Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword HD | NSW | Out now!

Robbo-92 wrote:
shy guy 64 wrote:
Robbo-92 wrote:I really can’t remember that being in the Wii version, not knowing the middle air stream was there

it was

I know it was now! Just can’t remember it

fair enough

18 hours on the clock and I just reached Lanaryu Sand Sea area and I have the clawshot :toot:

I rolled credits on this earlier. 34 hours on the clock and loved it by the end, I can’t say I loved it at the start as even with the right stick there is a learning curve with the controls. Once you crack it though there’s a massively underrated game here that I wrote off as a misfire before this version.

The puzzles and progression ends up being addictive. Very glad I gave this a second chance.

Finally got back on this for not even an hour this afternoon :lol:

feels like I’m going to just have to chip away at it bit by bit! Got to the Isle of Songs, learnt a new tune and now back in Faron Woods with a shiny new Shield (I’ve forgotten so much about this game, didn’t realise you could buy it this early).

Finished it all up last night. All hearts and gratitude pieces at 30hrs. Checked my time of my recent Wii run and that was 40 :lol:

I'll probably give hero mode a go again one day but not for a little while.

Anyway! Amazing climax! My fav ending outside of OoT. Its all just *chefskiss* Its just so much

and

all at once.

Just did the first Imprisoned fight. Don't know what the moaning is about as that was pretty decent I thought!

Jenuall wrote:Just did the first Imprisoned fight. Don't know what the moaning is about as that was pretty decent I thought!

Enjoy doing it twice more for no reason!

Victor Mildew wrote:
Jenuall wrote:Just did the first Imprisoned fight. Don't know what the moaning is about as that was pretty decent I thought!

Enjoy doing it twice more for no reason!

I'm excited! :toot:

Finished 100%

Random thoughts:Still has a gamefeel like no other, and I'm glad to have had another chance to experience it. Bug-swiping, considered sword-slashing, fist-pump rolling and swim-spinning and the rest are all itches no other game scratches and I'm glad to have it on hand on Switch. I'm also a big fan of the small flourishes like the scratchy air-pattern-carving like the end of each imprisoned fight - they feel loose and analogue and alive in a way I don't get from normal padplay.

I still love how involved it feels in terms of gameplay and traversal, though I appreciate it can feel a little busy for some. I really love the swimming and crawling and digging and first-person dowsing/clawshotting as I feel it gives the game a dimensionality (in traversal and perspective) lacking from the flatter-but-bigger BotW.

I might be wrong but I think there's a slight fish-eye on the camera or something? Whatever it is, it works for this up-close, immersed Zelda that isn't as focused on landscape and panoramic sweep

The Imprisoned fights are good if you avoid toes.

I hope BotW2's Skydiving has the billowing, contrail-ed, flap and flutter of SS - it looks more reserved and controlled in the BotW2 trailer!

It would be amazing if BotW2 offered some optional motion/gyro accents like with the Skydiving, and not just for bow aiming.

I agree with TWA, the skydiving is underused but I mainly say that because it's so fun. In general I think each mechanic is Just about used enough, with a set-piece to sate each possibility (skydiving minigame, Levias for flight-fights etc) but some are good enough to be used more. But I suppose it's a pretty full game already!

The set-pieces like the Levias fight and three Groosenator and so on really raise the whole, I think.

I love the OoT Hyrule field reference after Song if the Hero.

I love the music in general, definite all-timer. Lush and rich and at times old-school romantic, at times coolly modern (Fi's themes, Past themes for Lanayru, Sealed Temple etc). The music is fundamental to my love of the game, both for its specific tone and tracks, but also the frequency of musical interludes (Silent Realm gates, Song of the Hero quest, Zelda's harp moments etc) that raise the whole adventure to the level of the poetic or sublime or whatever.

Game definitely felt more fetch-quest-y in parts than I remember, which was made more annoying by the staccato rhythm of going back to the sky and schlepping across each time.

Game also felt more transparently formulaic than I recall, or maybe I just cared more now. And when I saw formulaic I mean within its own structure, not compared to other games. The game is very neatly divided into thirds, with each third divided into three surface visits, and each of those having a specific routine. This makes the quest sometimes feel more obviously workman and to-do than something wholly organic, as well as a little 'another castle' (as my friend put it). But this might have been exacerbated by me knowing the score before going in, and not being surprised by twists like the Thunderhead and Levias and so on this time round. Also, even things like side-quests are made a little more tick-box-y by introducing Gratitude Crystals as currency? Not sure

I love the aesthetic overall but the character design less so. Link and Zelda are the best they've ever been but the Skyloft residents look less consistent (maybe because they're each designed around a specific bird or maybe just less quality control) - some like Item girl's Dad look like BotW classy-anime style whilst others have that lip-full, exaggerated weirdness that sets them apart from others. And like Oriel has dot eyes and could be from a whole different game.

And goofiness of enemy/boss design still a bit odd. It's probably the least chic and least consistent creature/character aesthetic of the 3D Zeldas. But the good stuff is great (looking at you weirdo nipple-ring shield guy).

The dungeons are all fun and feel razor-honed for punchy playability, but also I wonder if they lose a little sense of difference from that? No two dungeons feel as different as (say) as Forest Temple and and Water Temple in terms of vibe and mood and adventure? With Forest's Painting ghosts and Water's... exhaustion? Then again I've not played OoT since release!...

Whole ending is hugely satisfying, with an epic horde battle, an epic Ghirahim (that crumbling sword!) and an incredible Demise battle which was tougher and awesome-er than I remember!

Then the ending cutscene and story sequence is as gorgeous and complete and heartfelt as anything I've experienced in gaming. They nailed it and I love it.

A few mechanics I was glad to have continually stretched further and made surprising until the end (like Timestones in Thunder Dragon sequence and in final dungeon) but I wish some were taken A Little further still. Really maxed out for possibility. After time is introduced as a variable in the Thunder Dragon sequence it's so fun (and so action game-y compared to the usual considered pleasures of Zelda) that I could have played more (bonus? DLC-like?) sequences that really Went There. They all felt like they were taken to Celeste A-Side or Maybe the odd B-Side level of ingenious or surprise, but never C-Side! Though I suppose I Have played the game before... I guess I'm just greedy for more SS to conquer!

Also I love the Sky Island theme but like LA's Tal Tal Heights I don't think you ever get enough prolonged exposure to it to really bed into it unless you consciously decide to? (Which I do)
Anyway loved my time with the game, and will definitely go back just to play about and absorb the vibes which isn't my usual post-Zelda stance! (See: My EG article!). Probably a Head 8/10 - Heart 10/10 overall?

Or maybe a 9-10 or a 10-10 who knows! But in the last year I've played two much newer, probable-all-timers for me (The Last Guardian and The Outer Wilds) and this still easily holds its place in my faves.

On Skyloft, I am at the top of the islands floating above Waterfall Cave, I am trying to skydive from there into a nest on the windmill but I can’t seem to get close to the nest? What’s the trick to getting the distance.

ITSMILNER wrote:On Skyloft, I am at the top of the islands floating above Waterfall Cave, I am trying to skydive from there into a nest on the windmill but I can’t seem to get close to the nest? What’s the trick to getting the distance.

there isnt really a trick, just make sure youre at the right bit a move over as far as you can as fast as you can

I'm not sure how it is with button controls but with motion tilting the controller almost directly down (having been calibrated well with Y first!) gets you A Lot of forward travel.

Ok stupid question incoming……

How the heck do you skydive off the tree in Faron Woods? I need to enter a proper dive to get the 3rd Goddess Cube on my way down and it won’t enter a dive :fp:

Link just jumps off :lol:

Robbo-92 wrote:Ok stupid question incoming……

How the heck do you skydive off the tree in Faron Woods? I need to enter a proper dive to get the 3rd Goddess Cube on my way down and it won’t enter a dive Link just jumps off

I didnt- https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1111337992?t=1h1m8s

deathofcows wrote:I agree with TWA

Everyone make sure they have a good look at Grooses room btw. Not the stuff in it but the room itself. Just a little detail.

I’ve done it now, sure I dived off in the Wii version but it just wouldn’t do it on this one.

Edit, up to the Ancient Cistern now :wub:

So i'm currently at Elden Volcano and looking for the last flame for me sword, still enjoying the game (even tho i'm going through it at a snails pace it seems) but some of the parts are a bit annoying. For instance, the whole part where you needed to go back to Lake Floria to get a large jug of water to put out the fire in the volcano section....that just felt like needless padding.

If you were able to quick travel via the bird statues then it might not have been as bad but the whole having to back out of the level, go to the other level to get the water, go back to the volcano level again and then have to walk up the mountain but this making it an escort mission....not a fun part that.

Overall I do like it but it's not my favourite Zelda, it wouldn't make my top 5 Zelda's, I think I might get this last flame then play something else for a week to break it up a bit.

Had a bit of a break from this so really need to get back on it, after a slightly wobbly start I've really enjoyed it so far - just lots of nice classic Zelda action really.

Can't actually remember what I'm supposed to be doing next now, I'm hoping that Fi can get me back up to speed!

I got about halfway through the Ancient Cistern last night, hopefully get that done tonight and up to the next dungeon for the second flame.

After you get the third flame, how much longer till the end?

ITSMILNER wrote:After you get the third flame, how much longer till the end?

theres still a fair bit to go. slightly over 2 3rds. maybe closer to 3 quarters

Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword HD | NSW | Out now!

Who is online

Affiliates