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. Cream147
    Jul 17, 2021
    9
    10 years ago The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword released to typical critical acclaim from the media, but an unusually mixed fan reaction for the series - and it has been the fan reception that has stuck with this game in the years since. That was mostly fair, there were definitely a number of issues with this game such as a very prolonged intro, no option to not use motion controls, a10 years ago The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword released to typical critical acclaim from the media, but an unusually mixed fan reaction for the series - and it has been the fan reception that has stuck with this game in the years since. That was mostly fair, there were definitely a number of issues with this game such as a very prolonged intro, no option to not use motion controls, a broadly empty sky world which seemed like it could have been so much more, and a particular annoying repeated boss, to name a few. Furthermore, the game was unusually linear for a Zelda game, with very little focus on exploration and more on environmental puzzle solving for progression, with the surface world areas essentially playing like dungeons in themselves. This felt like the opposite of what the fanbase wanted at that time - a large-scale exploration-based game with less of an emphasis on motion controls, as the craze about these had died down. Skyward Sword seemed like a dated game on release, rather than a groundbreaking game in one of their most beloved series.

    One important thing has happened in the Zelda series since Skyward Sword, and that is of course the release of Breath of the Wild, the Zelda game of many's dreams. With this game, pushing firmly opposite to the direction proposed by Skyward Sword, the future of the Zelda series as an open-world adventure rooted in exploration seems secured.

    And so we come to Skyward Sword HD. With this game clearly not indicating the direction of the series, we can perhaps view this game in its own right. The critical praise of Skyward Sword did not come from nowhere - there was always a lot right with this game:

    - The dungeon design was the best in the series, with some interesting ideas such as a dungeon which you largely traverse on a large boulder floating through lava, and general novel puzzle solving.
    - The dungeon design was helped by an interesting set of items including the return of some classics (e.g. bombs, bow and arrow etc.) and some new ones (e.g. a mechanical beetle that you obtain early on). Included are some new ways to use familiar items, such as the ability to roll bombs like a bowling ball, which add a few fresh puzzle and combat ideas.
    - Surface world level design, while linear, keeps focused and you are not running through large areas of empty space often.
    - The addition of a stamina wheel allowing you to run faster and climb higher objects than in previous games.
    - The ability to upgrade many of the items you obtain throughout the game giving the game more of an RPG-lite flavour than some previous Zelda games.
    - Fun sidequests up in the sky area give you some downtime can break up the more linear, focused action on the surface world.
    - A story that, while not fantastic, has its moments and is a suitable beginning to the Zelda timeline

    And then the HD version has made several key improvements, some of which directly address issues with the game:
    - It looks visually pleasing. They haven't done much modelling work so the geometry is jagged but the increased resolution and the more defined textures do wonders, and the geometry isn't particularly jarring in the surreal painterly style of Skyward Sword.
    - 60 FPS. People's mileage seems to vary on this, but for me 60 FPS is world's better than 30 and to see Skyward Sword as the first ever 3D Zelda game officially running at this framerate is a big deal for me and dramatically improves the experience.
    - The addition of button controls. These are unintuitive at times as ultimately the game was designed to be played with motion controls, but they do the job and provide an option for those who are not interested in motion controls (or want to play handheld, another feature this port naturally adds)
    - Several quality of life additions, such as faster text skipping, cutscene skipping, less interruptions from your partner, auto-saving and so on. These serve to greatly increase the pace of gameplay, if you're keen to progress quickly the game is going to stop your flow a lot less now.

    Some of the issues of the game are more inherent and have not been addressed, but by improving the overall QoL they are less problematic than remembered. Furthermore, in a world where now we are saturated with open world games, the old-school linear action-adventure gameplay may be refreshing (if it's to your taste), as they really do not make games like this anymore.

    The way I see this remake, I think this is a second chance for Skyward Sword. Selected improvements have been made to the experience to enhance it, motion controls are no longer mandatory, and perhaps most importantly, we have the context that the more ground-breaking experience of Breath of the Wild 2 is on its way. With that said, this may be an opportunity to enjoy Skyward Sword for what it is, rather than for what it is not. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it, and if you have the right expectations, there's a good chance you can too.    … Expand
  2. Reed618
    Jul 17, 2021
    10
    Unfortunately ports are a target for review bombing so the user score probably won't be that reliable as people who haven't played the game will just give it a 0.

    I'm a few hours in and really enjoying the game though. The art style really holds up and this is such a great version of Zelda (the character I mean). I love her design and she's quite funny. The quality of life features make    Unfortunately ports are a target for review bombing so the user score probably won't be that reliable as people who haven't played the game will just give it a 0.

    I'm a few hours in and really enjoying the game though. The art style really holds up and this is such a great version of Zelda (the character I mean). I love her design and she's quite funny. The quality of life features make the experience noticeably better.

    I also really appreciate that I can use a gamepad. Joycon drift is a big headache so I just couldn't handle playing with joycons.

    Having tried the original version on wii just a few months ago I can definitely say this is hands down the best version of the game. Better control options, less annoying tutorials/pop up messages, visually it's far nicer (the old wii version looks awful on modern tvs), autosaves, camera controls etc. It really is a massive improvement.

    Is it better than breath of the wild? personally not at all. botw has a lot more to offer but skyward sword is full of charm and it's a fun adventure. I'd definitely recommend it.    … Expand
  3. NoUsernameYet
    Jul 17, 2021
    10
    A wonderful game, which is undoubtedly one of the best in the saga, having the best story,the best soundtrack, impressive dungeons, bosses and others that make this game very special. A version that corrects a large part of the errors of the past and offers luxuries to the most complaining or picky eaters, already full HD AND 60 PFS, and yes, I said in full HD haters;), without a doubt oneA wonderful game, which is undoubtedly one of the best in the saga, having the best story,the best soundtrack, impressive dungeons, bosses and others that make this game very special. A version that corrects a large part of the errors of the past and offers luxuries to the most complaining or picky eaters, already full HD AND 60 PFS, and yes, I said in full HD haters;), without a doubt one of the best Zelda, and an excellent way to relive this title in HD and 60 FPS.

    PS: Beautiful Zelink, the best.    … Expand
  4. NorwayGamer
    Sep 7, 2021
    8
    I really wanted to play this game with a "normal" control scheme, even though I really liked playing it with motion controls on the Wii, and finished it 3 times.

    But unfortunately, using the right control stick to swing Link's sword feels really awkward to me, so I was quite disappointed. Thankfully, using motion controls still feels responsive so i just stuck with that when playing    I really wanted to play this game with a "normal" control scheme, even though I really liked playing it with motion controls on the Wii, and finished it 3 times.

    But unfortunately, using the right control stick to swing Link's sword feels really awkward to me, so I was quite disappointed.
    Thankfully, using motion controls still feels responsive so i just stuck with that when playing this version as well.
    I feel this is a very underappreciated game in the franchise, it is actually quite good Imo. Definitely not the best in the series, but there's plenty of fun to be had.

    There are some small improvements in the game besides the resolution & framerate bump - like being able to skip cut-scenes, skip FI's annyong interruptions etc. Those probably won't convince you to like the game any more if you didn't already, but for someone like me, it's great.

    I gave it a 9/10 on the Wii, but I feel the improvements aren't significant enough to varrant a score higher than 8/10 for Switch, as there's no graphical improvements other than resolution - no improved textures, lighting & effects etc. And the new control scheme leaves a lot to be desired Imo.

    A really fun game overall, but this version could be much better if Nintendo for once was willing to put in the actual effort.    … Expand
  5. GreenMenace
    Jul 19, 2021
    10
    Skyward Sword [SS] isn’t a game for everyone. With that out of the way, let me tell you why SS is my favorite Zelda game from my favorite franchise.

    First I’ll acknowledge its flaws. You can read other reviews and get a very solid understanding of those so I won’t waste your time. Most of them are correct. I would add that I would have liked more monster variety as well as more things    Skyward Sword [SS] isn’t a game for everyone. With that out of the way, let me tell you why SS is my favorite Zelda game from my favorite franchise.

    First I’ll acknowledge its flaws. You can read other reviews and get a very solid understanding of those so I won’t waste your time. Most of them are correct. I would add that I would have liked more monster variety as well as more things to do in the sky as the sky and its islands feel relatively empty.

    I loved Skyward Sword because of its story. It doesn’t do anything extraordinary, but it attempts to develop characters and introduce plot twists. In my opinion, any Zelda game without Ganon as its main enemy already deserves some attention. The characters are as goofy in this installment as other Zelda games. This game also stands out from the rest because it started to break away from the old Zelda formula that had been established.

    And while mandatory motion controls were/are unpopular, SS is the only Zelda that features them, creating an experience you can’t get with any other Zelda. The game was my first Zelda experience that had a hard mode. Two of the dungeons in the game are in my top three dungeons list (and I’ve played most Zelda games out there since A Link to the Past). Finally, I’d argue that the ending of the game was as epic as Zelda gets. This is a fantastic game that’s only getting better with the remaster. Not only that, but the game will also somehow be connected the next game in the series I’m super excited for—BOTW 2.

    SS was my favorite game on the Wii. On the switch I’m roughly 18 hours in. The game looks more crisp, it runs smoothly, and it’s now portable. The button controls work well, but they take away from the immersion factor that the game aimed for. The motion controls work, but because joy cons are uncomfortable for me to hold, I find myself using button controls most of the time. I’d recommend switching to motion controls for big events in the game like bosses.

    The game feels a lot faster paced since a lot of the wordiness can now be rushed or even skipped entirely at times. And the free roaming camera adds a lot to the experience as well.

    In conclusion, if you’re on the fence about considering giving SS a shot, I’ll wrap up with these thoughts. SS is a differently paced game from most Zelda games. Since it is a little slower with compact environments, it’s not a game for everyone. It places a different emphasis than BOTW. It doesn’t offer much to players who want to explore, but it offers an immersion factor, great dungeons, and good music. The story of SS is more important than any other mainline Zelda game. While marketing has focused on comparing the game to BOTW, I think it’s much more comparable to Twilight Princess. SS may not have aged as well as other remastered Zeldas, but it’s still a fantastic game and was a no brainer preorder for me.    … Expand
  6. Ninbreasy
    Jul 20, 2021
    9
    This remaster is at least a solid 80 out of 100 and has improved in every way on the original game, which was already quite good. Now: 1080p, 60fps, faster loading times, better motion controls, optional joystick controls, faster text, free camera controls, you can skip scenes, Fi is much less annoying, less annoying item info, auto-save, selectable save files and a lot of minor things!This remaster is at least a solid 80 out of 100 and has improved in every way on the original game, which was already quite good. Now: 1080p, 60fps, faster loading times, better motion controls, optional joystick controls, faster text, free camera controls, you can skip scenes, Fi is much less annoying, less annoying item info, auto-save, selectable save files and a lot of minor things!
    Back in the day these issues were the main quality of life complains of many people, which shows that Nintendo listened to his fans and tried to fix the game.

    Of course Skyward Sword (HD) is not perfect at all and has still its annoying flaws.

    It is a pity that there are so many people in this review section rating this game just for its price. If you think 60 bucks is overpriced and Nintendo should be ashamed of it.... you're probably damn right!
    (Ah, and if your joy-con is drifting than fix it! It is actually pretty easy.)

    But these things have nothing to do with the content of this game. Please go ahead and hate Nintendo for the price and the joy-con drift but not the game.    … Expand
  7. revadb
    Jul 26, 2021
    10
    A great game in 2011, still a great game 10 years later.
    The QoL improvements really expedite the slower parts of the game experience, and replayability is much simpler with the ability to skip cutscenes. The visual really stand out in 1080p, 60fps.
    Finally, this game is always worth it just for having the best story in the series!
  8. WWD2
    Sep 29, 2021
    8
    At its core, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is a great game. Everything you’ve ever loved about a Zelda Game is here: compelling storyline, great character development, well-designed game mechanics, all of that. But Holy Mother of Mayonnaise, this game has absolutely NO business being on the Nintendo Switch. It’s no secret that the Joycon motion controls completely blow. But this isAt its core, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is a great game. Everything you’ve ever loved about a Zelda Game is here: compelling storyline, great character development, well-designed game mechanics, all of that. But Holy Mother of Mayonnaise, this game has absolutely NO business being on the Nintendo Switch. It’s no secret that the Joycon motion controls completely blow. But this is a motion control heavy game, particularly in terms of attacking with specific motions. The game is far from unplayable, but I’d say to expect the Joycon to read your motions correctly just south of 60% of the time when attacking. Also, when using equipment which requires you to aim, or even when looking around in first-person mode, keep your thumb on the Y button, because you’re going to have to readjust the gyroscope just about every time. Overall, this is a great game and deserves the accolades it has received, but if you can play it on the Wii, do yourself a favor and play it there first. Otherwise you might risk having a sour taste in your mouth about a brilliantly designed game.… Expand
  9. Mr_fettuccinee
    Jul 18, 2021
    8
    Great game, not without problems, memorable soundtracks, reminds me of many childhood moments, a little too pricey for a remaster but in the end I was happy to pay for the overall experience, you constantly have to reset the motion controls but the fact that you can do in any moment just by pressing the Y button makes it less annoying than I wold expect and Fi is still the most annoyingGreat game, not without problems, memorable soundtracks, reminds me of many childhood moments, a little too pricey for a remaster but in the end I was happy to pay for the overall experience, you constantly have to reset the motion controls but the fact that you can do in any moment just by pressing the Y button makes it less annoying than I wold expect and Fi is still the most annoying companion that you could ever immagine only second to Navi even if they tried to cut many unnecessary dialogues but in the end I’m glad that Nintendo waned to give a new life to the less liked of the 3D Zeldas, it’s also a great way for people new to the Zelda brand to discover the franchise and try something other than breath of the wild. So you should definitely give it a chance.… Expand
  10. brendanbarrett
    Jul 20, 2021
    9
    Excellent remake. The button controls become more intuitive after about 5 hours. The frame rate is steadily 60 FPS. More importantly, the game is just great.
  11. JoeyPL5
    Nov 16, 2021
    8
    It's sad how a really charming game with a beautiful soundtrack, incredibly memorable story moments, and unbelievable dungeons had to drag on so long with actual tedious garbage that made me feel like Nintendo doesn't respect my time.
  12. JohnnyPS5
    Jul 18, 2021
    9
    I love this game. I loved it 10 years ago, and still love it now. That being said, is it worth the $60. YES! I played the Wii version last year and I’ve watched side by side comparisons and it looks better in handheld than the Wii… and absolutely phenomenal while docked. It’s amazing the polish they put into it. The bad reviews are ridiculous. 1.don’t rate a game poorly because of anI love this game. I loved it 10 years ago, and still love it now. That being said, is it worth the $60. YES! I played the Wii version last year and I’ve watched side by side comparisons and it looks better in handheld than the Wii… and absolutely phenomenal while docked. It’s amazing the polish they put into it. The bad reviews are ridiculous. 1.don’t rate a game poorly because of an amiibo
    2. Don’t rate a game poorly because your joycons drift
    3. Don’t be that curmudgeon

    Honest negatives. 1. It’s the same game. If you hated it then, you’re gonna hate it now. 2. The start is tedious. It’s almost 2 hours to get to the first dungeon and every time it starts to go, you’ll get pulled back into an explanation, story, or tutorial. 3. The controls are WAY better but still clunky and going to be divisive. This game has a great story and is an important part in the evolution of the legend of Zelda series. There are moments in this game that are just breathtaking and it sucks that the controls and the slow start of the game keep people from loving this game like I do. Anything above a 70 rating is fair. Anything below is petty and misdirected displeasure at joy cons, amiibos, and Nintendo.    … Expand
  13. Zephyrion
    Jul 17, 2021
    10
    For me who never played the wii version this game is fantastic. Love the story gameplay is okey and the music wow
  14. Kakadu
    Jul 18, 2021
    10
    Absolutely fantastic. Controlls are more accurate than in the original and it looks and runs way better. Qol improvements make the game alot more fun. Fi isn't annoying anymore.
  15. bingobengo
    Jul 17, 2021
    9
    They fixed the most hand-holding dialogue and infuriating motion controls, delivering an undeniably amazing puzzle action game with some of the best music in the business.
  16. MAM10
    Jul 19, 2021
    10
    one of the best zelda games it holds a special spot among zelda games. The game is fun with fantastic story and awesome music.
    with improved motion control and much better graphics now it deserves a 10.
  17. AndyCoaster
    Jul 18, 2021
    10
    Really enjoying this great experience for the third time. It's something about the dungeons and the weapons, and the new controls works surprisingly well. in my honest opinion, better than Breath of the Wild!
  18. DPV07
    Jul 20, 2021
    9
    I'm a huge fan of Zelda games, and I know when to notice their flaws, and I'm critic about them when they really hurt my experience without nitpicking like most of these HATERS out here and out there on the internet.

    I never owned or played the original Wii version of Skyward Sword, but now that I finally played it and beaten it today, I can't understand the freaking hate this game    I'm a huge fan of Zelda games, and I know when to notice their flaws, and I'm critic about them when they really hurt my experience without nitpicking like most of these HATERS out here and out there on the internet.

    I never owned or played the original Wii version of Skyward Sword, but now that I finally played it and beaten it today, I can't understand the freaking hate this game gets, specially if this version has fixed things that made people mad such as Fi. I liked Fi, I like the gameplay, music is GREAT as to be expected… Skyward Sword does some things better than the rest of 3D Zelda games (before Breath of the Wild came out), just like other 3D Zelda games do some things better than the others. That's how it has ALWAYS been.

    Skyward sword is MILES from being a BAD game. I will say that right now. I don't hate Twilight Princess, in fact it's one of my personal favorites, but that game is heavily flawed, even more flawed than Skyward Sword is, which I can say now, now that I have finally played it ( it was the last 3D zelda game I had left to play yet ).

    No Zelda game is perfect, and even despite the personal flaws I found myself with this game, I only had a few things that I didn't like about it:
    • Lack of region / zones variety: you only have 3 regions and the sky. The sky only has one big town, which is Skyloft, and very few NPC islands with barely much to do with them. In a way, it's as barren as Wind Waker's great sea was. BUT I WILL DEFINITELY SAY… that the sky in Skyward Sword, is waaay more fun to play around with than the sea from Wind Waker, which was slow and boring after a few hours of playing it. With Skyward Sword, at least the sky is fast to travel for most of your missions and more entertaining and dynamic with the Loftwing ( your bird mount friend ).

    The surface's regions, Eldin, Faron and Lanayru, are only populated by monsters you kill, and the good people in them are about one race at most per region. It makes sense because this is the first game in the timeilne after all, but you would think there would be at least one city or town for each race. You see a few gorons but there isn't a town for them? Like what the hell…

    But again, this was never gonna change in an HD port, so this is just basic complaints that I'm sure I was always gonna have with Skyward Sword.

    This HD port definitely fixes things that I noticed from the original game, and I'm glad my first experience was with these fixes they made.

    As someone whose favorite gaming series in life is Zelda, I easily consider Skyward sword among my top 5 favorite 3D Zelda games. As someone who loves the series, I know what I want from it, I don't just eat whatever they put in my plate that easily, but thankfully none of the 3D Zelda games has left me with a bad taste, like EVER.

    Skyward Sword HD definitely left me with a smile now that I played the first game in the Zelda timeline, the gameplay was fun and I was never bored swinging the sword and using the games' dungeon items, etc.

    This game OOZES with personality ( unlike Twilight princess where almost every character are dead inside and lack personality for the most part… and I say this as someone who still loved that game very much ) and the story is definitely worth playing the game alone as it is.

    If you are a Zelda fan who just wants a neat adventure with great story and fun characters, Skyward Sword should make you happy. The gameplay won't disappoint, sure you will find the lack of region / biomes variety a bit "mehh…" at some points, but most of times you revisit these few areas you are always finding something new to do in them anyway, so it's NOT the end of the world, specially if you liked Wind Waker, then there is no reason why you wouldn't be able to enjoy this game as well.

    Give the game a try, don't nitpick to oblivion, just enjoy the game for what it is and has to offer.

    If the price annoys you so much then have fun playing the outdated version on emulator, or have fun giving your money away to scalpers for the wii version of the game. Hell, I don't understand why you would even want to play a version of the game that has no fixes to the things you will complain EXTRA about (like Fi being annoying), nor be able to play the game on 60fps even. For me, this HD port was totally worth its price. As a Zelda fan, I wouldn't stop myself from experiencing this fun game just because it could be 10$ or 20$ cheaper in some people's minds. If you don't like the price, speak with your wallets, Nintendo is not gonna stop pricing their games for 59.99 just because you won't stop whining about it. It hasn't changed in all these years, it won't change later, speak with your wallet and be quiet about the whole price nonsense, it's TIRING to read.    … Expand
  19. Mrman23
    Jul 20, 2021
    9
    It honestly pains me to see so many people complain and cry about the motion controls still, the motion controls simply put has a 90% probability of being accurate with every swing of the joycon you make. I feel as if most people in sword combat swing the WRONG way, simply explaind people have a tendency (like my friend) to swing left in order to swing a broader right swing! This mistakeIt honestly pains me to see so many people complain and cry about the motion controls still, the motion controls simply put has a 90% probability of being accurate with every swing of the joycon you make. I feel as if most people in sword combat swing the WRONG way, simply explaind people have a tendency (like my friend) to swing left in order to swing a broader right swing! This mistake makes you swing left first making you stagger and do wrong in the game. A simple not so hard fix is to flick from the middle aka holding the joycon straight and flicking left for left and right for right. If you manage to do what I've said and still fail then you're honestly just horrible at direction, because after this rocket-science of a fix (apparently) its just impossible not to make the right swing 90% of the time! I absolutely adored this game playing it in 60fps with a 1080p resolution while engaging in interactive gamplay in which doing a parry with a shield feels so good! The dungeons are great and the music is phenomenal while it's really underrated for stupid and wrong reasons. Some people have complained that aiming in the game can be a hassle since you need to reset the gyro from time to time, but honestly how hard can it be if all you need to do is press "Y" A single time?… Expand
  20. triple_co
    Aug 29, 2021
    8
    I played the original version of Skyward Sword on the Wii in 2011 and I can say with certainty that this new, updated port is the superior experience.

    With a button control scheme that offers more precise and fluid sword swinging and item switching, as well as a crisp, smooth 60 fps HD display, this pre-cursor to BOTW is now more enjoyable and balanced than ever. You can skip cutscenes,    I played the original version of Skyward Sword on the Wii in 2011 and I can say with certainty that this new, updated port is the superior experience.

    With a button control scheme that offers more precise and fluid sword swinging and item switching, as well as a crisp, smooth 60 fps HD display, this pre-cursor to BOTW is now more enjoyable and balanced than ever. You can skip cutscenes, flick through speech quicker than before, and reduce the frequency with which Fi interrupts you.

    It's worth a note, however, that this title isn't for everyone, especially if you've not dived into Zelda's back catalogue beyond the last entry. The level design is particularly linear and on-rails, with emphasis mostly on brain-teaser puzzles and unique fighting encounters. You won't have a large, open world to explore every nook and cranny of, aside from some small rock formations that are dotted about Skyloft.

    The scattered level design with multiple short loading windows whenever you travel between environments will get tedious toward the end too, and the mechanics to craft and upgrade your gear are a little redundant when they're never truly needed to progress. Some of the ideas presented here were clearly translated into BOTW in more meaningful and objectively better ways, but it's interesting as a Nintendo fan to see them first implemented here.

    Where the game does succeed is in its character arcs and immersive setting. You'll feel compelled to finish the title just to see where it all ends up - and the final bosses are a stylish marvel for hardware that is fifteen years old. Combat is fun and unique, with the new button controls removing the frustration of unreliable motion gimmicks once you get the hang of it.

    And while you can't run about freely in a massive environment, Skyward Sword still encourages you to dive deeper into its NPC questlines, hidden secrets in the form of Goddess Cubes and Gratitude Crystals, and its bug catching mechanics.

    You can purchase items and medals to help improve your odds of success and there are many Skyloft residents who offer small quests to give you a nice break from the intense main story. Overall, this remains one of my favourite Zelda titles, despite its wearied design and controversy within the fanbase.

    It is well worth a play - though I do wish Nintendo had lowered the price to around £35.    … Expand
  21. Drill-Arm
    Jun 24, 2022
    10
    I always heard this game was literal garbage and ended up skipping it on the Wii, I'm glad I played it now though because this game is LITERALLY wind waker 2 and reuses countless characters and concepts meant for when it was still a GameCube game, but with some OoT thrown in so people on america don't reject it so hard this time.

    Amazing game and the controls are flawless. Don't listen to    I always heard this game was literal garbage and ended up skipping it on the Wii, I'm glad I played it now though because this game is LITERALLY wind waker 2 and reuses countless characters and concepts meant for when it was still a GameCube game, but with some OoT thrown in so people on america don't reject it so hard this time.

    Amazing game and the controls are flawless. Don't listen to stupid game grumps, play this!

    The closest thing I have to a complaint is how amazingly optimized and dense the world's are to be able to fit a game of this scope on a DVD at the time, so you'll be discovering new places of individual worlds at time kind of like a metroidvania.

    Also, there's a game mechanic that is literally mole mania. Awesome stuff    … Expand
  22. rafaaguilera
    Aug 18, 2021
    8
    While I was amazed by Breath of the Wild open world scope, a more story driven and linear old fashion Zelda experience is still enjoyable as well and I think switch between both styles is a nice thing to preventing them getting old.

    I had a good time playing Skyward Sword. Dungeon design is excellent; visuals while definitely old generation, holds well due to art style; and the motion    While I was amazed by Breath of the Wild open world scope, a more story driven and linear old fashion Zelda experience is still enjoyable as well and I think switch between both styles is a nice thing to preventing them getting old.

    I had a good time playing Skyward Sword. Dungeon design is excellent; visuals while definitely old generation, holds well due to art style; and the motion controls add interesting gameplay possibilities, even if gets irritating when your movement doesn't translate well to the game.

    I think this remaster could've came up at least with a significant visual uptade, but as I said before, the art style holds well and don't hurt the eyes.

    Along the minor but welcomed modifications done in this HD version, I highlight the fact they shut the mouth of this nosy partner called Fi a little. Now is up to you to listen to her tips or advices, she doesn't intrude anymore if she's not called. Believe me, you'll be grateful for this. Motion less controls are also available as well, but given how the game was build, motion is still the best way to play it for the most part. I said most part, because flying on the bird and diving with button controls is the way to go (its possible to switch controls by going to the menu)

    However, even enjoying my playthrough with Skyward Sword, I must say this is not quite there among the most memorable and unforgettable Zelda games. The environments, characters and overall feel are not quite as charming or charismatic like the Wind Waker or Majora's mask. But what really really annoys me the most is that due to the lack of explorable areas (just 3), the game keeps recycling them sometimes proposing annoying tasks and challenges that felt blatantly tacked on to make it last longer, like: fight the same boss 3 times; backtrack to an already explored dungeon to get an item; collect redundant stuff and on. It's not fun! Felt like work and also hurt the overall pace. It takes about 30 hours to reach the end and it didn't feel necessary to be this long. If an 4th explorable area wasn't possible to avoid filler quests, I think cut the game shorter would be a better decision.    … Expand
  23. ItsTamo
    Aug 18, 2021
    8
    I'm not a hater nor a lover of this game. I don't mind motion controls. I'm somewhere in the middle and I like it for what it is and dislike it for what it is not. I played through the original game about 5 times (I played OoT like 30 times, so yeah.) so I guess I'm more toward the lover side. I played all mainline Zeldas and I think I'm quite objective in my opinions, lol.

    I was quite    I'm not a hater nor a lover of this game. I don't mind motion controls. I'm somewhere in the middle and I like it for what it is and dislike it for what it is not. I played through the original game about 5 times (I played OoT like 30 times, so yeah.) so I guess I'm more toward the lover side. I played all mainline Zeldas and I think I'm quite objective in my opinions, lol.

    I was quite a bit disappointed that there was no additional content to this remaster. The Hyrule Encyclopedia states that the devs were originally planning a 'Second quest' for Zelda and Impa, but had to cut it, only to include the cutscene in credits. I thought the Second Quest would feel perfect for the HD remaster but did not happen. I can't stop comparing this remaster to the Xenoblade Chronicles DE and Super Mario 3D World, since both of the remasters had 5+ hrs of all-new contents included. I don't understand why the Zelda devs didn't bother to put that much effort into this remaster.

    Aside from the Additional contents complaint,

    Pros:
    - Fabulous story and strong characters. Groose has one of the strongest character arches in any Zelda game.
    - Strong dungeon design. The Ancient Cistern is almost like a storybook and has its own story. Most of them requires you to understand the 3D layout and are not overly linear. The Sandship initially forces the player to the deepest part of the dungeon, while showing all the doors and branches that you can access later on. This is just a great dungeon design. I think SS is the second strongest game in terms of dungeon designs, next to MM.
    - Geographic design is great. Utilizing each of the provinces in a new way every time the player re-visits them. I really don't mind the tedtones. It's fascinating to see how the familiar maps change for the Silent realm sequences.
    - Addition of the button control was great, especially for some minigames that require precise controls. I played the HD version on motion because of muscle memories, but I thought buttons were great.
    - Halleluja, Phi's dialogues are gone. The game felt a lot speedier and more fluid than the original. Overall cut in diologues and tutorials were nice. I think this would be the biggest reason for the players to choose the HD over the original.

    Cons:
    - The hub world is really tedious, the worst in all Zelda games. They should've added a new quest to give the Loftwing some extra speed boost, just like how they did in WW HD. They should've added extra islands with more collectibles to give the players incentives for exploring. They didn't add anything. The Sky is a blatant ripoff of the Great Sea, but the Great Sea is actually fun and this is not.
    - The collectibles are the worst in the entire Zelda series. I hate the medal and pouch system and hoped the remaster fixed it. They didn't. They have 2 heart medals in place of 8 heart pieces. This game only has 24 heart pieces. OoT had 36. The game starts you off with 6 hearts instead of the usual 3. That's just lazy game design. You can get two of the same medals like the rupee medals, and this is because the devs did not want to develop new items. No permanent upgrade to the consumable items. Gratitude crystals are way too easy to gather and the quest itself is fairly short. I'm surprised that they fixed none of this. Someone should tell the devs that the collectibles in this game are downright terrible.
    - Some parts of the original game felt rushed and incomplete, like the empty caverns in Eldin province that serve no purpose, or the absence of any roles of the Eldin dragon. These have not been fixed in the rerelease.
    - The motion controls were okay, but they drift quite badly. They are a lot more responsive than the Wii counterpart but far less accurate. Not joycon drifts but gyro drifts. Any battle that required you to use the Skyward attack was quite painful, far more than the original.
    - The graphics were not as impressive as when I first played the first and haven't aged well. Very blocky. Soft, glittering aesthetics of the original release is not as prominent in the HD release.
    - Amiibo functionality is stupid. They should be criticized heavily on this. They should've let us scan all zelda amiibo and let us gain a ladybug or amber or something.
    - Why no warp??? They should've at least made warp from bird statue-to-bird statue within the same province possible. This is the only 3D Zelda with no warp system. If I land on a wrong bird statue, I need to fly back up and make a huge turn and see the cut scene again. That's annoying.

    I enjoyed it, it's a good game. Took 30 hrs to 100% the HD version.
    The complaints I have are all from the original game design. I do think Skyward Sword HD is a better game than Skyward Sword and the devs listened, but it feels like they missed some opportunities to fix the problems the original had. The original game had a lot of problems even excluding the motion control finesse.    … Expand
  24. sloomo
    Dec 10, 2022
    10
    I love this game. It is beautiful, fun, and with memorable characters. One of the most enjoyable games I have ever played. I will say I prefer the button controls.
  25. Steyraus
    Jul 21, 2021
    10
    A master peice of a game and now even better at 60 FPs and more control options..
  26. Fatluou
    Jul 18, 2021
    10
    Incredibly fun game the controls are so much better now and is more fluent than the wii version, the game still looks stunning even after 11 years later, I recommend that you should buy it if you haven't
  27. UmAlguem
    Jul 20, 2021
    10
    Skyward sword is the best zelda game with the link to the past formula and the hd remaster just makes it better
  28. TheOnlineGamer
    Jul 18, 2021
    10
    It should be a crime that the Skyrim Zelda Mod that is Breath of the Wild gets to have a **** near perfect score, while Skyward Sword (AN ACTUAL ZELDA GAME) gets rated this lowly...
  29. truevoid
    Jul 18, 2021
    10
    A beautiful game, definitely one deserving a remaster. The art style is so fitting and the story telling is unbelievably good
  30. SuperkenGaming
    Jul 23, 2021
    8
    Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword HD
    Too much game
    Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword is a 20 hour long action adventure game staring link, and in a way this is a bit of an origin story, timeline wise this is the first Legend of Zelda game to play, Basically you want to be a brave knight, Zelda gets captures, you gotta rescue her and save the world at the same time kinda story, so you hop on your    Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword HD
    Too much game
    Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword is a 20 hour long action adventure game staring link, and in a way this is a bit of an origin story, timeline wise this is the first Legend of Zelda game to play, Basically you want to be a brave knight, Zelda gets captures, you gotta rescue her and save the world at the same time kinda story, so you hop on your giant bird, and fall down to the land below.. .first impressions, this game is awkwards to play, whether its motion controls, or pro controller, it never.. and I mean never.. feels right to play, youll be slashing and rolling, using objects you unlock as you progress the game, none of it ever feels good.. the camera controls are awkward, and don’t even get me started on the rope swinging… you will be frustrated playing this game for its feel alone… but its that Nintendo magic that kept pulling me through, at least in the first area, the green forests, and the water, hunting down these forest creature, I loved if.. so nostalgic and magic feeling.. and then theres the rest of the game, deserts, factories, and dungeons, boring.. dull… I hate, and I mean hate, the dungeons here in skyward sword, theyre all needlessly convoluted, climbing through room after room, throwing this switch then that switch, so oyu can mov onto the next room to do the same, deal with annoing enemies to get to a new switch to pull, and run back to a previous room to open a door andpull its switch till you pull all of the switches and fights the boss…it all feels just so overwhelming and too much, so you get through all 3 main dungeons and then the game wants you to go back to previous area you’ve already been to, redo dungeons with a twist.. nah.. I hated doing it the first time, oi definitely don’t wanna do it a second time…
    That being said, Skyward Sword does offer a magical world that’s hard to put down, youll want to explore, find its secrets and get to this games amazing conclusion and twist.. but the awardsness f the gameplay mechanics and the constant dungeons make skwayrd sword feel like a chore to get through, this game should’ve been half the length, its too much, its overwhelming and frustrating, and never satisfying to get through, youll never think wow I cant believe I did all of that, youll think wow I hated that and I sure hope there isn’t more of that, but there is, its practically the whole game with only a tiny break and relized magic halfway through once oyu can swim underwater, but then its back to boring annoying dungeons…
    Skyward Sword is a great game, it really is, But theres plenty of fat here that needs trimmed…
    I give Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword HD
    an 8/10    … Expand
  31. Rm4n
    Jul 17, 2021
    8
    good game bad remaster too much money make it like 30 pound jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj
  32. dharma
    Jul 21, 2021
    8
    When it was released, I absolutely adores Skyward Sword and has no problem with its motion controls. Back in the days, I always thought that the Wii was a great revelation, and it was the console that brought me back to the hobby after many years of hiatus. So I am absolutely ecstatic when Nintendo decides to re release this game, remastered on the Switch. Now, I can see that SkywardWhen it was released, I absolutely adores Skyward Sword and has no problem with its motion controls. Back in the days, I always thought that the Wii was a great revelation, and it was the console that brought me back to the hobby after many years of hiatus. So I am absolutely ecstatic when Nintendo decides to re release this game, remastered on the Switch. Now, I can see that Skyward Sword is akin to the Wii U...a prototype of a something better (in this case, the Breath of the Wild), hampered by the limitations imposed on the system. Many people complained about the lack of thereof of available areas....well, it was made for the Wii after all. So to cut things short: great set pieces, dungeons and environments. The 'new' button controls are not as good as you thought and still require a high learning curve. Also due to its lack of environments, fetch quests galore in many areas of the game, hence its repetitive nature in some parts. For those still on the fence, not the best Zelda games, but it is a must play as a precursor to BOTW.… Expand
  33. joash
    Jul 21, 2021
    10
    This game is for you if you:
    - Love a good story
    - Love beautiful art directions
    - Love epic music
    - Love Zelda games
    - Love video games
    - Love fun
  34. brunnossantos
    Jul 18, 2021
    9
    It's an excellent game, with an excellent story. The motion controls with the joycon are great and although the graphics are not sickening, it really looks nice considering it's a game from 2011. The only reason I didn't rate it 10 it's the full price
  35. Clyle2046
    Jul 21, 2021
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After playing this game and beating it while using solely motion controls, I can say that this is a very notable Iteration of the Zelda series. From the vibrant colors and great story line to the beloved dungeons and climax of the master sword and Hylian shield, I recommend this game to every and any player. This game reminded me of the love I had for the intricate dungeons and the awesome feeling of getting weapons that are key to the progression. The Final Boss fight…Man I wish Nintendo redid the BOTW boss fight because the previous zelda’s before it really nailed that category. Anyway, give the game a fair chance and try the motion controls. At the end of this game, I loved it so much I went ahead and bought the skyward sword joy-cons to pay homage to this awesome game + give Nintendo more money lol.… Expand
  36. cosuo
    Jul 18, 2021
    9
    In my opinion the HD remaster of Skyward Sword runs flawlessly, the game looks really good, has great soundtrack, also the story is really engaging and overall the game gives great vibes, i never had any problems with motion controls and i have to say they really bring a lot of fun into the game once you get used to them u really can feel like Link. The only downsides for me i can think ofIn my opinion the HD remaster of Skyward Sword runs flawlessly, the game looks really good, has great soundtrack, also the story is really engaging and overall the game gives great vibes, i never had any problems with motion controls and i have to say they really bring a lot of fun into the game once you get used to them u really can feel like Link. The only downsides for me i can think of is the lack of voice acting and the whole sprinting ability doesn't feel great you can't jump or dodge attacks. Nevertheless the game is a great experience for all the gamers and Zelda fans. I think its a great purchase for the Nintendo Switch… Expand
  37. Ryu_san
    Jul 21, 2021
    9
    Controls are still clunky at times, but improved over the Wii version. If you can get over that, then Skyward Sword HD is a great Zelda title with well-designed dungeons, puzzles, music, characters, and a watercolor-inspired art style that makes this much more enjoyable than the original version.
  38. MentalSeiz
    Jul 20, 2021
    10
    It's a great Zelda game which stands tall with the greatest of all time. It has a great story, some awesome dungeons, an amazing soundtrack and fun gameplay. I advise to ignore haters.
  39. IncognitoCheez
    Jul 21, 2021
    10
    This is a perfect Legend of Zelda game, and so by extension, also a perfect game. It holds the charm, character, and heartfelt story as when it first released a decade ago. It ties the wonderful story together with it's unique motion controlled gameplay. The HD version has been upgraded so those strange kids who probably put their sensor bar under their couch in the original version canThis is a perfect Legend of Zelda game, and so by extension, also a perfect game. It holds the charm, character, and heartfelt story as when it first released a decade ago. It ties the wonderful story together with it's unique motion controlled gameplay. The HD version has been upgraded so those strange kids who probably put their sensor bar under their couch in the original version can now play with button controls. Literally every complaint has been fixed with this game, aside from rewriting the game itself. The art style holds up stunningly in HD graphics, and this game running at a steady 1080p 60fps makes it just about the best running game on Switch. Having not played, the original game, this is an entirely new Zelda game and story, making it fully worth the 60 dollars. I've only had the game for 3 days and I've already easily sunk 15 hours into it. For fans of BOTW (which come on everyone loves), this is a must-play. This game has everything that makes Zelda games great; the wonderful creative dungeons (no complicated water dungeons!), the great, heartfelt story, the epic and emotional music, and impressive enemies. If you are a fan of Zelda or gaming in general, play this classic adventure that has shaped an entire generation (not many other games can say that can they hmmm?).… Expand
  40. walbusch
    Jul 19, 2021
    10
    This is a great rework of the wii version almost all of the original issues from the wii version have been fixed. If you tried the original version and stopped cause of any of the many annoying issues I recommend coming back to try this new version as almost all the issues have been fixed.

    The story of Skyward Sword is by far the best of any in the Zelda universe and for that reason    This is a great rework of the wii version almost all of the original issues from the wii version have been fixed. If you tried the original version and stopped cause of any of the many annoying issues I recommend coming back to try this new version as almost all the issues have been fixed.

    The story of Skyward Sword is by far the best of any in the Zelda universe and for that reason alone it is worth picking up. The only major issue in my opinion is the having some quality of life functionality locked behind an amiibo however I have not found this to be an issue in my playthrough.

    In summary I think that this version deserves the score that the wii version got.    … Expand
  41. REMOTER
    Jul 20, 2021
    10
    Do not doubt it. Masterpiece.
    It's been 10 years, but it's a game you can enjoy now.
  42. Elm0_0
    Jul 18, 2021
    10
    Skyward sword gets a lot of hate for its price and that "the drift makes it unplayable". I got to agree that these are real problems and need to get a fix by nintendo. This ain't a reason to give this amazing game a bad review.

    The combat may for many be something that needs to get used to. But compaired to its old entery on the switch the combat has had a big 1up. The motion controles    Skyward sword gets a lot of hate for its price and that "the drift makes it unplayable". I got to agree that these are real problems and need to get a fix by nintendo. This ain't a reason to give this amazing game a bad review.

    The combat may for many be something that needs to get used to. But compaired to its old entery on the switch the combat has had a big 1up. The motion controles feel way smoother and if they are off just hold the joycon straight press y and boom all good. The button control is not the best. This ofc comes due to the game being build around motion controls. Even though the game has his lacks in some parts of the gamr its still a really solid 3d zelda game to give a try. People say 60 bucks is too much, but even though its 60 bucks you still have that zelda feeling to it. The characters (especially Groose) are great characters with fun/goofy designs. The story is one of if not they best in the zelda series.

    If there is a zelda game that has a big love/hate ratio its this game. That's mostly because of the many problems it had back in the day on the wii. All these problems are fixed besides some story things (these are difficult to remove by not making it a totally diffrent game) the game has his up and downs but the ups are there wayyyy more then the downs.

    All the other quality of life changes needed to be there and are all there. This game is a MUST play if you like zelda games. Because its one of if not they best out there.    … Expand
  43. Dipirocudo
    Jul 17, 2021
    9
    Show, jogo sensacional, faltou legenda em PT/BR, espero que a Nintendo resolva isso nos próximos jogos
  44. Metapyro
    Jul 18, 2021
    10
    I really feel the game is a strong 9 but I’m giving it a 10 to offset the trolls. It looks amazing. The controls just take a little getting used to. Once you get the hang of it it’s fine. Wonderful sound track as well. For me I know a game is good when it’s hard to peel myself away from it and when I am away from it I’m still thinking about it. This game has done that
  45. SporadicDeviant
    Jul 21, 2021
    10
    I've already written a review of the original Wii version of the game on this site. and what I said in that review still stands here. Overall this version has some tweaks to the experience. Some are minor like text speed and some are major like framerate, and the ability to use button controls in lieu of motion controls.

    While I think the motion controls in both the original and the    I've already written a review of the original Wii version of the game on this site. and what I said in that review still stands here. Overall this version has some tweaks to the experience. Some are minor like text speed and some are major like framerate, and the ability to use button controls in lieu of motion controls.

    While I think the motion controls in both the original and the remaster not only work exceptionally well but also make the game a true 10 out of 10 experience, it's nice that those who couldn't use the motion controls in the original release (for whatever reason) can now have the chance to experience this wonderful game. Also there's no stick drift with motion controls. Just saying.

    The other changes aren't major unless you're the type who fixates on framerate/graphics. I like the new camera. I was not one of those who thought the item text boxes were a major issue and I knew that Fi's advice and dowsing were mostly optional so a majority of the quality of life changes didn't really "improve" the game for me because I never found those elements to be true objective flaws with the original version. Nevertheless the attempts to make the game more accessible to certain other gamers is admirable.

    If you are one of the people spamming 0's, 1's, or 2's, (because you have terrible taste in games) I advise you not to get your gaming takes from Youtube personalities (that may or may not have multiple This is How You Don't Play compilations dedicated to them).

    Whether on Wii, Wii-U, or Switch, The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword is an objective masterpiece in terms of story-telling, game design, and especially controls.    … Expand
  46. Link_the_garden
    Jul 19, 2021
    9
    I never got off skyloft the first attempt and playing this so was really keen to give this a go. I'm about 5 hours in, playing with motion controls and I'm slowly getting used to it. I really think the controls are the only thing that lets this game down.
  47. manuel29
    Jul 19, 2021
    10
    A wonderful remaster, the controls are perfect, the improvements of qol have made a good game even more enjoyable. Although years have passed, motion control continues to entertain and has been a beautiful rediscovery. I would have put 9 but there are trolls...
  48. Botwfan2
    Jul 21, 2021
    10
    I love this game. I wasn't too crazy about it when it came out on the Wii, but man is it much better now. It removed the Blurry backgrounds of the original, the text boxes have names so I know who's speaking now, and Fi is mostly optional! I didn't mind the motion controls on the Wii, but they're better now so i like them, and the button controls are perfect for when i want to lay down andI love this game. I wasn't too crazy about it when it came out on the Wii, but man is it much better now. It removed the Blurry backgrounds of the original, the text boxes have names so I know who's speaking now, and Fi is mostly optional! I didn't mind the motion controls on the Wii, but they're better now so i like them, and the button controls are perfect for when i want to lay down and play the game in bed. I still to this day think its story is the best in any Zelda game, and the way its presented is incredible. sure the exploration is sacrificed a bit for that, but i think its worth it. 10/10 would recommend… Expand
  49. Dudraug
    Aug 12, 2021
    10
    Wow. Fantastic game. Interesting fight system, various good puzzles, many side quest, much exploring. Good old school Zelda. Don’t believe those who say that control is not good… at least non-motion is ok. I’ll try motion in 2nd playthrough. Strongly recommend.
  50. linkenski
    Aug 12, 2021
    9
    Skyward Sword HD is the best version of a good game. Those who forgive the motion-control experiment will look back on this with fondness. The updated performance and QoL features increases its appeal and accessibility.

    Skyward Sword is a railroaded Zelda title, which means it's less about exploring a vast world and more about non-stop walking through interesting gameplay and    Skyward Sword HD is the best version of a good game. Those who forgive the motion-control experiment will look back on this with fondness. The updated performance and QoL features increases its appeal and accessibility.

    Skyward Sword is a railroaded Zelda title, which means it's less about exploring a vast world and more about non-stop walking through interesting gameplay and level-design concepts laid out by the developers. It used to have a heavy hand-holding approach to this with constant interruptions from your companion character Fi, but this has been respectfully tucked away in this amazing HD remaster of the title. A fully-fledged Zelda game running at 60fps is a treat. People who played the 3DS game A Link Between Worlds will know the delight of the improved feedback that comes with the faster frame-rate, but being the first fully 3D title to do this, it almost puts past re-releases to shame, and gives a high expectation for the next Zelda projects.

    FOR FANS OF VIDEO GAMES: What you need to expect going into this game is a jam-packed adventure that takes you from A to Z, has a tangible storyline that keeps evolving to its inevitable climax. Throughout this adventure it's non-stop back-to-back level-design ideas, variety in enemies to fight, and a constantly expanding arsenal of equipment that changes how you play, starting with a sword, a mechanical beetle that remotely manipulates objects in the game-world, and things like the Whip that lets Link lash across gaps like Tarzan, or the Hookshot that allows you to grapple from wall to wall like you're Spider-Man. It's straight up action, and in the seams between all the action you're traversing diverse biomes ranging from forested areas, a volcano and a vast desert and pirate ships. This variety in location makes the game feel like a true adventure where you as a player change with the places you go through, and look back fondly on where you started by the game's end. Besides the ongoing plot and adventure, you have a hub-location up in the clouds which you traverse by flying on the back of a big bird, and this land of sky houses a central hub where you buy items and upgrade equipment, and do story-driven side-quests with the inhabitants of the City of Skyloft, which lasts well into the 50 hours it takes to clear the game. Outside of the city, the clouds have tons of other small floating islands that contain secret items and additional characters and mini-games to discover. You'll alternate between progressing the story and doing errands in the sky, but it's up to you. The game is flexible so any optional content is entirely up to the player, and you can easily have fun just solving some of it, or spending lots of time in the sky before continuing the linear adventure. The story is about the formation of a hero and the implied romantic connection to the girl Zelda who will later be remembered in franchise history as a legendary princess. That might sound sappy, but the script is filled with quirks and smart writing by Nintendo America's localization team that will make it hard not to crack a smile. And it might make you feel something as you witness these character grow as their impression of the world they live in changes with the discovery of "the land below the clouds" as well as the villain's quest to trap Zelda in a dark ritual which will unleash his demonic master and threaten the world. As Link, or as the player, your task is to prevent this, doing all of the things described above. A true epic adventure awaits you in this game.

    FOR ZELDA FANS THAT MISSED IT
    The game is very similar to previous 3D Zeldas like Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, more closely evolving the direction Twilight Princess took but with a touch of Wind Waker's approach to an overworld. The skies are not full of places to be specifically, and most of its scope is similar to sailing the boat where there's negative-space but while you're heading between two island the game spawns critters, rupees to grab and enemies to avoid, and there are speed-grates between rock-formations to go through for a bit of variety in your traversal skills. On the ground it's a very linear A->B style world design. It first appears to be big landmasses but evidently becomes pure levels like in a 3D Mario game, where you must solve puzzles to progress through them. In a sense the game is a non-stop dungeon, and there's lots of optional things to miss and return to later on, in each location, and the travel between ground and sky is freely accessible to you at any point.

    FOR PEOPLE THAT ALREADY PLAYED Skyward Sword
    You're signing up for exactly the same game but with more option to play it the way you want it to. The textures have been redone by Tantalus Media, and there's now an added free-camera control seperate from the motion controls. With the updates to QoL and framerate you're getting the definitive way to replay a good game.    … Expand
  51. FanFreak777
    Jan 29, 2022
    10
    The game has been improved graphically and it shows a lot, especially for those of us who played it in 2011. Like all Zelda games, it's a must-buy whether you're a fan of the saga or even more so if you've never played it.
  52. NinnyMugginz
    Jan 29, 2022
    10
    Maybe the 10 offsets the people giving this a 0 for silly reasons. I especially don’t understand people that dock points for price point, for many people like myself, this was my first chance to play skyward sword as I’m not a huge motion control fan aka the wii. I respect it and the original skyward sword’s popularity, just not for me.

    The stylization of skyward sword is wonderful, the    Maybe the 10 offsets the people giving this a 0 for silly reasons. I especially don’t understand people that dock points for price point, for many people like myself, this was my first chance to play skyward sword as I’m not a huge motion control fan aka the wii. I respect it and the original skyward sword’s popularity, just not for me.

    The stylization of skyward sword is wonderful, the characters are unique and in Zelda fashion. The story, cinematics, and what I thought was as the first real glimpse at romance between link and Zelda was cute. I truly enjoyed and had a great experience overall.

    My only major complaint, which did take a few hours of gameplay to finally become used to, the action controls. I do wish it was standard hack n slash like most Zeldas. The directional attack using R is a cool way to mirror the original’s combat style, but I would have loved an option to rework the mechanics for standard buttons for slicing. You eventually become used it, and it did grow on me, but being able to switch would be amazing.    … Expand
  53. Timeflies164
    Oct 10, 2021
    8
    They made some nice quality of life improvements to this game. This is a very good Zelda game!
  54. greninjaX
    Sep 13, 2021
    10
    this is a remastered game, so here is my remastered review: i don't think people give skyward sword enough credit. a lot of things breath of the wild did, like stamina, crafting, a glider, skyward sword did first. it also has the 2 best Zelda characters, being groose and ghirahim. and the motion controls always worked for me, so git gud deku scrub
  55. DJKrimson
    Aug 8, 2021
    9
    Love this game. The only problem I had with it when I played the Wii-version was the forced motion controls, but in this remake you can control the sword with the right joystick on the pro controller (and it works great).
  56. giannis2001
    Aug 5, 2021
    9
    Maybe not the best Zelda game, but definitely a masterpiece as a game overall. The HD version is an improvement for thee most part and a great way to play an amazing game. The 60 fps and (somewhat) HD graphics made the experience way smoother by my opinion.

    Nonetheless, the important part is the game itself and not the remaster part. First of all, I want to point out that this game has    Maybe not the best Zelda game, but definitely a masterpiece as a game overall. The HD version is an improvement for thee most part and a great way to play an amazing game. The 60 fps and (somewhat) HD graphics made the experience way smoother by my opinion.

    Nonetheless, the important part is the game itself and not the remaster part. First of all, I want to point out that this game has the best story in the Zelda franchise. It's actually incredibly good, and could say it's one of my favorites of all time. If you are a Zelda fan, you need to experience this story, since it explains everything about the story of the series, because every game's story is connected. Essentially, you will appreciate it way more if you are familiar with the series. Next is gameplay. Gameplay is controversial but I personally enjoyed the motion controls overall, although I have to say they felt better on Wii with the sensor bar rather that motion sensors of the Joy Cons. Also, there are many new mechanics, which are great addition and create new ways to experience the gameplay like the stamina gauge. The visuals of the environment are great but they don't look that good on comparison with other games in the series. Characters and everything else around which is essential looks great, but the backgrounds look somewhat washed.

    The soundtrack is fenomenal like every other Zelda game, nothing to point out here specifically. At last, I loved the adventure a lot. The places, the quests and every interaction with the environment and other characters were great, but the only thing I didn't like that much were the dungeons. These are some of the most important of the series, but the ones here were very easy to clear by my opinion and in comparison with other games, like Twilight Princess or Majora's Mask. Overall though, this game is a masterpiece. Yes, it may have some frustrating moments and many controversial things but Skyward Sword changed many things for the franchise that were later used by Breath of the Wild and I personally thing it's good to make some changes and not stay static to the same mechanics (of course I love every Zelda game, but a franchise must evolve. Nonetheless I wouldn't mind an experience similar to the older games..). I think it's a must play especially if you haven't played it in the past (I had and still had a great time) and if you are a fan of the series, or not actually.    … Expand
  57. Tomek7
    Aug 6, 2021
    10
    First time playing skyward sword and although the beginning of the game was a bit slow after it picked up I could not stop playing. An absolute gem of a game. The motion controls are excellent. The HD graphics are a lovely sight. Great story line. Nothing is repetitive, Every dungeon and map is unique. 30+ hours of gameplay. 10/10
  58. EnigmaXtreme
    Aug 5, 2021
    9
    Skyward HD attempts to iron out many of the nagging issues that plagued the original on Wii, one of the first issues is the inability to skip ahead. Whether it was cut scenes going to long or Fi’s exposition dragging out, you essentially had to endure everything at the games own pace. Thankfully common sense has prevailed and you are able to skip most cutscenes and fast-forward text likeSkyward HD attempts to iron out many of the nagging issues that plagued the original on Wii, one of the first issues is the inability to skip ahead. Whether it was cut scenes going to long or Fi’s exposition dragging out, you essentially had to endure everything at the games own pace. Thankfully common sense has prevailed and you are able to skip most cutscenes and fast-forward text like you could in previous titles. This means you are able to sail through the introduction and get to the surface faster than ever before.

    A decade ago it was believed that Skyward Sword needed Motion Plus but we can clearly see that was never the case. The new Pro Controller scheme works amazingly well, even movies like Spin, Stab and Final Blow are easily executed. However, in the heat of combat, you can still find that the right direction wasn’t delivered and the odd crapshoot still happened but it was still far more reliable than MotionPlus.

    One of the big new features in Skyward Sword was the inclusion of a Stamina Meter, instead of letting Link roll all over the place you could now hold down a button that will let him sprint, however, unlike Breath of the Wild there is no way to upgrade it outside of a temporary potion boost so you can find yourself running on empty during a crucial moment unless you pick up a green stamina fruit that are laying everywhere.

    With the sword now on the right stick, the game saw fit to also offer full 360 camera controls with the same stick while holding down the left shoulder. While definitely a decent compromise, because it is ingrained into our heads from years of third-person titles we found ourselves going for the camera only to pull out the sword.

    We tried setting up the camera to be used with the Pro’s gyros but even on the lowest settings, the camera would jerk around at the smallest moments. But for the most part, all the other gyro controls seem to work, they are just selective on what they actually use it for. You can aim your slingshot and clawshot with them but you can’t steer your loftwing or beetle with them which is weird as you can aim it with the gyros. While we did stick with the Pro Controller for most of our playthrough we gave the Joycons a try as well.

    For the most part it works, you can even pilot your loftwing with them, vertical and horizontal strikes are done with a quick flick, but we found ourselves having to exert more getting diagonal and stab attacks to register properly, we actually found the gyro camera controls worked much better here, but you could only enable them with the sword controls moved to the right stick essentially rendering the need for joycons almost useless

    Skyward Sword originally featured a gorgeous watercolor style approach to its design which was a stark comparison to the dark and otherwise gloomy look of Twilight Princess, the design was helped with the Wii’s limitations which made the effects when it came to draw distance that much more appealing. The HD Switch version on the other hand while looking amazingly detailed and running at twice the speed at 60fps has also wiped away a lot of the charm with the watercolour style feeling diluted.

    The game also has one of the most diverse and creative range of dungeons and bosses in the entire Zelda series with weapons like the remote controlled beetle, gust bellows and the whip giving us incredibly creative puzzles to solve and bosses to fight. However it seems the difficulty hasn’t been adjusted for the new control styles so a boss we found particularly insufferable 10 years ago was vanquished this time like a breeze. We are also accompanied by a large range of colourful characters that have some serious emotion about them, especially the flamboyant big baddy of the game Ghirahim who chewed through the scenery every moment he was on screen.

    Playing through Skyward HD on Switch we felt less frustrations than we did 10 years ago, while there was nothing inherently wrong with the original game, we found ourselves breezing through everything at a much more efficient speed. We weren’t getting bogged down with Fi and her dry exposition and the temperamental Wii controls, while the adorable Loftwing Amiibo offers a brand new fast travel mechanic we found playing like the original with the bird statues to be fine enough. The game has 3 major worlds that you’ll be visiting numerous times over the journey, while it’s been argued this is more repetitive than other Zelda games, we personally found it to be a much more intimate affair plus you’ll have plenty of gratitude crystals and goddess chests to keep you busy around Skyloft.

    Skyward Sword HD has taken a buffer to the original game and helped it finally spread it’s wings, anyone who felt frustrated with the controls, the characters or just the overall slog of the original could find themselves finally enjoying what really is a deserving entry into the Zelda series.    … Expand
  59. Legrand
    Jul 23, 2021
    9
    Un clásico de la saga Zelda ahora en Switch no es el mejor port que han hecho pero sigue siendo uno de los juegos más importantes de la sagaa
  60. rbs12
    Jul 23, 2021
    9
    Very solid Zelda game with lots of charm. Looks really nice in 1080p and 60 fps. I only give it a 9 due to the sometimes frustrating controls. I won’t be pouring anywhere near as many hours as I did in Breath of the Wild but that doesn’t matter, still a really rewarding experience to play.
  61. Herdle
    Aug 21, 2021
    9
    Story drags on a bit towards the end, but overall it's very enjoyable and an amazing game
  62. SlowForest
    Aug 12, 2021
    9
    I won't go too deep because I don't wanna spoil anything but as a Zelda fan who never played the original Skyward Sword on Wii  I can say that I thought this game was magical.
    Not only is it the first Zelda game in the timeline and gives the Zelda geeks some delicious lore about the series it also has it's own story to tell with lots of memorable moments and characters.
    The game is not    I won't go too deep because I don't wanna spoil anything but as a Zelda fan who never played the original Skyward Sword on Wii  I can say that I thought this game was magical.
    Not only is it the first Zelda game in the timeline and gives the Zelda geeks some delicious lore about the series it also has it's own story to tell with lots of memorable moments and characters.
    The game is not nearly as open as other zelda games like A Link Between Worlds and Breath Of The Wild and it honestly looks kind of dated but it never really bothered me. The world was still fun to explore and the dungeons were more clever than ever!
    I love all the sidequests on Skyloft (which kind of the main hub) and soaring through the sky with my loftwing made me feel epic! (And I rarely use this word)
    Also there's kind of a stealth mini game you need to do before each of the three later dungeons in the game and I absolutely love it, it's my favorite part of the game.
    About the button vs motion controls thing, some like using the motion controls while others prefer just using button controls. For me honestly both are really fun and I like swapping between them based on my mood and what I'm doing ingame!
    So yeah, the game visually looks a bit dated and asking 60 bucks for a 10 year old game is a whole other debate but if you're a Zelda fan or wanna get into Zelda this game has to offer some fantastic dungeon design and a great story to accompany it. The controls are something to get used to but once you do they feel natural and fun and I highly recommend giving this classic game a try.    … Expand
  63. PMG-Writer
    Aug 8, 2021
    8
    Thus, Nintendo managed another good remake of an older title with "The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD". The storyline is still appealing, as are the options to speed up the dialogs. Unfortunately, the levels are still the same and the constant visit to the same places is also present. Small and helpful changes have been made for this. The controls have improved, but they are still notThus, Nintendo managed another good remake of an older title with "The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD". The storyline is still appealing, as are the options to speed up the dialogs. Unfortunately, the levels are still the same and the constant visit to the same places is also present. Small and helpful changes have been made for this. The controls have improved, but they are still not optimal. The technical performance can also be seen in the game and the sound also fits in well again. If you want to experience a familiar adventure with Link and Zelda, you should take a closer look at "The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD".

    https://www.playmoregames.de/post/the-legend-of-zelda-skyward-sword-hd-switch-im-test    … Expand
  64. Treway
    Aug 19, 2021
    9
    I loved this game and never having played the original until after this I have to say it is sooooo good. Graphics are great still could be better but the story is unique and the updated controls make it so much more enjoyable
  65. Yohny
    Oct 11, 2021
    9
    Great game, often undervalued. Gameplay wise it can't be compared to BOTW - but the storyline is possibly even better.
  66. garyw_81
    Jul 19, 2021
    8
    positives.
    way better graphics(those saying it's not, go play it on the wii)
    improved motion controlls 60 fps level design story puzzle dungeons koloktus(sp?) is still in the top 10 all time boss fights in any zelda game addition of anologue stick in place of motion controlls if you don't want to use those. negatives retracing through levels you have already beaten not quite    positives.
    way better graphics(those saying it's not, go play it on the wii)
    improved motion controlls
    60 fps
    level design
    story
    puzzle dungeons
    koloktus(sp?) is still in the top 10 all time boss fights in any zelda game
    addition of anologue stick in place of motion controlls if you don't want to use those.

    negatives
    retracing through levels you have already beaten
    not quite as good as other 3d zelda games
    those silent realm bits ( ihate those)
    motion controlls. put this in both as, although improved I still dislike them    … Expand
  67. Flumazenil
    Jul 24, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Fantastic game! Skyward sword is the beginning! Great story, development and puzzles! I love it. And they enhanced and improved the control system.… Expand
  68. FortyOneDZ
    Jul 24, 2021
    10
    Once you get over the initial learning curve of the motion controls, there is a gripping story to get lost in.
  69. Kvr
    Jul 25, 2021
    10
    A great Zelda game! Has everything that a fan of the series will love. Great world, great music, funny npcs, rewarding sidequests, collectables! Amazing dungeons. Really nice story. This Zelda has it all!
  70. Andreas1305
    Jul 24, 2021
    8
    The game is way better as most other reviewers are saying. Yeah it is expensive for a port, but the new motion controls for Switch are very nice and felt pretty refreshing.
    I definitely endorse playing the game, for the story alone. The music is great and the visuals are pretty good on Switch.
  71. sex69
    Oct 9, 2021
    10
    It's fun. Because the play time is very long, it is excellent as an open world RPG action game, and there are many various mini-games, so it is fun.
  72. scrump
    Jul 26, 2021
    9
    As a Zelda fan who missed this version, I have been hooked so far. Look forward to playing. Classic Zelda vibe with unique features. The only part that is annoying is the camera and having to move it around to focus. Since I didn't play it before I don't mind paying the full price, but if you owned it before I see no point in buying it again.
  73. Bleeding_Jester
    Jul 28, 2021
    8
    they did a great job of porting this to the switch the controls are really good with the Pro Controller the only real issue ive had is with the camera and its a minor complaint
  74. Syhlcam
    Jul 24, 2021
    8
    The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword HD est un excellent jeu. Un jeu qui a tout le potentiel de se refaire une seconde jeunesse via cette sortie sur Nintendo Switch.

    Le choix d’avoir soit le motion gaming pour jouer comme il a été initialement pensé ou aux boutons, permet à tous d’y joué. Bien que le jeu ait 10 ans, excepté quelques défauts graphiques, ce lissage HD lui fait le plus grand    The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword HD est un excellent jeu. Un jeu qui a tout le potentiel de se refaire une seconde jeunesse via cette sortie sur Nintendo Switch.

    Le choix d’avoir soit le motion gaming pour jouer comme il a été initialement pensé ou aux boutons, permet à tous d’y joué. Bien que le jeu ait 10 ans, excepté quelques défauts graphiques, ce lissage HD lui fait le plus grand bien.

    L’aventure qu’il nous conte, d’une grande importance pour la licence. Narrant la genèse de bien des éléments essentiels de la série. Il offre une très bonne expérience de jeu, via des donjons et des énigmes très les plus travaillé.

    Pour ceux qu’ils l’ont déjà fait sur Wii il n’est pas essentiel, mais pour les autres vous pouvez y aller.

    Avis complet >> https://www.geekexperience.fr/tag/avis/    … Expand
  75. Starfree
    Jul 22, 2021
    9
    All they did was improve the game. And the quality of life improvements make me want to hug Fi instead of kill her. This is the best way to play Skyward Sword.
  76. DonnieTrump
    Jul 24, 2021
    8
    Yes, this game is better than you actually remembered!

    Did you know that – although there have been multiple Zelda release the last decade – Breath of the Wild is the only 'new' 3D Zelda that Nintendo has created in the last ten years? I didn't play the re-releases of the HD-versions of Twilight Princess and The Wind Waker and that means that Skyward Sword HD is my second 3D Zelda in a    Yes, this game is better than you actually remembered!

    Did you know that – although there have been multiple Zelda release the last decade – Breath of the Wild is the only 'new' 3D Zelda that Nintendo has created in the last ten years? I didn't play the re-releases of the HD-versions of Twilight Princess and The Wind Waker and that means that Skyward Sword HD is my second 3D Zelda in a decade. This is probably also the reason why I look at this HD-game with an entire new set of eyes.

    Reviews tend to be a descriptive analysis about a sequence of events in a game, but rarely a review describes the emotional experience a gamer is going through and that's why I want to focus on this aspect of gaming. After all, it's the game experience that is mostly valued by a gamer when playing a game. And the most defining aspect of a Zelda game is without a doubt its dungeons. These places test your wits and combat abilities in the most imaginative way possible. Certainly in Skyward Sword that has some of the best designed dungeons in the entire series.

    Ten years ago my opinion about the dungeons in Skyward Sword was mixed. Although I really like the design I was a bit disappointed with how easy some of the dungeons were. This is the era of the Wii we're talking about where the Super Guide was the norm and Nintendo tried to be as casual friendly as possible. Although the difficulty grade of the dungeons in Skyward Sword pales in comparison with Ocarina of Time or Twilight Princess it more than makes up for it with brilliantly designed dungeons. Some dungeons are designed with a big central room in mind where the puzzle is to go through all the smaller rooms in order to to activate a switch – or something else – in the big central room. Gone are the days with block puzzles and new puzzle elements are introduced with new weapons like the Beetle.

    The Beetle is a flying device that does some classic Zelda stuff such as activating switches, but also enables the capability to explore a room by flying through it. Later the Beetle is upgraded so it can carry bombs. Ideal for blowing up enemies or creating new paths by blowing up statues and other things. A decade ago Skyward Sword was criticized for keeping the same formularic design of the Zelda series, but it's in fact one of the most refreshing experiences in the series up until Breath of the Wild destroyed all conventions and re-established the series as an open world game.

    The design of the dungeons is complemented with a really wonderful art style that gives the game an unparalleled atmosphere in the dungeons. Ten years ago this game was described as a watercolour painting, but this was also done in order to mask the limitations of the Wii. With upscaled textures in HD and a very fluid sixty frames per second the HD-version of Skyward Sword finally gets the graphical style it truly deserves. Seeing the vibrant colours in the Earth Temple in a fluid motion is a joy for the eyes. The HD-version is – even more so than the original – a painting that comes to life.

    The most fun I had in the game was in the Laynaru Desert with the help of the time crystals. In a limited radius of these crystals objects and creatures come to life in an otherwise dead environment. The creative application of these time crystals result in some of the best puzzles and moments of the entire game. Some of the most challenging puzzles in the Zelda series are related to switching to past and current time in the Sandship. And did I also say there's some fun to be had with some mine carts?

    A special mention is also reserved for the last dungeon, Skyview. This is literally a jigsaw puzzle where rooms have to be connected in a maze-like structure. Each room is in old Zelda fashion themed after a certain area of the game and the difficulty grade is slightly increased. One or two rooms can be even called challenging, but seasoned Zelda veterans will find Skyward Sword too easy. I share that opinion, but it doesn't impact my enjoyment of the game for a bit. As you have read the last couple of paragraphs: I liked the dungeons, a lot!

    Then there are the small 'quality of life' improvements that have a considerable impact on the game. Plenty of people have already discussed this so I won't spend too much time on this. I can only say it makes the game a much more fluid experience making Skyward Sword HD the definitive edition of this game.

    For my conclusion I would like to come back to the statement of valuing game experience. As flawed as Skyward Sword is I really enjoyed my time with the game. Eighty to eighty-five percent of my time in Grooseland was a wonderful experience where I enjoyed the brilliant design of the dungeons and great atmosphere. The end of the game is a bit of a letdown with a series of fetch quests, but gets a quality boost at the very end with a fun final dungeon and the most moving story of the franchise.    … Expand
  77. Asdrubbale
    Jul 25, 2021
    8
    It wasn't perfect in 2011 and, of course, it still isn't. The big problem remains the control system. In the most agitated moments it is not possible to do exactly what you want, in other situations, to meet the particular use of the sword, the enemies use patterns that ruin the atmosphere of the fight. Let's talk about the positives: the art direction is wonderful, the music is amazing,It wasn't perfect in 2011 and, of course, it still isn't. The big problem remains the control system. In the most agitated moments it is not possible to do exactly what you want, in other situations, to meet the particular use of the sword, the enemies use patterns that ruin the atmosphere of the fight. Let's talk about the positives: the art direction is wonderful, the music is amazing, the dungeons are inspired and the story finally gives roots to the legend of Zelda. If you are a fan of the saga it is a "must-play". If you're not, it still remains a very good game but you can safely avoid playing it.… Expand
  78. Sabrewulf1
    Jul 24, 2021
    10
    The most under rated of the Zelda games, I remember purchasing this for my wii but never finished it because It was right at the back end of the wii life and I had purchased a ps3 and a then a wii u. Nintendo have absolutely smashed it out of the park again like they did with wind waker hd. You can feel the DNA of the last ocarina style game, the music and jumping is right out of ocarina,The most under rated of the Zelda games, I remember purchasing this for my wii but never finished it because It was right at the back end of the wii life and I had purchased a ps3 and a then a wii u. Nintendo have absolutely smashed it out of the park again like they did with wind waker hd. You can feel the DNA of the last ocarina style game, the music and jumping is right out of ocarina, with added bells. Feels like the more adult link from Twilight with an art style between windwaker and ocarina. But the way nintendo has had the gfx touched up is sublime. I loved BOTW (500 hours in, total completion) and I'm also pretty old, so when the first zelda came out on NES in '86 (I was 13) it blew my mind. This variation of links travels was unloved and wrong so. Its a classic. The dna of the wii is here with the motion controls, and I hope that we see more games from wii come over, becuase the motion controls actually really work well on the joycons. The nostalgia trip is jedi levels of fun, but the core game is right there, and will smash a smile on your face in that way only nintentdo seem to do. Perfection remaster.… Expand
  79. Mwirmm
    Jul 29, 2021
    10
    After BOTW I definitely was relishing a more classic Zelda experience and this hit all the right spots. Yes, they do re-use a lot of locations and there's quite a bit of backtracking but it didn't personally affect my enjoyment of the game. Plot wise, the design choices make complete sense.

    Memorable characters, emotional story, great dungeons and gear. I just really enjoyed it.
  80. luisflopez
    Oct 25, 2021
    10
    I loved Skyward Sword back in its day. Going into this remaster after so much time, I was afraid I might finally see what everybody sees to keep calling this the worst 3D Zelda game. But nope, I still love it, maybe even more than before.

    1080p resolution, 60fps and the removal of excess explanations and interruptions make this a massive upgrade over the original Wii release. Seriously,    I loved Skyward Sword back in its day. Going into this remaster after so much time, I was afraid I might finally see what everybody sees to keep calling this the worst 3D Zelda game. But nope, I still love it, maybe even more than before.

    1080p resolution, 60fps and the removal of excess explanations and interruptions make this a massive upgrade over the original Wii release. Seriously, this remaster looks downright better than Breath of the Wild.

    As for the game itself, motion controls are creative, easy to pick up and fun (and people who complain about them probably aren't even capable of using a fork and a knife to eat), dungeons are brilliant, I seriously can't get enough of the art style, and the story is pretty enjoyable and provides some cool explanations on the series' lore. Skyward Sword is just plain fun, a lot of fun in fact. And this is clearly the superior way to experience it.

    Score: 9.5
    -    … Expand
  81. CavemanCossy
    Jul 29, 2021
    8
    Skyward Sword is the final entry in the 3D overworld-to-dungeon exploration Zelda games, before Breath of the Wild truly shook up the formula. If you've played previous entries like Twilight Princess, Wind Waker, or Ocarina of Time, then you know what to expect already. Follow the plot in the overworld while doing some side-quests here and there, go to a dungeon, get an item in thatSkyward Sword is the final entry in the 3D overworld-to-dungeon exploration Zelda games, before Breath of the Wild truly shook up the formula. If you've played previous entries like Twilight Princess, Wind Waker, or Ocarina of Time, then you know what to expect already. Follow the plot in the overworld while doing some side-quests here and there, go to a dungeon, get an item in that dungeon which lets you clear it, culminating in a boss battle. Then, follow the plot again to go to the next dungeon, rinse and repeat. Usually said item from the dungeon also lets you find new paths in the overworld, which is how the game controls player progress and ensures that they follow a set path with minimal freedom to explore. Now this may sound repetitive, and to a certain extent it is, but for the most part it works perfectly fine. The game may not be incredibly original, but it is still engaging and keeps you entertained for the entirety.

    This is due to the story, the environments, improved gameplay, and in particular the sound. The relationship between Link and Zelda feels believable, as they struggle throughout the game to balance their responsibility of saving the land with expressing their implied mutual feelings towards each other. The land is colorful and bright, with the improved framerate and performance of the HD version greatly favoring it. The dungeon design for the most part is incredible and gets better as you progress through more complicated mazes. The graphics do look a bit dated though, but don't detract from the overall art direction. The music in particular still is one of the best soundtracks in the Zelda series, and arguably one of the best orchestral soundtracks in video games in general.

    Furthermore, the HD version introduces gameplay improvements over the Wii version. Most notably is the option to use buttons without any motion controls; moving the right stick draws and points your sword, flicking the right stick slashes in that path, and clicking the left stick lets you use your shield and bash enemies. It does take a bit to get used to, but luckily the game has a practice area at the beginning, and it's a lot more reliable than the motion controls the Wii game had. For what it's worth, the motion controls have also been improved, courtesy of being able to reset the more reliably gyro in the joy-cons with a simple tap of the Y button. This is particularly notable in the sky where you fly on your Loftwing, which was very clunky in the Wii version and is much smoother in the HD version.

    There are a lot of other smaller quality of life improvements too. The beginning of the game was infamously known to be slow, and although it still drags out, it is nice to have the option to fast-forward dialogue and skip cutscenes. In particular all the tutorials and advice notes from Fi (your sword familiar) are completely optional, which greatly saves time when doing a new playthrough in the games higher difficulty. The game now autosaves which means you don't have to constantly hunt bird statues, the only way to save in the original game. All these little things add up to the overall experience and make the game much more fun than the Wii version. One small unfortunate note though, the biggest quality of life improvement is locked behind an amiibo; the one that lets you fly to the skies from any part of the surface that isn't a dungeon. You can do it, but you need to own the Loftwing & Zelda amiibo to do so.

    By the time the original Wii version of Skyward Sword was released, the Zelda overworld-to-dungeon formula was already tried and tested, and it was starting to get stale by this game. Regardless, this is very much so a game worth playing at least once, specially if you have not played or finished the original. It's classic Zelda action, it's fun, and it will keep you entertained for the ~30 hours of gameplay you will find.    … Expand
  82. thryce3
    Jan 23, 2022
    9
    I played (and loved) the original when it came out 10 years ago so I'm in the sweet spot of having nostalgia and being far enough removed that it's still fresh. I had forgotten just how clever some of the level design is and how it's reused and repurposed at different times. It looks as beautiful as I remember. The dreamy watercolor aesthetic just works and doesn't look aged at all withI played (and loved) the original when it came out 10 years ago so I'm in the sweet spot of having nostalgia and being far enough removed that it's still fresh. I had forgotten just how clever some of the level design is and how it's reused and repurposed at different times. It looks as beautiful as I remember. The dreamy watercolor aesthetic just works and doesn't look aged at all with the slight HD upgrade. Of course the music is amazing as ever.
    When I played the original, I thought the motion controls were really innovative if not entirely necessary. It was certainly the best use of the technology in a big budget conventional style game. That said, no one (myself included) was disappointed that the trend didn't continue. When I started HD, I went back and forth with the control scheme, but fairly quickly settled into button control for the majority. The motion controls work well for combat, but it gets tiring pretty quick. Not that it's physically demanding, but when you want to unwind with a video game, you don't want sit in a certain position and always worry about your hands. The button controls give the same effect of directional swinging and let you sit back and relax. I would actually like to see them implemented in a future game.
    Having the control option easily makes this the best version of and already great game. Oddly enough, it makes me understand the frustration many had with the original. It would be cool if they could have a third hybrid option where only combat is motion control. Flying and using the beetle were always clunky on the Wii. Skyward Sword has all the things that make Zelda great: Story, characters, gameplay, dungeons and some terrific boss fights. There's no excuse now to not play this game.    … Expand
  83. di_sanchezs
    Nov 14, 2021
    10
    Excelente
    Una mejora correcta respecto al de wii. Podria si haber sido mas economico
  84. jocariba
    Sep 2, 2021
    8
    No lo jugué el de WII, no puedo comparar pero realmente es un muy buen juego, el Zelda con más cinemáticas e historia explícita, increíbles templos con muy buenas dinámicas, el control por movimiento no me gusto nada, pierdes precisión y la jugabilidad no es buena, sobre todo es frustrante a la hora de nadar o ir en el ave, afortunadamente tiene controles clásicos que funcionan bien, laNo lo jugué el de WII, no puedo comparar pero realmente es un muy buen juego, el Zelda con más cinemáticas e historia explícita, increíbles templos con muy buenas dinámicas, el control por movimiento no me gusto nada, pierdes precisión y la jugabilidad no es buena, sobre todo es frustrante a la hora de nadar o ir en el ave, afortunadamente tiene controles clásicos que funcionan bien, la calidad gráfica, el sonido y los 60fps excelente, algo malo es que al final lo alargan innecesariamente.… Expand
  85. LudwigBeethoven
    Jul 25, 2021
    8
    One thing is for sure. This is more of a Zelda game than BOTW will ever be. Its rough around the edges, but the dungeons are some of the best in the entire series, which makes it worth playing.
  86. Aluk
    Feb 8, 2022
    8
    Excellent game, a good remaster of the game and some new classic controls that are very well done.

    Excelente juego, una buena remasterización del juego y unos nuevos controles clásicos que están muy bien hechos.
  87. AnthLC
    Aug 2, 2021
    9
    Just started playing but is quite good. This is a great Zelda game. The kids love it too. It is pricy but the negative reviews aren’t being wholly fair. Definitely get it maybe wait until theprice has dropped..
  88. ktjayhawk77
    Aug 16, 2021
    10
    Folks - do not listen to the trolls giving this masterpiece a zero. Seems like most people’s gripe are with the controls. I play in handheld mode and the controls work really great, they just take a little getting used to. The controls are way better than the original for the wii, so people can’t use the controls as an excuse for not liking this game anymore. Content-wise, this is oneFolks - do not listen to the trolls giving this masterpiece a zero. Seems like most people’s gripe are with the controls. I play in handheld mode and the controls work really great, they just take a little getting used to. The controls are way better than the original for the wii, so people can’t use the controls as an excuse for not liking this game anymore. Content-wise, this is one of the better Zelda titles - I think it is waaay better than BOTW, as it actually feels like a Zelda game rather than a Skyrim game with Zelda characters. I consider SS to likely be the last true 3D Zelda game, as BOTW simply did not have that Zelda charm. I also have doubts about BOTW 2 being the same way, but I will wait for it’s release to be the judge. Yes, this game is linear, but I think that is better IMO. The dungeons are extremely creative and fun, the combat is extremely fun, and this has the best soundtrack in the entire franchise. I also hear people whine about the price - for 60 dollars I consider it a good buy, considering the game will deliver at least 20 hours of gameplay to compete the game, more if you do side quests. At the moment I consider this to be the best Switch title to date, don’t listen to the haters, who likely didn’t even finish the game - pick this gem up!… Expand
  89. xiekaidream
    Sep 17, 2021
    9
    好玩到爆炸！ 能入坑塞尔达真是太好了，甚至体验好于刚买NS时候玩的野炊。 差点因为画面陈旧而错过， 丰富的谜题充满了整个游戏，最后华容道式房间的切换连接把整个游戏继续拔高！ 更期待野炊2惹
  90. swerzylicious
    Jan 11, 2022
    8
    Все хорошее, что было в игре, испорчено водным уровнем с неудобным управлением, где нужно собирать всякую фигню. И финальным боссом, который как бы говорит «ты старался зря, вся твоя прокачка меча ничего не значит, ты просто червь».Все хорошее, что было в игре, испорчено водным уровнем с неудобным управлением, где нужно собирать всякую фигню. И финальным боссом, который как бы говорит «ты старался зря, вся твоя прокачка меча ничего не значит, ты просто червь».
  91. Nintendopost24
    Jul 29, 2021
    9
    So here we are at the end of this review, and just like the Wii version 10 years ago, this Zelda will be talked about. On many points this opus is part of the pinnacle of the saga (storytelling, dungeons, risk-taking), but its gameplay and its overall rigidity will always be debated. Regardless, The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword HD is a great video game, a Legend just waiting to beSo here we are at the end of this review, and just like the Wii version 10 years ago, this Zelda will be talked about. On many points this opus is part of the pinnacle of the saga (storytelling, dungeons, risk-taking), but its gameplay and its overall rigidity will always be debated. Regardless, The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword HD is a great video game, a Legend just waiting to be experienced. Go ahead, you won't regret it!

    Full review, in french, on my blog Nintendo Legacy. You can follow me on Twitter @NintendoLegacy1    … Expand
  92. dampeSOUL
    Aug 4, 2021
    8
    Zelda skyward sword es un juego que no lo jugue en su día y debo de decir que lo he disfrutando bastante. Gráficamente cumple el estilo acuarela le sienta de fábula, aunque hay algunas texturas que chirrian. Referente a los puzzles me ha encantado (algunas veces me atasque y la solución era tan evidente que tras resolverlo me di pena de mi mismo) en cuestión de jefes esta bastante bien,Zelda skyward sword es un juego que no lo jugue en su día y debo de decir que lo he disfrutando bastante. Gráficamente cumple el estilo acuarela le sienta de fábula, aunque hay algunas texturas que chirrian. Referente a los puzzles me ha encantado (algunas veces me atasque y la solución era tan evidente que tras resolverlo me di pena de mi mismo) en cuestión de jefes esta bastante bien, aunque hay uno en especial que se me hizo pesado. En tema de control por movimientos cumple aunque debo de decir que en algún jefe me fallaba en intentar hacer cierto movimiento. Banda sonora de 10. Aunque no es mi Zelda favorito, Muy recomendable.… Expand
  93. kokkoyako
    Aug 2, 2021
    10
    SO MUCH FUN the game gave me that i can almost ignore any of its flaws and some bad idea
  94. Blacklich
    Jul 28, 2021
    9
    Finde Zelda Skyward Sword HD sehr gut abgesehen von dem Vollpreis.
    Die Knopfsteuerung ist nach einer Eingewöhnung gut zu Steuern.
  95. Thejodjeremie
    Aug 24, 2021
    9
    I never played the original on wii and in glad because I prefer the pro controller. The game is super fun, there's so many areas to explore, the gameplay and graphics are all awesome.
  96. jo_ll
    Aug 12, 2021
    10
    Primeira vez que jogo, e achei simplesmente maravilhoso, arte, trilha, história, tudo. Os controles por botões são meio estranhos no inicio mas logo me acostumei (e ainda bem que tem essa opção)

    First time I ever play this game, and I simply loved it. Art style, Soundtrack, Story, everything. Button controls are a bit weird at first, but I got used to it very quickly (and thanks    Primeira vez que jogo, e achei simplesmente maravilhoso, arte, trilha, história, tudo. Os controles por botões são meio estranhos no inicio mas logo me acostumei (e ainda bem que tem essa opção)

    First time I ever play this game, and I simply loved it. Art style, Soundtrack, Story, everything. Button controls are a bit weird at first, but I got used to it very quickly (and thanks nintendo for this option, I probably wouldn't like it so much with motion controls only).    … Expand
  97. NextPlayer_it
    Mar 2, 2022
    10
    Tutti i fan di vecchia data lo sanno molto bene che risolvere un enigma in un dungeon è una vera conquista, qualcosa da ricordare, oltre che sconfiggere i nemici durante l’avventura!
    Nintendo, con questo titolo ha creato una remaster coi fiocchi, le modifiche che ha portato hanno di certo un po’ svecchiato il gioco.
    La grafica migliorata e i controlli di movimento rinnovati, hanno reso    Tutti i fan di vecchia data lo sanno molto bene che risolvere un enigma in un dungeon è una vera conquista, qualcosa da ricordare, oltre che sconfiggere i nemici durante l’avventura!
    Nintendo, con questo titolo ha creato una remaster coi fiocchi, le modifiche che ha portato hanno di certo un po’ svecchiato il gioco.
    La grafica migliorata e i controlli di movimento rinnovati, hanno reso questo gameplay piacevole e scorrevole, nonostante la piccola problematica della combo tra il tasto della telecamera e la levetta destra.
    The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD resta comunque un’esperienza solida e divertente, che chiunque dovrebbe provare.    … Expand
  98. tarata
    Sep 10, 2021
    9
    Never played the original, and i loved this game 30 hours in and I had a lot of fun. The tutorials in this remake are very few and very short; the combat il very fun, every enemy is a little non-dangerous-puzzle; the dungeons and items are great and good boss battles.
    60 is a bit too much for a remake that didn't add anything, there is no way around it, but if you can wait a discount it's    Never played the original, and i loved this game 30 hours in and I had a lot of fun. The tutorials in this remake are very few and very short; the combat il very fun, every enemy is a little non-dangerous-puzzle; the dungeons and items are great and good boss battles.
    60 is a bit too much for a remake that didn't add anything, there is no way around it, but if you can wait a discount it's going to be a good purchase.    … Expand
  99. Inuyasha17
    Oct 9, 2021
    10
    It's an action-adventure RPG with cool boy characters just like the ancient Chinese swordsman game. It's really fun.
  100. Inuyasha1
    Oct 9, 2021
    10
    비록 리마스터지만 내가 상상하는 모든 것을 할수있는 게임. 아마 리마스터가 아니었으면 2021년 올해 최다 고티는 따놓은 당상이었는데
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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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