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Skyward Sword review thread [Newest Reviews - Cubed3 10/10, GC: A, AusGamers: 7/10]

beelzebozo

Jealous Bastard
jarosh said:
exactly. it is in fact absolutely NOTHING like metroid prime at ALL. "certain areas are not accessible until later". yes, and that's precisely where the similarities end. not in my wildest dreams would i compare the exploration or the progression in ss to the metroid prime series. not even to the more linear third installment.

just say the names of games that i like in conjunction with games i might potentially like, jarosh. just do it.
 
Spirit Tracks is fantastic. Such an improvement over the bland PH. Yes the train sucked but it makes up for it with some of the best dungeons the series has ever seen. The puzzles are out of this world.
 

crustikid

Member
Metacritic also scores movie reviews which most of the time have no numerical value assigned and instead are calculated based on comments in the review. I wonder what Skyward Sword's score would be based on an analysis only of what's written out there.
 

Davey Cakes

Member
What's the average score of ALL reviews, including non-Metacritic ones? I'm too lazy to find them all and make the calculations myself. They just keep popping up randomly.
 

Massa

Member
alcabcucu said:
Gamespot editor admits mistakes in their Zelda: Skyward Sword analysis:

With a short footnote to the analysis, and without giving further explanations.



It might seem that this error has few implications, but in my opinion it is more important than Gamespot would have us to believe.

One of the biggest criticisms of the analyst is concerned with problems caused by the aiming function in Skyward Sword. The truth is that these problems did not exist, but the analyst did not understand the aiming function in SS did not use the sensor bar.This caused to him more of a problem when using objectsor when entering in first person view.

As I stated in other post:



Obviously, this jeopardizes the analysis as a whole, as the analyst hasn't even been able to understand this fact. The truth is that if the man was having control issues every time he used objects or entered first person view (something he said in the analysis but that I think they have removed by now), I certainly can understand that he developed a bias towards the control system, modifying his perception of the sword control and his impression of the game as whole.

We must say thanks to Gamespot for their good will when admitting their mistake, but I'm surprised how they minimize its implications (in my opinion they completely put into stake the analyst's capacity to assess properly the game...)

Note: Please forgive my lousy English, as it is not my natural language.

BR.

How the aiming system works behind the scenes is completely irrelevant to the gamer when playing the game. The aiming was bad for the Gamespot reviewer and the review reflects that. That's all there is to it.
 

WillyFive

Member
Massa said:
How the aiming system works behind the scenes is completely irrelevant to the gamer when playing the game. The aiming was bad for the Gamespot reviewer and the review reflects that. That's all there is to it.

Yep.

Tom McShea said:
In my original text, I said that aiming was handled by the infared sensor, when it's actually controlled by the gyroscopes. Ultimately, you point at the screen no matter which method the controller is using, so, for the player, the result is the same. My problem with the aiming is that you have to recenter your view often, and that's true no matter what the underlying technology is.
 

TyRaNtM

Neo Member
I found a little weird that if GS review has some flaws and the reviewer fix it, the score should be increased too, because their low score was because HIS flaws, not because the game.
 

WillyFive

Member
TyRaNtM said:
I found a little weird that if GS review has some flaws and the reviewer fix it, the score should be increased too, because their low score was because HIS flaws, not because the game.

Look four posts up.

The end result for him was still the same, irregardless of what he thought the source of the problem was.
 

TyRaNtM

Neo Member
Willy105 said:
Look four posts up.

The end result for him was still the same, irregardless of what he thought the source of the problem was.

Sound more like a excuse than a proper justification.
 

thetrin

Hail, peons, for I have come as ambassador from the great and bountiful Blueberry Butt Explosion
Just like every other review thread, the aggregate seems to illuminate most the fact that video game enthusiast magazines and blogs have terrible writers. That Telegraph article is so well written in comparison to the kind of drivel we're force fed from gaming magazines.
 

guek

Banned
thetrin said:
Just like every other review thread, the aggregate seems to illuminate most the fact that video game enthusiasts have terrible writers. That Telegraph article is so well written in comparison to the kind of drivel we're force fed from gaming magazines.

This might just be nostalgia talking, but I think the gaming magazines of the late 90s/early 2000s were kept to a higher standard than what we get today. There's something a lot more weighty and hefty when it comes to print vs. online. You can't immediately retract a factually incorrect statement in magazines. They had to keep that shit locked down.

As it is now, any joe blow who can kinda sorta string two sentences together can become a "reviewer."

Hell, there are fan sites out there that are recognized by metacritic.
 

Massa

Member
thetrin said:
Just like every other review thread, the aggregate seems to illuminate most the fact that video game enthusiast magazines and blogs have terrible writers. That Telegraph article is so well written in comparison to the kind of drivel we're force fed from gaming magazines.

The audience gets what it deserves.
 
thetrin said:
Just like every other review thread, the aggregate seems to illuminate most the fact that video game enthusiast magazines and blogs have terrible writers. That Telegraph article is so well written in comparison to the kind of drivel we're force fed from gaming magazines.
Just stick with Edge; it's the best we've got.
 

Riposte

Member
Nex Superne said:
Just stick with Edge; it's the best we've got.

I wouldn't say so. There are better and worse reviewers, but publications are always a mixed bag. Edge owes more of its reputation to its flashy and professional style.
 

Mistle

Member
That Telegraph review was very well written. Scores/opinions aside, it makes the quality of giantbomb/gamespot almost seem like a joke.

But yes, thankfully the gaming world has places like Edge, or even Eurogamer (which has impressed me a few times recently) to give some credibility to videogame journalism.
 

jarosh

Member
beelzebozo said:
just say the names of games that i like in conjunction with games i might potentially like, jarosh. just do it.
skyward sword is totally like THE LEGEND OF ZELDA THE VIDEOGAME SERIES™
 

Gummb

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about Rayman Legends Wii U.
Willy105 said:
Probably because the game comes with a manual and if a player is having trouble with the controls, they should probably consult the manual to see what they are doing wrong. Instead, the reviewer might have just said "OHP, BAD CONTROLS" and written it in his review without trying to actively make the game more enjoyable.
 
BGBW said:
Because it was written by an actual journalist?
I mean that senior editor who got criticised for his PJ Sidescroller review was some DJ they picked up somewhere.
? He is a dj on the side. He has been an editor at ign for like 5 years.
 

Dash Kappei

Not actually that important
Everyeye.it 9 out of 10 (not an average) [GFX: 9.5/Gameplay:9.5/Sound:9.5]

•Pros:
artstyle, gfx, music, best dungeon/level design/puzzles of the series, much needed coat of freshness for the franchise, sword motion controls, combat, Link's newfound dynamism must be used as a foundation for every Nintendo's action games from now on

•Neutral: motion controls are not that big of a jump, the series wouldn't lose anything going back to classic controls

•Cons:
Linearity and no sense of exploration are very disappointing and clash with the spirit of the series
Overworld/Flying is too sterile to be interesting
Overbloated use of text and npc's useless dialogues
Range weapons' controls are less than ideal, should've used the pointer
 

alcabcucu

Member
Massa said:
How the aiming system works behind the scenes is completely irrelevant to the gamer when playing the game. The aiming was bad for the Gamespot reviewer and the review reflects that. That's all there is to it.

Are you sure?
In my opinion, it's the equivalent to trying to cut a steak with the back of the knife and complaining about how the knife doesn't work right when it doesn't cut.

BR!
 

Gigglepoo

Member
alcabcucu said:
We must say thanks to Gamespot for their good will when admitting their mistake, but I'm surprised how they minimize its implications (in my opinion they completely put into stake the analyst's capacity to assess properly the game...)

It doesn't matter if you're using the IR sensor or gyroscope to aim in Skyward Sword; either way you're pointing at the screen. It doesn't change the fact that you often have to re-center your view, especially in the heat of battle. It's not a huge problem when you're slowly lining up a shot when you're solving a puzzle. But when you're running from an enemy that's shooting laser beams and you have to quickly switch to your bow, you're bound to tap the button at the wrong moment, messing up your aim and forcing you to waste precious seconds recalibrating.

TyRaNtM said:
I found a little weird that if GS review has some flaws and the reviewer fix it, the score should be increased too, because their low score was because HIS flaws, not because the game.

The game would have gotten the same score from me even if the controls worked well. The other problems (padding, boring overworld, tedious combat) are what weigh it down. A 7.5 from GameSpot means it's a good game with problems, and that's true in Skyward Sword even if the controls don't bother you.
 

alcabcucu

Member
Gigglepoo said:
It doesn't matter if you're using the IR sensor or gyroscope to aim in Skyward Sword; either way you're pointing at the screen. It doesn't change the fact that you often have to re-center your view, especially in the heat of battle. It's not a huge problem when you're slowly lining up a shot when you're solving a puzzle. But when you're running from an enemy that's shooting laser beams and you have to quickly switch to your bow, you're bound to tap the button at the wrong moment, messing up your aim and forcing you to waste precious seconds recalibrating.



The game would have gotten the same score from me even if the controls worked well. The other problems (padding, boring overworld, tedious combat) are what weigh it down. A 7.5 from GameSpot means it's a good game with problems, and that's true in Skyward Sword even if the controls don't bother you.

Please, note I do not question the score. But I completely disagree with your first statement. Please read my message in previous page and you'll realize why you have the wrong impression you need to recalibrate all the time.

Br.
 

Mistle

Member
Gigglepoo said:
It doesn't matter if you're using the IR sensor or gyroscope to aim in Skyward Sword; either way you're pointing at the screen. It doesn't change the fact that you often have to re-center your view, especially in the heat of battle. It's not a huge problem when you're slowly lining up a shot when you're solving a puzzle. But when you're running from an enemy that's shooting laser beams and you have to quickly switch to your bow, you're bound to tap the button at the wrong moment, messing up your aim and forcing you to waste precious seconds recalibrating.
The aiming is relative to where ever you are pointing the Wiimote at the time of triggering the item/item selection, or pressing down on the d-pad.
 

Gigglepoo

Member
Mistle said:
The aiming is relative to where ever you are pointing the Wiimote at the time of triggering the item/item selection, or pressing down on the d-pad.

Yes, but I (and I assume most people) still point at the screen when aiming at things. So it doesn't matter to the player if it uses IR or gyros.
 

Mistle

Member
Gigglepoo said:
Yes, but I (and I assume most people) still point at the screen when aiming at things. So it doesn't matter to the player if it uses IR or gyros.
Fair enough, it is instinctive.

For item selection however, it is most efficient to use simple gestures that do not rely on aiming at the screen. Not sure if that was a problem for you or not, but worth noting.
 

Datschge

Member
Mistle said:
The aiming is relative to where ever you are pointing the Wiimote at the time of triggering the item/item selection, or pressing down on the d-pad.
The game even tells the player several times that one can press down to re-center the pointer, which wouldn't be possible if it were IR pointing. It's clearly done so that "pointing" is slower and as such can be done more accurately (with unstable hands IR pointing can be quite erratic), as well as in any holding position (the game's pretty comfortably playable while sitting, that's well done for such accurate motion controls). Still likening it to IR pointing (which feels completely different) is simply misleading.
 
Gigglepoo said:
It doesn't matter if you're using the IR sensor or gyroscope to aim in Skyward Sword; either way you're pointing at the screen. It doesn't change the fact that you often have to re-center your view, especially in the heat of battle. It's not a huge problem when you're slowly lining up a shot when you're solving a puzzle. But when you're running from an enemy that's shooting laser beams and you have to quickly switch to your bow, you're bound to tap the button at the wrong moment, messing up your aim and forcing you to waste precious seconds recalibrating.

The game would have gotten the same score from me even if the controls worked well. The other problems (padding, boring overworld, tedious combat) are what weigh it down. A 7.5 from GameSpot means it's a good game with problems, and that's true in Skyward Sword even if the controls don't bother you.

I genuinely think you had problems with that particular aspect of the controls that most people will not. I found the controls and combat to be that positively sublime and so improved over Twilight Princess that I am actually fearing what the Wii-U iteration brings in case it isn't as good. In any case, your points there might serve as a point of caution for people who've had problems jiving with motion controls in other Wii games, so I've no major issue with that...

I don't think your score standards are particularly uniform though. Few review outlets ever are, I concede that -- but just looking through Gamespot's reviews: here's some other games I have played, some of them very good, which I consider far far far inferior to Skyward Sword -- Mario 3D Land (8.0), GoldenEye 007 Reloaded (8.0), Sonic Generations (8.0), Dance Central 2 (8.5) etc. I actually even think it does as much 'new' stuff in gameplay terms as any of this holiday's biggest titles, and I even personally think it has more merit to it than Modern Warfare 3, but obviously there isn't the cinematic polish or multiplayer replayability of that title so I'm not surprised it scores highly.

To be fair to you guys - I haven't read your reviews in a while and you do seem to have a tougher scale now than when I last read --- I am equally shocked by the harshness of the Ace Combat and Dead Rising 2 scores for example, and yet pleased by the likes of the Xenoblade review(s) etc.

Are you not curious about how your score stands out from the crowd? About how you managed to have such a different experience?
 

watershed

Banned
Not to get into a whole thing about the gamespot review but if you are playing SS thinking the bow and other things are controls by IR then you would point the wii remote at the screen like a pointer. But if you think its controlled by motionplus then you would hold the remote up like you were gripping a bow. The difference is huge and if I thought the controls were through IR and they weren't and I was pointing the remote at the screen I'd probably think the controls were broken too.
 

alcabcucu

Member
Gigglepoo said:
Yes, but I (and I assume most people) still point at the screen when aiming at things. So it doesn't matter to the player if it uses IR or gyros.

Well, I think that's a wrong assumption. I use the bow and the slingshot with the wiimote in vertical position. And when aiming I FIRST point at the screen and THEN I press the B or the C buttons. The problem you mention is just solved by doing this. And you act this way when you realize how the aiming function works in this game. In fact, this is how the game works for obvious reasons, as I explain in a previous post. Not realizing about that, even when someone explains it to you is, in my humble opinion, plain stubborness.

BR!!
 

alcabcucu

Member
Mistle said:
I don't think signing/tagging is allowed. Or at least, it's frowned upon.
Please, explain yourself, as I don't get it. I'm not a native English person and I'm quite a newbie in this forum!!

Thanks a lot for your help!!
 

Mistle

Member
alcabcucu said:
Please, explain yourself, as I don't get it. I'm not a native English person and I'm quite a newbie in this forum!!

Thanks a lot for your help!!
I'll private message you :)

EDIT: Just learnt that through PM that it means "best regard", so I guess that's ok! lol
 

beef3483

Member
Woffls said:

This guys says the motion controls are "ingenious" and gives it a 5/5. So now we can add the Telegraph to the long list of sites that Nintendo has paid off. Hopefully some hardhitting Neogaf investigative journalists will expose this conspiracy soon, for the good of all gamers.
 
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