first -- placing you just roughly close to where you were going to land.
My parents got me this as a Christmas present and I've been wary to dive into it after loathing the Wii version (which I gave up only partway through due to the controls). But, critical though you were (and fairly so), this gave me a lot of confidence to brave it once more and give it a go regardless of my former complaints. Thanks for the honest review, Arlo :)
I liked the first 15 hours but it's a bit of a slog, so I'm saving the latter dungeons for the next time I'm in a Zelda mood. And you explained that fatigue-enjoyment tug of war really well. Excellent video! Thank you
I think SS story is definitely better than the majority of Zelda games, by far- You can really see the connection between Link and Zelda, and you can feel the rush to save Zelda once she gets captured, not to mention minor characters like Groose, Impa, and peatrice are wonderful characters to interact with- it's beautifully written and I really can't say otherwise imo.
Omg such a great video! I especially love the ending
This is one of the best reviews I've seen on TH-cam in recent memory. Just such a comprehensive look at so many elements of the game, and some great points about the design of Zelda and games as a whole. Keep it up Arlo!
The HD version was my very first play through of Skyward Sword, so I didn’t have any preconceived notions or prior opinions about it. BOTW was my first Zelda game, and the open world game that got me into open world games (Skyrim, Witcher, Ghost of Tsushima, etc.) so it set the bar SUPER high. Having no nostalgia for the Zelda franchise, it was really hard to get into Skyward Sword, when your introductory game is BOTW. I kept trying to do things that the game wouldn’t let me do, because the mechanics didn’t DO those things yet. My brain kept trying to work in BOTW ways, even though Skyward Sword is a 10 year old game that wasn’t there yet. Even so, I totally get the charm. I thought the motion controls were garbage and I nearly rage quit trying to fly my bird with them, so I switched to button controls, and liked everything much better afterwards. This was my first attempt in going backwards in the franchise, and I think I’ll try again with another game. But man, there’s something to be said for being introduced to video games once they’ve gotten TOO good. If there’s no childhood nostalgia for you, it’s tough to go backwards and appreciate a game ‘for its time’ when you know how damn good they’re gonna get.
I hope when Twilight Princess comes out, you‘ll love it 😊
This was actually the first Zelda game I had ever beaten so I have a soft spot for it. As someone who grew up during the Wii era, I was always fascinated by the Zelda series, but couldn't get deeply into it myself. I tried playing TP, and found the opening bit in the forest to be a tad scary and intense as a kid. I tried OoT on the Wii VC and got decently far into it, but always needed a walkthrough because it could be obtuse at times. I was hyped seeing SS during its E3 reveal. I remember the game coming out to universal praise and 10/10s.
For one reason or another I never got around to trying SS, and fell out of gaming entirely. When I was moving out of my childhood house, I dug up my Wii and decided to give SS, as well as SMG2, a shot. Both of them made me fall back in love with gaming and it convinced me to buy a Switch. After finishing the game I read and watched opinions of SS and I was surprised to see that Internet opinions of it had become so negatively skewed.
Picking up the game on Switch, I've mostly played in handheld mode, I'm about 15 hours in, and I love it. I don't mind that it's so linear, even after playing BOTW. I love the puzzle-box nature of the game: the combat, the "exploration" of the overworld, and the dungeons. I love the feeling of unraveling the world bit by bit. I love how epic and mythical the game feels. I love the breezy atmosphere of Skyloft. And I love the quality of life additions to this edition of the game. I will agree that the endgame is a bit bloated with padding. I think streamlining the padding and making this a ~20-25 hour story experience would make this a perfect 10/10 game in my mind. But I still love it despite its flaws.
The ol item wheel really reminds me of how the visors and beams work in the Metroid prime trilogy. You're meant to be able to hit a button and flick your wrist to swap between items.
This was an amazing review, I loved how honest Arlo was because I'm planning on getting a new game and I love Zelda so I was planning on getting this.
This review told me the bad and good parts of the game and I think I'd love this game.
Thanks for the amazing review.
For the sword controls, the smaller analogue sticks of the joycons actually end up being an advantage, making it much more responsive.
It would have been cool if Link wasn't a chosen hero; he was a regular dude who chose on his own will to take the goddess blade, dive down below the clouds, and find Zelda because he wanted to, not because it was a prophecy from long ago.
A kind of "No fate but what we make" attitude.
In other words, what Wind Waker did. Nintendo was willing to ditch the idea of prophesized heroes before; why not this game?
@@matthewmuir8884 yep. A kid who plunged feet first into Hell to save his sister, having no connection to the legends from the past.
13:22 what a great video in the background for that statement! Love it
As a avid zelda fan I have a genuine love for every game. Some more than others, but I've never felt there was a bad one. Even to this day I'm replaying each one before Tears of The Kingdom and I hold firm in my opinion that their all good games with some remakes being perfect (OOT 3D) and some being pretty mid (MM 3D).
I can't claim enough how much the last stretch of the game's story made me quite emotional...!
I was playing breath of the wild while watching this and the contrast is crazy
Sure you were.
@@Ponaru why would he lie about playing a game?
@@arcanehornet Because he's a liar who lies.
Im in thundra plateau
@@Ponaru ?
aiming with joystick and gyro at the same time is a feature present when doing the annoying maze puzzles in botw btw. Its also present when aiming/throwing pokeballs in Pokemon Let's Go.
Tip: when you have pokemon wild encounter, keep switch flat on table and just press A to throw. Generally if you time it right, and if the mon doesn't move, you can always get excellent throws.
the fact that the silent realm challenges are controversial is honestly insane to me, they're some of my favorite parts of the game. i don't get why people saying it's stressful is supposed to be a bad thing, it makes it really scary and get's me involved, like there's actual stakes at play. it also was a pleasant surprise to see that skyloft would get a silent realm, i seriously didn't expect that at all and i loved it. idk maybe i just like metal gear and stealth sections in general.
I was dreading them... then finished each on my 1st try. Had that gone poorly for me though, I could see it being frustrating.
@@penguinreloaded7756 i think the high stakes of restarting is a very good thing personally, and nothing is more tense then when you get chased by those things and that bombastic panic inducing music plays, knowing that you might have to do it again.
There is a strong prejudice against stealth sections in video games, especially when getting caught results in a game over and not just a transition into some combat phase. There's a reason why the Temple of the Ocean King in PH is so disliked despite being utterly brilliant. But I agree, the Spirit Realm is good.
I'm gonna describe my mindset right now, and I'd like anyone who sees this and has played the game to tell me if it'd be a worthwhile purchase for me.
Here's where I'm at: Breath of the Wild was my first Zelda game and I adore it. I'm not invested in the Zelda lore, and frankly, I don't typically play games for the story... to me, gameplay is paramount. This game looks like it has a lot of cool and fun ideas, but it also looks like it's padded out with a LOT of stuff I won't care about, that it has a million different mechanics and ideas without really committing to any one core feedback loop, and that the dungeons and campaign will be awesome for a single playthrough, but once I've seen it all once, there will be basically no reason to play it again once I know how to solve all the puzzles. Please tell me, a) are those impressions correct, and b) is this game worth my $60?
Opinions on Skyward Sword is very much divisive much like how Arlo mentioned. There's a whole spectrum of SS players so it's hard to give it a recommendation. Personally I find it to be the worst 3D Zelda game but it's still worth experiencing even with its issues though definitely not at $60. Buy a used copy or get it at discount because from what I gather from your comment, you will likely not enjoy it as much because the game is the complete opposite of BOTW and none in a good way.
I'm the same about story and gameplay, and I can tell you those impressions are correct. Fanboys will argue that hero mode makes it more engaging because you actually have to plan trips and survive off the rations you pick up every time you visit skyloft and in turn will need to "get gud" to not waste said resources, but the actual combat has so little depth or versatility to it that that probably won't make enough of a difference.
I played the original on my Wii U and I honestly find the Wii version has much better motion controls than HD. I only had to recalibrate in the Wii version every time I went to the bathroom and to grab food since I had to sit the controller on the floor. HD makes me recalibrate every time I lock on to an enemy.
I have had the exact opposite experience
Picked up the Wii copy a month or two before the remaster was announced and I'm just finishing it up now. I might have rose tinted glasses because I'm just now playing it for the first time, but I'm totally loving it so far (even with the motion controls). Still, you're video makes a lot of good points, especially on the re-use of enemies.
I personally loved Skyward sword back in 2011, it was together with ocarina of time one of my first zelda games ever. and man when i heard everyone hated it, i was shocked! after replaying it a few years later i noticed the flaws but regardless i saw the potential. i wished for a remaster to come out, and well here it is!
the remaster on the other hand...left me dissapointed. while indeed a lot of bad stuff was fixed...there was no improvement on textures or any improvement on the "painting effect". i also would have loved it to had some type of extra content like a extra dungeon or even a secret boss fight...but alas i got what i wished for and im just glad people start to replay one of my favorite zelda games ever :).
Honestly the remake looks really good and 60 FPS make a HUGE difference in my opinion.
But the flaws about the game which annoy me are still there. Not all, but some.
Linear overworld design. Like you said, the overworld is basically a dungeon before you go into a dungeon.
I just don't like how that feels.
I dislike how disconnected the world actually is and that the only real thing connecting these places is the sky.
I dislike the story. It's bland and boring in my opinion. Probably good for Zelda standards but still pretty bad in general.
Honestly I prefer Twilight Princess story after watching Lorerunners video on it. People seriously hate to much on Twilight Princess plot.
There is so much more there to get into than SS.
I dislike Fi. Yes, they made 'it' way better in the remaster but honestly, I just can't shake of my hate for this thing. The feelings from the original game still apply onto this character.
One big thing I really dispise about this game is that every boss just...sucks.
And I don't mean that in a gameplay sense. I personally really dislike their designs.
Honestly every other Zelda game had way more memorable designs, even if they were (mostly) to easy.
How many times do you fight Girahim in Skyward Sword? Yes, his fights are fun on a technical level but it's always the same person you are fighting.
SS Remaster is a really good game.
But honestly as a 3D Zelda game, if I compare it to Majoras Mask, Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess or even Wind Waker...it just falls flat for me.
For me, the flaw of the original that annoys me and is still in the remaster (and is the reason I didn't buy either one) is this: there aren't any left-handed options for the motion controls.
I'm a left-handed Zelda fan, and one of the things that I always liked about the series is that Link used to always be a lefty like me. Then came Skyward Sword, and not only did they make Link right-handed, but the motion controls had no options for playing the game left-handed. It's especially bad on the Switch, where you have to control the sword with the right joy-con and the shield with the left even though both joy-cons have the exact same motion control hardware, so all it would've taken to implement a left-handed option would be simple remapping + mirroring (the mirroring to make Link left-handed to match).
@@matthewmuir8884 Yes
That is highly questionable by Nintendo.
The comic in Hyrule Historia did a better job at showing the origins, since it showed the actual origins.
I’m over here sick as a dog in my bed but it’s nice to know even in these stressful times Arlo can still crack a heartwarming smile on my face, brilliant. You too Yoshiller and Cane, Arlo wouldn’t be up to his shenanigans without you guys.
20:29 "doesnt stick the landing" as link falls face to the ground. nice detail editor good job!
Lets say:
There is no outright bad zelda-game.
But still skyward is for me the worst of the 3d games.
The flying(which i wanted most, because i lovef riding in TP and sailing in WW) was a big disappointment.
The sky was empty and basically it was completely unnecessary.
It was just in the game, that you have something to do.
Like so many collecting-mainquests(and i mean the quests like the collecting the drops or notes etc.) or fighting the same enemy 3-4 times...
Half of the game feels like unnecessary playtime.
And then the annoying interruptions with the items and fi...
I had to start over 3 times to finish it once.
Its not a bad game.
Just a mediocre one.
I agree, Skyward Sword is longer than it needs to be. It takes elements from Wind Waker and Twilight Princess that were wonderful in those games and reworks them into something greatly inferior.
CD-I titles: "Good"
@@AkameGaKillfan777 the CD-i titles doesnt count.
All fair points arlo, but I do feel like you failed to mention a strength in skyward sword that sticks out the most to me: the character writing. You can't deny that these characters just pop off the screen and Link isn't a blank slate in this game. It's a feature I hope future zeldas try to capture.
As a side note, I felt the motion control was amazing this time and very engaging.
Watching this video, the thing that stuck out to me the most was... hot dang did I forget a lot of it. XD Like, I remember the general design of the various areas. I remember the NPCs. I remember those black avocado battles and murder guardian sections that made me literally put the game down right as I was near the end because I hated them so much. I did not remember a lot of the smaller things, though, like upgrading anything other than shields (which for some reason stuck with me), the dowsing, the bug collecting, those stupid goddess cubes, and the way the item wheel works.
I remember the characters and story and visuals... but I guess when it comes to gameplay elements, my brain decided, "You will remember the terror you felt helplessly running from ghost things with swords and nothing else." lol (Genuine, real anxiety from these sections, man. Wish I were lying, lol.)
You mentioned things being frustratingly frustrating and that is still how I feel about the Silent Realms. I never rage quit a game before Skyward Sword back in 2011, but the Eldin Spent Realm did it for me. I put the game down for over a month before picking it back up. I wasn't looking forward to playing them again and got really anxious because of them. Thankfully, Austin John Plays made a guide for them that got me through my anxiety (which has gotten worse over the years). I wouldn't have been able to do it, otherwise. Apart from that, I loved the game and still do. The Beatle is arguably the best item in the series and you get it in the FIRST dungeon! I also loved the story and how close Link and Zelda were in it.
I've never really loved or hated Skyward Sword. I've only played it through once, but that was years after it had come out (and after I had already played Breath of the Wild). I have some minor gripes here and there (yes, Fi IS annoying), but never really understood why people either downright hated the game or thought it was a 10/10 (I'm looking at you, IGN).
I really enjoyed the heck out of SS. I played it on Wii before and again on switch. It's really on of my favorite Zelda games of all time. Soundtrack is wonderful, bosses are great and I really love the story so much it's where it started it all! It's really fun and I still love it to this day!
I very much enjoyed the spirit challanges. They gave me a challange to look forward to. A challange which got the adrenaline pumping and which tested you on your knowledge of traversal of the lands you’ve previously explored.
I couldn't stand the original on wii but LOVED this version. It became the first Zelda I 100 percented. I went straight into Master Mode after completing the game once. It's just non-stop puzzles, dungeons, fun, and beauty.
To be fair skyward sword felt linear partially due to bevause thats how alot of games were before open world/open area/hub style games were mainstream.
would you feel better about the story if Link didn’t have to go back in time to do Hylia’s job for her?
aside from the pacing and structure of just chasing Zelda around for most of the game, I think the plot is nice… but yes, the way it’s framed feels more like the average _Zelda_ adventure, than an origin, and aside from the cool Impa reveal, the time travel elements seem unnecessary.
ideally, the story should’ve been some mumbo-jumbo about Hylia being unable to defeat Demise on her own, so she sealed him away as “the Imprisoned,” and sent the Hylians to the sky to be safe until a Hero came along… and then Link’s task throughout the game is just enlist help in defeating the now-stirring Demise. but now that I’ve written it out, that just seems like the plot of _Breath of the Wild…_
Just recently beat this game (my third Zelda game after BOTW and Links Awakening - 2019), I wasn't expecting it to be as fun as it ended up being for me. Took me 50 hours to complete and felt pretty satisfied with the story and gameplay 🥰
Favourite Zelda game of all time and I love link and zeldas relationship in this one some Zelda scenes actually made me cry at the end and near the end