It’s not at all a secret that I love the Zelda series. Hell, I grew up a Nintendo kid. I’ve played almost every major Zelda title that’s been released. Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks, and Echoes of Wisdom are my three (soon to be eliminated) blind spots. But I’m here to talk about a game in the series that I don’t really know what to do with mentally. Because I genuinely don’t believe it to be a bad game, but with the exception of one incredible moment, it just didn’t do it for me. And I’m looking to re-evaluate that. With that, I’m calling myself up to the plate for a runback of Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.
Am i being unfair to this zelda entry?
Let’s start with the positives. I love a good art style and Skyward Sword is no exception. The combination of 3D character models with the splash of Wind Waker‘s cel-shading was perfect. The game pops off the screen. Enemy designs are great and a couple of the new items like the Beetle are legitimately cool. But there is one moment in particular that stands out amongst them all.
It’s the end of the game. After your battle with Demise, he places a curse on Link and Zelda that will echo throughout the entire history of Hyrule. Skyward Sword is the beginning of the Zelda timeline (I did not forget about that talk Dwayne). That curse set the stage for every single game that follows in the timeline. It’s a great moment and one I’ll never forget.
So, what is my issue with the game? The gameplay didn’t hit for me. The motion controls made playing it feel a bit tedious. And honestly, it didn’t come off like Nintendo had learned anything from the Twilight Princess opening segment. Getting into the game felt slow and, in some parts, playing it felt the same. I loved the Wii. I just didn’t feel like that control scheme was necessary.
WHY RUN IT BACK?
Because outside of that ending, Skyward Sword didn’t make me feel anything over the course of the gameplay. And I think that’s because the issues above made me mostly check out up until that moment. Like I said, I don’t believe it to be a bad game. I’ve just never played a Zelda game that didn’t make me feel anything as I was playing.
And that’s why the HD version is on my Switch 2 currently. I have to think that with the benefit of a slightly changed control scheme and a different perspective on things, that the game will land with me differently. I’m actually excited to get into it and see how it feels to me now. I want to feel something other than what I did in the past. That’s the cool thing about gaming; we can go back with new eyes on something old and get a changed outlook on it.
The post It’s Time for Me to do a Runback of My Own. Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Please Approach the Bench appeared first on VICE.
