Some of you may have noticed a couple of Zelda: Skyward Sword videos on our site where I was playing. While it looks like it’s tough to control, I want to first explain that the Wii MotionPlus accessory had not been calibrated prior to my gaming session. This may not be an issue in the final version because, as I was informed at the Nintendo roundtable that sensor bar support was actually absent from the E3 version to prevent interference from all of the lighting (of course, it’ll be restored in the final retail version, and this may actually help to orient the remote tracking system, reducing the need for calibration). I actually returned later for an additional go with the game, and I’m happy to report that the controls work as they should: it’s mostly seamless and easy to handle, and it doesn’t feel forced.
The idea of having to pay attention to the defensive stances of your enemies to plan your sword swipes also brings a fresh feel to the combat of the series. For instance, the various Deku Baba plants now open their mouths like one of those paper fortune tellers; vertically or horizontally, and you must swipe the sword in the proper direction in order to defeat them. The nunchuk, meanwhile, controls your shield positioning, and you can stab with it to knock back Deku nuts at other plants. It takes a little bit of adjustment to accommodate oneself to this control scheme, but for the most part, it works.
The item switching system has been drastically streamlined, and it’s welcomed. Now, rather than having to pause to switch items, you simply hold the B button and then gesture in a particular direction to hover the cursor over a certain item in a circular selection menu. It’s quick and painless once you get the hang of it.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to spend time trying every item extensively. However, I will say that the bow and arrow seems to be a bit awkward. I think Wii MotionPlus is a positive implementation in most every other way, but pulling back on the nunchuk a la Wii Sports Resort really doesn’t seem to suit the action so logically.
Nevertheless, to be perfectly honest, the game doesn’t feel all that terribly different from previous Zelda titles. However, Nintendo has repeatedly referenced the fact that this will be a “different” sort of Zelda, alluding to possible changes to the usual dungeon-town-dungeon-town design. No one is certain whether this is actually the case yet, and the focus still seems to be on providing a good number of dungeons, as Miyamoto actually said at the roundtable that they are currently focusing on creating a few more dungeons and possibly some “more challenging” boss battles. Aonuma also had to say that the team is focusing on making it “harder to get lost”, but this comment was followed up with a reference to the map, so it may simply mean that they’re improving that aspect of the experience.
One thing that has detectably changed is the art style. It’s a bit cartoonier than Twilight Princess; sort of an 80/20 Twilight Princess/Wind Waker blend. I really dig it personally, and I also enjoyed the great distance from which you can view the mountains and other items far off, all obscured by a very tasteful depth of field blur. It’s not the prettiest game we’ve seen, but Miyamoto and gang have also explained that graphical design is coming last this time, so it’s reasonable to expect improvement in this area especially. I personally hope we find a very different Zelda experience in the end here, simply because I’d love to see how Nintendo could reinvent this series as they have Mario, Kirby, and seemingly even Metroid. I have faith in the company to put out an amazing product here, however, based on their recent track record with their big franchises.
Stay tuned to DigitalChumps for more honest coverage of Zelda: Skyward Sword and all of the other games from E3 2010.
