Wednesday, September 28, 2011

I'm surprisingly wary of buying The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Full disclosure: I haven't played a Zelda game since Wind Waker. Actually, scratch that--I played Twilight Princess for about an hour before giving up on it for some reason that I can't remember.

Given that, I'm a bit wary of buying Skyward Sword, despite the fact that I very much like what I've seen of this upcoming Wii release--which seems to harken back to the series' glory days (i.e., The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time). I mean, will I buy it and then simply stare at its box, as I have with its predecessor, or will I actually play through a Zelda game for the first time since the above-mentioned Nintendo 64 iteration? (Yes, you read that right: I played Wind Waker but never finished it.)



The one thing that likely will spur me to pick up Skyward Sword despite the reservations shared above is the gold Wii Remote Plus that will be included with the limited edition of the game. (That version will be released in North America on Nov. 20. Pre-order it here.)

Are any of you similarly unsure as to whether or not you will be buying Skyward Sword? If so, what are your qualms with this, the eighth Zelda game to be released for a Nintendo console (not including Four Swords Adventures and Link's Crossbow Training, of course)--and what will it take for you to quell them?

See also: 'Let's Play: Which Box Art is Better? (The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword edition)'

14 comments:

LottieTwintails said...

Unfortunately, Bryan, I have the opposite mindset - I KNOW I'm going to get this game and devote myself quite loyally to it, and that gold Wiimote is going to help me do it. I'm a hopeless sucker for Zelda games!

I've heard some people express uncertainty about the "100+ hours" of gameplay Skyward Sword is supposed to have, but I'm actually quite interested to see how this plays out in a Zelda game. They're ordinarily not that long. Admittedly I always rack up numerous hours just screwing around doing random stuff in Zelda games, so I don't know how different this will be!

Bryan Ochalla said...

Well, I'm glad to hear that, Kamiwoo! Honestly, I love what I've seen of this game, so I definitely *want* to buy it and love it. I'm just worried that I'll end up buying it and watching it collect dust, given my recent history with the series.

I didn't know about the 100+ hours of gameplay until you brought it up, BTW. What on earth is going to make the game last that long, I wonder?

Darwin said...

I will pass on this one, at least for this year. It's going to interfere with my Skyrim time. :)

I think I know how you feel Bryan. I picked up both Wind Waker and Twilight Princess at launch, but didn't put more than 5 hours each. I always planned to go back and play it but never did.

Who knows, I'll probably give in to the hype near launch.

Viewtiful_Justin said...

I can't believe you never finished Wind Waker, Bryan. Shame on you. That game never ceases to make me happy. It's my second favorite Zelda only after Link to the Past.

But the one thing that makes me wary about buying it? It's being released during National Novel Writing Month...it's going to be VERY hard to write with Zelda waiting to be played.

Bryan Ochalla said...

I put more than five hours into Wind Waker, Darwin -- I'd say I put in at least 10, if I had to guess. Still, I didn't finish it.

Twilight Princess, though, just hit me the wrong way right from the start. That said, I'm going to give it another chance at some point.

Anyway, although I doubt I'm going to get this anywhere near launch, I do think I'll get it eventually. Hopefully the limited edition w/ the gold Wiimote Plus will still be available at that time...

Bryan Ochalla said...

I know, Justin. It *is* shameful, especially since I really liked what I played of it. I just got stuck and one point and couldn't for the life of me figure out how to get un-stuck, so I gave up.

Also, it should be noted that I watched a close friend play through most of the game (she lived with us at the time, so it was easy to watch her at all times). I think that negatively impacted my interest in the game, too.

Still, I hope to get back to it at some point, as it is one of the most charming games I remember playing of that era.

Viewtiful_Justin said...

Oh, yeah...I'm a great watcher, but it DOES sap my interest in playing myself. And, I'm actually with you on Twilight Princess, Bryan. I finished it, and I enjoyed it, but the art style and the story were too dark for my personal tastes...it was reminiscent of the creepy Majora's Mask game a bit...

Bryan Ochalla said...

Ah, that's interesting to hear -- that watching someone else play a game saps your interest in playing the same game, too. I really should limit myself to watching people play games that I can't or don't want to play myself, like FPS games.

As for Twilight Princess, I think the art style was the main thing that turned me off of it -- which is kind of funny, since a lot of people had been clamoring for a "more mature Link" up to that point. Not me! I was quite happy with Wind Waker Link :)

Viewtiful_Justin said...

I was, too. WW is the prettiest Zelda ever. I like that Skyward Sword is akin to both. The colors seem more WW and the realism seems more TP, but it leans enough WW that I am REALLY looking forward to it.

Bryan Ochalla said...

Yes, it does kind of marry the two, doesn't it -- and in a very nice way :) Really, this is the game Twilight Princess should have been, IMO.

Mark Ayala said...

It makes me a bit sad as I grew up playing the first and second a few years after they came out and then subsequently getting every single Zelda game on the release date or at least near the release date after that (except the Capcom made ones). And after thinking Twilight Princess was just good but nothing to knock my socks over, Skyward Sword comes along and frankly, doesn't really impress me. I see the videos and it looks pretty, but too me, gameplay wise, it loks like they keep trying to recapture the marvel Ocarina of Time had over the world when it was released. After Nintendo's serious of disappointments on the Wii the last year or two (No damn Xenoblade or The Last Story), it just looks pretty but unspectacular to me.

Anyways, try giving Wind Waker an other shot. The art style is incredibly charming, the music is good and sure there where a few things they could have changed to make it less tedious (the annoying sneaking level that kills the game's momentum at the start, to much boat traveling, lack of dungeons), I really love it and it was the last time a Zelda game actually got me excited.

And man, the DS sequels... They just didn't do it for me...

Mark Ayala said...

Damnit! Right after this post, I started thinking about it and out of obligation to myself, I'm probably still going to get this first day. It'll be the first time in a year and a half I pay full price for a game :/

Bryan Ochalla said...

Hey there, Mark! Nice to see you back here again :)

I'm sorry to hear that your long-time interest in this series was basically killed by Twilight Princess. What is it about that game anyway? It basically killed my interest in the series, too.

It's interesting that you point out NIntendo's obsession w/ recreating Ocarina of Time. Really, Wind Waker, Twilight Princess and now Skyward Sword have all copied the OOT formula, haven't they? I wonder why they don't try something else?

Maybe that is what has killed my interest in the series -- every game seems to be a re-skin of OOT.

Honestly, I'd love it if Nintendo made a New Legend of Zelda, or something akin to that. And what I mean by that is a game that harkens back to the series' 8-bit and 16-era titles, especially ALTTP. More of an old-school look and feel, a la New Super Mario Bros. Also, how about more of a top-down perspective, and a return to the overworld-dungeon-repeat gameplay of those earlier titles?

I'd also like it if they got funky with the game's graphics. A lot of people on the Internet seem to clamor for a "Paper Zelda," with graphics like the Paper Mario games. I'd be down with that. I'd also be down with other ideas -- going back to sprites, for instance, or making all of the graphics look like they were made out of fabric (a la Kirby's Epic Yarn) or clay or something.

Regardless, Nintendo needs to change it up a bit if I'm ever going to get back on board fully with this series.

That said, I do like what I've seen of Skyward Sword. Even then, though, I'm not sure it's a game I'm going to spend much time with...

Bryan Ochalla said...

Oh, and as for your second comment, Mark -- it sounds like we're in the same boat. I'm not at all sure of Skyward Sword, but I'll likely buy it anyway. I definitely won't be buying it on day one, though. Anyway, let me know what you end up thinking about it, will you?