Skyward Sword: Potentially the Greatest Zelda Title (by Carl B.)
September 14, 2011, by Carl B. - The Zelda formula has slowly evolved over the 25 years of the series' existence, but no Zelda title has seen a radical revolution since Ocarina of Time released in 1998. Zelda's formula is tried and true – there hasn't been a bad Zelda game other than The Adventure of Link – yet there always seems to be as much resentment to the series as there is hype for any upcoming console Zelda release. Wii's final big release from Nintendo, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, is shaping up to be a title that completely changes the way gamers have played Zelda for the last 25 years, and it may be the best title in the series since Ocarina of Time.
When Skyward Sword was revealed at E3 2010 I was extremely disappointed with the art direction Nintendo chose to go with. The very first bit of concept art for the game, shown at E3 2009, depicted a darker Zelda title, akin to Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess. Nintendo even promised a game that looked better than Monster Hunter Tri. Apparently they failed, and gave the excuse that cel-shaded visuals made sense with the game's focus on sword combat. Since then, though, the art style has really grown on me. It certainly helps that Nintendo has had over a year to polish the game up and make it look really nice. The Wind Waker's cel-shaded visuals still hold up today, so this move may give Skyward Sword some longevity in the visual department.
The single biggest change to Skyward Sword compared to previous Zelda titles is the emphasis on sword combat. Most Zelda games focus more on puzzle solving and exploration – both of which are main components in Skyward Sword – but now we get a taste of what it's like to be a swordsman in Hyrule. I had the opportunity to play the game at E3 2010 with our friends over at RoboAwesome, and the 1:1 sword controls worked perfectly. Every arm angle and swipe was reflected on screen perfectly, and best of all, the combat was actually challenging; not because of broken controls or overly difficult enemies, but because battles took a great deal of strategy and precision to master – I actually died against a Stalfoes. Recent trailers have shown some clever new additions to combat as well. The latest trailer shows Link fighting a large, shield-carrying Moblin, and instead of taking it head on, Link runs at the Moblin, climbs over its shield and on top of it and strikes from behind. The Moblin turns around, prompting Link to cut up its shield in the same exact pattern as his sword strikes.
One of the series' main staples, using items found in a dungeon to beat that dungeon's boss, is also getting a major revamp. Shigeru Miyamoto has said that players will sometimes find the best items well before a dungeon, and they'll have practical uses as the game carries on. It also helps that there are fewer items in Skyward Sword, giving each one more meaning. A prime example is the Slingshot in both Skyward Sword and Twilight Princess: in TP, it became absolutely useless once players acquired the Bow, but in Skyward Sword, the Bow requires longer and more precise aiming while the Slingshot can be pulled out and fired quickly.
Weapons and equipment can even be upgraded in a brand new gameplay mechanic that resembles the upgrade system seen in Monster Hunter. Past Zelda games, specifically The Wind Waker, have featured collectible items that fall from defeated enemies. In the past they haven't served much of a purpose at all, but in Skyward Sword, items picked up from enemies can be used to upgrade weapons and equipment in Link's arsenal. We don't yet know how many upgrades each weapon will have, but we do know that Link's shield can be upgraded several times over, eventually transforming it into the classical Hylian Shield. One of Link's new weapons, the Beetle, can be upgraded to increase flight time.
Skyward Sword's upgrade system detailed.
Link's shield itself is no longer an invincible defensive force. Below Link's health bar is a meter that displays the shield's stamina. When that meter goes down all the way, Link's shield will break.
The traditional Zelda progression – dungeon to field to dungeon – has been revamped in a way that no other Zelda title has seen. Skyward Sword doesn't have an overworld like Ocarina of Time or Twilight Princess, instead opting for a sea of floating islands and clouds – almost like The Wind Waker in the sky. The difference, however, is that the hub-city known as Skyloft is really the only largely inhabited area in the sky, as the various uncharted floating islands are there for players to explore and find hidden treasure (Skyward Sword features treasure hunting side-quests) on their own. Link is able to fly freely anywhere in the sky, but unlike The Wind Waker, there's plenty of land to walk around on: Link is able to drop from his bird and descend to Hyrule, the world below the clouds.
Since Skyward Sword takes place before Ocarina of Time on the controversial Zelda timeline, many locations seen in the N64 classic will be present in the new Wii adventure, only in their very early forms. For instance, Link can travel to Death Mountain at one point in the game, only it is known as Eldin Volcano in Skyward Sword.
According to developers and a recent Game Informer information blow-out, the segments below the clouds are incredibly challenging and engaging. Each area is large and is treated as a separate type of field, but they're structured almost like natural, outdoor dungeons. According to the Game Informer 24-page feature, it took two hours to travel through one forest area before Link made it to the dungeon.
Latest footage, taken from Nintendo's pre-TGS 2011 conference.
Dungeons themselves continue the trend set by Twilight Princess – they're large and take plenty of time to complete. Each dungeon makes use of multiple weapons in Link's arsenal, so there won't be any item that is seldom used in the adventure.
The final notable addition to Skyward Sword is the Silent Realm. Certain areas in Hyrule are enchanted and protected by Guardians that can take Link out with one attack. In order to restore the land to normal, players have to locate special items, similar to the Twilight Realm in Twilight Princess. But there's a catch: Link is unable to use his sword in the Silent Realm.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is set to release on November 20. All indications point to another fantastic title in the Zelda series, and if everything goes right, it may be the greatest game in the storied franchise.
