The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD

[scottcr]

Something I’d never noticed before - but there’s a mural carved onto the wall at the bottom of the pit the imprisoned comes out of. 

[Jolly]

Realise I'm in a hell of a minority here, but it's so nice to be back in a 'normal' Zelda after Breath of the Wild. I do hope they make some more traditional ones in tandem with the modern version. 

[Marlew]

I absolutely adored BotW but I totally agree. This is the most fun I've had with a 'trad' Zelda since I first played OoT. I really didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I am. 

[nakamura]

Nice to see people enjoying it. I adore It alongside BotW. Thinking to get a Switch now. 

[Paulando]

On 18/07/2021 at 10:29, retroed said:

All it needs is a toggle for L to switch between camera and sword. It's a massive pain having to hold L constantly, the amount of times Link has drawn his sword when I'm just trying to look around is ridiculous. I hope it gets patched in.

It really is one of the most baffling control decisions for a long time. I’m basically playing the game holding ‘L’, because I can’t not waggle the r-stick incessantly, especially when the camera doesn’t do a great job of following Link around.

 

It makes no sense either, as you need to press a direction on the r-stick to draw your sword, so there’s no reason they couldn’t have mapped that to another button to toggle camera/sword control.

[Jamie John]

I played this for an hour last night. Some with waggle and some without. Playing with waggle definitely feels more involved, and is obviously how the game has been designed to be played, but it's not especially relaxing. Playing with the Pro Controller is a lot more chilled, but not being able to move the camera easily, as mentioned above, is a massive pain. Waggle all the way, I think.

 

[Jarik]

15 hours ago, scottcr said:

Something I’d never noticed before - but there’s a mural carved onto the wall at the bottom of the pit the imprisoned comes out of. 

One of the reasons I don’t like that fight is the pressure of the time limit.  It never even occurred to me to do anything other than chase madly after it hacking at it’s toes & trying to avoid being stamped on.

[scottcr]

Simple things - a completely free camera makes such a big difference.

[Fatsam]

I'm a bit befuddled by the Fi interruptions stuff they've tweaked in this. She appears to pop up a little less I think, but also still quite frequently saying her usual obvious stuff with a percentage, or providing a bit of background to a location or whatever. I've also repeatedly read people were annoyed by her butting in to give away puzzles in the Wii version, which I've always thought was a massive exaggeration and very very rarely happened at all. There was one  point I could remember where she actually does do this though, just before you enter the third dungeon. Right I thought! So that's an example of what people have been going on about, she tells you what to do, that's definitely going to be put behind a pulsating sword then.

 

Nope, it's still in there. 

 

What a fucking game though! I have long become used to recentering with y now. That annoyance definitely recedes.

[merrychan]

I really like the design of the right stick swipey combat! Playing on Switch Lite, not done much of it but when enemies approach you and they block in the way you can exploit with a swipe in the correct direction it feels really satisfying and something more than hammering an attack button.

As others have said I'd appreciate a free cam I didn't have to trigger, I'd rather be tapping a button to draw the sword. But like the follow cam it's just a remnant of the older platforms. I seem to remember in Wind Waker and Twilight Princess I just used the combat mode to recenter the camera. Some proper frustrating jumps at the mercy of the follow cam

[yakumo]

Zelda Limited Edition with Steelcase and Keyring for £35.88!!!

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174810150526?mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&siteid=3&campid=5336549684&customid=2209836127&toolid=10001&mkevt=1

 

Never Preorder😀

[Stanley]

Apologies if already posted, Digital Foundry review, very positive. 

 

[Kevvy Metal]

I absolutely love this, even more than I remembered! 
 

What was always my favourite thing with this game was that it felt like a reimagining - in 3D - of the likes of LTTP or LA, where there’s not so much of a distinction between the open world and the dungeons. 
The open world is a dungeon, with loads of chunky design elements and shortcuts to unlock. 
 

I tried out the motion controls (which I never had a problem with) but I far prefer the new “buttons only” controls and the sword slashing on the Right Stick. Feels tactile and you still get all the slash direction strategies. 
 

It’s so good having it on a hand held, still firmly my favourite of the GameCube/Wii Zelda games. 

[Vorgot]

23 hours ago, Jolly said:

Realise I'm in a hell of a minority here, but it's so nice to be back in a 'normal' Zelda after Breath of the Wild. I do hope they make some more traditional ones in tandem with the modern version. 

I don't think you are in a minority really. I hope there is room for more Zelda titles like this, it's been great so far. But I wonder if its mainly older gamers who feel that way? 

 

My 17 year old son will be giving it a go at the weekend and he rinsed BotW, I'm really interested to see how he gets on with it. 

[scottcr]

Tried the stick controls in handheld - they work really well too. Better than I expected them too. 

[Jamie John]

"Stab the spider. No, don't slash it, stab it. Stab it. Stab. Sta--stop fucking slashing, you blond twat, stab it! STAB IT! STAB THAT BIG GLOWING SPOT, YOU CUNT! STAB IT! STAB--Oh, for fuck's sake."

 

*Turns game off*

[Let us measure]

5 hours ago, Fatsam said:

I'm a bit befuddled by the Fi interruptions stuff they've tweaked in this. She appears to pop up a little less I think, but also still quite frequently saying her usual obvious stuff with a percentage, or providing a bit of background to a location or whatever. I've also repeatedly read people were annoyed by her butting in to give away puzzles in the Wii version, which I've always thought was a massive exaggeration and very very rarely happened at all. There was one  point I could remember where she actually does do this though, just before you enter the third dungeon. Right I thought! So that's an example of what people have been going on about, she tells you what to do, that's definitely going to be put behind a pulsating sword then.

 

Nope, it's still in there. 

 

What a fucking game though! I have long become used to recentering with y now. That annoyance definitely recedes.

 

Yes, recentering with Y is done without thinking now, just as anyone would adjust the camera without thinking - I always do it before getting an item out and only rarely have to recalibrate. I find the motion controls add a lot to the combat; it's satisfying to 'perfect' a moblin or a lizalfos and I really learned to appreciate that skill-check first fight against Ghirahim. Not too sure it's needed for the swimming or the beetle, mind.

 

It's such a charming game and I love the impressionistic style in HD. The only thing I'd forgotten is how, with the dungeon mechanics bleeding into the overworld this time, there isn't a whole lot of the usual downtime for a Zelda game, a chance to catch your breath and chill. You're always hunting for something or collecting three of these and five of the other, or following somebody to a location. Skyloft is lovely and cosy, but there isn't much else out there in the firmament, and I find it's missing the more laidback areas of your Lake Hylia or Great Bay or Satori Mountain. It's very much a post-Mario Galaxy Zelda game, with every square foot covered with something to catch your attention, or a minigame to play, or an interesting use of waggle.

 

It's still brilliant though. I'm just up to Ancient Cistern and had to quit this afternoon as I wanted to wait until the wife was in bed and I could give my all to one of the best Zelda dungeons in history. 

 

 

[Marlew]

36 minutes ago, Jamie John said:

"Stab the spider. No, don't slash it, stab it. Stab it. Stab. Sta--stop fucking slashing, you blond twat, stab it! STAB IT! STAB THAT BIG GLOWING SPOT, YOU CUNT! STAB IT! STAB--Oh, for fuck's sake."

 

*Turns game off*

 

Honestly, I'd just use the pad controls. They took about an hour to properly click and they're much more precise and responsive. 

[Jamie John]

2 minutes ago, Marlew said:

 

Honestly, I'd just use the pad controls. They took about an hour to properly click and they're much more precise and responsive. 

 

I may well do. I'm working up a sweat here, which is what I've been doing inadvertently all day.

 

How do you deal with the lack of camera control? Just press L all the time? I suppose it's not that different from pressing Y all the time to recalibrate, which is what I'm having to do at the moment.

[Marlew]

38 minutes ago, Jamie John said:

How do you deal with the lack of camera control? Just press L all the time? I suppose it's not that different from pressing Y all the time to recalibrate, which is what I'm having to do at the moment.

 

Couple of things, really.

 

First, it's overblown Internet chat that you need to hold L all the time to control the camera. It's a traditional 3D Zelda, you're using ZL to lock on to enemies etc and centre the camera as a matter of course. It's simply not necessary. You want to use the sword 'free hand' more often, in my experience. An option would be preferable to switch L from camera to sword, but on balance I think I would still choose the 'default'. 

 

Second, you get used to it very quickly, a little tap and nudge of the camera here and there. It's a button rather than a trigger so it's immediate, and it becomes second nature by the time you've reached the first dungeon. I also think the combat is much better with the right stick than with the JCs or Wiimote. It's snappier and more accurate. Bosses and enemies which involved random flailing and fortune on the Wii are healthy competition and satisfying to take down here, as I'm sure they were intended. 

[Vorgot]

1 hour ago, Let us measure said:

 

 

It's still brilliant though. I'm just up to Ancient Cistern and had to quit this afternoon as I wanted to wait until the wife was in bed and I could give my all to one of the best Zelda dungeons in history. 

 

 

 

I'm just in there now and have saved at a decent point as I'll be up all night if I carry on. This is further than I got 10 years ago with none of the frustrations. The fight in the cistern against the Stalfos was so much fun to nail with motion controls. I played BotW with detached joycons too, so the motion stuff is fine, but swimming is a pain in the arse. As it is in any game though

[carleton]

I've been away for the weekend so haven't had a chance to play it yet but the positivity here and elsewhere is very encouraging.

 

I was going to use motion controls but I think I'll play a lot in handheld and don't want to be switching between the two methods. Also I'm left handed and I've not seen anything mentioned about switching Joycons being an option as sword swinging would feel a little odd with my right. Didn't they flip the entire world in Twilight Princess as Link is left handed on the GC version?

[scottcr]

DF made a good point - we've almost overdosed on open world games and BOTW is the best of them.  It's actually quite nice to go back to a really dense game like this.

[Kevvy Metal]

16 hours ago, Stanley said:

Apologies if already posted, Digital Foundry review, very positive. 

 

I strongly disagree with John Lineman’s comments on the controls here, while agreeing that yes, you need to calibrate the centering on the Switch version MORE than you do on the Wii version. Which makes me actually like the Switch motion controls LESS! 
 

The Right stick camera control is absolutely not important - or at least isn’t for me - and the game was designed with Z-targeting camera placement in mind. I use that then let the camera follow link just like in the original and it works just as well as ever. 
The right stick camera option I only use when surveying a room, it’s totally not necessary to be engaged all of the time and the sword actions on the buttons work SO much better… so much better! 
 

Ive noted that if you engage the L button right stick camera, then disengage it won’t automatically start following link again. You have to do a further Z reset.  

[ryodi]

 

[Bojangle]

Man, playing this is just a great time. I'm one of those who skipped it entirely after being incredibly disappointed with Twilight Princess back at launch but decided to take a punt based on all the QoL changes. I'm really glad I did because I'm enjoying it so much, it's just great to be playing that tightly designed Zelda gameplay loop again. Just got done with the Sandship dungeon and it was incredible. Such a great dungeon and boss fight. 😍

 

I'm enjoying this so much that I'm really hoping the TP HD getting ported to Switch rumours are true so I can give that another fair chance.

[Jamie John]

13 hours ago, Marlew said:

 

Honestly, I'd just use the pad controls. They took about an hour to properly click and they're much more precise and responsive. 

Despite my earlier advocation of the motion controls, it turns out that this is sage advice and playing with button controls is ten times more enjoyable. There a still moments when I miss having full camera control, but it's a compromise I'm willing to make.

 

It's odd, as I never remember having that much trouble with the Wii Motion Plus. I guess the motion detection tech in the Joycons isn't as good.

 

Either way, I'm about five hours in now and am enjoying this well enough. As has been mentioned, after BotW it does feel very retro in a lot of ways. It reminds me of Ocarina of Time more than anything else.

[Mallet]

I loaded up my copy of the original I have on my wii u yesterday. The graphical upgrade in this version is huge when you see them in person.

 

The Wii nunchuck and remote is far, far more comfortable to hold than the joycons imo. 

 

Its funny to look back and see people saying this was a lazy port, Nintendo have done a ton of work for this release and I don't feel cheated by the price at all. 

[DarhkFox]

Managed to get the first dungeon finished. Motion controls mostly okay, but those rope walking sections are a nightmare. Maybe im just not getting it.

 

That Ghirahim boss fight was a pain as well. 

[Mr. Gerbik]

I'm really enjoying this! It looks way better than I expected, properly beautiful in places even. The normal (non-motion) controls work extremely well, the right stick sword takes a bit getting used to but after that it's very precise and quick. Zero frustration this time around, it all works surprisingly well!

 

Most of all I'm loving the game itself. It's good being back in a proper Zelda, exploring dungeons. I really missed that I guess. Playing this makes me wish and hope Nintendo doesn't focus on sandbox Zelda exclusively from now on. It would be great if they alternated. 

 

In short: this is really good!