Skyward Sword: First Impressions

Right now I am a few hours into Skyward Sword (I'm currently at work so I can't check the exact number), and about to enter the third "dungeon"-area. From what I've read this is a pretty long game so it's not really fair to come to some sort of final judgment just yet, but I still want to share some initial impressions and discuss what's good and not so good about the game. Zelda games are probably among the most anticipated games to get released, and as such the expectations are really high every time a new one sees the light of day. Skyward Sword is no exception to this rule.

Each new Zelda game tries to come up with something new while staying true to the old tried and proven formula of gathering stuff from chests and hackin' and slashing the old Moblins. New in this one is first and foremost the Wii Motion Plus controls which really are something else. This is what you envisioned the Wii being used for when it first came out. I've read mixed reports on the responsiveness of the controls, but in my humble opinion they work fine. Swordplay really immerses you into the game in a way few other games right now do, especially on other systems. I believe this really is the future although Wii-U, Nintendo's next console, seems to take a step back and forego motion control for a more traditional (X-box hueg) gamepad. My only gripe would be that when fighting even the easiest opponents that wield swords, they anticipate your strikes with great success. When playing you sort of feel the need to exaggerate your moves in order for them to register which makes even the weakest enemies parry them effectively. Of course there are enemies that don't carry swords and can't parry your attacks, but the ones that do should've had an easier tier I believe.

As a nod to Wind Waker, probably my favorite Zelda game of all time (and it would be appear that it will stay that way for at least a while longer), you start out on an "island" in the sky appropriately named Skyloft. Instead of a boat you have an Avatar-inspired bird compatriot that you can fly around with to other small island or down below a cover of clouds to the dungeon areas below. One of the main complaints about Wind Waker, unfortunately was that sailing on the huge sea became tedious after a while. Personally I thoroughly enjoyed doing this and never really felt it became boring (after a while you could warp to most places instantly like in any Zelda game anyway). Nintendo have obviously listened to this piece of critique and the area that you can fly around in is as a result extremely limited in scope. this is a bit of a bummer, but again flying around contrary to sailing really is boring since there is zero sense of movement or speed about it. The distant islands slowly crawl toward you, a bit like flying in an airplane.

Some reviewers have focused on the dungeons now being less defined to the start of the "cave"-part of the dungeon and instead stretching to the area outside as well. I can't understand how this is any different than any of the other 3D-Zeldas going back to the very first one; Ocarina of Time, but maybe these reviewers know something I don't.

Speaking of the dungeons, the first couple of ones that I've been to so far have not impressed me. Even though the first dungeons should be simple in their design and easy, that doesn't stop them from being able to be interesting or challenging from a novice's perspective. I found the first two ones in SS quite bland and uninspired. The new items don't feel that innovative and frankly aren't that fun to use.

Wind Waker, and even Twilight Princess, although to a lesser degree, both had that wow-feeling when playing them for the first time which largely is missing here. Aside from the Wii Motion Plus-aided swordplay, SS more or less feels like Twilight Princess 2. That accounts for the graphics resolution as well which to be honest is not up to par in SS. Wii-U with its 1080p resolution can't come around fast enough.

What I've written so far sounds very negative, but make no mistake that all these things aside, SS is still a very good game and quite addictive to boot. I'm just worried that it won't pick up and become the awesome game you expect every new entry to this series to be. Time will tell.