Why Skyward Sword is so difficult to love? - Final Thoughts

Since a few years ago, i have this little tradition of going through some Zelda games in anticipation of a major release to get in the Zelda mood, since this year seems to be the release of the next big entry, i decided to start this tradition with the latest big Zelda...Skyward Sword...and oh boy.

Don't get me wrong i have some really fond memories of this game, but i almost forgot all the frustration that it also gave me, it seems that for every great thing it has, there are like 2 or 3 that makes me say...why, oh God why?

From the controller, to the excesive padding (seriously, i just want to get to the dungeon, don't make me search another set of things, please), to the just annoying for the sake of being annoying (i already got the Boss Key...now i have to struggle to fit it as well...why???), is just so heartbreaking to see all this in what it should be a wonderful game.

I mean the dungeons are incredible, i have forgotten how well designed they are, how challenging they are and how clever they make you feel, the dungeons are just top notch. The story is pretty good too, it has that epic Zelda feeling and the characters are so charming...you really want to see Link and Zelda together...also, the Music is just Beautiful.

I'm barely starting the second part (just got the Harp) and while i do want to continue, i'm alreay feeling a little bit annoyed at some of the next parts, however i really, really want to finish the game...is a very weird feeling.

Anyway, what i'm trying to say is...after all this years...Do you like this game? Would you played it again? How do you see it now?

I haven't tried to play it again since I first played it at launch. But what I can say is that I like the game a lot, but it's easily my least favourite 3D Zelda game.

I never had any issues with the controls. I actually quite enjoyed them. And the dungeons are incredible, and it's really the saving grace for the game. It has some of the best dungeons in the entire franchise. Some of the overworld areas had cool puzzles to progress as well. So I really enjoyed that there was a lot of puzzle elements in this game.

The big things that held it back:

1. It felt very linear.
2. The sky area was mostly empty.
3. I love side quests. This game felt void of it. And to make it worse, collecting things like bugs prompts a cut scene telling you all about the bug you already caught before (it does this after every hard reset of the game - which was very common). This completely destroyed any desire for me to go collect things - something I loved doing in other Zelda games. It also did this for money. What kind of bonehead decision is that? Why in the world would you program it to do that? So stupid.

While I still love the game (I'd score it a 9/10 at least), the above really held it back from greatness.

I'm actually on a Zelda marathon of sorts at the moment (currently playing Zelda TP HD), so I intend on revisiting the game in the near future. That way, I can get a better idea on how I feel about the game.

I've never played a Zelda game and thinking I might want to...which one should I start with?

@trugs26:

1. It felt very linear.
   I don't think that's a bad thing as long as the game is compelling enough in other areas...and this one, it kind of is so the linearity doesn't bother me that much, sometimes and in some games i hate that you just don't know where to go next, don't get me wrong, is an adventure game and that's why i love Zelda in the first place, you know the sense of discovery and exploration, is just that and for this game, i didn't mind that aspect that much.
2. The sky area was mostly empty.
   Indeed...that's a shame since you can see mostly everything in a few minutes and there is very little reason to re visit some areas...then again, i guess that's why i didn't mind the linearity that much since you are focused on the main quest and is a very long main quest.
3. I love side quests. This game felt void of it. And to make it worse, collecting things like bugs prompts a cut scene telling you all about the bug you already caught before (it does this after every hard reset of the game - which was very common). This completely destroyed any desire for me to go collect things - something I loved doing in other Zelda games. It also did this for money. What kind of bonehead decision is that? Why in the world would you program it to do that? So stupid.
   I like some of the side quest, specially those that interact with the Skyloft habitants, but i'm completely agree with the collectible things...so annoying. And that's my biggest issue with the game, some of the design choices, like i said i'm really starting to hate the controller despite having some really neat features (rolling bombs is really fun).

So yeah, give it a try whenever you can, i'm developing a love/hate relationshape with this game that is very weird, first time i played it i thought the same, easily a 9/10 game, but now is more of an 8/10 just because the good parts are superb and the bad parts are really, really annoying.

Probably Ocarina of Time or Wind Waker.

Ocarina of Time is the definitive Zelda formula, exploring, discovering and solving puzzles...is challenging since sometimes you just don't know where to go next or what to do next...but is also very rewarding, if you can go with the 3DS version.

Wind Waker is much more friendly and it has tons of charm, but is also slower and the last quest can be a pain in the ass but like i said, i think is perfect for a newcomer.

Skyward Sword is not that bad either but only if you don't have a problem with motion controller, however is a very different Zelda.

Easily A Link to the Past (2D) or Ocarina of Time (3D). Both of these games have the classic Zelda formula. Personally, I'd go with the 2D one first. It'd be easier to grasp.

@madsnakehhh There are three pillars to a Zelda game: Puzzle solving, adventure, and combat. With puzzle or adventure being the most prominent (you could argue either way, personally I think puzzle is number 1), with combat being the 3rd most important pillar (though combat often is a subset of the puzzle element).

When a game is linear, it really diminishes the adventuring aspect of a game, which is one of Zelda's core pillars. Hence why in my opinion that the linearity of SS really holds it back from being a great Zelda game.

@kendahlj: Windwaker is probably the best one to start with.

As for Skyward Sword, I thought it had some of the best dungeons, and environmental puzzles. It's an acquired taste, as exploration is very limited, and side quests are few. I enjoyed the combat, and found the puzzles to be excellent. The story is decent.

Link to the Past has too high of an entry cost since I don't own an SNES atm. Wind Waker does too but I've been looking for an excuse to buy a Wii U...

The reason for me is that it's just filled with so much excess stuff that simply does not have to be there. Previous Zelda games managed to make their between world parts feel meaningful and fun because the games make you like the world. It feels like there's a ton to explore (and in most cases there is). With skyward Sword, the world is so empty and devoid of fun. It's easily the worst world in the 3D Zeldas, if not the entire series. Plus it forces you to fight certain bosses numerous times, sometimes with slight changes, other times with no changes at all (there's no reason you should have to fight that giant scorpion more than once).

It has a ton of good elements- I personally loved the ARPG systems of upgrading equipment with monster materials and increasing inventory space (it was just fun and gave the game a different feel) and as TC said, it has terrific dungeon design, once you're actually in one. There were a few puzzles that actually made me step back and go "huh." And hell, most of the boss battles are stellar as well. Koloktos is easily in the top ten fights in the series IMO.

So yeah, it all comes down to filler. This game, more than any other in the series, had the checklist vibe, where it feels like you're just going through the motions of collecting boring crap before getting to the really good parts. Filler and lack of a world. Seriously, Twilight Princess's Hyrule felt fairly barren, but at least it had a lot of miscellaneous caves and secrets to find. The sky world has almost nothing besides the Goddess Cube items (which I will admit were addicting to hunt down), making it seem entirely pointless. It could have been the best world since Wind Waker if the developers decided to fill it with stuff, but they didn't. Oh, and the land segments feel extremely linear with very little in the way of secrets.

It's a wickedly mixed bag of a game that has a lot of good components at work as well as a lot of needless crap.

It's on Virtual Console for Wii U or New 3DS. So it actually has the cheapest entry cost really if you own one of those systems.

My relationship with Skyward Sword is incredibly weird. I would not necessarily say it's my favorite Zelda game, but it's definitely not my least. It's too hard for me to categorize because it truly holds a very special place in my heart and I really, really enjoyed it during my first playthrough, like adoredit. But. BUT. I do acknowledge its faults and they're some of the reasons why I still have not been able to complete a second playthrough of it, which is a standard for me for most Zelda games.

• It's definitely my favorite story yet. I just absolutely loved how cinematic it was, the main characters were brilliant and Ghirahim is one of the best, most fleshed out villains in the franchise, if not the best. The writing was superb and I really enjoyed the whole origin story thing.
• The dungeons... goddamn those dungeons... I still think about the Ancient Cistern (oh my god Koloktos), Pirate Ship and Sky Keep. They had some of the best mechanics ever used and those time travel orbs were simply brilliant.
• I had no problems with the controls. I really enjoyed them 95% of the time. However, I definitely feel like their focus on making this the definitive motion control game really did hurt the game in the long-run. For example, swimming felt perfect in Twilight Princess but was really awkward and annoying in Skyward Sword. It was not necessary to change it. The 1:1 sword combat was pretty much the only thing that really benefited from Motion Plus. I hated how much emphasis they put on it for controlling everything else because now motion controls are practically dead and it's so hard to go back to wii remote & nunchuks in hopes you have some spare batteries. I fear that it'll be complicated to see an HD remake of it in the future because they'll have to bundle it with some motion controllers. I'll definitely buy a remake that fixes most of its problems like they did with Wind Waker, but it's the thought that it'll require its own controller years after we moved on from the Wii that makes it somewhat unappealing now.
• The game is simultaneously bloated and empty. Wind Waker currently did the best job delivering a massive world filled with exploration despite its technical limitations and I was really hoping to see that when we first saw the Sky map back in 2011, and oh boy was I disappointed. It felt so bland and lifeless, plus the fact we couldnt fly at night was bullshit. It just limited the game and felt a lot less dynamic and more static than previous 3D Zelda games. Like, am I the only one who genuinely enjoys just riding on horseback/boat for in-game days, watching the sun set and rise and looking up at the stars and just... cruising? Skyward Sword didn't offer that. But it's still the longest Zelda game to beat because they really did overdo it with those fillers. They could have totally trimmed some fat and it would have flowed so much better, but they were too obsessed with 1-UP'ing Twilight Princess in length, which should not have been the case. A truly excellent game knows when enough is enough, reason why Majora's Mask and Wind Waker, two of the shortest 3D Zeldas, are probably the most beloved (after the OoT hype).
• Skyward Sword introduced sprinting and weapon upgrades, and I truly hope they expand on that in future games.
• Fi's tendency to constantly explain stuff was annoying, but eventually made sense because she's basically a holographic AI solely designed to aid the hero. But was it all necessary? Eeeh. They could have toned it down a bit.
• WHOEVER thought it was a good idea for the game to tell you what you caught or obtained every. single. time you hard reset needs to be punished. Who in the right mind thought that was necessary in a game with as many collectibles as Skyward Sword, many collectibles that can be easily picked up by mistake??? Does the original Wind Waker do that with joy pendants, feathers and king's crests? I can't remember. But it's... baffling to think they approved that. Did no one at Nintendo or Treehouse play the game to the end and think "Hmm, this is getting redundant." Like... no.

But yeah, I love the game to death but it's incredibly hard to pick it up again, and I really want to experience some of its best moments again but I will need a lot of willpower to do so. It also didn't help that it was released so late into the Wii's lifespan, so any motivation of going back disappeared when I prioritized next gen titles that completely scrapped motion controls.

Definitely had many flaws but I pretty much enjoyed it, well, after spending maybe a little over 20 hours worth of playtime trying to get used to the controls. But after getting used to it, the game definitely kept my attention til the very end.

Besides the learning curve for the controls, my biggest gripe with the game though was its overall world quality. It freakin had the same problem as Twilight Princess/WindWaker in that many areas were generally large but bland and boring due partly, but not exclusively, to the many characters (Or lack of) that inhibit them and each lands uninspiring designs. I'd also be happier if the lands below were all intertwined instead of needing to fly back to the sky in order to transition to the next area. That's tedious as wind changing in Wind Waker, on an even greater scale. At least introduce a way to warp from area to area like Ocarina of Time's warping songs or Majora Mask bird warping statues (Probably more appropriate given the bird statues in SS)...Or at least created a streamline way to travel between each land. Small settlements could have been made to act as junctions between each land. Mogma (?) and Goron's between Eldin Volcano and Lanayru Desert. Kikwi, Parella (? I think those underwater prehistoric Zora's beings were called that) and possibly at some point, those ancient mining robots could be placed between the desert and woods. And a few Kikwi and gorons between the woods and volcano. Hell, sealed grounds could have been made as the center piece for traveling between each land.

There are many ways to create a medium for traveling between each land without compromising the sky world of the game (Not like there was much to do up there anyways, which was an even greater disappointment). Seriously, the world above the clouds, hell even some aspects underneath the clouds, is as disappointing as reaching Hyrule in Wind Waker only to realized that they created an invisible boundary preventing you from actually exploring a certain distance beyond the temple of time..

That's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the things I didn't like about its world....

Oh, and if Fi didn't treat Link like a mentally handicapped idiot throughout the game, I definitely wouldn't have any problems with her. But as it stands, if there's gonna be another helper in the next zelda game, they better not treat Link any where near as bad as Fi did....

I have no problems with motion controls, but being left handed I hated having to fight the enemies as well as the controls. It blows my mind that they wouldn't do a left handed option for a game that obviously needed it. I could understand a small indie studio not having the resources or time to do it, but this is freaking Nintendo. There's no excuse. I didn't get very far into the game (beat the second dungeon) because of it. I do want to go back and play it again but my memory of the controls really put me off.

@ANIMEguy10034: I'm definitely feeling quite the same with the game...again, the game is no bad but damn, is hard to love.

Yes, the story is awesome, i liked it a lot, however i feel they take a break in the middle of things but nothing that bad, the story is arguably the best in the entire series.

Also, im actually learning to love the combat more and more, i remember that was one of the best things when i originally played and it definitely holds up, indeed Koloktos is a great boss battle, however my God, everything else is just so awkward, like you said swimming is a chore, who on his right mind thought it was a good idea to handle the swimming with the Wiimote, it get's really annoying, really fast. Also the fact that you can't equip more than one item on the long run is quite dumb and while i love the different Shields you can buy and the fact that they can break on the middle of a dungeon...i hate that you can't use your shield by simply pressing a button, you need to flick the Nunchuck and again is awkward and sometimes you just feel like not using your shield at all because of this, making the variety of shield and their upgrade can of pointless.

However what i'm finding more and more annoying as i keep playing is the excesive padding, it get's ridiculous and i probably wouldn't have that much problem if you could always visit different areas instead of replaying the same settings but looking for different things on different occasions, i really think that's what is hurting the game for me more and more.

Still, i'm not having that much of an issue with the game being empty on the Sky, sure i would love to have at least 2 or 3 different towns with different people and sidequests because those are fun, however and at the same time, you have very little time exploring because you are already trying to get pass the next area so you can move on the fast that you can on to the next dungeon...which again, are so, so, so, so good.

Also, im not having issues with Fi...i just ignore her at all times :P but the items and their description each time you reset the game...is one of the dumbest design choices i've seen on a Zelda game.

Anyway, my initial opinion hasn't changed that much...way too much padding, forced motion controllers but great story, great music, great combat and great dungeon design and i'm starting to wish that the game would be 15-18 hours long, it would have been perfect.

@ANIMEguy10034: In regards to asking if you're alone in loving the sailing mechanic in Wind Waker, you're not. I love it. The game has such a terrific atmosphere of adventure and in my opinion, sailing lets you soak it all in. It makes the world feel real and alive and brimming with potential for fun. Like you said, there's a real beauty in sailing the waves and watching as the sun sets, or setting out at night and hearing the incredible music start up as the new sun rises. It's great and I never understood people's issue with it.

I LOVE this game... but I will not play it again. Let me explain. After beating the game I remember everything that was so amazing about the game (the story, the music, the characters, and the art style). The game is just so hard to play again because it is so packed full of the stuff that is just annoying (ridiculous side quests, annoying enemies, etc.) that it is just so hard to actually experience the story. The controls aren't hard or glitchy for me, I just don't really like having to swing my arm all the time. Skyward sword is the only Zelda game that I actually got emotionally involved with the characters and I want to experience that again, but it is just too hard to go through it again.

I tried to get into the game twice now, and failed. And I'm a huuuuge Zelda fan. I think I played for more than 10-15 hours. Maybe even 20 hours both times I played. But the game is more chore than fun to me. The dungeons are not as epic as lots of people say, I like other Zelda dungeons way more. The environments are uninteresting. A Forest, a Desert and a volcanic place. Fun imagination there, Nintendo. The constant hand-holding is really fucking annoying. The overworld sucks donkey balls. Lots of fetch quests (that were oh so horrible according to people in Wind Waker) There's so much crap you have to endure to get to the good parts, and the good parts aren't exactly worth it, imo. Bad Zelda game.

Yes, the game is a chore to play...and that's the worst thing you can ever feel for a Zelda game. The enviroments, don't even get me started on that...i hate with passion Faron Woods and the fact that i had to go back several times to that region almost made me quit the game in this new playtrhough.

However, i have to disagree with you on the dungeons, maybe they aren't the best ever (that award still goes to TP IMO) but most of them are really solid, specially those in Lanayru, those have some of the best mechanics ever in a Zelda Dungeon, in fact my only complain for the dungeons is the lame puzzle to use the boss key.

That's exactly the same for me...i really wanted to went back and experience the story, man love the plot, the characters and all that stuff, music is beautiful and the ending is so epic, so yeah i wanted all that again...but the game is a huge chore to play.

Right now i'm at the final dungeon, the one with the moving rooms...pretty original in terms of Zelda design, gonna try to finish the game this weekend.

Because it's shit. There are some gems in the middle, but you have to wade through a lot of crap to get to them.

Game is just a total slog, there are the mistakes that should not have been there, and easily corrected, like toning down Fi and not having the item pickups reset every time (I thought the rupees in TP where annoying as it is, then there were 30+ items doing that in SS) and in general it has the worst padding in the entire series. And yeah the motion control is neat at times, but in general it's stuff that just would've been better with buttons. Swimming, flying, bomb rolling, anything where you have to control an object like the beetle and door puzzles ; it's all bad.

I can appreciate some of those time puzzles, the sand ship, ancient cistern etc., but they're not worth it.

Ok, so i finally managed to beat it, it took me close to 40 hours...and man, what a mixed bag of feelings.

First...the bad things.

Yes, the game is a huge chore to play, i honeslty don't understand how anyone thought this was a good idea...sure at the time, the formula was getting stale and i guess poeple needed a change, but who honestly thought that just making 3 areas in the whole game was good for the game? the worst part is that some of this areas are so boring, bland and annoying, i serioulsy almost quit the third time they made me go back to Faron Woods, i just hate with passion Faron Woods and you have to play several times that annoying place searching for several things.

The whole game is basically "oh you need to find X,Y and Z...guess what i have X but i need you to bring me A,B,C and D in order to prove yourself...that's great, you finally got X,Y,Z but now you gonna have to go and search for AX, BY and ZC and don't forget to search for 20 freaking thing more along the way" and all that in the same areas you have already visit because screw you choosen hero.

Recycled boss battles...i don't know, i just didn't have fun figthing The Imprisoned 3 times (actually, 5 because i went for the Hylian Shield), the boss battle is not that fun.

Also the game really treats you like an idiot..."oh master, this room has something weird, i suggest you to check the only shiny spot that looks like it might open the door where it could be a very important item that you must likely need to pass this dungeon"...over and over, so yeah, i'm not dumb you know.

The item reset is also one of the dumbest design i've seen ever in a video game, is just so annoying, it even breaks the immersion on several occasions.

So yeah, the padding hurts the game so much, it took me around 40 hours, but if the game was like 15-20 hours long (without sidequests) i would be more than happy to replay it, even with Hero mode. This is a classic example of less is more.

Now, the good things...

The controllers...sure, they aren't perfect but i appreciate the originality, it sucks that so many movements are mapped to motion, but yeah aside Swimming (which is beyond terrible), i didn't find the controllers that bad, at least not as bad as i first thought, i loved the whip, the bow and the combat, they were all great, even rolling bombs was fun.

The Dungeons...as much as i hated the padding, everytime i entered a new dungeon i was impressed with their desing, again not all them are great but for example the ones in Lanaryu are superb and easily among the best in the entire franchise, also the boss battles are among the best, so i really enjoyed them, even the last dungeon, it was quite a change but a good change.

The music is just beautiful, Ballad of the Goddess is one of the greatest songs in a video game, period. I just loved the music so, so much.

Last but not least, the story is arguably the best in the entire franchise and its a shame because it would be so, so hard for me to go back to this game a third time to enjoy the key moments, and man let me tell you, this key momments are incredible. The characters are charming, all of the main ones began in a place and ended in some other place, they grow as the story progress.

I love how much of a badass Impa is, she truly is a heck of a character and that ending...man so touching.

Zelda, i found her to be a great character, love that credits sequence with her and Impa, i would have love to see her in the final battle just like with TP or WindWaker, but oh well.

So yeah, there are a lot, a lot of great things there.

Overall, is the worst 3D Zelda game by far...but is not a bad game, in fact is a good one, is just that it has so many questionable desitions but i don't regreat playing it, i just hope the new Zelda is more like A Link Between Worlds and less like this one in terms of desing...however i hope they try to surpass this game in terms of story, because man this story was great.

@kendahlj: Ocarina of Time or Wind Waker I think..

I've heard a lot of people talk about how disappointed they were in Skyward Sword but I loved it.. Then again I love all the 3D Zeldas lol.

I still adore this game. It's my most replayed Zelda of all time because it's such a blast from start to finish. I feel like it's the only 3D Zelda that really gets down to business 100% of the time. It always throws something fun and inventive your way.

The motion controls are sublime and are worth admission alone.

The game has the best combat of the franchise

Skyward Sword has some of the greatest bosses of the franchise with multiple solutions. Ghirahim is truly the most satisfying Zelda boss ever designed.

The fact that the entire overworld acts like a dungeon is fantastic.

I also adore the silent realm sections.

This game also boasts the most variety of any Zelda.

A buddy of mine really liked the game, but also had a lot of complaints about it. He said it was a pain in the ass to get a lot of stuff later on, like I think even a shield?

As someone who has never played the game, and never had any desire to, I would personally say that to me Skyward sword didn't look different enough from previous entries, and also I heard a lot of complaints about these large, empty, barren sky areas which didn't sound appealing to me.

Turst me...is very different to other Zelda games and for me, in a bad way. Anyway, i guess your friend is talking about the last shield to get, is not that hard to get, you need a little bit of practic since is an endurance battle against most bosses, sadly not all bosses are fun to fight multiple times.

Wait what?

This is the only Zelda game that I have put down countless times and not finished yet. Usually with new Zelda games, I finish them in a week or two, or at least within the month that I get them.

This one...I've put it down so many times. It might be the jaggedy looking graphics or something along those lines, but I don't know. I could be finishing it right now, but I'm not. I just don't feel like it....and I never say that about Zelda's. It's an odd thing, that's for sure.

@kendahlj: the wind waker hd if possible. Or A Link Between Worlds are teo of my fav.

The forced motion controls made it unplayable for me. I was stuck on the first dungeon's boss for a year because of the controls and I got so fed up that even after I beat him, all my caring to continue the story was gone. I loved all the other Zelda games so Skyward Sword was severely disappointing.

I need to get back to playing hopefully my save is still there in dolphin but what I did play I remember enjoying alot its one of if not my favorite 3D Legend of Zelda so much better then the disappointing Twilight Princess I didn't release that this was an unpopular opinion or maybe this thread just attracts more haters then fans of the game which has a 93 critic score on metacritic and 8.0 user score.Playing it reminded me of just how much I enjoyed playing Ocarina of time,Majora mask and Windwaker when I was younger I felt like a little kid again enjoying an expertly crafted 3D zelda game.