Playing the latest Zelda game, Skyward Sword, is a strange experience. Now I'm about 6-7 hours in, I can see why some folks have complained about the forced use of the WiiMote for sword control but, frankly, if the alternative is awkwardly-mapped analogue stick control, I'm happy swinging around like a loon.
So far, I'm finding it easier to get into than Twilight Princess was, though how much of that is due to my (now fairly extensive) experience of that game, and how much is due to it being slightly easier to play, I do not know. It's got all the fussy platforming (auto-jump can be a real pest), all the cleverly placed switches, and all the hidden secrets of the previous game, but somehow seems faster-paced.
Control is generally pretty fluid, with alternate weapons, shields/objects and dowsing options accessed by holding down a button (B, - and C, respectively), dragging the pointer over the required setting, then releasing the button. Far quicker than 'enter menu, select object, exit menu', since all can be accomplished in one reasonably smooth motion, once you get used to it.
Actual movement and fighting controls have gone a bit... squiffy... several times, most notably while fighting Ghirahim for the first time, when the nunchuck either stopped responding entirely, or loses sensitivity in some directions.
Speaking of that fight, if that's a taste of things to come, I suspect I won't be completing this one anytime soon... The first phase is beyond annoying - having to 'fool' Ghirahim by holding your sword in one direction, than attacking in another? I'm not sure even WiiMotion Plus is quite good enough for that. Or maybe it's just my ham-fisted swings that aren't precise enough.
Still, the fact that I got there (and beat him on my fourth or fifth attempt) suggests that Skyward Sword may be just the teeniest bit easier.
Then again... There have been many moments where I've caught myself thinking "Well, in Twilight Princess, there was a puzzle that did this... I wonder if I should try that here..?". And it's not as if there's a lack of helpful hints available within the game. And doesn't it like reminding me about them?
Flying Link's Loftwing is certainly easier than I was expecting, despite my rubbish attempts at steering (to be fair, I'm just as bad at driving games, when it comes to oversteering in one direction, then overcompensating in the other), but I do sometimes get the buttons for 'look down' and 'dive' confused... though that hasn't been fatal yet.
What was fatal - repeatedly, but thankfully not in a way that results in a 'Game Over' screen - was a particular bit of vine swinging in the forest temple. Two vines to get from one (high) platform to another (low) one to retrieve a key, and it took me at least six attempts before I discovered - quite by accident - that I can shimmy up or down the rope when it's at rest... which makes it much easier to make the jump to the second vine.
After that, it's easy.
The Beetle is a cool gimmick, and certainly makes it easier to (a) round up some of the less accessible items, (b) inconvenience the large spiders just long enough to pounce on them with one's sword and (c) hit those otherwise impossible-to-reach switches.
In real-world news, I seem to have come down with a sore throat/cold. Thankfully still in its early stages, so I may yet defeat it...
No comments:
Post a Comment