The Swan song for the Wii
It's been 5 years since the last Zelda game, which got a tepid response from a lot of people calling it too formulaic and a "Ocarina of Time remake". Others questioned if maybe the Zelda formula was done, and a complete rework of the franchise was in order for the series to continue, and some people probably thought that the end was nigh on this series. Could Nintendo reinvigorate a franchise that has fallen a bit out of favor lately? Read on to find out!
The game starts in the sky as we get to know the ever sleepy Link and Zelda and a whole bunch of wacky and interesting characters, and right here is the first big step for the Zelda franchise. Zelda and Link have been friends since they were children, they have a established relationship as lifelong friends (and more?) Which makes it a more interesting story as Link has more at stake and you sympathize with him and want him to succeed.
That leads me to the story, which has improved remarkably in Skyward Sword compared to it's predecessors, there is more drama and the characters have more weight and as mentioned the relationship Zelda and Link has feels very real and you want them to overcome their struggles together. Zelda is also not just some damsel in distress, unlike Peach she has always held her own now that I think about it but I digress, she is a strong character who comes across as very capable and smart which is nice. The other characters you get introduced to are also a treat some of them genuinely funny to boot. The ending is also sublime, it is easily the best ending a Zelda game has ever had, and it is satisfying, sad, happy and leaves you wanting for more, it is the best part of this game.
Other then the story the visuals have changed rather drastically for the better, gone are the dark medieval tones of Twilight Princess and is replaced with more colours and abstract visuals, all told it is like a combination of Twilight Princess and Wind Waker. Which even on hardware that is comparable to a microwave oven in this day and age looks absolutely stunning, ranging from the terrain and the world in general to the characters. I cannot stress this enough when I say it's the best looking game on the Wii and probably the best looking game to come out this year.
The biggest change however is the combat, which has been much discussed, and it completely changes everything, it is the main reason to play this game. It is the ONLY game that is actually made better with motion controls, which is impressive. Some people have had issues with unresponsive controls, I can only speak from my own experience and I had absolutely no trouble, it controlled perfectly. The one thing you may notice if you haven't played a lot of wii games lately (which would not be shocking), is that it takes a couple of hours to get used to the controls, once you have gotten enough practice it is a blast to play.
There are still temples of course, and with them comes puzzles and boss fights. This game has probably the most creative temples in the series all told, they all have their gimmicks but they are interesting while not mind meltingly hard they do give you a challenge and force you to think a bit, the boss fights are also equally excellent if not a tad bit on the easy side with the exception of the last boss.
There are some criticism though this game is by no means perfect, the omission of voice acting yet again is starting to become more and more noticeable. If they had given a voice to the main characters (except Link) it would've gone a long way to make this games story resonate even more. There are also some pacing issues, the start is fairly slow but it sets up the world and the characters nicely, and there is a very certain part that lasts about 15 minutes that can go burn in the inner most sanctum of hell. It is also a bit on the easy side which renders the upgrade stuff relatively pointless. Though that is nit picky stuff really and is in no way enough to harm the overall quality of this product.
Because if there is one thing Skyward Sword has it is quality, from top to bottom it is filled with sheer quality and talent. The sound design is absolutely gorgeous and is peerless in this industry, it almost negates the lack of voice acting at times because of how amazing the sound is. The graphics as mentioned are absolutely top notch and makes you wonder just who Nintendo has churning out art like this, it is by no means a technical marvel but an artistic one, and is unlike anything you've ever seen.
So to conclude, I had my doubts going in to this game if this could change my views on Zelda yet again after being disillusioned by the franchise and how stuck it was in it's own tropes. Yes there is still a princess called Zelda, there are still temples and the Master Sword. However this game feels completely different from any other in the series, the features they add all make sense and massively improve the game keeping the formula fresh. So if you want more Zelda run out and buy this if you already haven't, even if you don't you should check it out, it just might surprise you with it's spectacle and beauty.
