Skyward Sword vs Skyrim: Gear

Skyward Sword: Just about every piece of equipment you get in this game is necessary. From the humble slingshot to the awesome Bow, just about everything you get it required to complete the game. This also means that you never have any real excess gear unless you want to. If you need to carry more bombs for a section, you can buy more bomb bags to replace other items in your inventory, same with arrow and slingshot etc. You also carry a shield which can be replaced. Most of the items are completely needed for completion of the game, but it's always nice to have extra stuff and not being forced to micromanage all your gear.

Skyrim: GEAR, GEAR, GEAR! So much GEAR! The gear in this game is reflective of your play style. If you carry all this armour or magic robes etc. A lot of it you can use, but at the same time, there's a lot you don't need. However, that's not really a bad thing as you can always just sell the stuff you don't want. Actually, it's one of the best ways to make profit in Skyrim. The only trouble is, there's a limit to how much you can carry before you become unable to run and if you haven't chosen to invest in stamina, then you are pretty much at a loss. But no matter, you can store stuff in your house...if you can afford one. Basically, you carry the gear you want, and sell the stuff you don't. Sounds simple? Well, it gets really frustrating trying to manage all your crap and although you can favourite items, it never really feels fluid to sort through it. Still, the amount of gear in the game is impressive and how much of it you use is entirely up to you.

Skyward Sword vs Skyrim: Combat

Skyward Sword: The combat in this game is much more engaging than in previous Zelda games. You take control of Link's sword and shield with the Wii Remote and Nunchuck. This system is intuitive and hardly ever feels clunky. The only time it let me down was when I had to use stabs. Stabbing just doesn't seem to work for me, I might be alone, I might not be. Enemies become little mini puzzles themselves as they will anticipate your moves and block accordingly. They learn as well. Keep fooling them with the same tricks and they'll wise up. An example of a simple puzzle enemy is the skulltala. You have to perform an upward vertical slash to knock him onto his back and perform a finisher. A boss like Ghirahim is trickier. He makes sure you can only hit him where his guard is down (the game gives you subtle clues) or else you face devastating counter attacks. In short, combat is more fun, more rewarding and more engaging than in any other Zelda game to date.


Skyrim: There is more than one way to fight, but most of them feel lackluster. One handed, two handed and dual weapons revolve around hitting the target, walking backwards, then doing it again. You have to watch your stamina meter so you can watch out when you do power attacks which make them stagger, leaving them open, but overall not too deep. Magic is one step up. Choosing what spells to use is fun, but again, you spend a lot of time walking backward and spraying spells, hoping the opponent doesn't reach you. The most fun would be archery. This takes good aim and good positioning. I personally spend the most time as a mage, with the occasional two hander. Despite the clunky combat, its solid. I enjoy most encounters though.