So I'm in the Lanaryu Mining Facility, and I've just come to the realization that I'm not actually having fun yet. I feel like I'm going through the motions, and the MotionPlus stuff isn't making it a great deal more enjoyable. I'm considering putting it down and starting a full mage in Skyrim. So, for those who are farther than me, is there some shift that takes place after the third dungeon (after which I assume I'll catch up to Zelda, cause, you know, rule of threes)? Avoiding spoilers, if possible, what can I look forward to after Lanaryu?

Someone told me if you don't like it by the fifth (fourth?) dungeon then it probably isn't for you. I've been having fun so far even with the combat not being that great, though.

Yeah, if you're still not enjoying it at the part you're at now, I think this game is just not for you, man. Personally, I'm having a blast.

I had a blast as soon as I fought the first miniboss (skeleton yo), but I must admit the puzzles feel old to me.
But I'm about as old as the Zelda franchise (well, not really but I caught up a lot too) and I know all the games by heart.

Lanayru Desert  sections of the game are probably the best parts of the game.. after that you go back and revisit older areas once you get new items like the hookshot and etc.  Lanayru desert the second time has a pretty cool sand sailing section and sandship dungeon is pretty cool.  But yeah it's pretty much standard affair Zelda.

I was really bored in the forest part and the first dungeon, but started to warm to it once I reached Eldin volcano. Now I'm just past the part where you are, having done a bit of the side stuff as well as the "test of courage", and aside from some controller issues (I find I'm either running too fast or too slow in some instances, making me run off edges a bit too often) I'm enjoying myself.

Off topic but I don't remember if they had taken out the compass in TP, it's a good improvement nontheless. In either case I really like the fact that they made the map NOT a completely useless novelty by having things like bombable walls or paths under quicksand show up on it.

Eh, well if you're not having fun I definetly get it, it's what I felt through most of TP. Maybe it's a mindset thing, but I'm having a lot of fun just talking to all the weird people and I'm also curious where the story will go. The fact that it's set so early in the "timeline" seems to have freed them up to do a lot of things. No mention of the creation myth or the Triforce yet.

Thanks for the input, guys. I finished the Lanaryu Mine, and I think I'm done. The thing that really broke my spirit was when the old lady said to go back to the forest, volcano and desert and collect some "flames" for my sword, and I just assumed I'd have to bang out three more dungeons until the narrative moved forward again.

If I'm wrong in that assumption, feel free to correct me, but that's really only one of several reasons I quit. Glad you guys are having fun though.

I was going to suggest finishing the Lanaryu mine and seeing the next part of the game, since the story really picks up at that point. But yeah, if you're not enjoying it now, there's probably no point in continuing. I'm surprised you're not enjoying it though, the controls are totally unnecessary, but I think the game is incredible. Easily better than another watered down Elder Scrolls game.

I really wasn't enjoying myself for the first few hours, but then it suddenly began to click in the Forest Temple.

Loving it now, though I do seem to be having some trouble properly calibrating the controller.

It's probably where I have the sensor bar...

Honestly, I just got past where you are OP, Keep going. It got so much better INSTANTLY.

@GetEveryone said:

I really wasn't enjoying myself for the first few hours, but then it suddenly began to click in the Forest Temple.

Loving it now, though I do seem to be having some trouble properly calibrating the controller.

It's probably where I have the sensor bar...

Believe it or not, it uses the gyros (wii motion plus), not the sensor bar. Which is why you have to press down to center it sometimes when aiming.

@Cornman89: That part got me a little too to be honest, hopefully SOMETHING will happen in between doing those dungeons. Otherwise I'm guessing more sidequests will become available so I guess I'll have to mix it up with those.

@WinterSnowblind said:

I was going to suggest finishing the Lanaryu mine and seeing the next part of the game, since the story really picks up at that point. But yeah, if you're not enjoying it now, there's probably no point in continuing. I'm surprised you're not enjoying it though, the controls are totally unnecessary, but I think the game is incredible. Easily better than another watered down Elder Scrolls game.

Can you launch a bear half way across the world at mach speeds in Skyward Sword? I didn't think so.

@WinterSnowblind said:

Easily better than another watered down Elder Scrolls game.

Best Elder Scrolls game I've ever played, I don't know what you're talking about. Even if I was interested in yet another Zelda game, would it last me as long in terms of replayability as Skyrim will?

Nope.

When I arrived at Eldin I started to really dig the game. But it was not until Lanaryu Mining Facility that I felt that the temples finally got really good. I really love the fifth temple i might add. Nintendo does wonderful things when they stick to a theme that reminds us of something real just like they did with the fifth temple in Twilight Princess.

Storywise stuff between temple three and six seem to grind to a halt. It's logical why but it's sad it has to happen. Twlight Princess did kind of the same thing. After some kind of climax after the third temple the games usually presents us with some really fun and good temples BUT the story progression disapears because you have a set goal before you. it's true you had this before too and I don't know why Nintendo insist on repeating this story formula when they actually could have made more stuff happen in between. Sometimes you just want more reasons to venture forth than engaging temples.

Yeah... that became kind of a rant but if you don't like this game after the Lanaryu part it's hard to believe you will enjoy the rest since you seem to want things happen storywise.

@WinterSnowblind said:

I was going to suggest finishing the Lanaryu mine and seeing the next part of the game, since the story really picks up at that point. But yeah, if you're not enjoying it now, there's probably no point in continuing. I'm surprised you're not enjoying it though, the controls are totally unnecessary, but I think the game is incredible. Easily better than another watered down Elder Scrolls game.

GTFO.

I think half of the reason why I'm not enjoying Zelda at the moment is because I feel so deliciously spoiled by Skyrim. Few things are more irritating than going from a beautifully rendered cutscene into... speech bubbles. Nintendo needs to grow the fuck up and invest all of their piles of money back into the games they're producing.

@TimesHero said:

@GetEveryone said:

I really wasn't enjoying myself for the first few hours, but then it suddenly began to click in the Forest Temple.

Loving it now, though I do seem to be having some trouble properly calibrating the controller.

It's probably where I have the sensor bar...

Believe it or not, it uses the gyros (wii motion plus), not the sensor bar. Which is why you have to press down to center it sometimes when aiming.

I fucking knew it. I've honestly been searching for an answer on this for ages. Cheers, mate.

Does that mean I don't actually need the sensor bar connected anymore? If so, then that's a slight bonus, but it also means I'm having some niggling problems with the remote.

I'm at the mine right now, haven't played it in a couple days, but when I'm less busy I'll play it straight away. I really like it so far. I played 90 minutes when I got it, and the next day played 9 hours of it and finished the first two dungeons and a few side quests. I think the controls are great, but I do get a little bit disappointed sometimes, for example when I see the upgrades for the items it makes me realise how many other games have upgrade systems that are so much deeper. I know people dislike comparing it to Skyrim, but if Zelda had a good crafting/upgrading system, with a complete open world where the story isn't linear and I can just do any dungeon I want at any time and a more mature story, my dreams for Zelda would finally come true. I really hope the next Zelda is like that (I doubt it)

But ignoring that, I completely agree with the GB review about this, and I would also give it 4 stars, maybe pushing 4 1/5.

@Galiant said:

@WinterSnowblind said:

Easily better than another watered down Elder Scrolls game.

Best Elder Scrolls game I've ever played, I don't know what you're talking about. Even if I was interested in yet another Zelda game, would it last me as long in terms of replayability as Skyrim will?

Nope.

And I remember hearing all the same praise lavished onto Oblivion just after it was released. Perhaps after people have spent more time with Skyrim, they'll again realise how false the sense of freedom they try and portray is.

But don't get me wrong, I still think Skyrim is a good game. I just prefer a game that focuses more on story and characters or whatever, as opposed to a jankey open world, where nothing really clicks together properly. But we're all allowed to have different opinions, trying to compare something like Zelda to something like Skyrim is pretty silly to begin with, and nobody needs to get so offended if I don't like a game they like.

@WinterSnowblind said:

@Galiant said:

@WinterSnowblind said:

Easily better than another watered down Elder Scrolls game.

Best Elder Scrolls game I've ever played, I don't know what you're talking about. Even if I was interested in yet another Zelda game, would it last me as long in terms of replayability as Skyrim will?

Nope.

Perhaps after people have spent more time with Skyrim, they'll again realise how false the sense of freedom they try and portray is.

It's a conspiracy theory. Bethesda are trying to trick us into thinking we can navigate this world freely.

I'm not convinced.

@Sooty: You can navigate freely. When it comes to quests, skills and actual reasons to explore..? Not so much.

@WinterSnowblind said:

Easily better than another watered down Elder Scrolls game.

Best Elder Scrolls game I've ever played, I don't know what you're talking about. Even if I was interested in yet another Zelda game, would it last me as long in terms of replayability as Skyrim will?

Nope.

There's little to no difference with this Zelda and the others, except the motion controls and overworld. If you don't like this game, TC, chances are, you never liked Zelda to being with. It's entirely okay, though, but you should have known that there's little change in the franchise.

@Galiant said:

@WinterSnowblind said:

Easily better than another watered down Elder Scrolls game.

Best Elder Scrolls game I've ever played, I don't know what you're talking about. Even if I was interested in yet another Zelda game, would it last me as long in terms of replayability as Skyrim will?

Nope.

And I remember hearing all the same praise lavished onto Oblivion just after it was released. Perhaps after people have spent more time with Skyrim, they'll again realise how false the sense of freedom they try and portray is.

But don't get me wrong, I still think Skyrim is a good game. I just prefer a game that focuses more on story and characters or whatever, as opposed to a jankey open world, where nothing really clicks together properly. But we're all allowed to have different opinions, trying to compare something like Zelda to something like Skyrim is pretty silly to begin with, and nobody needs to get so offended if I don't like a game they like.

@Klei: Nope, pretty sure I liked Zelda at some point. I enjoyed every other Zelda game I've played: Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker, Twilight Princess and a smattering of handheld games. This is the only time Zelda has felt like a chore. Then again, it's been a while since Twilight Princess. Tastes change.

On an interesting side note, Skyrim has wheedled its way into this topic... like every other aspect of my life.

@laserbolts said:

@Galiant

@WinterSnowblind said:

Easily better than another watered down Elder Scrolls game.

Best Elder Scrolls game I've ever played, I don't know what you're talking about. Even if I was interested in yet another Zelda game, would it last me as long in terms of replayability as Skyrim will?

Nope.

It's cool to hate on popular things.

Yup, that's why I'm praising Zelda. Nobody's ever played that game before.

I found the opening bits before you go to the surface to be slow. The tutorial acts like you've never played a Zelda game before, which I understand some people haven't but can't they have a skip button?

I did find the sexual tension between Link and Zelda to be quite hilarious though, so that helped. Nintendo did a good job creating a relationship between Link and Zelda so that when she got kidnapped I actually wanted to save her this time.

I really enjoyed every second of it so far, I've played an hour or so and have been taking my time with it.

@Cornman89 said:

So I'm in the Lanaryu Mining Facility, and I've just come to the realization that I'm not actually having fun yet.

I know exactly what the OP means. I finished Lanaryu last night and for some reason it felt like I'd been chugging along for the last 20 hours. Maybe I'm bored of the Zelda formula? Please say it ain't so!

Anyways, I cracked on with it tonight, and the game definitely seems to shift after that third temple, similar to OoT. I can't say I'm enjoying the prospect of backtracking though, so much so that I ended up spending the majority of the evening knocking out some forgetful side quests just to switch it up a bit.

I'll probably end up continuing until the very end. A bit disappointed with what I've played so far though, here's hoping it picks up, even if it's just a little bit.