O is for Oliphaunt

The Lord of the Rings series has brought about a lot of great things, or at least built upon them in a way that they are identifiable with the book series moreso than anything else, like Hobbits. Or, in this case, Oliphaunts. Oliphaunts are probably the most awesome (both in size, and in... well... awesomeness.) beasts in the LotR series. Wargs are pretty cool, I guess, but they're no match for one of these puppies.
Anywho, my main reason for this post is actually because... [insert drumroll here...]
I BEAT SKYWARD SWORD!
Now that I've finished, I can give you my final verdict on the game, but I won't say much more so that I don't spoil it for you guys.
Story: 8/10. We've seen it before, people. SS is uncannily similar to Wind Waker, just without a legit ocean.

Gameplay: 7.5/10. I personally really enjoy the gameplay (I hate to say it, but it's one of the best workouts I've gotten lately), but I can see how some people could get really frustrated with it. So much twisting and angling, even Deku Babas and Bokoblins can be a pain if you're in a hurry. The one major flaw with the gameplay here, though, is the freefall mechanic. I cannot think of a derpier in-game feature that affects gameplay so severely. Fighting the imprisoned became a huge chore, I had to spend an additional 15-20 minutes on a single side quest because I would have to climb back up to wherever and try and jump down again,  et cetera. It was a pain. All in all, though, it was fun. I actually enjoy the Wii MotionPlus a lot now.

Learning Curve: 8.5/10. You've gotta love Nintendo. This game starts out being sorta difficult, even for Zelda fans such as myself. Flying is wonky, rolling is more impractical than not, and you have a stamina gauge. I was terrible at the game for the first day or two that I played it. However, it's easy enough to pick up for anyone, video game background or not, and stay fun. The game was challenging, but not ridiculous.

Overall: a solid 8/10. This game was fun, but it could have been better.