The Legend of Zelda: Skyward SwordThe Legend of Zelda series has usually been outstanding games, with great characters, great stories, great gameplay, and great music. This game is no exception.
1. The music
What can I say? They’re all great. They range from the beautiful
Romance in the Air to the quirky
Groose’s Theme. Each one holds emotions, powerful ones, that allows you to get into the feeling of the game. The Lanayru Desert area is unique since there’s a
present version and a
past version of the music, both of which are awesome.
Also, as a staple to the series, you can play a harp halfway through the game in order to unlock a item that’ll help you find the second dungeons in each area. As a nice bonus, you can see
Fi singing the untranslatable lyrics (or
screaming if you look at her face).
2. The gameplay
As someone who leap into the Wii motion controls without any problems, I can safely say that the controls are outstanding. If you guys encounter problems, it’s probably because the controls has desync with the TV (which happens to me several times due to habits and my position) and/or you’re inexperience with motion controls.
The way to fight in the game is rather innovated. Unlike the Zelda games (or a whole lot of games) before, where you just press a button or swing the controls and you hit your opponent, the combat is like a puzzle. You have to watch your enemy and see how they react since they can defend this time by reacting to your attacks. Like with the
Lizalfos, you can’t just slash at it with your sword since they block it with their rocky gauntlet; you have to first slash their non- gauntlet half of their bodies to get them to dodge and, while they’re taunting you, stab them in the face.
Also, you can’t just raise a shield and block attacks since your shields now got a damage meter that, if hit enough, will cause them to break. You’ll have to shield bash in order to knock back their attacks while preventing your shield from getting hurt. This will also disorientate the enemies, giving you the opening to attack. Even when you get the awesome Hylian Shield(which is indestructible), it’s best to shield bash their attacks.
Items also got a change. Now you can upgrade your items, like the shields, Bow, and the Beetle, and make them better than ever before, like making the Beetle into the Hook Beetle, making it able to pick up bombs and such and drop them. This also has the effect of making Rupees even more valuable in the game since you’ll be spending them for shields, repairs, potions, and upgrades. Also, you gain an Adventure Pouch for secondary items, like metals or quivers and shields, and, because you can’t carry them all, you have to send them to the Item Check for the nice lady there to hold for you.
Flying is rather cool in the game. It’s like Wind Waker, except the islands are on the sky and the dungeons are on the surface of the world. If there’s one nitpick I have to give for the flying, it’s that you gain a way to defend yourself from attacks in the sky rather late in the game. But, overall, it’s rather awesome.
3. The characters
The characters in the game are all colorful and interesting, though I’m mainly going to talk about the one that made the most impact to the story.
Link:
Even though he’s mute in the game, you can feel his desire to rescue Zelda throughout the game. You can also feel his emotions by just looking at his face. You can make him into a noble or cheeky, but in the end, he’s the hero of the story.
Zelda:
Zelda, when she first appears, is a kind and loving person with a strong bond with Link, such as getting him to wake up early so he can get some last minute flying practice. In fact, the bond is so strong that that’s your motivation in saving her and you really want to save her.
When you met her later (or earlier since you two meet in the past), she’s reveal to us that she’s the reincarnated goddess Hylia so she can find use the Triforce to defeat Demise (since the deities of that world can’t use its power even though they created it for some unknown reason). She generally speaks with an air of wisdom by that point, though she’s still Zelda. It’s rather depressing to see her seal herself (ironically the music playing's
Zelda’s Lullaby) to keep Demise from being released and even more so since she considers it her ‘punishment’ in using Link desire to save her to gain the strength he needed to save her.
Groose:
When Groose first appears, he was the bully to Link though Groose himself back off when Zelda got involve due to his crush for her. So he was clearly crushed when he learns when Zelda was taken away.
Later, when Groose follows Link to the surface, he met the old woman of the Sealed Temple, who explained to him that Link was the destined hero to save Zelda. He initially rejected that notion until he saw Link singlehandedly defeat the Imprisoned. He acknowledges Link as the destined hero and became depressed at his uselessness, despite the old woman saying otherwise.
Later, with the old woman encouragement, he made the Groosenator, a device that’ll allow him to assist Link when the Imprisoned released a couple of times and, admittedly, the battles would’ve been lost without his help. Finally, in as sort of defiant of fate, he saved Zelda (or rather her soulless body). So, by this point, Groose grown from a bully of Link to a hero of his own right by helping Link in his quest. Groose is an example of a character growth done right.
Fi:
Fi’s a rather interesting character. Though player often call her annoying like Navi, I don’t really see her as annoying though I have a strong tolerance for annoying character. In fact, she has grown on me when I saw her
dance the first time. It was incredibly sad to see her go into deep sleep and, to see her grown much that, even though she’s a being of pure logic and see this quest as a job, she understood the emotion happiness and, to see her thank Link, is tear jerker.
Ghirahim:
The first of the main antagonists (and yes, he’s on that level). When you first met Ghirahim, he’s polite in a creepy way, yet, underneath that, is a real murdering lunatic. He’s flamboyant, yet has deep anger that barely under controlled. That bomb finally exploded and he’s reveal to really be Demise sword, almost exactly like Fi’s Link sword. This makes the relationship between Fi and Ghirahim to be both parallel and complete opposites.
Demise/The Imprisoned:
The second main antagonist of the game, Demise spends most of the game sealed except when he’s trying to free himself in the name of the Imprisoned. When he finally appears in full form, he’s looks like
Ganondorf which makes sense since it’s revealed that Ganondorf’s the reincarnated hatred of Demise. Demise, despite the ambitions to
conquer the world, seems to have respect for Hylia for her power and Link for his courage and, despite being defeated and cursing Link and Zelda descendants with reincarnated hatred of Demise, he actually takes it rather well.
Impa/old woman:
Impa, when you really talks with her, is rather angry with Link since he was late in saving Zelda in the second dungeon, causing Impa to save her herself. Also, while she has doubts that Link’s the destined hero, she encouraged Link to get stronger for Zelda sake. Later Link gains her respect when he saves her from Ghirahim(and you can even retort her with “Am I late”) later in the game. In the end, she went back into the past and remains there until she’s the old woman of the Sealed Temple.
There were subtle hints of her true (like the wrinkled tattoo, the Sheikah symbol, the fact that Ghirahim refers to them as one person, and the bracelet she’s wearing) throughout the game, though it only shows the bracelet as the reveal in the end. She’s rather sage-like, always helping Link and yet knowing more than she’s letting on. When she later disappears in a burst of light(since her duty is completed), it’s a rather sad scene, with Groose going onto his knees.
4. The Story
The story, except for some plotholes (like that whole ‘deities can’t use the Trifore they created’), is a strong one, with great characters. Though it’s basically a ‘save princess from demon’ plot, it does it in a refreshing way that only Zelda can with enough twists to keep it interesting.
5. Verdit
10/10
Check it out, but only if you’re into Zelda/adventures games and/or used to motion controls.
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