The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD

 Switch
User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 569 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 370 out of 569
  2. Mixed: 85 out of 569
  3. Negative: 114 out of 569
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  1. profittsc
    Jul 25, 2021
    1
    The controls are awful in this game and make it a literal chore to play. Everything revolves around gimmick motion controls that in 2021 just don't hold up. The game is just almost unplayable, for example you have to run around with the L trigger held down just to be able to navigate the camera. Also the sword controls are terrible and just not fun at all, everything depends on you movingThe controls are awful in this game and make it a literal chore to play. Everything revolves around gimmick motion controls that in 2021 just don't hold up. The game is just almost unplayable, for example you have to run around with the L trigger held down just to be able to navigate the camera. Also the sword controls are terrible and just not fun at all, everything depends on you moving your sword in a certain way. Like diagonal up left or diagonal up right or diagonal down left or right or straight up or straight down. It gets really old, really fast !! I am not a Nintendo hater, I loved BOTW and many of the Mario games. Skyward Sword though just does not work at all, maybe if it was $15 dollars in a bargain bin but not a $60 stand alone game.… Expand
  2. nahobino5_
    Aug 4, 2021
    3
    It doesn’t play as smoothly as I’d wish it too. Everything feels very slow and dragged out. And of course, $60 for a barely enhanced HD port is steep. I’m really against the expensive and limited amiibo blocking fast travel as well. It’s just incredibly unhandy.
  3. woolywooly
    Aug 10, 2021
    2
    Terrible terrible controls. If you like games that are fun, then you will hate this. If you get frustrated by games with bad controls, then you will hate this. If you are a casual gamer that simply wants some Zelda fun, then you will hate this game.
    This game was made for the Wii, and the adaption is terrible. This is literally the worse Zelda nintendo ever made.
  4. xrenderman
    Jul 23, 2021
    2
    One of the worst "AAA" games I ever played. First of all, it's super annoying. Repetitive animations, tedious time filters like super slaw climbing. Unskippable dialogs and cut scenes. This bird that you need to fly for 5 minutes to and from the island every time to "fast" travel. Motion controls just don't work properly. New button controls are also not at all comfortable. Every time youOne of the worst "AAA" games I ever played. First of all, it's super annoying. Repetitive animations, tedious time filters like super slaw climbing. Unskippable dialogs and cut scenes. This bird that you need to fly for 5 minutes to and from the island every time to "fast" travel. Motion controls just don't work properly. New button controls are also not at all comfortable. Every time you pick something up - again, same long unskippable animation. I could overcome all of this if the gameplay was good. But no. Combat is the pain in the ass because of motion. Puzzles are so primitive that doesn't require any brain activity. Visually it looks just awful. HD in a name is a joke. Everything is blurry and most of the time it's not a texture but just one color fill of a huge surface. The only good thing about this game is the music.… Expand
  5. PanteraHouse
    Jul 23, 2021
    0
    Full price Wii game in 2021? This is a joke. How can they justify this 10-11 year old game being the same price that BOTW2 will be. Nintendo continues to lower the bar to see how much they can get away with
  6. affus
    Jul 25, 2021
    4
    This was a bad game back in time. The main reason? The very bad motion controls. This is a bad game today. The reason? The motion controls and the adapted controls. They made a traditional control worse than the motion controls... how is it possible? The graphics are ok, but the overall game is mediocre. It was know as the worse Zelda game back in time and it is still the worse Zelda game today.
  7. Ughduty
    Jul 24, 2021
    4
    Boss battles are a pain in the a.. even after you somewhat got over the bad control scheme. There is nothing that really prepares you for them.
  8. evilmidget
    Aug 1, 2021
    1
    Well I can definitely see why this is the least favourite in the series. Horrible control scheme. I can forgive it for the most part, but when the boss fights require precision, it is so frustrating. Not to mention if you use an item during a boss battle and then die, you lose the item for your retry.
  9. ReaperOfCrows
    Nov 21, 2021
    0
    It's almost impossible to believe this game came from the same studio as Breath of the Wild, and the older Zelda games. It's the absolute opposite in terms of quality and breadth of content. All this talk about how Skyward Sword HD fixes everything and makes it a truly amazing game is mind-blowing, almost as much as this game getting good critical reviews even on the original version!

    -    It's almost impossible to believe this game came from the same studio as Breath of the Wild, and the older Zelda games. It's the absolute opposite in terms of quality and breadth of content. All this talk about how Skyward Sword HD fixes everything and makes it a truly amazing game is mind-blowing, almost as much as this game getting good critical reviews even on the original version!

    - Yes, the motion controls are terrible. I played maybe half way through the game with them before switching to a pro controller. There's a novelty to them, a small spark of joy from mimicking the action in the game, that quickly wears off after doing the same action 2 or 3 times. The sheer unwieldy inaccuracy of them is such a slight against every minute of gameplay it's crazy to think they thought this is how they should ship the game. The fervor around motion controls must have been so high during this time in the studio.

    - The motion controls are only a small fraction of the problems this game has though. And the alternate controls, while better, are still clunky enough to put them below any of the other games in the series.

    - Backtracking, padding, and repetition. Backtracking, padding, and repetition. Backtracking. Padding. Repetition. AHHHH! There are three small zones to explore in the entire game basically. And you explore not once, not twice, not three times, but four times! At least! They shuffle some rocks around and say, "Hey! Doesn't this feel like a whole new area?" No. No it doesn't. You fight the same main boss at least three times, in the same arena, only getting another annoying gimmick each time. And spinning your stick around to perform an action is cute the first 5 times. But it just makes every movement through the world tedious after 20 hours.

    - The **** underwater stuff, especially the tadpole minigame, is just the valley of bad game design. Everyone has always hated underwater levels, so they decided to make one of the biggest most tedious ones possible for their game. Why?

    This whole experience has made me wonder if reviewers actually played through the game, or just wrote a review based on what they thought fans wanted hear about a Zelda title. I'm just dumbfounded.    … Expand
  10. Zebunker
    Jul 28, 2021
    0
    Watered down port that is essentaily $35 more than when it orginially came out, with the pay 2 win Amiibo you need.
  11. deplorable
    Jul 22, 2021
    4
    I'm not sure what nintendo were thinking. Take the worst Zelda 3D game we've ever made and re release it on the switch. I mean the HD graphics... do... nothing. I mean there's only a little difference to what we saw almost a decade ago. I feel sorry for Zelda, HD does not work well on her model.. looks like Ashlee Simpson before the nose job.

    Don't worry they improved the controls...    I'm not sure what nintendo were thinking. Take the worst Zelda 3D game we've ever made and re release it on the switch. I mean the HD graphics... do... nothing. I mean there's only a little difference to what we saw almost a decade ago. I feel sorry for Zelda, HD does not work well on her model.. looks like Ashlee Simpson before the nose job.

    Don't worry they improved the controls... no. no they didn't. I don't know how they managed it but they made the controls worse. I guess if you want to play with the joycons you can go with the terrible game design of waving your hands around like you're a legend in LARP but, that's just bad game design.

    If you want to play it with a controller, first of all the Right stick is not your camera, no because the right stick controls the sword (badly). If you want to use the camera, you gotta hold down another button and use the right stick, but careful in battle because the right stick is also your sword. Do you see the problem.. that's just the beginning.

    This should have stayed in the archives. They've managed to make a mediocre zelda game worse. Give us wind waker... please. maybe i'll forgive.

    Hell i couldn't even bring myself to even buy this game this time, i rented it from boomerang. There's no way i was paying nintendo for a decade old game that i remembered being terrible at the time. And i was half right, i didn't exactly expect them to make it worse. I mean that takes skill and talent.

    Maybe we are spoiled in how good BoW is... and how great it is. But i can play OoT on my DS as a remake, handles and plays fine. I can dust off my gamecube and play wind waker... brilliant zelda game along with twilight princess.

    I put this into my switch, and i just want to play any other game... hell i'd play jon trons bootleg games instead. Nintendo wanted a pay day with this, and they probably got it. But for the future of gaming, it's just another step backwards....

    I'm not sure whose rating this a 10 though, i mean rose tinted glasses are one thing - completely deluded is another. I hope they get the help they desperately need. You rate a game what it is... you don't look at the average and go "bump it up". That's not how it works, a game should stand on its own two feet...    … Expand
  12. Davesreview83
    Jul 24, 2021
    0
    Shamless cash grab that's over priced because Nintendo knows your going to buy the game
  13. enp27
    Aug 4, 2021
    0
    Really tried to like this game put it still has to many flaws. I can go in detail mid game refuses to explain hidden mechanics to make it seem difficult alot of vague puzzles and trust I have played many difficult games but this takes the price. Not for hard puzzles but vague mechanic like pulling out the harp there's no way of knowing
  14. Seront
    Aug 12, 2021
    0
    I have played and loved so many Zelda games, but this one is just awful. I never got to it on the wii and picked it up on the switch. I .. loathe this game so much. I hate it so much and I’m so angry for wasting 60 dollars on this trash. I finally deleted it half way through the lanayru desert. The controls are just awful.

    Almost as a rule I do not review things online. I created a    I have played and loved so many Zelda games, but this one is just awful. I never got to it on the wii and picked it up on the switch. I .. loathe this game so much. I hate it so much and I’m so angry for wasting 60 dollars on this trash. I finally deleted it half way through the lanayru desert. The controls are just awful.

    Almost as a rule I do not review things online. I created a metacritic solely because of this game. It belongs in a dumpster.

    Go play breath of the wild again. Don’t buy this piece of crap.    … Expand
  15. mikeje
    Jul 21, 2021
    3
    если бы игра стоила косарик, другой разговор, а так если очень хочется поиграть, запустите на эмуляторе и пройдите, поверьте ни чего не потеряете
  16. ocd_reviewer
    Jul 19, 2021
    0
    The quality of life improvements are definitely appreciated, but nothing that's being brought to the table can remotely justify the current price tag. Recent remakes like Mass Effect: LE, Mafia: DE, and Resident Evil 2/3 are offering so much more for a similar price tag.

    This would be a fine package if it was cheaper, but prices set expectations and Nintendo has failed to deliver.    The quality of life improvements are definitely appreciated, but nothing that's being brought to the table can remotely justify the current price tag. Recent remakes like Mass Effect: LE, Mafia: DE, and Resident Evil 2/3 are offering so much more for a similar price tag.

    This would be a fine package if it was cheaper, but prices set expectations and Nintendo has failed to deliver. Nintendo at the very least could have bundled an art book and soundtrack with this game, that would have gone a long way to justify the value on top of being a true celebration of this title's legacy.

    Pick this up if you're a big LOZ fan, otherwise, I would recommend waiting till it goes on sale for $45 or lower    … Expand
  17. Stubabyuk
    Aug 10, 2021
    4
    Worst Zelda game in the series gets a mediocre remake and dreadful controls. Avoid.
  18. EdgadusAbr
    Aug 6, 2021
    0
    A game full of recycled graphics that is not even noticeable, certain graphic effects were even eliminated, and they presume that it is a great thing, and when playing in traditional mode it is exaggeratedly horrible and is only played in a normal way with joycon, for what a switch lite will be of no use. Even Nintendo boasts of that knowing that there have already been other releases fromA game full of recycled graphics that is not even noticeable, certain graphic effects were even eliminated, and they presume that it is a great thing, and when playing in traditional mode it is exaggeratedly horrible and is only played in a normal way with joycon, for what a switch lite will be of no use. Even Nintendo boasts of that knowing that there have already been other releases from the competition and with much better results. The 60 or 70 that cost better buy a second-hand xbox 360 or about 3 games of the best rated on Playstation 4 or other platforms.… Expand
  19. bound4earth
    Jul 23, 2021
    0
    Talk about a cash-grab, they added no controller controls that work well and things like the flying roach aren't even fun to use. They keep saying how can we use the wii-mote, but never asked themselves, does this really add anything or equal more fun, and when you reach the no conclusion, ask why are we doing this? You can argue this game led to BoTW all you want, but it still makes it aTalk about a cash-grab, they added no controller controls that work well and things like the flying roach aren't even fun to use. They keep saying how can we use the wii-mote, but never asked themselves, does this really add anything or equal more fun, and when you reach the no conclusion, ask why are we doing this? You can argue this game led to BoTW all you want, but it still makes it a bad Zelda game. Tell me the first boss fight is fun and dynamic, oh wait... No it demonstrates how Link is no longer agile and the control scheme, even with Wii-mote controls is beyond flawed.

    It says HD but they didn't even try, the door textures like garbage. It would be worth $15, because they upgraded and changed nothing, but considering that, this is the new president telling fans to pay him $60 for nothing. Legit a zero effort cash-grab that fanboys will eat up. truly sad what they put up with and because of that, you will continue to see low effort trash like this and Mario All Stars, which also changed nothing and destroyed that name.    … Expand
  20. zenn22
    Jul 24, 2021
    0
    absolute garbage, spent 3hrs wondering around with no idea where to go, omegalul
  21. Noitamies
    Jul 21, 2021
    0
    First Nintendo licensed game I sell straight away. Masochist. I played 5 hours. You cant just do such awful controls. It's not a game when you cant play it.
  22. Hassan123
    Jul 24, 2021
    0
    The game not ready to be play and also with this price is too much for port
  23. Romadu
    Jul 18, 2021
    1
    Uncontrollable, awful camera management. Not fun. A complete waste of time!
  24. Call-o-freak
    Jul 17, 2021
    4
    This doesn't look better than its Wii Counterpart. Do appreciate the control stick for doing sword swings, but because of joy con drift, I can barely make precise movements. Most of the problems from the wii version are included, such as the empty overworld, annoying character interactions, poor controls, and dragging gameplay. Would be ok if they added new content that didn't costThis doesn't look better than its Wii Counterpart. Do appreciate the control stick for doing sword swings, but because of joy con drift, I can barely make precise movements. Most of the problems from the wii version are included, such as the empty overworld, annoying character interactions, poor controls, and dragging gameplay. Would be ok if they added new content that didn't cost anything, but as we all know, nintendo right now are cheapskates.

    Overall, this game isn't very good, even for a remaster. Save your money for games like Nier: Replicant, Sonic Colors Ultimate, or Pokemon Unite.    … Expand
  25. johnnykracker
    Aug 2, 2021
    0
    Unplayable. The controls are probably the worst in any game on any platform. If You want to just play with a control sitting on your couch it is actually impossible to move the camera without holding down the shoulder button. Did nobody quality control this before it was released. Pure garbage.
  26. Gfzact1
    Jul 19, 2021
    4
    The texture's are almost the same it hase no new modes like in sc ultimate (rival rush.jade gost wisp.costumation And 4K)
  27. snallegub
    Jul 22, 2021
    4
    DO NOT BUY THIS GAME. The game nearly is unplayable. You need to reset the motion sensor every 10 seconds. The rope walks for example is pure torture. Every time you try to aim you start by hitting the reset button to get the motion controls to work. You can disable those but then YOU CANNOT TURN THE CAMERA! That is because the sword is then controlled by the right thumb stick. This gameDO NOT BUY THIS GAME. The game nearly is unplayable. You need to reset the motion sensor every 10 seconds. The rope walks for example is pure torture. Every time you try to aim you start by hitting the reset button to get the motion controls to work. You can disable those but then YOU CANNOT TURN THE CAMERA! That is because the sword is then controlled by the right thumb stick. This game is pure agony avoid at all costs. Nobody ever wanted these motion controls and this game should never have been ported.… Expand
  28. SuperFabian64
    Jul 18, 2021
    0
    Low effort port sold at full price. A product that has more or less been available on emulators since the original release of the game. This game deserved a proper remaster. If not, then cut the price in half and drop the HD branding. HD in this case just means it meets the bare minimum a game released today has to uphold; an HD resolution. The texture quality is still that of a Wii gameLow effort port sold at full price. A product that has more or less been available on emulators since the original release of the game. This game deserved a proper remaster. If not, then cut the price in half and drop the HD branding. HD in this case just means it meets the bare minimum a game released today has to uphold; an HD resolution. The texture quality is still that of a Wii game though. They barely touched this one, which kind of makes me wonder what it is that I'm paying for, when the original game exists for a third of the price. Mario's 35th anniversary got 3D All-Stars, and Zelda got this. I'm almost scared of what's to come.… Expand
  29. thedaarkbatty
    Jul 25, 2021
    0
    I played it for the first time last year and was shocked by how bad the graphics were. Seriousl, games released in 2008 have better graphics and effects than this garbage. Not to mention the gameplay is boring and unoirinal. I got about 30 minutes in before quitting. It's so hard because the controls suck. 0/10.
  30. colee909
    Jul 19, 2021
    1
    It looks like a 2021 link running through a gross blurry Wii world. Button controls SUCK and are completely unintuitive. The biggest improvements are to thinks like Fi and skipping cutscenes, which were inexcusable upon release, so acting like these are significant improvements is really disingenuous. Is the game better than the Wii version? I mean sure I guess. But I promise it's not thatIt looks like a 2021 link running through a gross blurry Wii world. Button controls SUCK and are completely unintuitive. The biggest improvements are to thinks like Fi and skipping cutscenes, which were inexcusable upon release, so acting like these are significant improvements is really disingenuous. Is the game better than the Wii version? I mean sure I guess. But I promise it's not that much better, especially compared to the $20 Virtual console release on Wii u… Expand
  31. somepapi
    Jul 19, 2021
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Skyward Sword originally on the Wii of course had its flaws, the motion controls weren’t super fluid if you were incompetent and couldn’t figure out how to set it up. And it was really annoying to sit through tiny little interruptions every few steps you took unlike Ocarina of Time where Navi was ignorable. This time around in the HD remaster, you can be incompetent and still use the motion controls, and Fi shuts up. Unfortunately this comes at a cost, the accuracy and fluidity is all gone. The aiming constantly drifts with the Gust Bellows or the Beetle. And this isn’t due to stick drift it’s just general bad gyro drift that happens a lot in even some other titles. The motion controls for the bird and sky diving is bearable and the swimming sections aren’t too bad. But they aren’t what they used to be. The game does look really good being now of course in HD and 60fps…. for the most part. During the fire spider boss in the 2nd dungeon it lagged whenever I got close and looked at too many fire balls being thrown my way. It’s really depressing when I see a Nintendo original title, being incapable of being fully played at a constant and clean rate on its own console. On to other reviews i’ve seen, Nintendo almost literally payed off so many reviewers with giving them copies and other goodies, this game has been unfairly reviewed across Metacritic and other platforms like YouTube. They can’t really say the truth about how bad some controls are because they’re product was given for free. So “Brutally Honest Reviews” end up being more like “Im scared this company won’t send me more free stuff reviews”. It’s disappointing that something like this happens. But either way back to the game, I’ve played the first Half of the game already making it past the first Silent Realm. But I don’t need to beat the whole game to make this review since I already did 10 years ago. There is no need to criticize the games story and gameplay at this point because whatever’s been said before will just be said again. But honestly the only thing TO critique is the “NEW” controls that they used. Maybe if Nintendo released a new sensor bar or something for the Switch that would help it that would be incredible. But I doubt it, it would be pretty dumb. The aiming isn’t fun because for some DUMB reason they position the pointer wherever the system THINKS??? your pointer is and not just in the centre... Just put the pointer in the centre whenever it’s needed, and if they need to reset the gyro then reset it. Other wise it comes at a cost like your pointer being in the corner and causing you to aim incorrectly. I cannot stress how bad the 3rd dungeon was because of the Gust Bellow being so horrible, not in the practical sense because it’s a fun item. But because the aiming is actually bad…The sword motions are usually 85% accurate. It’s not accurate too many times for me to say 90% and higher. The bombs are pretty much the same. it always has a good idea of when your joy-con is upwards or downwards to roll it or Kobe it. The reason I’m really giving this game a 8 is because I just like this game and Zelda in general. I payed alot of money for the game, the Skyward Sword joy-cons and the Zelda Amiibo. I do love the story, the dungeons, the combat and characters, it’s Zelda, of course it’s gonna be amazing with you look at the rest and ignore the control aspect to the game. And if this was the Original Wii version I would’ve gave it a 9, not a 10 due to its controls and Fi of course. But this time around. The controls are truly a bit worse, and the whole controller complaints are NOW justified. We didn’t know how good we had it back then… And that’s it for MY TRUE BRUTALLY HONEST review.… Expand
  32. davygravy93
    Jul 18, 2021
    0
    Another minimum effort port by Nintendo that fanboys will gladly light themselves on fire to defend. The character models have been remastered in HD but the textures on the levels themselves did not get the same treatment, so there is this weird juxtaposition any time you're not in a dungeon(eg most of the time). Its nice that the motion controls are optional but this is somethingAnother minimum effort port by Nintendo that fanboys will gladly light themselves on fire to defend. The character models have been remastered in HD but the textures on the levels themselves did not get the same treatment, so there is this weird juxtaposition any time you're not in a dungeon(eg most of the time). Its nice that the motion controls are optional but this is something emulators figured out years ago, it hardly warrants a full 60 dollar price tag considering the only other improvement is making Fi talk less. The QOL improvements are nice but the core problems of SS weren't the controls or visuals but rather a lack of content both in the sky and in the ground below.

    Playing SS again its easy to see why nintendo moved away from this style of zelda, the intro alone takes hours before you even get the sword and up to that point its just dialogue and cutscenes which a stark contrast to Breath of The Wild a game that takes only minutes to get going. The pacing in general is pretty bad compared to most Zelda games and it comes down to the sheer amount of padding throughout the game. The amount of backtracking you have to do is beyond excessive, there's only 3 explorable areas and you'll be going back to each one THREE TIMES, I dare anyone who played this to tell me collecting the songs at the end was fun, I finished the game just for the sake of writing this review otherwise I would have dropped the game.

    Listen if you like SS that's fine, but allowing nintendo to release port after port with low effort and maximum price only tells them that you're okay with the same garbage being served to you over and over again. Idk about you but personally Id rather have new and innovative games like BOTW than lazy ports that dwell in the past.    … Expand
  33. Vanta77
    Jul 23, 2021
    2
    The most frustrating and boring 3D Zelda, a game that throws you endlessly in same areas/bosses the whole entire game. Cool updates to graphics but way too pricey.

    Should've done the same like they did with Mario Galaxy last year, but they wanted to max profit from Zelda fans
  34. SaigonBrit
    Jul 19, 2021
    0
    This is a beautiful looking and buttery smooth 60fps update of the original game with some welcome tweaks in terms of pacing, UI, quality of life improvements such as autosave and a lot less forced interventions/tutorials/reminders. It does lack open world exploration but the dungeons are among the best ever for any Zelda game and the soundtrack is regal (full orchestral score). The motionThis is a beautiful looking and buttery smooth 60fps update of the original game with some welcome tweaks in terms of pacing, UI, quality of life improvements such as autosave and a lot less forced interventions/tutorials/reminders. It does lack open world exploration but the dungeons are among the best ever for any Zelda game and the soundtrack is regal (full orchestral score). The motion controls can be ditched in favour of standard JoyCon or Pro Controller but you can still use gyro aiming for arrows, hookshot and so forth- excellent and far better than the old motion controls. Also, the story/narrative is easily the most developed and engaging of any Zelda game. It's not perfect but it is nearly perfect- 9 out of 10.… Expand
  35. njanjayrp
    Dec 31, 2021
    0
    Absolute piece of garbage. The game’s controls are very clunky and messed up. This time around they decided to make Link re-do stuff like mad and that includes repeating super annoying boss battles until
    You literally want to smash your controller because most of the time you are going to end up in lava as the game simply did not undergo any quality assurance. The more you play the more    Absolute piece of garbage. The game’s controls are very clunky and messed up. This time around they decided to make Link re-do stuff like mad and that includes repeating super annoying boss battles until
    You literally want to smash your controller because most of the time you are going to end up in lava as the game simply did not undergo any quality assurance. The more you play the more frustrating it gets not because of the difficulty l, but due to the fact that the game is simply bad. Don’t be fooled there are really good Zelda games out there, Skyward Sword simply isn’t one.    … Expand
  36. Timenick
    Sep 1, 2021
    4
    Worst entry in the series by far. Weak story and the motion control fighting system is the worst pathetic forced in garbage I have seen in a modern era video game. Besides that it's your typical OoT formula Zelda game and it does not exceed the other games in any significant way. If you want a good Zelda game on Switch buy Breath of the Wild or wait for the Sequel. DON'T buy Skyward Sword!
  37. Fido
    Nov 26, 2021
    0
    This game is joke, controls awful, i can't play this without hurting my hands or my devices. Level design i o primitive linear claustrophobic behind only first good location sky town, where game is start. Farther you go - more and more primitive and ugly location designs you'l see.
  38. bhappenstance
    Nov 12, 2021
    2
    One's enjoyment of SS is almost entirely dependent on how well you adapt to the motion controls. The JoyCons may be a slight improvement over the Wii controllers, but they still constantly slip out of synch with the screen, making it all the more difficult to make precision swings. This becomes an increasingly aggravating burden as the game proceeds. In other words, the controls justOne's enjoyment of SS is almost entirely dependent on how well you adapt to the motion controls. The JoyCons may be a slight improvement over the Wii controllers, but they still constantly slip out of synch with the screen, making it all the more difficult to make precision swings. This becomes an increasingly aggravating burden as the game proceeds. In other words, the controls just *don't* really work. And if the controls don't work, nothing else really matters.… Expand
  39. Aldro
    Nov 17, 2021
    0
    El juego esta diseñado para jugarlo con controles con sensores de movimiento. Jugando asi los controles son muy imprecisos y resulta muy frustrante jugar asi. Los controles con el mando convencional estan fatal adaptados. Es muy incomodo el manejo de la camara o el uso de los diferentes objetos. Muchas veces para sacar el arma tenia que aporrear varias veces el Joystick R y acababaEl juego esta diseñado para jugarlo con controles con sensores de movimiento. Jugando asi los controles son muy imprecisos y resulta muy frustrante jugar asi. Los controles con el mando convencional estan fatal adaptados. Es muy incomodo el manejo de la camara o el uso de los diferentes objetos. Muchas veces para sacar el arma tenia que aporrear varias veces el Joystick R y acababa recibiendo daño porque Link no atacaba. Con el uso de los objetos pasa igual. Me he pasado el juego entero y me sigue pareciendo incomodisimos los controles. La historia es aburrido y sencilla. Los enemigos son pocos y se repiten mucho. Los escenarios son pocos y la historia te obliga a pasar por los mismos sitios una y otra vez. Las misiones secundarias son aburridas. El juego es largo porque has de ir a los mismos escenarios 3 veces. El peor zelda que he jugado. Me ha resultado una tortura larga y horrible acabado. Le doy un 0 porque no se puede dar negativo. Porque costando esto 60 euros me parece una estafa.… Expand
  40. Aurum75
    Aug 24, 2021
    0
    Les contrôles sont tellement horrible que ça gâche complètement le jeu, sans parler des graphismes dégueulasses... Dégouté de l'avoir acheté
  41. geminivi
    Oct 4, 2021
    0
    The gyro controls are awful. I dropped this after 40 minutes when I got to the first bird race.
  42. Nxgamer
    Sep 15, 2021
    4
    The story is pretty trash the game drags on for so long that it could’ve just been a 15 hour game but it’s got 30 hours of random rubbish tacked onto the end of it that is meaningless and ruins the experience.
    The controls are TERRIBLE and motion controls are the worst thing I’ve seen in q video game.
    This is probably the worst game I’ve ever played and the sad thing is was that for the    The story is pretty trash the game drags on for so long that it could’ve just been a 15 hour game but it’s got 30 hours of random rubbish tacked onto the end of it that is meaningless and ruins the experience.
    The controls are TERRIBLE and motion controls are the worst thing I’ve seen in q video game.

    This is probably the worst game I’ve ever played and the sad thing is was that for the first 15-20 hours i was enjoying myself.

    The final boss is too hard and some of the hits you can’t even parry.

    Overall this game kind of sucks and is not wortg your money and definitely not worth your time.    … Expand
  43. Wadim_Amadeus
    Aug 26, 2021
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Complete zero! Disgusting control in both stationary and portable mode! after 50 hours of play, I just could not get past the boss because of the crooked and disgusting controls! The game is rubbish!… Expand
  44. Diellm
    Oct 21, 2021
    3
    boring and with bad controls,empty game few enemies, very easy, boss fight mediocre
  45. matthewissound
    Nov 7, 2021
    3
    I'm not a longtime Zelda fan. I beat Link to the Past, Link's Awakening, and Breath of the Wild; I thought maybe this franchise couldn't lose. I read the reviews and thought "surely the motion controls aren't that bad." This game sucks. They went *all* in on motion control; every puzzle, every boss fight, every tool is about motion control. It would be one thing if they worked well, butI'm not a longtime Zelda fan. I beat Link to the Past, Link's Awakening, and Breath of the Wild; I thought maybe this franchise couldn't lose. I read the reviews and thought "surely the motion controls aren't that bad." This game sucks. They went *all* in on motion control; every puzzle, every boss fight, every tool is about motion control. It would be one thing if they worked well, but maybe 30% of the time the controls do what I was trying to do with them. It's so frustrating to know what you need to do, to try what you need to do, and have the game do something else entirely. If this had been my introduction to the Zelda franchise, I'd never play one of their games again.

    To be fair, I'm not going to give it 0. It's a nice world and a lot of what made Breath of the Wild cool is there. But this is the failed game that helped them learn their lesson for BotW. Would not recommend.    … Expand
  46. Stupidzelda
    Nov 23, 2021
    0
    This game is so stupid.My bf prefers to play Zelda than to spend time together.Please delete it and save my relationship.He actually became a zombie and he became so dump.Also the graphics are very ugly.You should fire your 3D artist. Have a nice day.
  47. Jose0812
    Dec 3, 2021
    0
    Porqueria de juego y plataforma Denotando una vez más que Nintendo es una compañía aferrada a sus tiempo de gloria en los 90’s sacando contenido para niños de 5 años a lo mucho y siento que me paso en el rango de edades.
  48. CorixAsk
    Jul 17, 2021
    0
    Basically no change on graphics and game-play and they locked a new teleportation feature behind an amiibo and it's $59.99 when the original wii release was $49.99 this is another sick joke like Mario's anniversary
  49. BeeBoss
    Jul 18, 2021
    0
    I thought that this port will be a chance to appreciate this game, because I thought that the low resolution and poor motion control was the weakness points of this game on the Wii, but now I know that I was wrong. I like graphic but story and gameplay is really the worst in series.
    I feel like Nintendo has screwed on me (not for the first time)
  50. tgk333
    Nov 7, 2021
    0
    It legitimately makes me feel sick just thinking about it.
    I don't think i've had a more frustrating gaming experience in my life.
    And the frustration continues... seeing people talk about it being "the best in the series" makes me want to burn myself alive.
  51. Johnny_evil2101
    Oct 27, 2021
    0
    10 years later, a full prize remaster. Still no left handed motion controls.
  52. Jhursk
    Sep 12, 2021
    1
    65$ PIECE OF JUNK!!! Nintendo should have etheir completely remade skyward like the did for a link tonthe past or completely remade how the controls work! It was better on the wii! Camera both auto and manual are none existent! Controls are supposedly updated for switch and they are perhaps the worst controls for any game I've every played! Don't waste your time and money on this65$ PIECE OF JUNK!!! Nintendo should have etheir completely remade skyward like the did for a link tonthe past or completely remade how the controls work! It was better on the wii! Camera both auto and manual are none existent! Controls are supposedly updated for switch and they are perhaps the worst controls for any game I've every played! Don't waste your time and money on this game till it 10 to 15 dollars. If you do buy get the physical copy that way you can return it when you find out how much it sucks.… Expand
  53. not2reasony
    Aug 31, 2021
    3
    As a full priced remastered game, it's a shame Nintendo didn't provide any extra life-improvement features, such as remapping the buttons, additional end-game content, and voice acting. (Let's be honest, making the game barely playable doesn't count as improvement.)
    Button-only control is extremely difficult in the final boss fight, since left joystick is hard to press, but you constantly    As a full priced remastered game, it's a shame Nintendo didn't provide any extra life-improvement features, such as remapping the buttons, additional end-game content, and voice acting. (Let's be honest, making the game barely playable doesn't count as improvement.)
    Button-only control is extremely difficult in the final boss fight, since left joystick is hard to press, but you constantly need to press it to block attacks.
    Many characters other than Link look very low polygon. All the cut scenes are real-time rendered, so why not give the main characters some alternative costumes?! What's the point of asking a name? There's no customization whatsoever, and the majority of the items are useless. There's no trophy system, you don't know your progress, even when you want to collect all items.    … Expand
  54. RhinoVanDam
    Feb 8, 2022
    3
    As a massive Zelda fan this has been the only one in the series I never played, having got rid of the Wii before it came out.
    I am one of a few who didn’t like BOTW, I like my Zelda games the old style dungeon exploring way, so was looking forward to playing this. I was digging it to start with, and using the pro controller I thought I would avoid motion control issues.
    I was wrong.    As a massive Zelda fan this has been the only one in the series I never played, having got rid of the Wii before it came out.
    I am one of a few who didn’t like BOTW, I like my Zelda games the old style dungeon exploring way, so was looking forward to playing this. I was digging it to start with, and using the pro controller I thought I would avoid motion control issues.

    I was wrong.

    Attacking enemies was annoying but doable, however come the first ‘boss’, despite trying pro, switch handheld and motion controls it is just horrific to play. I can’t be bothered to spend hours frustrated by terrible controls, and it is a shame as the world and music etc were looking good, but the controls just aren’t worth the effort. This is the only Zelda game I will never finish.    … Expand
  55. Zquaranteneuf
    Jul 18, 2021
    2
    This game is still the tedious, boring, and uninspired chore that it was 10 years ago. It wants to be epic, it tries really hard, but rather tell you that it is than make you feel it or experience it.

    Exactly like its Wii counterpart: - The beginning is painfully slow. The "tutorial" (the first two hours) lasts longer than the extended editions of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but    This game is still the tedious, boring, and uninspired chore that it was 10 years ago. It wants to be epic, it tries really hard, but rather tell you that it is than make you feel it or experience it.

    Exactly like its Wii counterpart:
    - The beginning is painfully slow. The "tutorial" (the first two hours) lasts longer than the extended editions of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but with none of the excitement. Mashing buttons and rolling your eyes through everything will make you question your existence.
    - The game treats you like a toddler that can't grasp even the most basic concepts of gameplay or logic. Most info is thrown in your face, explained by and large, repeated, and marked on your map. The game makes sure you are told everything. You CANNOT try out or discover things by yourself.
    - Movement is quite stiff and limited.
    - The world feels small, disconnected, and doesn't fulfill any sense of exploration whatsoever.
    - The sky is empty and doesn't bring any excitement at all.
    - Revisiting the same areas and bosses again and again and again gets dull really fast.
    - The main antagonist throughout the story is as cringe inducing as ever.
    - Since the game focuses heavily on story, sometimes at the cost of interesting gameplay, it is entirely linear. This can be fine, but certainly a point to consider in a Zelda game.
    - Aside from a few great themes, the orchestral soundtrack isn't that interesting or memorable, especially the harp songs (which bring nothing and feel tacked on just because Zelda always had musical components).

    In other words, it's still rock bottom for a 3D Zelda title, and in retrospect it's crystal clear why this game was the catalyst that made Nintendo rethink the whole franchise moving forward (which gave us the incredibly fresh Breath of the Wild).

    The only redeeming qualities it has to avoid labeling it as entirely creatively bankrupt is some of its dungeons and a few interesting mechanics. The story too is.. fine.. assuming you don't mind it stopping your progress all the time for cutscenes and questionable dialogue.

    In terms of remake, some tweaks and fixes make the game overall less frustrating, and Fi less inclined to make you want to drill a hole in your head, but the experience is mostly the same. The "quality of life" sure is improved, no doubt about it, but considering how low it was in the first place, I'm not even sure if we can call this revised version decent or not. That, I will leave up to you.

    Nice graphics though.

    In conclusion, this is THE Zelda game to skip.
    Don't trust the reviews that give this game a 10; these users also gave that score to Spiderman 3....    … Expand
  56. PS4_PC_LIFE
    Jul 19, 2021
    0
    Everyone seems to have a gripe with the controls, and they are right to do so, they are dated, should of just went with proper button controls, the sword action with the stick is not fun, and the camera controls are annoying, seems like a lazy port, a quick cash grab.
  57. gameing
    Jul 17, 2021
    3
    Definitely a fine game, but its really not worth the price. On the Wii Skyward Sword was released for 15 bucks, why is it now 60 on switch?
  58. PotatoPen
    Jul 29, 2021
    0
    نفختم اسم اللعبه لحد ما صارت أضحوكة، القيم تحس انك تلعبها في جيل بلايستيشن ٢...
  59. Kaprawiec
    Apr 23, 2022
    4
    Pros + Graphics are nice,
    + better story than in BOTW,
    + atmosphere of fairy tale... Consulting - ...which is very childish - story still suck - controls are really bad, doesnt master if you try motion controls or pro controller, - puzzles at times are annoying, I got stuck a lot, - combat, - swinging on ropes made me fall into pits because of bad movement design, - got reaaaally boring    Pros + Graphics are nice,
    + better story than in BOTW,
    + atmosphere of fairy tale...
    Consulting
    - ...which is very childish
    - story still suck
    - controls are really bad, doesnt master if you try motion controls or pro controller,
    - puzzles at times are annoying, I got stuck a lot,
    - combat,
    - swinging on ropes made me fall into pits because of bad movement design,
    - got reaaaally boring after 5 hours.
    Overall I dont recommend it to well anyone, It has old Tomb Raider vibe to it but controls destroy all fun I could had with this title, dont know what critics see in this one.    … Expand
  60. obzhora69
    Aug 3, 2022
    3
    Boss battles shouldn't be torture, its pure bad game design. Selling this for 60 is another sin by nintendo. Wont buy anything like that from nintendo from now on
  61. Coolpen6
    Oct 17, 2021
    2
    The awful controls and very slow opening killed the experience for me the button controls are not really used all that well and the first few hours are a complete bore with tons of tedious fetch quests and backtracking
  62. Ripper36
    Sep 3, 2021
    3
    This game is just as bad as it was years ago on the Wii. Bring Back the much better Twiight Princess not this. Many didnt like it years ago and i think ppl who do think this is an improvement are blind. I love Zelda to death but this and BOTW are just jokes. Just an Ugly bad and dated game.
  63. TheLinkgirl
    Dec 24, 2022
    2
    Legendary franchises are expected to maintain some sort of standard with their games. I believe it's fair to say that the Legend of Zelda series is one such series, which is why Skyward Sword feels like such an odd title. Admittedly, I never liked the game when it first released, but I felt it was important to give the game a second shot; perhaps I simply didn't get the game first timeLegendary franchises are expected to maintain some sort of standard with their games. I believe it's fair to say that the Legend of Zelda series is one such series, which is why Skyward Sword feels like such an odd title. Admittedly, I never liked the game when it first released, but I felt it was important to give the game a second shot; perhaps I simply didn't get the game first time around?

    No. If anything, this re-release of Skyward Sword made me re-evaluate my somewhat middling opinion on the game, into one of mostly negativity. In short, the game feels too simple and too experimental. The focus on an almost entirely motion controlled combat system makes every encounter and every item feel exactly the same, from the simplest enemies to the latest bosses, and from the standard sword to the beetle or whip. It makes me realise everything is simply a means to and end, rather than it feeling like a cool and unique idea. While I am also on this topic, I also simply don't find the sword fun to use, and it simply isn't satisfying.

    While I'm not too bothered by the game being relatively linear, I feel that where it fails is the content provided. Many people have expressed that the dungeons are some of the best in the series, to which I say... What? The dungeons, while they do sometimes look pretty, are simply not that well designed. All of the other 3D Zelda games have infinitely better dungeon designs. Simply playing the game really isn't fun.

    While the visuals and music can be nice, Skyward Sword is a vapid void, a fun sponge, and a completely tiring and unfulfilling experience. I have no issue saying this is easily my least favourite Zelda game, and is, in my opinion, a bad game.    … Expand
  64. Adrianosousa91
    May 28, 2022
    1
    Motion Control based Gameplay Turn the game unplayable/very frustrating, I ended up avoiding very simple enemies as much as I could... Very Linear, Ugly graphics, "not very exciting dungeons" I am pissed off that Nintendo comercialized this for 60€/$! It was just easy cash for them. If you're craving something Zelda, you'd better Replay botw for the fifth time than buying this
  65. curry323232
    Aug 7, 2022
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The controls are very bad and the story isn't interesting. You have to revisit the same locations over and over and it become annoying. It just feels as you have to do the same thing over and over.… Expand
  66. Dowop2010
    Nov 13, 2022
    2
    I went out of my way to make an account on here to share with you my horrible experience with this horrible game. This was my very first time experiencing Skyward sword. Handheld mode only. I literally broke my joy con right off my switch 6 hours in. The frustration of the worst controls ive ever seen in a game was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Which is a shame considering theI went out of my way to make an account on here to share with you my horrible experience with this horrible game. This was my very first time experiencing Skyward sword. Handheld mode only. I literally broke my joy con right off my switch 6 hours in. The frustration of the worst controls ive ever seen in a game was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Which is a shame considering the story is halfway interesting. But along with below average level design, the combat is tied to adapting to the Wii’s motion controls, leaving you with flicking around the right joystick. The problem with that is you also use this to move the camera as long as you are holding the left bumper. Which can also be a pain when picking up items or trying to fight enemies at all. Its almost unplayable with this control scheme. This is all truly a shame considering its the smoothest running game ive seen on my switch. I got this game on black friday sale for $40. I still dont think it was worth that price tag. For the same money i would have paid someone to kick me in the nuts and run me over with a car then had to ever played this crap. Stay far away from this.… Expand
  67. Elwoodwrap
    Dec 15, 2022
    3
    The story is good and the game play is good. It felt the story dragged on a little with too much going back and forth. Still a must play though.
  68. pugach87
    Jan 15, 2023
    0
    Messy port with poor controls. It simply doesn’t work. Unbearable, **** camera and joycon tracking. I can’t take it anymore. For full-price release it’s ripoff. Worst Zelda experience ever.
  69. Bagel_Game
    Feb 5, 2023
    4
    Bagel ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎
  70. WiN7Z
    Mar 4, 2023
    3
    Sympas les premières heures et on avance rapidement, on découvre les divers, lieu et on utilise à bon escient les nouvelles mécaniques acquises avec les nouveaux objets récupéré. Puis arrive les deux derniers donjons.
    Deux labyrinthes sans queue ni tête où on passe des heures à tourner en rond.
    Une vraie purge et je ne le finirai même pas. Dommage, plutôt qu'un jeu un peu court qui    Sympas les premières heures et on avance rapidement, on découvre les divers, lieu et on utilise à bon escient les nouvelles mécaniques acquises avec les nouveaux objets récupéré. Puis arrive les deux derniers donjons.
    Deux labyrinthes sans queue ni tête où on passe des heures à tourner en rond.
    Une vraie purge et je ne le finirai même pas.
    Dommage, plutôt qu'un jeu un peu court qui m'aurait laissé une bonne impression, ce sera un jeu avec une durée de vie artificiellement gonflé qui, justement, m'aura gonflé sur la fin.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

56
#56 Best Switch Game of 2021
7
#7 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2021

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 106 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 89 out of 106
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 106
  3. Negative: 1 out of 106
  1. Gamersky
    Dec 20, 2021
    77
    The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD on NS brought this once masterpiece back to the player's vision. However, its crappy control and a somewhat old-fashioned design make it seem less attractive nowadays.
    Read full review
  2. RPGamer
    Nov 22, 2021
    70
    Skyward Sword HD should be commended for its attempt to improve on the original. Having a new control scheme and making a good deal of Fi’s advice optional make it a more palatable experience. However, the game still suffers from pacing issues that made the original feel too bloated as well as a disappointing deemphasis on exploration. This remaster could have realistically improved upon a lot, yet it would still fall short compared to the series’ strongest entries. There is still enough for those looking for a more traditional 3D Zelda experience on the Switch provided they keep their expectations in check.
    Read full review
  3. JeuxActu
    Oct 16, 2021
    65
    Yes the picture is sharper, yes the game is smoother (60fps), yes there have been some improvements to make the adventure more enjoyable, but damn the gameplay has taken a hell of a beating in the back of the head. It was already painful in 2011, it is even more 10 years later, and it is not the tinkering in classic controls that will sublimate the gameplay of this Zelda : Skyward Sword HD.
    Read full review
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