10 Things to Remember Before Playing Skyward Sword HD
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VOICE OVER: Johnny Reynolds
WRITTEN BY: Johnny Reynolds
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is giving us a chance to play this Wii/Wii U title many fans may have missed! For this list, we'll be giving you the most important information to know before picking up the upcoming Zelda remaster. Our countdown includes The Beginning Of The Timeline, Gratitude Crystals, “Breath of the Wild” Precursors, New & Improved Controls and more!
Script written by Johnny Reynolds
Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re looking at 10 Things To Remember Before Playing Skyward Sword HD.
For this list, we’ll be giving you the most important information to know before picking up the upcoming Zelda remaster.
Are you excited to revisit the Wii title? Let us know in the comments.
While “Twilight Princess” did use an orchestra for a bit of its soundtrack, it wasn’t nearly as prominent as in “Skyward Sword.” The game still used some digitized instruments, but the use of an orchestra caused the size of the music team to double. And it absolutely paid off. The sweeping, triumphant “The Ballad of the Goddess” and the hauntingly beautiful theme for Fi are just a couple of stand-outs. Rather than rely solely on digitized instruments, the live orchestral pieces helped each area come to life and gave more meaning to the story’s cutscenes. Since music in “Breath of the Wild” played a much more subdued role, it’ll be nice to revisit a “Zelda” that reminds us how important music is to the series as a whole.
If you skipped out on “Skyward Sword” the first time, you skipped an important entry when it comes to series lore. Set at the very beginning of the convoluted “Zelda” timeline, it gives fans a ton of history on the rest of the games. Without going into spoilers, “Skyward Sword” gives explanations for why Zelda and Link are constantly reborn, why the Triforce was ever sealed away, and adds more significance to the iconic Master Sword. You even see the origins of Hyrule as the kingdom doesn’t yet exist here. For fans craving more backstory, “Skyward Sword” has you covered.
One of the common criticisms of “Skyward Sword” upon release, and something very important for first time players to know, is that it can be rather linear. Considering it came out the same year as “Skyrim,” another big fantasy action-RPG, the hindrance on exploration was definitely noticeable. Even comparing it to past entries, like “The Wind Waker”’s vast sea (Great Sea), “Skyward Sword” gives you few opportunities to venture off the beaten path. In fact, complaints of the empty overworld and the disconnected areas led to the massive, connected map of “Breath of the Wild.”
Unfortunately combined with “Skyward Sword”’s linear design is repetition and backtracking. While it isn’t a major problem, it’s frequent enough to be annoying. By the end of the game, players will have fought antagonists The Imprisoned and Ghirahim on three different occasions each. Although they get tougher with each fight, how you fight them doesn’t change all that much. Additionally, late-game quests have you retreading areas you’ve already been. This backtracking does get you to new areas or dungeons, but it’s all a bit too tedious to get there. And while you could choose your point of descent once returning to a surface area, you couldn’t fast travel between these points.
Players will want to track down as many Gratitude Crystals as they can. These items are introduced through Batreaux, a friendly monster living in Skyloft with dreams of becoming human. You’ll meet him after completing the first dungeon. And the more Gratitude Crystals you collect, the better rewards you’ll get. Considering these include larger wallets and a Piece of Heart, it’s definitely worth it. But the Gratitude Crystals also add more characterization to the Skyloft citizens. As the name would suggest, these crystals are born out of helping others and completing sidequests. These give you more to do in Skyloft and makes it so the fairly empty overworld is a little more interesting.
Chances are if you’ve heard someone talk about “Skyward Sword,” you’ve heard them talk about Link’s companion this time around. Or rather, talk about how annoying Fi can be. Second only to Navi, Fi frequently interrupted Link’s adventure with percentages and likelihoods of certain scenarios. But, given the linear nature of the game, those disruptions were entirely unnecessary. She’d also tell you whenever your Wiimote batteries were running low and generally held the player’s hand more than was needed. Her android-like persona didn’t make it easy for players to get attached either, despite some touching scenes between her and Link. Hopefully, with the HD port, Fi’s interruptions have been scaled back.
As showcased in the “Skyward Sword HD” announcement trailer, there are several elements of the game that were carried over to “Breath of the Wild.” These include a stamina meter and the sail cloth which were used to fantastic effect with the larger, connected map. Another element that was carried over is the ability to upgrade your equipment; a first for the series. By collecting certain materials and bringing them to Link’s scrapper friend Gondo on Skyloft, you can upgrade or repair broken equipment. These upgrades are highly useful, from increased ammo carrying capacity to higher durability and power output.
“The Legend of Zelda” has built a reputation of unique dungeon layouts packed with tantalizing puzzles and intimidating boss fights. But that was before “Breath of the Wild,” where these vast temples were mostly replaced by the bite-sized Shrines. Even the Divine Beasts weren’t as unique from one another in comparison to the dungeons of older “Zelda” games. For players craving a more traditional approach in this area, you’ll be happy to know that “Skyward Sword” has some pretty impressive dungeons. From the trap-laden Lanayru Mining Facility to the surprisingly fun water puzzles of the Ancient Cistern to the time-swapping Sandship. “Skyward Sword” has plenty of fantastic dungeons for players to happily get lost in.
The Wii’s motion controls are mostly a thing of the past. But with “Skyward Sword’s” heavy use of them, it seemed as if it might be locked to that console forever. Luckily, Nintendo has worked around that. The improved motion capabilities of the Joy-cons are there for anyone who wants to play the original way, though they can register movement more precisely. However, the Switch will also allow for more standard controls. Instead of swinging a Wiimote for your sword, tilting the right joystick will tell Link how to attack. This will be great for disabled players or those initially turned off by the motion-only game. As a bonus, it means Switch Lite players won’t be left out either.
Most games in the series focus on a formal relationship between Zelda and Link: she’s royalty while he’s a hero with humble beginnings. But “Skyward Sword” has them as childhood friends and definitely moving to something more. Their relationship is much stronger here, which immediately makes the player care for her more than ever before. Her charming demeanor and her strong passion towards Link only enhances the player’s connection to her. Furthermore, while the two do get separated early on, Zelda is never captured. While some past iterations have helped her shed the “damsel in distress” image, “Skyward Sword’s” Zelda has her own central journey to go on. And it plays a crucial role in furthering the story and combating the villain. All of these elements have made her the best incarnation of Zelda to date.
10 Things To Remember Before Playing Skyward Sword HD
Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re looking at 10 Things To Remember Before Playing Skyward Sword HD.
For this list, we’ll be giving you the most important information to know before picking up the upcoming Zelda remaster.
Are you excited to revisit the Wii title? Let us know in the comments.
A Live Orchestra
While “Twilight Princess” did use an orchestra for a bit of its soundtrack, it wasn’t nearly as prominent as in “Skyward Sword.” The game still used some digitized instruments, but the use of an orchestra caused the size of the music team to double. And it absolutely paid off. The sweeping, triumphant “The Ballad of the Goddess” and the hauntingly beautiful theme for Fi are just a couple of stand-outs. Rather than rely solely on digitized instruments, the live orchestral pieces helped each area come to life and gave more meaning to the story’s cutscenes. Since music in “Breath of the Wild” played a much more subdued role, it’ll be nice to revisit a “Zelda” that reminds us how important music is to the series as a whole.
The Beginning Of The Timeline
If you skipped out on “Skyward Sword” the first time, you skipped an important entry when it comes to series lore. Set at the very beginning of the convoluted “Zelda” timeline, it gives fans a ton of history on the rest of the games. Without going into spoilers, “Skyward Sword” gives explanations for why Zelda and Link are constantly reborn, why the Triforce was ever sealed away, and adds more significance to the iconic Master Sword. You even see the origins of Hyrule as the kingdom doesn’t yet exist here. For fans craving more backstory, “Skyward Sword” has you covered.
Linear Design
One of the common criticisms of “Skyward Sword” upon release, and something very important for first time players to know, is that it can be rather linear. Considering it came out the same year as “Skyrim,” another big fantasy action-RPG, the hindrance on exploration was definitely noticeable. Even comparing it to past entries, like “The Wind Waker”’s vast sea (Great Sea), “Skyward Sword” gives you few opportunities to venture off the beaten path. In fact, complaints of the empty overworld and the disconnected areas led to the massive, connected map of “Breath of the Wild.”
Repetition & Backtracking
Unfortunately combined with “Skyward Sword”’s linear design is repetition and backtracking. While it isn’t a major problem, it’s frequent enough to be annoying. By the end of the game, players will have fought antagonists The Imprisoned and Ghirahim on three different occasions each. Although they get tougher with each fight, how you fight them doesn’t change all that much. Additionally, late-game quests have you retreading areas you’ve already been. This backtracking does get you to new areas or dungeons, but it’s all a bit too tedious to get there. And while you could choose your point of descent once returning to a surface area, you couldn’t fast travel between these points.
Gratitude Crystals
Players will want to track down as many Gratitude Crystals as they can. These items are introduced through Batreaux, a friendly monster living in Skyloft with dreams of becoming human. You’ll meet him after completing the first dungeon. And the more Gratitude Crystals you collect, the better rewards you’ll get. Considering these include larger wallets and a Piece of Heart, it’s definitely worth it. But the Gratitude Crystals also add more characterization to the Skyloft citizens. As the name would suggest, these crystals are born out of helping others and completing sidequests. These give you more to do in Skyloft and makes it so the fairly empty overworld is a little more interesting.
Fi
Chances are if you’ve heard someone talk about “Skyward Sword,” you’ve heard them talk about Link’s companion this time around. Or rather, talk about how annoying Fi can be. Second only to Navi, Fi frequently interrupted Link’s adventure with percentages and likelihoods of certain scenarios. But, given the linear nature of the game, those disruptions were entirely unnecessary. She’d also tell you whenever your Wiimote batteries were running low and generally held the player’s hand more than was needed. Her android-like persona didn’t make it easy for players to get attached either, despite some touching scenes between her and Link. Hopefully, with the HD port, Fi’s interruptions have been scaled back.
“Breath of the Wild” Precursors
As showcased in the “Skyward Sword HD” announcement trailer, there are several elements of the game that were carried over to “Breath of the Wild.” These include a stamina meter and the sail cloth which were used to fantastic effect with the larger, connected map. Another element that was carried over is the ability to upgrade your equipment; a first for the series. By collecting certain materials and bringing them to Link’s scrapper friend Gondo on Skyloft, you can upgrade or repair broken equipment. These upgrades are highly useful, from increased ammo carrying capacity to higher durability and power output.
Expansive Dungeons
“The Legend of Zelda” has built a reputation of unique dungeon layouts packed with tantalizing puzzles and intimidating boss fights. But that was before “Breath of the Wild,” where these vast temples were mostly replaced by the bite-sized Shrines. Even the Divine Beasts weren’t as unique from one another in comparison to the dungeons of older “Zelda” games. For players craving a more traditional approach in this area, you’ll be happy to know that “Skyward Sword” has some pretty impressive dungeons. From the trap-laden Lanayru Mining Facility to the surprisingly fun water puzzles of the Ancient Cistern to the time-swapping Sandship. “Skyward Sword” has plenty of fantastic dungeons for players to happily get lost in.
New & Improved Controls
The Wii’s motion controls are mostly a thing of the past. But with “Skyward Sword’s” heavy use of them, it seemed as if it might be locked to that console forever. Luckily, Nintendo has worked around that. The improved motion capabilities of the Joy-cons are there for anyone who wants to play the original way, though they can register movement more precisely. However, the Switch will also allow for more standard controls. Instead of swinging a Wiimote for your sword, tilting the right joystick will tell Link how to attack. This will be great for disabled players or those initially turned off by the motion-only game. As a bonus, it means Switch Lite players won’t be left out either.
The Best Incarnation Of Zelda
Most games in the series focus on a formal relationship between Zelda and Link: she’s royalty while he’s a hero with humble beginnings. But “Skyward Sword” has them as childhood friends and definitely moving to something more. Their relationship is much stronger here, which immediately makes the player care for her more than ever before. Her charming demeanor and her strong passion towards Link only enhances the player’s connection to her. Furthermore, while the two do get separated early on, Zelda is never captured. While some past iterations have helped her shed the “damsel in distress” image, “Skyward Sword’s” Zelda has her own central journey to go on. And it plays a crucial role in furthering the story and combating the villain. All of these elements have made her the best incarnation of Zelda to date.
