Is There Really a Second Quest?

As more information about Skyward Sword flows in, it’s easy to forget about some of it. You probably remember that Miyamoto gave a presentation about Skyward Sword at the Nintendo 3DS Conference in September, but what did we get out of that? Aside from a neat CG trailer and a new gameplay video, Miyamoto added some comments about the controls, the development, and what to expect from the game. One of these revelations was supposedly that Skyward Sword will feature a second play-through on top of the 50-to-100-hour-long main game. Since then, fans have embraced this feature and continue to speculate what it might entail, though it has never come up in other interviews or releases to date. Jump inside to see my thoughts on this alleged confirmation.

While the original video was in Japanese, it was supplemented by a few Nintendo of America tweets, one of which read:

Did Mr. Miyamoto just announce a second play-through and boss challenge mode for Skyward Sword?

With no translation available at the time, this was enough to stir up fans’ hopes. However, several weeks later, the video was translated, giving us access to the exact quote, rather than one seemingly out-of-the-know employee’s interpretation of it. Here’s what Mr. Miyamoto actually said:

After you’re done playing, there are boss battles, and with hint movies like the ones in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, it’s easy to get into for beginners.
[Miyamoto copies Link’s flair with putting his sword away as the video ends.]
And that’s how you finish playing.
Now for what you will be left with after playing. You play across the same terrain so you’ll retain a sense of the world where you had your journey, and the play experience you had with your body. I can’t imagine controlling a sword with buttons anymore. I feel like the controls are a part of my muscle-memory. It’s a new experience, I feel like we created a new genre in interactive entertainment.

To me, it seems like he’s talking about two different things. Before the end of the video, he talks about what’s in the game, while afterward he talks about the impact of the game on players and the industry. I think the author of the tweet in question may have confused this distinction and blended what he was actually confirming (boss challenge mode and hint movies) with what follows it.

no second questI didn’t see any direct confirmation of a second play-through in the video, so I assume that the notion comes specifically from this quote: “Now for what you will be left with after playing. You play across the same terrain…” However, this is taken out of context. Miyamoto uses this as an introduction to describe how you will feel about video games after you have set down the controller. Therefore, when he says “after playing,” he is not referring to the ‘main quest’ but to the entire game. Playing across the same terrain could refer either to the game’s lack of linearity (You’re immersed in an actual world, not a series of areas that you only visit once) or to the player playing across the same terrain as Link, being being pulled in by the motion controls. I don’t think there’s any reason to interpret this quote as saying that you will retrace your steps in a second play-through after completing the main story for the first time.

Despite all of this, there is a possibility that this translation isn’t as accurate as one that the author of the tweet may have formed or received. This also does not mean that there isn’t a second quest. It only shows that there can be more discussion about whether a second quest is likely, and whether it is desired.

Will you be upset if Skyward Sword doesn’t have a second quest? What do you think of these interpretations of Miyamoto’s presentation? If there is something that encourages a second play-through, what do you think it would be? Tell us your opinions in the comments below.

Sorted Under: Skyward Sword