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d21lewis on 23 November 2011
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Jusy finished my first hour or so of gameplay.  First impressions:

  • the music is simply beautiful.  My God.
  • Graphics: Crap.  I spent quite a while tweaking them and I actually have the game looking pretty sharp.  The Art style is doing the best it can with what it had but I don't know.  I get the feeling that Skyloft would be a stunning place to look at if the Wii had the power to pull off even Kameo level graphics.  I like how many of the characters I've seen don't look like charicatures and have a more realistic anime style to them, though.  I'll get over it but it seems like even Twilight Princess looked better, intially.  I'm not a graphics whore by any means.  As long as the graphics can convey what the dev wants us to see, I'm satisfied.  Doesn't seem like the Wii is giving Nintendo the tools to paint the pic that Nintendo wants us to see this time.
  • Gameplay:  The big selling point and what I was most excited about.  It took way too long for me to get to the part where I actually got to use a sword but it feels great.  Hope it doesn't feel old, though.  Easily the best motion controls I've ever felt.....but just because the motion controls work doesn't mean that they are best.  Sword play is everything I hoped it would be.  Not quite sure if I can get used to the "wiggle the nunchuck while running and pressing "A" to roll" mechanic.  It seems overly complicated for such a simple result. 
  • Pacing:  Seems to be a bit slower than Twilight Princess so far.  In the first hour of that game, I was shooting slingshots, calling birds, wrangling goats, etc.  In Skyward Sword, I've just read A LOT of text and learned to use a sword.  That's about it.  I know it will get better but it would have been cool to have something that grabbed me right from the start.  I ALMOST stopped playing this to fire up WWE '12 instead.  I just wasn't sucked in, initially.  Not the feeling I got from my other "big games" that I bought in the last few months.

Of course, this is a Zelda title.  Before the adventure is over, I expect to get that "This is the greatest game I've ever played" feeling at least a few times.  Some minor quibbles that I've had with the series and a slow start isn't going to stop that.  Now, to free my Loftwing......if my GF would leave me alone for five fucking seconds (got so pissed with her constant attempts to distract me that I turned the game off.  Usually, it's cute.  Right now, it's annoying.).