Believe me, I know how you must feel. The gag that kept me from extolling the virtues (and lamenting the missteps) in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword has been removed, and yet I don't have a full critique ready to go, complete with numerical ranking. The review embargo was lifted earlier today, and I had planned to have my analysis up by now, but there's still more ground for me to cover in this lengthy adventure before I can offer up my last word. I'm sure you're just as disappointed as I am with this development, and possibly much more so, given many individuals' insatiable love for prerelease information, but it's a situation that cannot be avoided.
Nothing screams "Zelda" quite like a montage.
As of this writing, I am just a shade under 37 hours into my sky-faring quest, and I'm currently trying to figure out how to open the door to the sixth dungeon. As a rule, a frog's thirst can't be quenched with a small amount of water, and wouldn’t you know it, a thirsty amphibian is guarding my path onward. If only there were a bright gold doorknob, maybe with a triforce insignia etched in the surface, to guide me to my next objective. But things are rarely that obvious in Zelda games. As soon as I wrap up this blog post, I'll once again dive into Link's latest adventure and hopefully grab hold of the elusive solution that has momentarily halted my progress, but I thought I'd give you a few of my thoughts before getting back to business.
I've been playing Zelda games for almost 24 years, but I don't remember ever laughing quite so hard in any of my previous experiences. There's some deceptively good writing in Skyward Sword, with subtle jokes often layered into dialogue that hits me a minute or two after the fact. My favorite of these is as much of a visual gag as it is a written one and is quite juvenile, but that doesn't diminish its comedic value one bit. I won't spoil too much of the surprise; just know there is more than one use for a love letter, and some of it can be rather foul.
As good as the writing is, no one plays Zelda games solely for their stories. It's the sense of adventure that is the biggest draw, and it's the secret-filled world that is primarily to blame for my not having finished the game just yet. There is always a new distraction luring me away from the main plot in Skyward Sword, and it's that urge to discover every hidden aspect that makes it so difficult to resist. During my exploits yesterday, I spent a good half hour trying to make my way into an oversized bird's nest to procure a baby's rattle. It may sound like a fool's errand, but I was nicely rewarded for my derring-do.
If he added a few more pounds of muscle, Link could be the next action-movie star.
However, you don't come across side missions quite as organically as in many of the previous games. The fractured overworld lacks a sense of cohesiveness, and most of the floating islands are decidedly barren except for a lone treasure chest sitting in an open field. You usually learn about quests by tromping around the main city, Skyloft, and talking to citizens that have thought bubbles over their heads. There isn't the same sense of discovery you might find in Twilight Princess or Ocarina of Time, for instance, where just riding through the countryside could lead you to a hidden cave, mysterious lake, or some other natural wonder.
The overworld is closer to that of Spirit Tracks than previous console games, though you thankfully have much more freedom to move around than those confining rails allowed. Despite the more restrictive nature, there is still a strong push to try your hand at every optional mission because you never quite know what task you'll be handed. Some of them, such as carrying pumpkins, are quite lame, whereas others, such as a baffling one in which you essentially deal steroids to an out-of-shape friend, are intriguing enough that you'll be hanging on every word. Roughly half of the game seems to be made up of these side projects, and they're interesting enough to make ignoring the main quest line for hours at a time fun while you suss out the secrets of this crazy land.
I fear I'm getting a little too specific for my own good now. I don't want to commit to an overly strong position before I wrap up this game, so I must cut off this blog post and get back to adventuring. Look for a full review sometime next week, complete with a breakdown on how well the controls function, the complexity of the dungeons, and whether the bosses are giant pushovers or worthy foes. I can tell you that I am thoroughly enjoying my time with the game. Now proceed to dissect my words to parse out exactly what score I will give and hope time flies by until you can get your own hands on The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.
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