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The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - German review offers up major spoilers

by rawmeatcowboy
28 October 2011
GN Version 4.0
This review summary of a GamePro Germany review might offer up some of the biggest spoilers on Skyward Sword yet. I'm definitely placing this content after the jump. You've been warned!


- Skyward Sword taking place before Ocarina of Time is confirmed late in the game
- Link wakes up after hearing a strange voice say,"The time has come for you, the chosen one. Awaken!"
- the receiving of the Skyward Sword is mimicked exactly through the player's movements
- Skyloft and the Earth Realm are separated through a holy seal that you and your loftwing can't break
- the goddess creates a portal, a green glowing pillar of light to link the two worlds
- the first place you travel to below the clouds is the Seal Grove
- Link can carry a back-up shield incase one breaks
- Link also keeps an item stash in Skyloft
- The blacksmith will repair your shield for 10 rupees
- in this German review, locations like the Cave Sanctuary and Vulcan Temple are mentioned, but these may just be different names for temples we know of
- the beetle can be upgraded with a grappling arm that allows you to use the "Thorn plant" (bomb)
- you can drop thorn plant bombs onto enemies or into cups to activate mechinisms
- Earth Realm is divided into three main parts
- these are not connected areas, but separate parts of the map
- visit Bamboo Island to break the record in bamboo slashing
- deliver hot soup to a swordmaster in a race against the clock
- travel across the whole world looking for "Jewels of Compassion" (crystallized human gratitude) to help a demon with his transformation into a human
- after about 15 hours, all three areas should be cleared
- That's when the plot takes a serious twist that isn't revealed
- second half of the game has you looking for three "Divine Flames" to forge your sword
- explore a second, previously unreachable area in each of the three main areas, thanks to the harp
- this also gives you access to a test in each of the areas
- sneak through a location like in Phantom Hourglass
- collect tears in the soul jar
- complete the test to grab a scale of the water dragon, whichgives you access to the new part of the area
- this allows you to visit Lake Floria in the Faron Woods
- these tests mean retracting steps through several dungeons
- the divine water dragon Faron will give you access to the 4th temple if you give him a bottle of holy water first
- this involves another trip to the Skyview Temple, where different puzzles and new enemies are waiting for you
- dialog options don't seem to really change what happens in the story
- spot pedestrians in Skyloft or the creatures of the Earth Realm (like the wood dwellers known as the Kikwi) that have information relevant to the plot by the thought bubbles over their heads
- the Tower of Light at Skyloft lets you view the whole town
- the reviewer finished up in about 40 hours

Graphics: 8/10
+ quirky, fitting comic style
+ impressive cutscenes
- flickering edges
- textures with few details

Sound: 9/10
+ offers everything from melancholic melodies to powerful sounds
+ familiar Zelda jingles
- samples instead of voice acting

Pros & Cons:
+ epic story
+ a lot of successful changes
+ userfriendly menus
+ brilliant controls
+ typical Zelda flair
+ huge areas
- no overworld map
- outdated technics

Summary:
Unique Zelda-Magic! Link's skybound adventure is a more than dignified good-bye present for the Nintendo Wii

Thanks to KingBroly for the heads up!

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