The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD

 Switch
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 700 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 467 out of 700
  2. Mixed: 104 out of 700
  3. Negative: 129 out of 700
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. ironfoam
    Aug 11, 2023
    7
    A game with many interesting aspects. Some fun dungeons and puzzles, and some interesting tools. However, the game was way too long relative to its content. The game would have been a better experience if it was condeced down to half the play time. Also, the controls were frustrating, especially during some of the boss fights. By the time I finished the game, I was tired of it. However, IA game with many interesting aspects. Some fun dungeons and puzzles, and some interesting tools. However, the game was way too long relative to its content. The game would have been a better experience if it was condeced down to half the play time. Also, the controls were frustrating, especially during some of the boss fights. By the time I finished the game, I was tired of it. However, I really did enjoy many parts of it along the way.… Expand
  2. SlayerKarma
    May 25, 2023
    7
    The whole game lacks the exploration factor, and has sections that do not much to provode the feeling of freedom that was provided by the best of the series. limited by controls and ideas, with some amazing bosses and great soundtrack still, feels constrained despite the well received upgrades that set this as the definitive version of this classic.
  3. ShockaZulu1
    May 13, 2023
    7
    I truly Loath motion controls but give this game a chance. Skyward sword is literally opposite of breath of the wild. The exploring and traversing of the skyloft and of the overworld are lackluster but the dungeons!.. Skyward sword has maybe the best gallery of dungeons of the series. The story is also very good and important to the franchise. Skyward Sword is basically The Legend of ZeldaI truly Loath motion controls but give this game a chance. Skyward sword is literally opposite of breath of the wild. The exploring and traversing of the skyloft and of the overworld are lackluster but the dungeons!.. Skyward sword has maybe the best gallery of dungeons of the series. The story is also very good and important to the franchise. Skyward Sword is basically The Legend of Zelda Origins.… Expand
  4. JonaSCX
    Apr 27, 2023
    7
    Realmente es un buen juego, el cambio a HD no lo puedo criticar porque no llegue a jugar la version original, pero en general es un buen juego, una historia interesante para el lore de la saga TLoZ, aun asi, el backtracking que tiene este juego llega a ser tedioso, el mundo es bonito y curioso pero realmente no se siente como un reto, no es algo que siento yo afecte demasido ya que seRealmente es un buen juego, el cambio a HD no lo puedo criticar porque no llegue a jugar la version original, pero en general es un buen juego, una historia interesante para el lore de la saga TLoZ, aun asi, el backtracking que tiene este juego llega a ser tedioso, el mundo es bonito y curioso pero realmente no se siente como un reto, no es algo que siento yo afecte demasido ya que se disfrute mucho de la aventura, pero realmente es que solamente sientes ganas de volver cuando el juego te lo pide, y no por decision propia, ya que incluso el hecho de farmear tesoros puede llegar a ser molesto ya que despues de la mitad del juego si te dedicas principalmente a la historia la recoleccion de rupias y otros objetos pasa a segundo plano, y se empieza a sentir como una obligacion el hecho de farmear si quieres estar a tope, algo que tampoco es necesario del todo si no hasta el final del juego pero que esa sensacion de ya no tener nada por lo que contuniar mas que la historia te acecha desde la mitad del juego.
    Bueno juego, buena historia, mecanicas adaptadas de buena manera, a mi parecer un poco estirado pero que si se centra en la historia es una aventura de las que tanto nos gusta de esta saga.    … Expand
  5. andisart
    Apr 2, 2023
    5
    Insane amount of repetition and padding in this game! There are only three land areas (forest, desert, volcano) and you have to revisit them several times. They also are not open like in previous titles but confined areas and almost like dungeons itself by being full of puzzles needed to solve to simply traverse them. You also have to beat bosses several times, two main bosses three timesInsane amount of repetition and padding in this game! There are only three land areas (forest, desert, volcano) and you have to revisit them several times. They also are not open like in previous titles but confined areas and almost like dungeons itself by being full of puzzles needed to solve to simply traverse them. You also have to beat bosses several times, two main bosses three times even! Lots of fetch quests to „prove yourself worthy“ in the end game section ruin the story flow completely. The only thing I really enjoyed was the art style, the characters and some of the music is just wonderful (in other areas the music falls really flat tho, so overall it’s only mixed). Some of the dungeons I found really fun, but others really uninspired and in parts very annoying design, but I guess dungeons are more on the upside in this game. Not even going into the controls… They work okay on Switch with gamepad, but still sloppy and unprecise. I was thinking in the last third of the game how much I wanted to quit it and how much I hated this game. The only reason I forced myself to finish was so I can be done with it once and for all. I never want to play this game again ever! Played thru Twilight Princess several times, same with Ocarina. And spent over 400 hrs in Breath of the Wild. These are much more worth the time titles than Skyward Sword.… Expand
  6. Ritooon
    Mar 13, 2023
    5
    Quick review : From far, not the best Zelda I played in my life. I couldn't wait to finish it and move on
  7. fredno8
    Feb 9, 2023
    5
    Look, its not great. Skyward Sword is a huge drag in comparison to the other 3D Zelda games, but I can't say that I don't enjoy the game. The original is as good as mediocre gets. This HD version is nothing spectacular, in fact, I can not think of anything except for the minimal graphical improvements. This is the definition of mediocre.
  8. sepam21
    Jan 30, 2023
    6
    Terrible controls, weak plot, constant repetition of locations and bosses. One of the worst, if not the worst Zelda.
  9. Jobni
    Sep 4, 2022
    7
    I would really have loved this game if it wasn't for the horrible controls. I love the storyline, dungeons, puzzles, music etc. but the controls are just horrible and really frustrated me so many times. This could have become one of my absolute favorites.
  10. FireBroFilms
    Aug 15, 2022
    7
    ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎
  11. RyanRedemption2
    Jul 25, 2022
    7
    This game is well put together. I loved the game when it was first released 11 years ago on the Wii but absolutely hated its dependency on motion controls (that rarely worked as they were supposed to). The game is a nice graphical upgrade, but not mind-shatteringly better, and the control scheme isn't great. I did find that many of the little things that bothered and annoyed me about theThis game is well put together. I loved the game when it was first released 11 years ago on the Wii but absolutely hated its dependency on motion controls (that rarely worked as they were supposed to). The game is a nice graphical upgrade, but not mind-shatteringly better, and the control scheme isn't great. I did find that many of the little things that bothered and annoyed me about the Wii release were fixed or toned down. Fi doesn't butt in all the time, cutscenes are skippable, no motion controls, etc. Possibly my biggest issue with this port is the price. I don't think it is ever reasonable to charge a full $60 for a graphics update. This is especially true when $60 is more than the price of the game when it was originally released ($50). Overall, this is a decent remaster, that fixed some things, but still had a few issues. I would recommend buying this if you wish to play skyward sword without motion controls, but I wouldn't recommend paying full price for it.… Expand
  12. Hodenkobold187
    Jul 25, 2022
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Zelda skyward is a Good Zelda game by far not the best. The Dungeons are solide. The side quests are good and the boss fights too.
    The normal steering is Bad. the Motion steering is acceptebal.    … Expand
  13. ZKevin
    Jul 23, 2022
    5
    Para mi personalmente es el peor zelda que he jugado ya que el juego es muy repetitivo incluso con los jefes que se repiten mas de 4 o 3 veces en todo el juego,Tambien no me gusta como nintendo configuro los botones literalmente tengo que dejar apretado el boton L para poder girar mi camara, y ya se que se puede escuchar exagerado por mi parte pero es que llegua a molestar bastante.Para mi personalmente es el peor zelda que he jugado ya que el juego es muy repetitivo incluso con los jefes que se repiten mas de 4 o 3 veces en todo el juego,Tambien no me gusta como nintendo configuro los botones literalmente tengo que dejar apretado el boton L para poder girar mi camara, y ya se que se puede escuchar exagerado por mi parte pero es que llegua a molestar bastante.

    Tambien podemos hablar sobre como este zelda desaprobecha muchas cosas,por ejemplo las herramientas que usas para poder pasarte las mazmoras muchas de ellas ya no las usas mas adelante en el juego y eso es una pena ya que la mayoria de ellas eran muy interesantes mecanicamente,Unas de las cosas que mas me parecio triste es el pelicaro ya que deverdad me gusto mucho usarlo pero luego se vuelve como algo mas para poder lleguar a tu objetivo y no como un compañero de viaje lo que me refiero es que dejas de cojerle cariño mientras sigues la historia,Puedo seguir diciendo muchas cosas que no me gustaron de este juego pero sinceramente seria mucho texto.

    Pero a pezar de todo el juego tiene momentos muy bonitos y epicos como tambien tiene cosas muy buenas pero todo esto es mi opinion yo diria que le des una oportunidad es toda una esperiencia.    … Expand
  14. SimonHofling
    Jul 20, 2022
    5
    Poor level design, gimmicky motion controls and an unengaging story makes Skyward Sword my least favourite 3D Zelda game.
  15. HeraticParadox
    Jul 4, 2022
    7
    I wanted to rate this game higher. It has some of the best designed dungeons, and one of the best stories in the franchise. I just couldn’t justify it with how horrid the controls are. If Skyward Sword had a traditional Zelda control scheme it could have easily stood amongst best of the Legend of Zelda games.
  16. ThatCat54
    May 24, 2022
    5
    The original is awful, and the remaster made some good changes:

    - newer slightly better controls - Fi is a bit less annoying - 1080p But it honestly didn't fix the many problems with this game: - incredibly linear, the world design is claustrophobic and this game is way to linear - even the button controls are still bad - So much filler, you have to revisit each    The original is awful, and the remaster made some good changes:

    - newer slightly better controls

    - Fi is a bit less annoying

    - 1080p

    But it honestly didn't fix the many problems with this game:

    - incredibly linear, the world design is claustrophobic and this game is way to linear

    - even the button controls are still bad

    - So much filler, you have to revisit each location 3 times, defeat this one stupid boss 3 times, and there's so much filler content to pad out your playtime

    The only things I liked were the dungeons and some of the bosses, but you have to slog through terrible gameplay to get to them. Music is pretty good though.    … Expand
  17. lumberjackBR
    Apr 21, 2022
    6
    Kinda fun, but repetitive and not challenging. Camera control and Sword control are bigest downsides.
  18. Pnwotter
    Apr 20, 2022
    6
    A massive improvement from the original game. Still carries a lot of the frustrations of theboroginal, though. Definitely worth getting second-hand at a discounted price. The story is lovely and so are the graphics, but the gameplay really lacks. The button controls don’t really provide an adequate alternative to the motion controls and the motion controls really lack in clarity and needA massive improvement from the original game. Still carries a lot of the frustrations of theboroginal, though. Definitely worth getting second-hand at a discounted price. The story is lovely and so are the graphics, but the gameplay really lacks. The button controls don’t really provide an adequate alternative to the motion controls and the motion controls really lack in clarity and need constant reconfiguring. I love Zelda games and this one is easily the worst I’ve played.… Expand
  19. Aziz-alharbi
    Apr 20, 2022
    5
    the controls experience was so awful that made me hate the game and hate to continue playing it.
  20. AudioRemedy
    Apr 17, 2022
    6
    Arguably the worst LoZ. They should have remastered Windwaker before this, imo. Admittedly better than playing the original on Wii, however.
  21. PizzaW0lf
    Apr 2, 2022
    5
    Skyward Sword itself is a pretty fine game and they did a good job bringing it over to the Switch. I think it's a bit overpriced but regardless, you now have the game.

    However, I'm writing this review for a different reason that relates to the game. The reason why I'm giving this game a 5 has to do with the unethical use of amiibo in this game. In general, I never really like amiibo but    Skyward Sword itself is a pretty fine game and they did a good job bringing it over to the Switch. I think it's a bit overpriced but regardless, you now have the game.

    However, I'm writing this review for a different reason that relates to the game. The reason why I'm giving this game a 5 has to do with the unethical use of amiibo in this game. In general, I never really like amiibo but as long as they never came to the detriment of gameplay I never minded them too much. But this game takes amiibo use too far.

    In general, I don't like amiibos and I don't want Nintendo to set a precedent with this. It just sucks that they decided to be greedy with this title and I hope they learn in the future that amiibo should never come at the cost of content or gameplay. At MOST they should only be there to give the player a little boost or help item.    … Expand
  22. Kadaz
    Mar 29, 2022
    6
    Controls are so bad that I can't really enjoy the game at all. Haven't finished it yet and I come and go mostly , but for a Zelda game not being able to have me interested to at least finish the story is something.
  23. Spagh8tti
    Jan 21, 2022
    7
    There are some things I like, such as the atmosphere, the characters... I guess, but there are also some things I really don't like about this game, one of them being the thing that ruins this game for me, the controls, the motion controls make this game tedious and I also really don't like the button controls either, having to do the same boss 3 different times all of them being prettyThere are some things I like, such as the atmosphere, the characters... I guess, but there are also some things I really don't like about this game, one of them being the thing that ruins this game for me, the controls, the motion controls make this game tedious and I also really don't like the button controls either, having to do the same boss 3 different times all of them being pretty much the same thing is also pretty lame, there are other things I like and things I don't but I don't really feel like writing them out, the game is OK.… Expand
  24. mr-ruukasu
    Dec 5, 2021
    6
    Nice beginning, then after completing all dungeons you backtrack to them again and again, story drags for too long, you doing the same things, but in different places. Flying mechanic could be used more, not just for going from place to place. There is no real challenge, bosses are easy and other enemies non-existent. Some puzzles are nice, some just over complicated. Controls are ok, butNice beginning, then after completing all dungeons you backtrack to them again and again, story drags for too long, you doing the same things, but in different places. Flying mechanic could be used more, not just for going from place to place. There is no real challenge, bosses are easy and other enemies non-existent. Some puzzles are nice, some just over complicated. Controls are ok, but not great (played on lite). Music is great, like in every Zelda game. Overall you can skip this one and just watch youtube movie to know the story.… Expand
  25. mtkf
    Oct 18, 2021
    5
    Horrible controls! Even with the upgrades I could never get used to them by the time I finished the game. The story is okay, music is a bit bland for a Zelda game. The controls really ruin the game and I'm glad I finally finished it so I can resell it. Not worth $60.
  26. Lordbread
    Oct 2, 2021
    6
    It’s a good game but it gets really repetitive after a while it doesn’t really add anything to the original skyward sword other than the ability to use button controls. It is pretty much just skyward sword ported to the switch.
  27. couchmonkey
    Sep 10, 2021
    7
    I have only played the Wii version so take this review with a grain of salt. I think this version allows you to pick motion or no-motion, for my part, I have doubts about how well it would work without motion controls, see the other reviews!

    Aside from controls, here are my thoughts - Pros and cons from top to bottom: #1. Con: The world design sucks - I expect something reasonably    I have only played the Wii version so take this review with a grain of salt. I think this version allows you to pick motion or no-motion, for my part, I have doubts about how well it would work without motion controls, see the other reviews!

    Aside from controls, here are my thoughts - Pros and cons from top to bottom:

    #1. Con: The world design sucks - I expect something reasonably open-world from Zelda, but this is more like a hub with three mega-dungeons tacked on. Link finally gets to fly...as long as he stays in his closed-in cloud land and only enters the "regular" overworld from above.
    #2. Con: The story forces you down a linear path with a load of backtracking. In one open lake area, I was forced to do four different things in order...go to the wrong area at the wrong time and you'll just be sent away. Sad!
    #3. Pro: The motion-control sword battling was pretty great back in the day, as mentioned above, I don't know how this version controls.
    #4. Pro: Possibly the best soundtrack in the series.
    #5. Con: The swordless scavenger hunting sequences with one-hit deaths are a pain in the rear.
    #6. Con: I hate the sidekick, Fi. Worse than Navi from Ocarina of Time, for real.
    #7. Small Pro: the story is pretty entertaining, albeit with some weirdo characters in the mix.

    Replay value: The game lasted about 80 hours for me, maybe more like 65 for most folks...I doubt I"ll ever replay this game, it's too big and too mediocre, I could see myself playing the first 10-20 hours again.

    Dollar value: I'd pay around $40 Canadian for this game.    … Expand
  28. 2bitplayss
    Sep 9, 2021
    7
    I DON'T KNOW THIS GAME NEVER GRABBED ME I KEEP TRYING BUT...
    FIRST TIME PLAYING IT BUT..
    NEGATIVES im not the biggest complainer about graphics but just never liked this art style and i think it looks flat and boring i hate the motion controls and the button controls could they idk let you swing left with x and hold x for the charge and press y to swing op and hold y to charge idk    I DON'T KNOW THIS GAME NEVER GRABBED ME I KEEP TRYING BUT...
    FIRST TIME PLAYING IT BUT..
    NEGATIVES
    im not the biggest complainer about graphics but just never liked this art style and i think it looks flat and boring

    i hate the motion controls and the button controls could they idk let you swing left with x and hold x for the charge and press y to swing op and hold y to charge idk
    the flying is inverted and i hate that
    even though most tutorials are optinial i still went throug most of them to follow the story and because of that it took A WHILE to finaly get going.

    POSITIVES
    it runs at smooth 60 fps
    i like the story a lot
    i like the relation of link and zelda
    the bosses are great
    the dungeons are okay
    i don't mind it being more liniar
    music is good

    so yeah i don't hate the game its not a bad game but it never holds my attention    … Expand
  29. Slmft
    Aug 27, 2021
    5
    Sadly Skyward Sw. is a lazy HD port. The difference to the Wii Version is that it runs with "Anti Aliasing" on the Switch... The environment textures are really bad. No improvements. Controls are little improved but still annoying. Motion control with Joy-Con-Drift... Fck it. The controls feels weird overall. The HD ports, back in the days on the WiiU, WW and TP, looked way better. JustSadly Skyward Sw. is a lazy HD port. The difference to the Wii Version is that it runs with "Anti Aliasing" on the Switch... The environment textures are really bad. No improvements. Controls are little improved but still annoying. Motion control with Joy-Con-Drift... Fck it. The controls feels weird overall. The HD ports, back in the days on the WiiU, WW and TP, looked way better. Just sad. Not worth the full price.… Expand
  30. doodlerman
    Aug 21, 2021
    7
    In terms of story and character, Skyward Sword is one of the best. When it originally came out 10 years ago, I was blown away. The motion controls were immersive, the puzzles were challenging, and I thought the painted style was beautiful (and I loved how the further you were from things the more they appeared like broader daubs of paint). Granted, this was how I felt with my firstIn terms of story and character, Skyward Sword is one of the best. When it originally came out 10 years ago, I was blown away. The motion controls were immersive, the puzzles were challenging, and I thought the painted style was beautiful (and I loved how the further you were from things the more they appeared like broader daubs of paint). Granted, this was how I felt with my first playthrough. When I returned for the next playthrough, I found myself irked by so much of it.

    I went into Skyward Sword HD with high hopes, but even with all the quality of life changes, I found myself super irked by all of the little things that annoyed me before. Fi doesn't butt in as much as she used to, but she still butts in a lot. You can skip story cutscenes on your first playthrough now, but there's still a lot of really annoying, unskippable in-game cutscenes. Then there's The Imprisoned— arguably the worst boss in the series, and you have to fight it three times (upwards of six or more times if you want the Hylian Shield). The unskippable 'cutscenes' during the fight with The Imprisoned (and after you defeat it) are egregious.

    For some reason, in HD, the characters all have these sort of glassy eyes that make them look like they're really, really high. You get used to it after a while, but in the beginning it was driving me nuts. I don't remember the characters looking so high in the original release, but some friends of mine said they did, so I dunno. Another weird aspect, which I suppose makes sense with greater draw distances in HD, is that faraway aspects of the map no longer look like those appealing big daubs of paint. Instead, they retain their HD look and get smaller with distance.

    I played this entirely in handheld mode, and it took some getting used to. The non-motion control experience is nowhere near as immersive, but that's what I had to stick with. I might go back to trying the motion controls, but I'm just sort of lazy in setting it up, and, having just beaten it, I'm kinda Skyward Sworded out. I guess that's where other Zelda games shine. I can always go back to Breath of the Wild, or Ocarina of TIme, or, especially, Majora's Mask. In fact, with very few exceptions, I can dive back into just about any Zelda game after beating it. As for Skyward Sword, it's a game you take a break from. Maybe in a few years, I'll be in the mood to give it another go, but it just doesn't hold that much replayability for me.

    Still solid, though, I guess.    … Expand
prev
Page:

Awards & Rankings

56
#56 Best Switch Game of 2021
4
#4 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
See all critic reviews »