***Official Zelda:The Wind Waker - Your thoughts here... Thread*** (1 Viewer)

[Peter_A]

Very early impressions... gameplay very similar to earlier Zelda games as to be expected. The graphics are nice but honestly I'm a little disapointed with them. When characters or objects are in the foreground they look excellent but the backgrounds are what I would describe as blurry or fuzzy. I think Metroid Prime looked better. This is on a 40" widescreen using component cables and the game in progressive scan mode.

 

[JamesH]

I've got mixed feelings on it. The game has met/exceeded my expectations so far, but I set my expectations pretty low a while back.

I'd say its a very mixed bag graphically. The engine obviously CAN generate some pretty impressive stuff, but it often doesn't. A lot of the environments I've seen so far are too simplistic and lacking detail, and the textures are weak. I don't like the way that they've mixed characters that are near hand drawn cartoon quality with poorly textured environments. I also can't stand the distance blur they went with. If you use the telescope, you can see what the game would look like without it, and it looks SO much better. It also seems like there isn't dynamic light sourcing(go up to the torches below decks on the pir8te ship). That said, the animations and smoke effects look great and the environments are massive. I was VERY impressed by the giant bird at the start as well, I wish the whole game had that quality.

I'm liking the way it plays so far. Going back and playing TOOT, I got a bit annoyed with how long it was taking to get the requisite beginning items, but I was happy to see that WW puts you in the action quickly. I had some fun tossing that pig off cliffs, fun indeed. Lots of plants too, lots of potential for deforestation. Main complaints here are the automatic jumping, and the possibility that the game will be short and easy(says gamespot).

Overall, I'm liking it, but I do hope they go back to a darker style for the next game. I can mostly ignore Link's horrendous design while playing, but it does get to me during the cut scenes.

 

[Romier S]

but the backgrounds are what I would describe as blurry or fuzzy.

It an "effect" used to create a blurry depth of field appearance. Mario Sunshine used a similiar effect on many of its environments (and used it quite a bit better in Mario Sunshine as it was more subdued than in LOZ WW IMHO).

As impressive as the game is graphically, I believe this depth of field effect is a tad overused and could have been toned down to allow for more detail. Especially considering the lengthy draw distance that the game affords you. Personal opinion of course and by no means a major issue. Minor annoyance at best and one of thefew complaints I have thus far.

 

[BertFalasco]

I am about to fire it up after picking LAST COPY up at Best Buy (and they got 300..jesus) after track and got home at 6. I had to fix my computer because it wouldnt not detect my Geforce card and kept defaulting to another/wouldn't display an image. I am so psyched, feel like I did when I opened my Collector's Edition OoT, not that garbage rushed for a buck MM.

-Bert

 

[Mark Evans]

Romier, that was a great scene, I've gotten a couple good laughs from this game so far, it has a much better sense of humor about itself than I would've expected, while still being suitably epic.

What I'm really, really loving about this one so far though? The mini-games! The Wind Waker mini-games are putting the ones in OOT to shame so far, they're brilliant and addictive.

To whit:
First, that mail sorting game is just a blast. I played it out until the poor clerk wouldn't let me toss anymore letters, talk about fun! And you just have to win that battleship squid-sinking game on Windfall Island, the guy who runs it made me laugh out loud with his routine.

The graphics aren't super-crisp, but they're nice. The new design is much more expressive than before, and I'm appreciating that far more than the actual designs (though I don't mind them). This is a Zelda game that really knows how to tell a story, and so far it's doing it very well compared to its predecessors.

Oh, and if you find any lit pyres around in any initial dungeons , do yourself a favor and check out the amazing heat warping effect. Very snazzy.

 

[Ryan FB]

Has anyone else had slowdown problems?

On the 2nd dungeon, (possible, minor spoiler)
in the area where there's a birdcage-type thing with the rock base held up by lava eruptions
while going down, I got MASSIVE slowdown...it was like watching a slideshow and it lasted for a good 10-20 seconds. Only time I've run into it so far...hoping it's not an issue that crops up later....

 

[BertFalasco]

Wow, I just spent about an hour and a half with it only to turn it off without completing first dungeon. I keep getting caught, I am so damn impatient, I just want to get my sword back..I feel neked without it.. :b

Great overall appeal, especially the fairy fonutain music during file choosing menu.

 

[Mike_G]

My fifth day with it.

Mark,
The graphics are stupendous in 480p.

The problem is this...I complained a lot about how unoriginal it is. It's worse. The second boss in this game is EXACTLY like the second boss in OoT.


Get boomerang, nail badass that you need your boomerang for. Blah blah blah.


I guess after you've played Zelda for many years like I did you get a little jaded with the series. I'm still enjoying it, but I just wish it was a little more original.

Oh, and...

AGAIN I have to collect three things?



As for the sea travel, it takes F-O-R-E-V-E-R.

The hookshot animation gets tired after a while. The hookshot from OoT was point and shoot. This is point, shoot, watch a 6 second animation again..and again..and again..

The next Zelda's gotta be more innovative.

Mike

 

[Rives Elmore]

The blurry backgrounds are done on purpose to give it a cinematic feel. Its also an attempt to make the field of vision more like what an actual person might see (focus on one area, the rest blur out). Whether this will work with a 3rd person game remains to be seen, though I am loving the game so far.

EDIT: Doh, someone already posted it, thats what I get for not reading page 3

 

[Dome Vongvises]

Me likey new Romier sig.

 

[Peter_A]

After playing it for a few hours I still find the backgrounds annoying, almost to the extent that it hurts my eyes. It's like I'm having trouble focusing, even running it in 480p. Also I'm not sure if anyone else has noticed this but can you see the strange texture pattern? Don't look at just one spot on the screen but the whole screen at once. It's kinda hard to describe but if you've played Deus Ex for the PC, it's the same type of effect.

As for the gameplay itself...eh. It's ok so far but it's not pulling me into the game as much as Metroid Prime did. Just a refined version OOT and I agree with Mike_G that the next game has to be a lot more innovative than this.

 

[Mike_G]

In 480p I get these bizarre vertical bars. It's like 10 or 12 bars, with 2 distinct patterns that alternate. This is the only game on the GC or any other console I get this with in 480p.

Mike

 

[MikeAlletto]

Yeah I saw the slowdown at that spot Ryan. Not as bad as you sounded though. I guess it depends which way your facing. I just finished the boomerang dungeon, it was pretty easy.

I finished the mailman game but I just couldn't beat the high score at the squid battleship game. best I could do was 21 shots, not the 20 that the best score is.

 

[Romier S]

Me likey new Romier sig.

Thank you Dome. I am in the midst of attempting to learn photoshop so I figure the best way to do it is to continue my ongoing sig saga on the forum.

 

[Graeme Clark]

The battleship game is just luck for the most part, so you got to just keep trying. I got it in 17 or 18 my first try. I suck at the mailbox game though.

My favorite little bit of humor in the game so far, besides the battleship guy, is the room on the same island where you get charged for breaking the expensive vases.

The bits of humor, the setting, and the art style makes me yearn for a new Monkey Island game like crazy though. I think I'll have to play through Curse when I'm done with this.

 

[Michael D. Bunting]

Geez, you guys almost having me wanting to go buy a GC. Stop it.

I'll second that statement...man...my wife is gonna divorce me if she comes home to a GC tomorrow night.....

She is a Zelda fan though...so maybe she'll keep me around if I do buy a GC and Zelda?

 

[Mark Evans]

maybe she'll keep me around if I do buy a GC and Zelda?

Of course she would Michael, and if you get the GC you can also pick up a free game like the amazing Metroid Prime. Then you can show her how economically sound it is to pick up the system when you get a free $50 game with it .

Gah, there's a second prize for beating the high score on the squid game? Back to Windfall . I just like to hear the thanks and praise of the children .

 

[JamesH]

I get the odd "bars" too when running it in 480p. I thought it was my TV, but since a couple of other people have mentioned it, I guess it isn't. It looks like some odd sort of dithering or something.

 

[Kim D]

Wow, I just spent about an hour and a half with it only to turn it off without completing first dungeon. I keep getting caught, I am so damn impatient, I just want to get my sword back..I feel neked without it..

I have patience. I don't get caught. But I am stuck. I've knocked out two of the spotlights. Can't seem to find the third. I have the map. I have the compass. Not sure what to do next.

I took the afternoon off so I could play. FedEx dropped it off at 1pm and I played a couple hours.

I enjoyed the opening. Sweet nostalgia.

What a huge difference from the very first Zelda!

- kim

 

[Dave Bennett]

My copy should be arriving this afternoon. I'll post my impressions afterwards, that is if I can tear myself away from it