Poll: *Sigh* Zelda Skyward Sword isn't exactly Cel-Shaded, and I don't think it should be realistic

[VanityGirl]

I think it looks beautiful.
It is too bad that people are getting to upset over graphics. I will play the game regardless. I like the style, I like the way the game plays as well. It'll be a fun ride.

 

[kimba_lion]

i have loved all the games in the zelda series but this is strange, the graphics could be better because to me it looks like they are taking a step back and making it look more child-friendly (in the sense that it looks more cartoon than realistic)

i am looking forward to the game and hope they get the wii to understand the controls better than the E3 demo... that was sad... and embarrassing for nintendo.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

I'm honestly surprised that people are complaining about this. These are some of the best graphics I've seen on the system, and are basically how Zelda should look. I mean, nobody complained about the first four games having "cartoony" art, but they definitely did -- especially ALttP and LA. For that matter, while I had a PS1 at the time, and no N64, I seem to remember even the N64 installments being fairly cartoon like-- especially the character designs in Majora's Mask. I remember being shocked by the art style in Wind Waker, but I was just as shocked by the fact that Link suddenly had blonde hair as I was by the cel shading. Also, my only experience with Cel shading up to that point had been early tech demos like Cel Damage, which had distractingly bad implementations of the shading method. It looks a lot better now, especially when lightly used. Anybody remember Zone of the Enders: the Second Runner? Beautiful game, and if anything, the cel shading in Skyward Sword is looking more like that than it is Wind Waker.

 

[Pimppeter2]

You said it yourself, Zelda Fans are impossible to please.

I mean, they were complaining about which hand the sword was held in. You're surprised that they're complaining about this.

 

[Kimarous]

I liked the style of Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. I liked the style of Wind Waker and it's cel-shaded counterparts. I liked the style of Twilight Princess. I... do not like the visuals of Skyward Sword. At the very least, they have not grown on to me yet. To me, the mish-mash of the TP and WW styles just looks... icky.

 

[lucky_sharm]

How superficial do you people have to be to care about how the graphics look? Or which hand that Link is holding his sword with? Seriously? Does every game have to be brown, gritty, and realistic nowadays?

 

[Tourette]

It looks good imho.

 

[Swifteye]

How superficial do you people have to be to care about how the graphics look? Or which hand that Link is holding his sword with? Seriously? Does every game have to be brown, gritty, and realistic nowadays?

Seriously dude. We used to play this game in blocky 3d and stale overhead graphics and it wasn't a big deal. cel shaded, realistic. Does it even matter? If graphics are the only thing you can talk about what's going on in this game that says a lot about the game franchise in question. What about the gameplay? Is there not going to be a single thread commenting on how maybe the gameplay is a little stale? Or how link still doesn't have a real personality or voice in these games? Or how these games outright refuse to have continuity even though it would give the game depth? Or even how link manages to be the exact same link even though nintendo said that it's a different link every time which just creates time parodoxes for characters like zelda or tingle. It's always another exact tingle and zelda from the other generation of the other zelda and tingle and link? Am I the only one who's kinda bothered by the biggest change the series can get is that the final boss isn't gannon or gannondorf?

 

[armaina]

I personally love this new style, and am all for the use of vibrant colors.

Seriously why is everyone so in love with Brown now a days? TP was full of brown and overuse of Bloom, I found very little appealing about it in style other than the fact that his outfit had more textured detailing. TP felt like it was simply trying too hard.

This new style feels light and whimsical to me, and I cannot wait to see it more in action. Maybe it's because I'm an artist and actually know how to appreciate color and style. Some people have no taste, you can keep your brown and under-saturated colors for all I care, but I'll be looking forward to SS.

 

[Last Bullet]

I mean seriously? Link looks fine, but those baddies (especially the keese and what I guess are moblin) look retarded.

I have to agree. I hope they change that up, but I guess I won't go AWOL if they don't.

Personally, it looks kind of weird. Not horrible, but I liked previous styles more... But to me it seems like a mesh of Wind Waker and Twilight Princess graphics... I think they should have gone with one or the other. Am I getting the game? Hell yeah! It's Legend of Zelda, graphics means zip to me.

 

[Lawnmooer]

I've always been a fan of Zelda as it was the first game I ever played (OOT will always remain... along with my N64) I thought that all the graphic styles were great (I found windwaker meh... though a change from other games)

I like Skyward Sword's graphics as it is a combination of what I was used to when I was younger and a unique twist to set it apart from the rest of the games out at the moment.

 

[default]

No! Why Nintendo? What was wrong with Twilight Princess? It was absolutely stunning! The graphics were beautiful with the realism! This just looks lazy and 'arthouse'. Can't be bothered painting some textures? Re-use most of them from Twi-Pie (like my abbreviation? Nah, me neither...)

I love the Zelda franchise so much. Is this an attempt to re-*Link* with the series roots? Because that would be a bad move, Nintendo. You have made the same game quite a few times now, don't do it again. To re-iterate my first point, Twilight Princess has been largely hailed as the best Zelda game ever made. It was largely because of the stunning visuals (for my part anyway). You're just going to chuck all that out the window? The enemies look like a bunch of goofs! The enemies in twilight princess held some real menace. Is this because of the Wii's limitations? Or time constraints?

EDIT:

Okay, I'm actually beginning to like the graphics now, but only if I don't compare them to Twilight Princess. On their own they hold some fun appeal. I guess Twilight Princess took a few steps too far towards the 'serious' side of things?

 

[ChromeAlchemist]

Cell shading isn't very impressionistic. Impressionism is all about taking a step back away from the image to enjoy the picture. Cell-shading is the elimination of texture in order to arrive at a cartoony look. Which worked fantastic for Windwaker, because Nintendo was trying to make a cartoony game with Wind waker. But if they're trying to make an impressionist game, then eliminating textures isn't going to help any.

That's why it's not completely cel-shaded. It's an art style in-between cel-shaded and realistic. The colours and shapes are meant to be arbitrary, as Miyamoto wished to emulate certain existing works.

Impressionism was also about breaking barriers in the art community, which this game is visually doing for the franchise and video game world, and neither one were or are accepted as a whole, but one has survived the test of time, and so will the other. We've seen around two locations, three at a stretch. But if the sky world looks like the first Skyward Sword picture I have posted in the OP, I'm completely game.

Seriously dude. We used to play this game in blocky 3d and stale overhead graphics and it wasn't a big deal. cel shaded, realistic. Does it even matter? If graphics are the only thing you can talk about what's going on in this game that says a lot about the game franchise in question. What about the gameplay? Is there not going to be a single thread commenting on how maybe the gameplay is a little stale? Or how link still doesn't have a real personality or voice in these games? Or how these games outright refuse to have continuity even though it would give the game depth? Or even how link manages to be the exact same link even though nintendo said that it's a different link every time which just creates time parodoxes for characters like zelda or tingle. It's always another exact tingle and zelda from the other generation of the other zelda and tingle and link? Am I the only one who's kinda bothered by the biggest change the series can get is that the final boss isn't gannon or gannondorf?

Because we've talked about all of that already. This title's gameplay isn't at all stale, they've changed it up with forcing you to think about how you attack your enemies with motion plus, and fans have proven that changing the overall aesthetic feel of a Zelda game is enough to go apeshit over. If they changed the gameplay to something akin to, oh I don't know, God Of War? People would be pissed. If it ain't broke...

 

[Lightslei]

I find it pathetic how upset people are getting over graphics from a game they haven't played yet.

Personally I like that Nintendo is going with the much more cheerful look. I'm sick of realistic games.

Sure call me a lazy gamer, but I prefer games with vibrant colors that make use of a large spectrum and allow for imagination/fantasy to exist.

The only Zelda game I've ever played (yeah go ahead shoot me) is Majora's Mask which frankly just irritated me, so I'm not exactly a "fan" of the series, but that's my opinion.

 

[Hiphophippo]

I think the art shown for the new one is gorgeous. I'm just not much for ultra realistic graphics. I like my games to look like games. They should have some personality on their own.

 

[SnowdensOfYesteryear]

I think it looks pretty cool. I can appreciate the ultra-realistic graphics, but Nintendo lightening it up a bit isn't bad.

As someone else who's name doesn't occur to me at this very moment said, people associate lightness with "kiddie" and "casual." Which doesn't really matter to me, honestly. I still play Nintendogs.

 

[Gerrawn]

Might be slightly off topic but is it just me or did they finally give Link pants?