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
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  1. DreamCore
    Aug 18, 2021
    6
    I can start by saying that this is definitely the worst of the main-line games in the series. I don't understand how this could have been released after Twilight Princess, because it's worse in basically every way.

    Even with the non-motion-controls, the controls are pretty damn awkward, and so it the camera. The story is very weak and forgettable. There is an insane amount of    I can start by saying that this is definitely the worst of the main-line games in the series. I don't understand how this could have been released after Twilight Princess, because it's worse in basically every way.

    Even with the non-motion-controls, the controls are pretty damn awkward, and so it the camera.

    The story is very weak and forgettable.

    There is an insane amount of backtracking and running back and forth through the same few locations which gets really old.

    The sky is basically a glorified world map. It's very empty/dead and just tedious having to fly through.

    The enemy variaty is also severly lacking and the bosses feel extremely generic and straight forward.

    The side quests are the worst of their kind, with no map indicators and not even a quest log to remind you what the heck you're supposed to do.

    Again, this is definitely the weakest of the main-line entries in the series, and easily skippable if you're not a die hard Zelda fan.    … Expand
  2. 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.
  3. 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
  4. bhappenstance
    Nov 12, 2021
    2
    One's enjoyment of SS is almost entirely dependent on how well you adapt to the motion controls. The JoyCons may be a slight improvement over the Wii controllers, but they still constantly slip out of synch with the screen, making it all the more difficult to make precision swings. This becomes an increasingly aggravating burden as the game proceeds. In other words, the controls justOne's enjoyment of SS is almost entirely dependent on how well you adapt to the motion controls. The JoyCons may be a slight improvement over the Wii controllers, but they still constantly slip out of synch with the screen, making it all the more difficult to make precision swings. This becomes an increasingly aggravating burden as the game proceeds. In other words, the controls just *don't* really work. And if the controls don't work, nothing else really matters.… Expand
  5. Timeflies164
    Oct 10, 2021
    8
    They made some nice quality of life improvements to this game. This is a very good Zelda game!
  6. 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
  7. 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).
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. Aldro
    Nov 17, 2021
    0
    El juego esta diseñado para jugarlo con controles con sensores de movimiento. Jugando asi los controles son muy imprecisos y resulta muy frustrante jugar asi. Los controles con el mando convencional estan fatal adaptados. Es muy incomodo el manejo de la camara o el uso de los diferentes objetos. Muchas veces para sacar el arma tenia que aporrear varias veces el Joystick R y acababaEl juego esta diseñado para jugarlo con controles con sensores de movimiento. Jugando asi los controles son muy imprecisos y resulta muy frustrante jugar asi. Los controles con el mando convencional estan fatal adaptados. Es muy incomodo el manejo de la camara o el uso de los diferentes objetos. Muchas veces para sacar el arma tenia que aporrear varias veces el Joystick R y acababa recibiendo daño porque Link no atacaba. Con el uso de los objetos pasa igual. Me he pasado el juego entero y me sigue pareciendo incomodisimos los controles. La historia es aburrido y sencilla. Los enemigos son pocos y se repiten mucho. Los escenarios son pocos y la historia te obliga a pasar por los mismos sitios una y otra vez. Las misiones secundarias son aburridas. El juego es largo porque has de ir a los mismos escenarios 3 veces. El peor zelda que he jugado. Me ha resultado una tortura larga y horrible acabado. Le doy un 0 porque no se puede dar negativo. Porque costando esto 60 euros me parece una estafa.… Expand
  11. Aurum75
    Aug 24, 2021
    0
    Les contrôles sont tellement horrible que ça gâche complètement le jeu, sans parler des graphismes dégueulasses... Dégouté de l'avoir acheté
  12. 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
  13. geminivi
    Oct 4, 2021
    0
    The gyro controls are awful. I dropped this after 40 minutes when I got to the first bird race.
  14. 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.
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. Nxgamer
    Sep 15, 2021
    4
    The story is pretty trash the game drags on for so long that it could’ve just been a 15 hour game but it’s got 30 hours of random rubbish tacked onto the end of it that is meaningless and ruins the experience.
    The controls are TERRIBLE and motion controls are the worst thing I’ve seen in q video game.
    This is probably the worst game I’ve ever played and the sad thing is was that for the    The story is pretty trash the game drags on for so long that it could’ve just been a 15 hour game but it’s got 30 hours of random rubbish tacked onto the end of it that is meaningless and ruins the experience.
    The controls are TERRIBLE and motion controls are the worst thing I’ve seen in q video game.

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

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

    Overall this game kind of sucks and is not wortg your money and definitely not worth your time.    … Expand
  18. 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.
  19. Herdle
    Aug 21, 2021
    9
    Story drags on a bit towards the end, but overall it's very enjoyable and an amazing game
  20. 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
  21. Flakegriffn
    Jul 26, 2021
    10
    Amazing game with amazing story telling! Glad they brought this over to help the new generation try out the first Zelda in the timeline!
  22. 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
  23. 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
  24. Wadim_Amadeus
    Aug 26, 2021
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Complete zero! Disgusting control in both stationary and portable mode! after 50 hours of play, I just could not get past the boss because of the crooked and disgusting controls! The game is rubbish!… Expand
  25. 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.
  26. Diellm
    Oct 21, 2021
    3
    boring and with bad controls,empty game few enemies, very easy, boss fight mediocre
  27. matthewissound
    Nov 7, 2021
    3
    I'm not a longtime Zelda fan. I beat Link to the Past, Link's Awakening, and Breath of the Wild; I thought maybe this franchise couldn't lose. I read the reviews and thought "surely the motion controls aren't that bad." This game sucks. They went *all* in on motion control; every puzzle, every boss fight, every tool is about motion control. It would be one thing if they worked well, butI'm not a longtime Zelda fan. I beat Link to the Past, Link's Awakening, and Breath of the Wild; I thought maybe this franchise couldn't lose. I read the reviews and thought "surely the motion controls aren't that bad." This game sucks. They went *all* in on motion control; every puzzle, every boss fight, every tool is about motion control. It would be one thing if they worked well, but maybe 30% of the time the controls do what I was trying to do with them. It's so frustrating to know what you need to do, to try what you need to do, and have the game do something else entirely. If this had been my introduction to the Zelda franchise, I'd never play one of their games again.

    To be fair, I'm not going to give it 0. It's a nice world and a lot of what made Breath of the Wild cool is there. But this is the failed game that helped them learn their lesson for BotW. Would not recommend.    … Expand
  28. Stupidzelda
    Nov 23, 2021
    0
    This game is so stupid.My bf prefers to play Zelda than to spend time together.Please delete it and save my relationship.He actually became a zombie and he became so dump.Also the graphics are very ugly.You should fire your 3D artist. Have a nice day.
  29. Jose0812
    Dec 3, 2021
    0
    Porqueria de juego y plataforma Denotando una vez más que Nintendo es una compañía aferrada a sus tiempo de gloria en los 90’s sacando contenido para niños de 5 años a lo mucho y siento que me paso en el rango de edades.
  30. haskins111
    Feb 27, 2023
    10
    If your favorite aspect of Zelda are the dungeons, Skyward Sword will deliver. Each time you enter an area, you spend time trying to figure out how to cross it. Everything is cramped at the start, but you get more breathing room as you go. The maps are well designed, albeit overused. Look, it’s a flawed game, but I would love to see the theme we see in this game with other games. I didn’tIf your favorite aspect of Zelda are the dungeons, Skyward Sword will deliver. Each time you enter an area, you spend time trying to figure out how to cross it. Everything is cramped at the start, but you get more breathing room as you go. The maps are well designed, albeit overused. Look, it’s a flawed game, but I would love to see the theme we see in this game with other games. I didn’t like exploring the seas in Windwaker, but I desperately wanted to explore the skies in SS.

    The later dungeons in the game are some of my favorite dungeons in all of Zelda. And, traditional Zelda’s have a “sneak don’t fight” part of their games. Those parts usually annoy me, but I found myself looking forward to those levels because it allowed the player to develop strategies to run through the same map again.

    You get the ability to upgrade your items, take advantage of a simple crafting system, and feel the exhilaration of soaring through the air.

    There's a lot of controversy around this game that just shouldn't be there. Those originally came to be because of Fi and motion controls. Even with this game's changes to directly mitigate those, the same gripes are being repeated in a way that implies no changes have been made at all. Since this isn't a new game, you can easily look at critic reviews / videos and decide whether it's a game you would enjoy. I would definitely recommend if it looks fun to you. Make no mistake, this is a lot of people's favorite Zelda.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

56
#56 Best Switch Game of 2021
4
#4 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2021

Critic Reviews

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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.
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  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.
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  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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