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[El_Presidente]

Im with you, OP.

This and Zelda 2 are the only ones I have never finished. You at least like the motion controls, I hated them. ALBW is so much better though, so play that for sure.

 

[Nere]

This is untrue. There are 3 provinces with 2-3 areas each, which is the same as past games.

OoT: You have forest, fire, water, desert connected by a hub. Forest has 2 dungeons, fire has 3, water has 2, desert has 1.

TP: has forest, fire, and water connected by a hub. water splits into a snow area and a desert area. Forest has 2 dungeons, fire has 1, water has a whopping 5.

SS: forest, fire, and desert connected by a hub. Forest splits into a lake area and desert splits into an ocean area. Each area has 2 dungeons.

As with OoT and TP you have to return to each area repeatedly, and you open up new entire areas you never explored before. Though the areas had SIGNIFICANTLY better level design and more to explore/puzzles to solve to traverse the world.

Just because you count in TP Zora's Domain, Hyrule Castle, Lake Hylia, the Desert, Snowpeak and god knows what else as 1 area doesn't mean what I said is untrue.

 

[AppleSeason]

great ost (one of the better in the series)

That's one of the things that kept me playing. Everything that surrounds it is good... except for the game itself, which is crap. The more I played, it felt like the game was a freaking bingo of well known design flaws that should be avoided: BackTracking, Collectatons, stealth missions, having the Microsoft Office Assistant explaining the obvious (and complaining about the wiimote batteries)...

And regarding the character designs... when my flatmate entered the room she said "Those are the ugliest people I have ever seen". And to an extent, she's right.

 

[RagnarokX]

I respectfully disagree. Maybe it's because everything in the game annoyed me already, but those tadpoles just added to all the stuff that game already had that annoyed me. I was annoyed with Twilight Princess' light collecting sections at the beginning but ultimately, it's only at the beginning that the game is slow. The Great Bay wasn't that bad in comparison since it's just one part of Majora's Mask. I think Skyward Sword was just slow the entire time.

This is why ALBW is refreshing. It's the complete opposite of Skyward Sword.

Tadtones are kinda fun because you can collect them by doing the spin move, which draws them to you from a distance, but you have to be good at steering and not bonk or hit poison bubbles/enemies. It's a bit challenging but not too much.

Great Bay, on the other hand, features the beaver races, which are super long and not challenging in the slightest. And you have to do the same race repeatedly. Then you have to collect zora eggs, which even if you have all of the bottles in the game you can't do in one go and is tedious as hell.

yeah, this thread actually made realize this, people always complain about "backtracking" but is always like this with Zelda or even games like metroid and shit, having new items or abilities open new areas on old areas, simple as that

And the king of backtracking and doing the same task repeatedly is Twilight Princess.

 

[aBarreras]

Usually the people that put Majora's Mask above everything,
are the people that like collect-o-thons.

OoT is the better game.
The boss fights in MM were a step down too. (Looked cool though)

yeah, the only reason people put majoras above everything is because they like dems colectatons.

c'mon really?

 

[Tadpole]

Yeah this game was way too long and the padding was ridiculous. The quest on the volcano where you need to find like 20 bokobkins or something. Ugh.

 

[AdanVC]

Agree with you OP. That game is more tedious than a college essay due for tomorrow. I bought a Wii just to play it but 6 hours in, I gave up. I simply couldn't get used to the motion controls and the intense and annoying handholding. My least favorite mainline Zelda game. ALBW, however, is amazing and nothing related to annoying Skyward Sword. It's the only hope I have now with the new Zelda game for NX/Wii U.

 

[thefro]

I enjoyed the game, but there was a bit too much reusing of basically linear areas that you're forced to go through in a certain way (sometimes you did get to use shortcuts that weren't available before, sometimes not).

Having to fight the Imprisoned so many times was annoying even if it was different each time to some extent.

Which Zelda game doesn't fit that description? None of the dungeons I've played are particularly hard.

Not in the top-tier of hardest NES games, but it's legit tough (particularly Death Mountain & the Great Palace).

 

[javadoze]

Skyward Sword was the first Zelda game I played at time of release that I ever really lost motivation to play. This is coming from someone who actually doesn't mind the motion controls that much (except when facing the stun-baton bokoblins) and loves the dungeon designs.

Sure, I eventually beat it, but the backtracking with little meaningful story progress in-between really did a number on my enthusiasm.

 

[RagnarokX]

Just because you count in TP Zora's Domain, Hyrule Castle, Lake Hylia, the Desert, Snowpeak and god knows what else as 1 area doesn't mean what I said is untrue.

Just because you count Faron Woods and Lake Floria as 1 area and Lanayru Desert and Lanayru Sand Sea as 1 area doesn't make what you said true. It's the same setup as previous games, and each area is way more complex than past games.

You reach Gerudo Desert from Lake Hylia in TP and you reach Lanayru Sand Sea from Lanayru Desert. You're changing what constitutes an area from game to game to serve an argument.

 

[BriareosGAF]

If it makes you feel any better I still haven't even bothered starting Skyward Sword after feeling so betrayed by Twilight Princess.

About to stop playing Xenoblade Chronicles X after 60 hours into it, too. The only reason to play a game is because it is per se interesting in its moment to moment gameplay, and once you find yourself dreading the next shitty "quest", skipping every awful cutscene, groaning at the terrible Nopon bits, etc., it's time to admit the game isn't going to be as good as you want it suddenly, and move on.

I blame sunk cost fallacy.

 

[Nere]

Just because you count Faron Woods and Lake Floria as 1 area and Lanayru Desert and Lanayru Sand Sea as 1 area doesn't make what you said true. It's the same setup as previous games, and each area is way more complex than past games.

You reach Gerudo Desert from Lake Hylia in TP and you reach Lanayru Sand Sea from Lanayru Desert. You're changing what constitutes an area from game to game to serve an argument.

They are combined on the map while the ones you mentioned aren't combined and show as different areas and are completely different.

 

[Hyperactivity]

Haven't played the game in a while, but SHIT, if I read that right, you quit your save just before the Ancient Cistern

Giving up on the game afterwards, sure, I can live with it, but you were so close to one of the best dungeons in the series!

 

[Intel_89]

Skyward Sword had really great dungeons, the overworld was crap though.

 

[AppleSeason]

Not in the top-tier of hardest NES games, but it's legit tough (particularly Death Mountain & the Great Palace).

Oddly, this one gets closer to Skyward Sword in some senses. You really need skill when figthing shielded enemies.

 

[Pif]

The game world is trash, but the gameplay and clever dungeons were what kept me in.

I still rank it on top of the Zelda games.

 

[AdanVC]

If it makes you feel any better I still haven't even bothered starting Skyward Sword after feeling so betrayed by Twilight Princess.

About to stop playing Xenoblade Chronicles X after 60 hours into it, too. The only reason to play a game is because it is per se interesting in its moment to moment gameplay, and once you find yourself dreading the next shitty "quest", skipping every awful cutscene, groaning at the terrible Nopon bits, etc., it's time to admit the game isn't going to be as good as you want it suddenly, and move on.

I blame sunk cost fallacy.

I was looking forward to get Xenoblade X by the time it came out but after reading lot's of impressions like this, decided to skip it. I cannot stand this type of innecesary quests into thys type of games just to make the game longer and longer. It's tedious, and it feels more like a chore than an actual mission that you're supposed to enjoy.

 

[Wolfie5]

I am with you on this one OP, though I did finish it. I was close to not complete it at one point, but after taking a break, I went back and finished it.

This game has its highs and I still consider it a great game, but it felt like it got an "Extended edition" that I didn't ask for. It should have been shorter with the content they had and not dragged on as it did.
My second least favourite mainline Zelda game.

 

[aBarreras]

I was looking forward to get Xenoblade X by the time it came out but after reading lot's of impressions like this, decided to skip it. I cannot stand this type of innecesary quests into thys type of games just to make the game longer and longer. It's tedious, and it feels more like a chore than an actual mission that you're supposed to enjoy.

you cant stand side quests on an rpg game? really? even more so with XBX where the story comes from knowing all the characters background stories and motivations

 

[radcliff]

Felt the same as the OP, but I managed to complete it. First time I was glad a Zelda game was over. The dungeons were great, but everything between them was a bore. Made me appreciate ALBW that much more. Will never replay this game.

 

[eXistor]

I was looking forward to get Xenoblade X by the time it came out but after reading lot's of impressions like this, decided to skip it. I cannot stand this type of innecesary quests into thys type of games just to make the game longer and longer. It's tedious, and it feels more like a chore than an actual mission that you're supposed to enjoy.

Bit offtopic, sorry.

Xenoblade Chronicles X seems to be a very hit or miss game with people. I recognize its problems, but I also see them as mostly insignificant and subsequently see it as one of, if not, the best games of last year. If you're on the fence make sure to try the game out some way or another and make up your own mind. I htink it's a flawed masterpiece, certainly a better game than the first.

 

[smashballTaz]

Dunno why exactly but the reused locations never bothered me. It made me feel connected to the world in a way, because I had existing location familiarity with the areas I'd already visited.

I loved Skyward Sword. I think the main disappointment for me was the very barren 'overworld' in Skyworld. Other than Skyloft and that cafe place, there's not a lot more to discover unfortunately. And I really wanted to fly around at nighttime too!

 

[Morts]

I didn't dislike Skyward Sword while playing it, but in retrospect I kind of resent it. There's plenty of cool stuff to do and see, but the game actively does its best to hide it all behind tedium and chores. I didn't have any problems with the motion controls but the scenario design is borderline abusive to the player.

It's weird to think Skyward Sword might be the only mainline Zelda game I never replay, both because of the hurdles in the game itself and the likelihood of future Nintendo consoles recognizing a Wii Remote Plus.

 

[Frozenprince]

If the game didn't actively make you suffer getting to the dungeons it'd be a lot better, IMO.

The Dungeons are all really well and uniquely designed. They just take way too long to get too.

 

[atbigelow]

They got a LOT wrong and right with SS. The artstyle is god damn incredible (held back by the Wii), stamina meter was fun (yay running), and the idea of collecting and upgrading was great.

Of course, implementation is where all that shit falls apart. The UX is the worst in any Zelda game, Motion+ is consistently buggy and needs recalibrating, and the game is very padded.

If they made SSHD without motion controls and all the other bits smoothed out, I would die happy.

 

[MuchoMalo]

I think that we're going to keep switching between large, expansive Zelda worlds and tight, focused ones from now on because Nintendo likes to take the extreme route in dealing with Zelda criticism.

 

[Pinky]

I enjoyed it. Sure, there are some tedious parts here and there, but it wasn't enough to sway me from finishing the game. Great game overall, IMO.

 

[Guess Who]

Now I have to go to faron woods, for the third time, do another fetch quest, no dowsing this time, and everything is an underwater swimming mission. Well, this is the real "Fuck this, I'm out". I quit the game, deleted the savegame to avoid going back to the game months later when the emotional pain goes away, and sat here, like an idiot deciding whether to shut up or throw a rant.

People have defended this shit before but tadtones are literally the worst thing to ever happen in a non-CDi Zelda game. I actually did pull through and deal with it, unlike yourself, but I was forever scarred by the experience.

 

[UmbraeCruxis]

That's exactly where I quit, after seeing that not only the notes can't be dowsed, but they also disappear if they don't get the whole group fast. Fuck this.


Not gonna watch the ending in youtube. This is the first time I was bored with a Zelda story, too. Dungeons were the only saving grace of the game, but it's like getting a candy wrapped in a ball of dog feces. You have to go through all the crap to get the sweet.




That one I liked it. Kinda of a meh dungeon boss, but it was the only area I was ok with going back to it.

This was the first time you were bored with a Zelda story? Wow, SS had my favorite characters of the series easily. Link's and Zelda's relationship actually was present and both were very likable as opposed to nearly every other incarnation of the characters imo.

Different strokes, but SS is probably my favorite Zelda. I think it was silly of you to delete the save, but hope you enjoy ALBW. It's also really fun and very different.

 

[RagnarokX]

They are combined on the map while the ones you mentioned aren't combined and show as different areas and are completely different.

Again, your argument was "There are only 3 areas in the game and you just revisit them over and over. What did they waste all that time on!" And point my is, by the standards of previous Zelda games, there are actually 6 areas since each of the 6 surface dungeons is located in its own area, each of which is more complex than any area in previous games.

Dungeon 1 has you go to Faron Woods, Dungeon 2 has you go to Eldin Volcano, Dungeon 3 has you go to Lanayru Desert, Dungeon 4 has you go to Lake Floria, Dungeon 5 has you go to Lanayru Sand Sea, and dungeon 6 has you visit the Volcano Summit. Each area except the 2 fire ones are very distinct from each other, though the 2nd fire one does require the varia suit. And each area is very meaty.

 

[Goldenmoney]

I guess I didn't really mind going back to the same regions a couple times. The main thing I didn't enjoy was the music note section under the water, but water levels are rarely fun levels. The sword fighting combat with motion controls was, in my opinion, spectacular. Sad that we'll probably never get anything like that in any future Zelda games.

 

[Piers]

Gave up as well after finishing the second dungeon. Just felt boring.
3D Zelda games have all been kind of poopy after Majora's Mask, really.

 

[GenG3000]

It's funny bit I kinda have these problems with TP. I'm struggling with it as I don't find anything I've done barely interesting. I plan TP finish it to make the investment worthy but I don't plan to replay it ever again.

I loved SS, played it two times (the last one last year) and it would be a 10/10 in my book of not for the irregular segments after the 3 first dungeons. It's a pity.

 

[BriareosGAF]

I plan TP finish it to make the investment worthy but I don't plan to replay it ever again.

Sunk cost fallacy!

 

[score01]

The constant fights with the imprisoned was the worst thing about this Zelda. I hate fighting the same guy again and again and again. Still finished it though, couldn't get enough of that orchestral ost.

 

[SoulUnison]

The bosses are awesome, such as the Shiva like automata and the dungeons, albeit sorta easier and simpler, are still great.

 

[Red Hood]

It could have been an amazing twenty-hour game. Or a good twenty-five hour game. Or a decent thirty hour game. But they went for a disappointing 40+ hour game with an insanely repetitive, paddling, and downright mindbogglingly final acts.

OOT >> MM > TP >>> WW >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> crossbow training >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>SS

The controls really are the only redeeming aspects from it, and maybe the great art style.

 

[Weltall Zero]

I entirely sympathize with the OP: motion controls were the best part, repetition was mind-boggling. If this game had been released with traditional controls it would be far and away the worst mainline Zelda of all time. I did finish it and I did actually enjoy it in the end, but again, almost purely out of the motion controls alone. Revisiting the same three locations over and over was inexcusable. Also this is the game where the handholding and railroading became almost self-parodic, you're literally forced into each location in order.

A Link Between Worlds was the opposite experience, I can't honestly imagine a game furthest away from Skyward Sword. It's like they had an epiphany after SS and did a 180. It's so open ended, unconstrained and all around amazing that it singlehandedly restored my faith in the franchise after it being severely damaged by SS; I pray that Zelda Wii U will follow its lead closely because damn.

 

[CaramelMarx]

I had a similar experience as the OP, but I returned to SS a few months later and ended up loving it. Giving myself more room to move around helped a ton.

 

[ChimpBottle]

Here's something I've wondered.

Navi's "Hey! Listen!" was a big part of the fan response to OoT. Like, you can't be part of the video game community and not know about Navi's annoyingness. It's basically a phenomenon

So that being said, why is Fi so bloody annoying? How is it when the main consensus about Ocarina of Time is "It's an amazing game but it's very irritating when your companion interrupts you to say something unimportant" you release another game that does even worse in that regard.

Does Nintendo have something against listening to feedback? I can't understand this decision

 

[Jobbs]

SS was a tragedy.

ALBW was imperfect but takes some important steps in the right direction. I wouldn't let SS stop you from playing it.

I hope Zelda NX actually lets us explore and figure things out and discover things on our own. That's what I miss from the early days - That spirit of adventure that modern Zeldas increasingly took away from us with their overbearing structure

 

[TheDinoman]

Does Nintendo have something against listening to feedback?

Kinda.

 

[Shotgun Kiss]

Matthewmatosis does a brilliant job at highlighting all of Skyward Sword's shortcomings.

It's a 50-minute video, but well worth the full watch, as it's incredibly insightful, as are all of his videos. He's my favourite YouTuber by far.



And don't let Skyward Sword put you off ALBW at all. They're nothing alike. I gave up on SS long before you did (before even the second dungeon), but ALBW is one of my favourite Zelda games.

 

[Regiruler]

I disliked the silent realm far more than the little note things.

And the imprisoned is so fucking easy, there's a billion different ways to kill it.

 

[Simbabbad]

Well, this is the real "Fuck this, I'm out". I quit the game, deleted the savegame to avoid going back to the game months later when the emotional pain goes away, and sat here, like an idiot deciding whether to shut up or throw a rant.

You made the right choice, I hated the game and quit around the same time as you did. This is a horrible failure. I don't mind the motion controls in themselves, even though they make combat a lot more static and slow with tons of tells, but everything around it is pretty terrible. And Link saving Zelda that is taken to another dungeon each time?! Erk.

 

[RagnarokX]

It could have been an amazing twenty-hour game. Or a good twenty-five hour game. Or a decent thirty hour game. But they went for a disappointing 40+ hour game with an insanely repetitive, paddling, and downright mindbogglingly final acts.

OOT >> MM > TP >>> WW >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> crossbow training >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>SS

The controls really are the only redeeming aspects from it, and maybe the great art style.

But TP is way more repetitive, has way more padding, and ends on some of the most disappointing dungeons in the series and you ranked it third. I'd rather do SS' final act than look for owl statues or do bug hunts and sumo Gorons.

I entirely sympathize with the OP: motion controls were the best part, repetition was mind-boggling. If this game had been released with traditional controls it would be far and away the worst mainline Zelda of all time. I did finish it and I did actually enjoy it in the end, but again, almost purely out of the motion controls alone. Revisiting the same three locations over and over was inexcusable. Also this is the game where the handholding and railroading became almost self-parodic, you're literally forced into each location in order.

A Link Between Worlds was the opposite experience, I can't honestly imagine a game furthest away from Skyward Sword. It's like they had an epiphany after SS and did a 180. It's so open ended, unconstrained and all around amazing that it singlehandedly restored my faith in the franchise after it being severely damaged by SS; I pray that Zelda Wii U will follow its lead closely because damn.

Heh, that's crazy talk. The dungeons and areas surrounding the dungeons are some of the best things Zelda has ever done, especially the desert ones. You revisit the areas no more than you revisit them in any other Zelda, especially less than TP. And they managed to make the light tear collections fun. It's one of the best Zeldas.

Here's something I've wondered.

Navi's "Hey! Listen!" was a big part of the fan response to OoT. Like, you can't be part of the video game community and not know about Navi's annoyingness. It's basically a phenomenon

So that being said, why is Fi so bloody annoying? How is it when the main consensus about Ocarina of Time is "It's an amazing game but it's very irritating when your companion interrupts you to say something unimportant" you release another game that does even worse in that regard.

Does Nintendo have something against listening to feedback? I can't understand this decision

Well, they made Midna, who objectively interrupts you more than Fi does, and people loved her, so they probably thought they could do that again but missed on the personality. What made Navi annoying is that she would actually interrupt you in the middle of gameplay, whereas Fi and Midna almost exclusively do it during cutscenes/scripted sequences. They made Fi's chime significantly less annoying, and while Fi's icon does blink when you have low hearts/battery, the chime is significantly less annoying than the low-heart beep sound in previous games that it replaces.

 

[udivision]

Navi's "Hey! Listen!" was a big part of the fan response to OoT. Like, you can't be part of the video game community and not know about Navi's annoyingness. It's basically a phenomenon

Is this actually true? Do people really find Navi annoying, or is it more of an inside joke kind of thing that got out of control.

 

[flatearthpandas]

I knew it would be this part. Such a slap in the face.

 

[RagnarokX]

Is this actually true? Do people really find Navi annoying, or is it more of an inside joke kind of thing that got out of control.

Maybe you should talk to Saria. She might know.

 

[Menitta]

Like I said, every game in the series is the best and the worst. What an amazing series.