Game Review: LostWinds (WiiWare)

May 13th, 2008, 20:26 Posted By: zzt

Wii Review by zzt
LostWinds
(Avalible on Wii shop channel under WiiWare)

Publisher: Frontier Developments
Developer: Frontier Developments
Genre: Adventure
# of Players: 1
Price: 1000 Wii points ($10)

Overview:
In LostWinds you play as Toku, a young boy who finds a piece of the Spirit Stone that contains the spirit of wind Enril, and the two set off on a quest to seal off an ancient evil that has invaded the island of Mistralis.

Gameplay:
In this game the player uses the wiimote/nunchuck combo.The nunchuck is mainly used to control Toku, the little boy. He climbs and reacts automatically. The most you have to do is push Z make him pick up objects. Then comes the main reason this game is so great, the Wind. The Wiimote is used to control the on screen cursor (the spirit Enril) to put the power of wind in your hands. Just move the cursor, and a sudden breeze wisks by anything nearby. This in itself is very amusing as people react, trees sway, and the grass and flowers flow at the mere signs of the wind. Then the A and B buttons come into play. Holding A creates a gust of wind, letting one do a number of things, the first and formost of which is letting Toku jump. Just draw a gust of wind under Toku and he is wisked upwards. Later you can draw what is known as a "slipstream" with B to create a wind current, of which I will let you discover its uses. As one of the first Wiiware games, I just have to say this kind of gameplay is so refreshing. There WILL be moments that you think to yourself " that is just amazing..." when you discover the true power of the wind.

Graphics:
There are some games that have good gameplay but poor graphics, and vice versa. This game on the other hand lets you have your cake and eat it too. What I mean is that while the gameplay goes above and beyond, the graphics are PHENOMENAL! The pictures almost speak for themselves. The game takes place on a 2D plane with 3D graphics with maybe a bit of cellshading. The style seems to be a mix of Native American/Aztec. The closes thing it resemebles to me is LittleBig Planet, a PS3 game for crying out loud! Seriously though, there are many games on the Wii that cost 5 times this much and do not look anywhere near this good. I can only hope other developers take a que from this and start taking advantage of the Wii as such.

Sound:
Another one of my favorites. The sound also takes a que from the Aztec/Native American style as it consists of drums and flutes. There seems to be only this one song through the main parts of the game but it is so beautiful and calming you will not mind. Battles do have a small melody that comes into play when enemies are in the area.

Replay Value:
Alas, every rose must have its thorn. If there was one issue with this game, it is its length. The game time clocks in at about two and a half to three hours, maybe four if you find all the secrets. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT let this turn you off, as this is really only a quality over quantity issue. The time you spend with this game is one of a great experience. Not since Okami has a game inspired me this much. Also remember that the game is only $10. You will more than likely want to play this one again from time to time, so take that into consideration.

Conclusion:
What a game. After playing this, I cannot wait to see what else can be done with the Wii and its WiiWare. The graphics and gameplay are great, the sound is wonderful, and the only reason not to get this game is if you are looking for a high energy, bloody, gory, action intense game. Even if you did somehow mistake this game for one, you would still have a great time.

Score:
I wish there was a way to give a score with only a quarter of a point off (like a 4.75) but I have to work with what I have. Due to the relative short length of the game, which is only a small complaint, mind you, I give this game a:



IMAGES COURTASY OF IGN

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