IGN Skyward Sword Review: 10/10

I've been up late and noticed that IGN was posting the Skyward Sword Review tonight at Midnight Pacific time. And the verdict? A PERFECT 10!!!!!

Hard enough as it is to believe that it got a 10/10, the reviewer also goes on to claim that SS is the hands-down best Zelda ever. Better than A Link to the Past, better than Twilight Princess, better than Wind Waker, and better than Ocarina of Time. That's one hell of a claim, and I'm not quite sure if I believe it's possible, but the reviewer sounds convinced.

So...what are your guys' thoughts? Do you really believe this could be the BEST Zelda EVER????

I'm not sure about SS myself. I love that the series is getting much needed improvements in, well, essentially all of its areas. This is a good thing. It shows that the LoZ series is finally moving forward and not necessarily feeling the need to copy ALttP's formula (it really was never OoT's in the first place). But I do have reservations at the same time, even if 10/10 seems to be the universal score given by reviewers. I don't want to get hyped.

The art style is still kind of 'eh...' to me. I love the fact that as something gets farther behind you in the distance, it looks like a painting. Yeah, that's pretty cool. But a lot of the monsters and the like just seem...goofy and not very threatening. I enjoyed TWW because while everything did look straight out of a Disney film, there was still a level of menace to what you were facing. I haven't really gotten that impression with SS. I prefer the OoT/MM/TP look: 'realistic' with some stylization.

It's also good that, starting with Spirit Tracks, it seems that we're finally starting to see actual characterization for Zelda. It's been far too long, Nintendo. I can understand Link because he's partially our avatar, but not Zelda. So it's good that they're finally rectifying that. But I'm really not sure about the love story between them. Granted, I'm sure it'll end tragically and I'll end up being sad, but at the same time, romance in games (as with a lot of other media) is generally something I could do without, generally because I think it's either something done very well or...not. It remains to be seen which that'll be for SS.

Not to mention, small spoilers I guess, but it does look like Ghirahim is pulling an Agahnim/Zant/Whomever with his evil plans. Sigh...

while its hard to say now that its the best zelda because no one other than reviewers have played it. im really excited that it was able to get that legendary score and not only from ign but other major reviewers. but reviews aside what a review boils down to is one persons personal opinion. i might say its the best zelda but other might still not want to take that title away for OoT. and thats another thing if you say that game X is the best game of all time then its going to be really hard to convince you that no this new game is. i would be crazy if i did not get SS. i really cant wait to get it and enjoy every second of the game.

The game really looks amazing. From what I've heard and seen so far, I can say that it'll be a unique experience. The characters look very charming and the changes brought forth to make them come alive is something I'm interested in seeing first-hand. Even in the trailers you can see just how much Zelda and Link have evolved character-wise.

Like Everlong said, I too wish the art direction was in a more realistic style given that I'm used to Ocarina's and Twilight Princess's style. Still, I can see why Nintendo chose to go with the current style, as it works much better for the Wii's graphical capabilities, i.e. Mario Galaxy. The worlds and characters seem to be better expressed this way.

With the gameplay, I'm looking forward to it. I was extremely skeptical with the Motion Plus technology to begin with but after reading what others have said in their experience, I can rest assured the mechanics won't be as glitchy as I initially thought it would be.

I'll be looking forward to November 20th, and I'll also be anticipating your thoughts on the game after you've all played it

It's funny, I've been skeptical about Skyward Sword since it was announced, despite everyone's hype over it. Now however, I think I can confidently say my opinion has changed. After watching recent trailers, the opening cinematic, and seeing several reviews, I have become a believer. I don't buy into everything reviewers say. It's just one person's opinion after all. But the passion in IGN reviewer's voice; the confidence and clear admiration for this game; you can tell that SS really left an amazing impression on him. It almost makes me think that with SS, I'll relive the magic I felt with OoT which I have never again felt since. It really must take one HELL of a game to make the claim that this is the best Zelda ever made, given the gravity of such a claim.

As for the art style, I actually really like it. Yeah the realistic style is one everyone likes to see, and I'll admit that when I saw the cartoony style in Wind Waker, I was pretty skeptical. But you know, I ended up loving it in Wind Waker, and I'm sure I'll love it here. Besides, as the IGN reviewer states, this is really a fusion of the toon style of Wind Waker and the dark, mature feel of Twilight Princess. And despite the cheerful color palette, we know just by watching the opening cinematic alone, that this probably will be a dark game (Add to the fact that we know what awaits Hyrule following the events of this game!).

What do you guys think of the supposed romance between Link and Zelda in SS? There's always been a connection between the two, but it seems like there's going to be a full-fledged relationship here. Does that sit well with you??

Forsaken Lament 44 wrote:

What do you guys think of the supposed romance between Link and Zelda in SS? There's always been a connection between the two, but it seems like there's going to be a full-fledged relationship here. Does that sit well with you??

Like I said, you either handle romance well in a particular medium or you don't. I've never gotten to play any of the DS Zeldas, so I don't know how they really handled it in ST (I presume in a very Disney-esque manner, though). I'm not sure if the Zelda series has gotten a new writer since TP or not, but I believe I've read they have; not sure, though. If that's the case, I guess I'll reserve judgment until I actually play the game itself.

But as someone who's rather distant from the Zelda fan base, I'm glad I am, I'll say that much. I really don't want to deal with all the fallout I'm sure this is going to cause for 'shippers.' I'm sure whoever's the bad guy in SS is going to be pretty frightening, but that's going to be a lot worse.

I actually wouldn't mind seeing a more romantic relationship between the two, it could really give the story more depth, especially if the game were to end on a dark, or even tragic note (which might not be so farfetched, if you think about it). And you don't think Giriham (or however you spell it) is the true enemy hm? It's possible, but I think we can be fairly certain it isn't Gannon.

Btw, I do agree with what you said about some of the character designs. Many of the enemies are far from intimidating and some side characters look downright bizarre, even by Zelda standards.

Most of the enemies do look a bit off. I've seen plenty of big-headed monsters which I think are either boblokins or moblins. The art style is what makes them look funny I suppose.

As for who the main villain really is, I read an article that Ghirahim is out to try and ressurect a grand power of sorts. Whether he's still the main threat or not is up to interpretation until we've played the game. Unless of course, they've revealed more since then

Zelda admittedly has a history of odd character design, save for Link and Zelda. Monsters and side characters alike have always looked puzzlingly strange, and I'm thinking of more characters than just Tingle! I've often wondered who designs these characters, and what they're thinking, really. Why is it so bizarre?

By the way, like I told you last night Luis, Gamespot gave SS a shocking 7.5, sparking quite a backlash...this youtube version of the review has nearly 800 dislikes...

I watched the review last night when you told me about it. I was very shocked to hear about the score it got. Seeing as how Skyward Sword has been getting an almost universal praise from critics, I'd assume Gamespot would follow suit. Then again, a reviewer's score reflects his/her own opinion toward the game; I can't fault them for that. I suppose we'll all have to wait and see what the game is really like when it comes out on the 20th.

Well, if review scores are worth a dime a dozen, I've found that previews tend to be a penny per gross.

I actually like the graphics for the most part, but the character models really bother me for some reason, and as mentioned already, the enemies lack that feeling of menace I like games to have.

In the end, I'm skeptically optimistic.

Because the majority of reviews have given it extremely high scores. Whether or not you agree with reviews, it's still a surprising review.

As I stated on the chat earlier tonight, we now know why GameSpot gave it a 7.5: because their sensor bar wasn't working correctly. They've since amended their review to a 9/10. No sweat, guys. Seems that a troublesome outlier isn't in the cards anymore.

And even if they hadn't, it's not like it matters much. Games are in the eye of the beholder, just like everything else. Someone's score shouldn't matter too much to your enjoyment of something.

frozentreasure wrote:

Again: a 7.5 isn't troublesome in the least anyway.

You're absolutely right. That's above average. It might not seem great, but really, in an industry where things can go terribly wrong for what you're providing, it's actually pretty darn good if you can even manage a 5.

But others seemed a bit bummed out about the original score. Just wanted to give an update.

Well, today's the day gentlemen. I just walked in the door with my special edition of the game, which I was lucky enough to get since someone else canceled their order! I got the last one in the store, much to the dismay of all the people waiting in line behind me.

Now lets just see what Nintendo has in store...

Nice Cory! I was starting to think you were going to wait a bit before picking it up. My brother picked up his special edition early today as well. Currently waiting for him to get back from work so we can both play it together. Let me know what you think

Actually Everlong, I've seen no evidence that the review score has changed...it remains the same on Gamespot and on youtube. And I personally do find it to be a troublesome score. As members of Gamespot have pointed out, Lego Harry Potter received a higher score than SS, which I think is absurd. It also is important in that the backlash against Gamespot seems to be pretty strong and could possibly tarnish the site. I for one always go to IGN for reviews and the like, and I'd imagine many others will as well following this debacle.

Still, I will admit that the reviewer did make some valid points about SS, just not any important enough to warrant such a score.

So far, having completed roughly the first half of the game, my impresion is - (EDIT:- spoiler free)

The game is easily the most challenging of the 3-D LoZ games. Actually dying is quite rare, but it at least forces you to work for your victories. Enemies tend towards defensive methods, with decent blocking skill and paying you back if you fail to connect.

While Skyloft acts as the traditional Zelda overworld, a la Windwaker, the surface maps are truly complex, with multiple layers of exploration needed to get to the next dungeon. The overworld differs from the dungeon in that it focuses on exploration over puzzle-solving, although both are essential.

Also, to enter most of the dungeons, you are required to search for various objects, such as key shards. Fi helps using "Dowsing", which tells you how "hot" or "cold" you are, as well as giving the general direction.

The dungeon puzzles tend to be more challenging than those in the last couple of games, although some answers come with the dungeon map, which gets annoying. Overall, while OoT and WW were more challenging, SS has a few gems of its own.

The story itself isn't on the same level of Twilight Princess, taking a backseat to the gameplay. My biggest disappointment is that the timestones' story potential was almost completely wasted, as the ancient machines demise is never really explained. On the other hand, Ghirahim is quite an interesting villian so far, with a very....unique personality.

Overall, I'd say it has the potential to be one of the better games, although it's unlikely to be the "best", at least in my opinion.

Having recently replayed Skyward Sword in my Zelda Marathon, I think you're assessment has pretty spot on. When SS was first released, it seemed to enjoy a "sugar high" of sorts, people were so excited about it and it received rave reviews, and a number of polls were conducted which routinely showed that people viewed SS as the very best Zelda game of all time.

Having said that, I think as time has passed, the forementioned sugar high has really gone away. Again, having played it alongside the other 3D console Zeldas, I was actually fairly disappointed with certain aspects of the game, while I still love other aspects. The gameplay was great for the most part, but like you mentioned before, the story is a bit on the lacking side. Kind of like the environments of SS, the various NPC's of the game aren't fleshed out at all, they exist merely to progress the current objective of the game, and lack any real depth or development. As I said, just like the NPC's (outside of Groose, who I think is a fantastic character), the overworld lacks drastically in terms of exploration, complexity, and secrets. This problem is compounded I think due to the fact that the same three regions are used multiple times over to diminishing effect, especially by the end (tadtones? seriously?). While I do love the dungeons in SS, and I especially enjoyed the Southeast Asian motifs of places like the Fire Sanctuary and the Ancient Cistern, the biggest slap in the face I think was the more or less lack of a true overworld in the Sky. When I imagined the world of the Sky in SS, I really expected a successor to Wind Waker's Great Sea...not so...not even close! A handful of boring islands only notable for the relatively easy to find goddess cubes. That's pretty shallow for any game, let alone a Zelda title.

I'm sorry if I'm ranting a bit here...it's not that I dislike SS. Nothing could be further from the truth, as I think it's a great game, and was a cool way to explain Ganondorf's origins, but all the 10/10 talk is unjustified. I'm not saying it deserved the 7.5 per se, but perfect scores and claims that SS was the "greatest zelda game" is a bit much.