IGN’s thoughts on Skyward Sword’s Graphics
Posted on October 05 2011 by Legacy Staff
Rich George over at IGN had a chance to play Skyward Sword for 9 hours recently and he’s chiming in on his thoughts about the graphics of this latest Zelda epic. Many gamers have been skeptical about the graphical direction of Skyward Sword since the first glimpse of it at E3 2010. Many seeing it as a step backwards after the grittier and more realistic style of Twilight Princess. After his time with Skyward Sword, Rich argues that the game is graphically perfect! Check out some quotes from Rich’s article and my personal opinions of Skyward Sword’s graphics after the jump.
Few 3D games ever call back memories of sprite-based games, but this one does. Think back to A Link from the Past. The game’s visuals hold up. They’re minimalist and basic, yet colorful and expressive. Something about Skyward Sword works in that same manner, and it’s unlikely I’ll ever forget this adventure because of it.
It has the simple, memorable design aesthetic of A Link to the Past. It has the stunning fluidity of Wind Waker, a characteristic that also greatly enhances gameplay. Yet it also still manages a level of maturity similar to Twilight Princess, featuring an older Link living in an older, darker, lonelier world.
But know this – Skyward Sword is not lacking when it comes to graphics. In fact, the game is more artistically well-rounded than most Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 games.
Rich’s impressions of Skyward Sword and its graphics is certainly refreshing. Though, I never personally had any issue with the artistic direction of Skyward Sword this helps to give more credibility to those who may be on the fence. I am more of the camp that graphics do not make or break a game, it is the game play. Obviously, if you can’t tell what is going on because the graphics are so terrible, that will affect the game play. It is exciting to me that Rich compares Skyward Sword’s graphics to A Link to the Past, I’m anxiously awaiting my first hand experience on November 20th to understand exactly what he means!
So, what do you think about all of this? Do you or your friends doubt Skyward Sword’s legitimacy as a modern game because of its graphics? Do you agree with Rich that Skyward Sword is actually aesthetically superior to anything on XBox 360 and PS3? Or are you going to have to wait and see for yourself before you can make that judgment call? Be sure to let me know in the comments below.
The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword releases November 18th in Europe, November 20th in North America, November 23 in Japan, and November 24 in Australia.
Source: IGN
Related: Skyward Sword Walkthrough
