When The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword fans pick up the new and improved HD title, there will be a bunch of new features focused on streamlining the game. However, one feature is locked behind a paywall of sorts, something that has stirred controversy among Legend of Zelda and amiibo fans.
In the original game, players had to use a Bird Statue in order to travel to the Sky. Nintendo revealed, however, that those who own the Zelda and Loftwing amiibo will be able to use it to travel to the Sky from anywhere, which is a big quality of life improvement. Many feel as if this is locking a feature that should appear in the game behind a paywall, which is an understandable position, but that is made even worse by a recently discovered featured in the upcoming game.
Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword's Bird Statues
The Loftwing amiibo is contentious in and of itself, especially as these Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword amiibos are being picked by scalpers, but traveling to a Bird Statue to go to the Sky so may not be a deal breaker for some. After all, players will need to use these Bird Statues to save, at least they did in the original anyway. However, fans noticed in the recent trailer that autosave is present in the upcoming Skyward Sword, and that makes it even worse.
For those who own the aforementioned amiibo, there will be almost no reason to use a Bird Statue. They can travel to the sky from anywhere and let autosave do its job, but those that don't won't even need to use the Bird Statue to save (in theory). Gamer paranoia will likely ensure players hit up a Bird Statue to manually save, but the bottom line is that they may not have to. Instead, they may just really need it to travel to the Sky. Neither feature being there for one player or another is exactly groundbreaking, but it shows how these Bird Statues are becoming basically irrelevant in the upcoming game...more so if players pick up an amiibo.
Players will still use them to exit dungeons, while manual saves may be required to land at a Bird Statue. It's not removing their functionality for the game, but it is diminishing it some for all players and a little more for those who chock up a price tag. Those who own it may be able to save a few minutes or hours by not relying on the bird statues, but even in the most conservative estimates, it seems that some Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword players will still be jumping through gaming hoops from 2011.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD releases July 16 for the Switch.