When The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword was first shown off at last year's E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) the motion controls completely didn't work and everyone (including me) was sceptical about the art style and design. As the game came closer and closer to the release date my excitement grew. Every trailer or preview showed of something new to the Zelda franchise and to motion control in general. The game is now here and after playing with it for a couple of hours I am very happy with what Nintendo put together.
If I were to describe Skyward Sword I would say it's a mix of Ocarina meets Windwaker meets A Link to the Past. Yes I know that sounds crazy, but Nintendo has carefully crafted another fine Zelda game that (so far) can hold up it's weight with the best of the series. The art style is brilliant and something to be wondered at. The first time you see Skyloft you will be amazed at what the Wii actually produced. All enemies, items, chests, trees, boulders, hell everything works with it! This is by far the best looking game on the Wii.
At first I stumbled to grasp the controls, as they are different from Twilight Princess, but after no more than 10 minutes I was sword swiping, dodging, and manoeuvring like a pro. The new stamina meter is a great addition, making Link more agile and fluid but contained as you only have a limited amount. The full sword control works just as Nintendo promised and it makes each enemy different and more challenging than previous instalments. I will say that the item/equipment menu systems are a bit confusing and the camera does feel a little loose but that's usually the case in the beginning of every Zelda. It's safe to say that the folks at Nintendo are the kings of motion control.
It's weird to say but one of my favourite parts (so far) of the game is the music. Every area has some new song to offer and when you find yourself in a fight the music will also change. It is a small addition but it makes a big difference and had me very excited, especially when your going toe to toe against a boss or mini boss. I'm really excited to hear what the later levels are going to bring because if they are like any of the tracks I heard, there is no doubt in my mind that I will be happy. This is the best Zelda soundtrack to date.
With so much content packed into this game it is hard to choose what to talk about. The game developers added many tweaks to the Zelda franchise like upgrading weapons and items, riding a big bird instead of Epona, aiming is now different thanks to WiiMotion Plus, and how you get around the games landscape is faster and easier than all other Zeldas. Even how you progress through temples/dungeons feels different, but it is a good different as the game is now less linear than previous Zelda games. All these tweaks are a nice welcome addition to the franchise and I hope to discover more of them when I fully play through the game.
So what's the First Impression? The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword is not only one of the most intriguing Zelda games, but one of the most intriguing action/adventure games of all time. The more you play the game the more you don't want to stop. It was hard to pry my hands away from the controllers and it has now become the game I am most looking forward to this holiday season.
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