The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

 Wii
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2628 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,980 out of 2628
  2. Mixed: 360 out of 2628
  3. Negative: 288 out of 2628
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  1. Dezpy
    Apr 24, 2012
    3
    I couldn't stand playing it. I'm sorry for giving it such a bad score, but I couldn't even make it all the way through. I thought to myself "Why play it if it is complete hell to get through?"

    Your hand is being held throughout the entire game. Fi drove me bonkers after the first twenty minutes of getting out into the world, giving you completely useless information and percentages, or    I couldn't stand playing it. I'm sorry for giving it such a bad score, but I couldn't even make it all the way through. I thought to myself "Why play it if it is complete hell to get through?"

    Your hand is being held throughout the entire game. Fi drove me bonkers after the first twenty minutes of getting out into the world, giving you completely useless information and percentages, or giving you tips the gave it completely away. If Fi wasn't helping you out, there always seemed to be something else there that gave it away. You couldn't explore, the dialogue was slow, the graphics gave me a headache (Personally, I can't stand that graphic style.) I purchased the wii motion plus just for this game. I was that excited about it. The motion control sucks, may I add that. No matter how much I moved the censor, or switched controllers, or even attempted to perfect my own wrist movement, I always found my sword wouldn't do exactly what I wanted it to without a couple tries. The only thing that was difficult about the game was the combat, but that was only when the enemies were constantly shielding from your attacks. If you managed to get past that, it was a breeze.

    I had been told that it got better as it went through, but I honestly just gave up. There was no pleasure coming from it. I know a seven year old who loved it. And I could understand why. The mixture of cutesy graphics and enemies, being carried through objectives, and completely obnoxious npc's (I just wanted to purchase that potion, I didn't want the whole story behind how you created it and what it does), makes it a great children's game.

    Truly a disappointment. I couldn't wait for it to arrive at my doorstep, I had waited days, and when it finally came I was thrilled, until I began playing. Honestly though, I think its either a game you're going to love, or you're going to hate.    … Expand
  2. JamieMadrox85
    Apr 23, 2012
    1
    I am a long time fan of the Zelda series (since NES) and this is by far the worst one ive ever played. The motion controls are horrid. Backtracking is rampant, flying is pointless and boring filler along with the stupid fetch quests that do nothing but add to the time it will take you to finish the game and no it isnt the least bit fun. Everytime i started to have any ounce of fun it wasI am a long time fan of the Zelda series (since NES) and this is by far the worst one ive ever played. The motion controls are horrid. Backtracking is rampant, flying is pointless and boring filler along with the stupid fetch quests that do nothing but add to the time it will take you to finish the game and no it isnt the least bit fun. Everytime i started to have any ounce of fun it was sucked away by stupid game design. How any fan of this series can say this is the best one since ocarina is absolutely beyond me. This game is so bad that it is literally the only zelda game i didnt finish because i got that sick of it. (Completing the sword was the last thing i did. I dont recommended this game at all unless you want to experience incredibly bad motion controls. This entry made me want to play twilight princess again and i didnt even like that one alot but it was defintely better than this trash dont waste your time.… Expand
  3. BOBTHESPOON
    Nov 22, 2011
    2
    Motion controlls lag, camera seems to go off into its own little world so you cant even see whats infront of you. Story is average. Gameplay is fun though. The motion controlls are scripted, and they tend to do something completely different then what you wanted it to do. Theres no voice acting, like wtf Nintendo?
  4. Manzor
    Feb 4, 2020
    4
    Ok, this game is not a bad game by itself but I honestly believe it is one of the weakest entries in the Zelda series. There are so many things that were cut from the final game that it doesn't feel as much as Zelda than as some other generic adventure title. It has a few strong points and even in its weakness, it's not terrible.

    One thing that I really didn't like was the lack of    Ok, this game is not a bad game by itself but I honestly believe it is one of the weakest entries in the Zelda series. There are so many things that were cut from the final game that it doesn't feel as much as Zelda than as some other generic adventure title. It has a few strong points and even in its weakness, it's not terrible.

    One thing that I really didn't like was the lack of overworld. The skies are pretty much empty and are boring, the city is not so big as to offer an exploring challenge, therefore there's not actual exploration in this game, one of the basic pilars of the legend of Zelda games and something I have always loved.

    The lands are an unrealistic laberinth, a dungeon, they don't feel as a place to explore but a combination of corridors to get to the next dungeon.

    The lack of day and night cycles reduce the feeling of natural environment and brings me back to very old games, before Ocarina of time. The dawn and the twilight brought me so many amazing feelings in Ocarina, Twilight princess and Wind waker that I couldn't understand why remove such a basic feature.

    There are no towns or cities to explore, just the city on the skies. Even Majora's mask had something that looked like a zora domain or a goron city. Places to enjoy and explore full of friendly npcs, shops, etc.

    i didn't like the gameplay either. The built I had in my house with the wii made reallly hard for me back then to play the game right, my controls were desynchronized every now and then, and they were not precise at all... at least in my case. And I always felt tedious to fight even the most basic mob, when I had to strike him in specific ways to kill him. He is WEAK, I have defeated one hundred guys stronger than him, why do I need to stop and take 20 seconds calculating his strike to actually kill him??

    The graphic style was ok but I didn't like the Link's model. His lips were strange and talking about lips, i didn't like Girahim at first either. Creepy bastard. At least Zant look serious at first.

    The game takes my hand all the time and I mean ALL THE **** TIME. Phi is tedious, freaking tedious, much, much, much worse than Navi. At least Navi felt alive. And she just interrupted me once or twice for every playing session. Phi interrupts every freaking time for the most stupid reasons. The game is really linear, you just can't get lost between dungeons.

    Another thing I really didn't like is how you need to get back to the same places once, and again, and again, and fight the same bosses once and again, and again. I got sick of the imprisoned.

    The game has some great things. The story was surprisingly good (Breath of the wild 2 needs to take that from here) andthe characters in general were great. I really loved the redhair bully even if I can't remember his name, that character evolved quite a lot and that's amazing.

    The music is great and the dungeons are really creative and interesting (in general).

    But exploration and fighting are things that I think are essential in a Zelda game and in my opinion, a big failure here. I understand even 6 or 7 points from people that gives more value to story and characters but to me, it's exploration and gameplay first and I can't forgive that.

    Maybe that's why I love Breath of the wild so much, that game fixed most of the problems taht Skyward sword created. If the next Zelda was following the skyward sword line of features I would stopped playing Zelda games and that's not a guessing, I know it for sure.

    This is a decent game maybe but a really bad Zelda game.    … Expand
  5. deanisawesome17
    Apr 14, 2013
    4
    I want to love this game. I really do. I've been a hardcore fan of the series since LttP. I bought the stupid wii motion plus and started up this game with my heart pumping and my hands quivering. I proceeded to be slapped in the friggen face with what they've done to my Zelda. After the first 3 temples, I quit entirely. It took my friend Rachael another 4 months to convince me to pick itI want to love this game. I really do. I've been a hardcore fan of the series since LttP. I bought the stupid wii motion plus and started up this game with my heart pumping and my hands quivering. I proceeded to be slapped in the friggen face with what they've done to my Zelda. After the first 3 temples, I quit entirely. It took my friend Rachael another 4 months to convince me to pick it up again, with the promise that it gets better. And she didn't lie. Some of the bosses (especially Four Arms McSamurai Robot) and level designs are GREAT! But the overall game just didn't hold up. I didn't feel like link, saving the world from evil. I felt like I was busting my way through dungeons, having my hand held by the most annoying character to grace the series. Navi pretty annoying. Fi holy godamn your are so annoying it is physically hurting me. She literally will interrupt the game to inform you that "bows shoot arrows", "keys go into locks", and my favorite, "I was beeping to let you know about the other beeping to let you know that your health is low". The controls were not 1:1, making the prequel to the final boss the most frustrating battle I have ever experienced. But then after that I killed the final boss with relative ease! And let's not forget that the cool Zelda races have been replaced with weird little penguin f**kers, and MOLE PEOPLE. SERIOUSLY. Hey game designers, Imma just put it out there, if you're looking for innovational character design, MOLE PEOPLE WILL NEVER BE IT!! Oh, and the bird sucks. Theres minimal air combat and the over world is too big to be flying uselessly along. I want Epona back. I get it. I really do, it's supposed to be new and creative. I just don't caaaare. It sucked, gimme back Epona. And give me back the ADVENTURE! This game was so "on the rails" it made me feel like I was playing a LoZ mod of an FPS. The side quests were all silly grind fests with no real merit. If this wasn't a Zelda game, I would give it at least a 7. But I had certain expectations from this, and they just weren't met. As a kid who grew up defeating Ganondorf, memorizing the songs, collecting all the mask to become the fierce diety, and riding over the fields of Hyrule on my beloved horse, this was not what I was hoping for. But it looks like they'll get the next game right so far!… Expand
  6. drlowdon
    May 27, 2014
    4
    I'll start this review by saying that, while I've enjoyed a number of games in the series, I wouldn't generally consider myself to be a huge Zelda fan. Having heard virtually nothing but positive reviews for this title since its release however I purchased Skyward Sword hoping it would top all the previous games. This may not be the popular opinion but I was left bitterly disappointed as aI'll start this review by saying that, while I've enjoyed a number of games in the series, I wouldn't generally consider myself to be a huge Zelda fan. Having heard virtually nothing but positive reviews for this title since its release however I purchased Skyward Sword hoping it would top all the previous games. This may not be the popular opinion but I was left bitterly disappointed as a number of issues meant I failed to garner much enjoyment from the game.
    Chief amongst these issues is the tedious opening three to four hours in which the majority of the time is spent listening to characters explain the world in far more detail than is necessary rather than just letting the player explore for themselves. I've never played a game where I found myself wishing that NPCs would just stop talking and let me get on with things quite as much. During this time it also becomes clear just how important HD has become to a games visuals. I'm not someone who is usually too fussed about how a game looks but Skyward Sword looks particularly ugly in places, especially when compared to the gorgeous cel-shaded graphics of The Wind Waker. The much hyped motion-controls, while better than the majority of Wii titles, are also as frustrating as ever in places.
    There are of course plenty of examples of the usual Nintendo magic to be found throughout the game and Zelda fans will likely be pleased with what they find but this won’t do anything to attract gamers previously uninterested in the series.    … Expand
  7. Lightning2153
    Sep 14, 2020
    0
    My favorite Zelda game!
    Incredible story, cool sword fighting, Link actually has an arc, wonderful music, and an absolutely amazing ending, which had me saying out loud: "Oh my gosh, this is amazing! This is my favorite Zelda game!!!"
  8. StallStallStall
    Jul 18, 2012
    3
    The Zelda series was born of Shigeru Miyamoto's childhood adventures around the Kyoto countryside, where he would discover caves, lakes and most of all, the joy of exploration.

    This has been retired in the latest instalment, where exploration and vast seamless worlds have been sacrificed completely in favour of rigid, isolated adventure 'arenas'. Gone are the open waters of Great Sea,    The Zelda series was born of Shigeru Miyamoto's childhood adventures around the Kyoto countryside, where he would discover caves, lakes and most of all, the joy of exploration.

    This has been retired in the latest instalment, where exploration and vast seamless worlds have been sacrificed completely in favour of rigid, isolated adventure 'arenas'. Gone are the open waters of Great Sea, the dusty sunsets of Hyrule Fields, the intriguing duality of the light and dark worlds. Hearken in three, tiny, boxed-off playgrounds.

    And a sky, oh how could I forget the sky? Three-dozen floating rocks of varying degrees of pointlessness.

    I found this title utterly disappointing. Not only is the exploration the series was born from gone, but we're graced with the most boring and vacant Link to date - who's only response to his charming new world is a series of awkward grunts.

    Dull, forgettable music (Song of the Goddess is the only one that was memorable). An irritating and bland support character (especially when compared to Midna and Linebeck), awkward and unresponsive controls (flight...), and it pains me to say this, but ugly and dated graphics.

    Perhaps standalone, this title would be alright, but not as a Zelda title. Not even close.    … Expand
  9. SuperSourSauce
    Nov 14, 2017
    2
    Playing this game makes me wanna thrust my sword skyward into the nearest lightbulb outlet.

    Motion controls ruined the gameplay for me, and I found everything else to be bland.
  10. Ardonas
    Mar 12, 2012
    4
    I really wanted to like this game, but I'm sorry. I just can't. The controls are pretty close to the 1:1 they promised, but they didn't use it to make interesting swordplay, they just used it to make every fight a repetitive puzzle. The story is severely limited, and exploration is almost nonexistent. This is my least favorite Zelda game ever (CDI games aside) and it mostly comes down toI really wanted to like this game, but I'm sorry. I just can't. The controls are pretty close to the 1:1 they promised, but they didn't use it to make interesting swordplay, they just used it to make every fight a repetitive puzzle. The story is severely limited, and exploration is almost nonexistent. This is my least favorite Zelda game ever (CDI games aside) and it mostly comes down to the feeling that this is "Zelda lite" for a crowd that's forgotten what Zelda was always about. Now get off my lawn kids, grandpa's going to go play the first Zelda again.… Expand
  11. BenSav
    Jun 30, 2012
    0
    To be quite frank to all the 'REAL' Zelda lovers this is my opinion:

    Firstly I'm a DIEHARD zelda fan this game has changed my life. Well, sadly not this actual game itself. I'm 21 years old and currently an aspiring musician in the UK, when I was 7 years old and I'd heard the Lost Woods theme playing in the background of all that magical forestry I remember my heart skipping a beat for    To be quite frank to all the 'REAL' Zelda lovers this is my opinion:

    Firstly I'm a DIEHARD zelda fan this game has changed my life. Well, sadly not this actual game itself. I'm 21 years old and currently an aspiring musician in the UK, when I was 7 years old and I'd heard the Lost Woods theme playing in the background of all that magical forestry I remember my heart skipping a beat for a second.
    So there I was motivated with my little yamaha toy keyboard infront of me and I sat down for 4 hours and learned the melody. 14 years later I'm still playing that melody to this current date. My undying love for music and adventures made this game feel like curry to a drunk. Everything Zelda up until 'Skyward Sword' brought me back to that magical moment when I was 7. I think the Critics aswell as the media are manufacturing lies when they say this is the best Zelda game since Ocarina of Time. It clearly isn't is it, about 65% of the way through the game I still had a glimmer of hope, I remember thinking to myself "It's ok after i'v done this bit I think I should finally be in hyrule field" There was no hyrule field. Instead the most adventurous map the developers could think of was above a few clouds with barely nothing to explore except a few chests you open on the ground below (which is only accessible through different parts of the sky). The music was nothing special either really, on OoT it was that detailed you could even learn to play the simpsons theme on your ocarina, little things like that made Zelda fun. Also being 21 and a smoker I really couldn't be bothered waving a stick around to kill an enemy can we have the option to use buttoned control pads again pleaaaaaaasseeee.    … Expand
  12. Dunstan
    Mar 18, 2012
    3
    This game is missing so much of the magic I've com to expect from Zelda games...theres none of the exploration, freedom, characters or emotion I found with Ocarina of Time and the others. I'm a fair way through and I have yet to get that "Zelda feeling". Obviously I wasn't expecting Skyrim with triforces but everything just feels dumbed down and simplified...all apart from the controls,This game is missing so much of the magic I've com to expect from Zelda games...theres none of the exploration, freedom, characters or emotion I found with Ocarina of Time and the others. I'm a fair way through and I have yet to get that "Zelda feeling". Obviously I wasn't expecting Skyrim with triforces but everything just feels dumbed down and simplified...all apart from the controls, which are just a mess. Really wish I'd just kept Zelda as a memory...Ocarina of Time is still the best game ever, not even this can spoil that.… Expand
  13. frostedblakes
    Jul 25, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. When I was six years old I got an N64 and OoT for my birthday... to put it lightly I have a major fan of the The Legend of Zelda games since. To be blunt I was not impressed by SS. Peope have said that we who are negative of SS are blinded by our nostagla from past Zelda games, to that I agree to an extent. The Zelda franchise has been a constantly evolving series, that has change many core gameplay mechanics, but stayed true to what Zelda has always been about; adventuring the lands, finding badass items, wicked boss fights, and a deep and convaluted story that grips you and pulls you in from start to finish. Pre-N64 games aside, OoT (ALttP was fantasic for its time as well) achieved all of these elements with a high degree for its time becoming one of the first great 3D adventures. It is now the model to which all of us hardcore "Zelda fanatics" hold all future installments to. SS is a paradox, despite being hailed as the greatest Zelda game ever, it is a major step back from the progress made since OoT. Each game brings its own special flavour to the medley, and despite never being "perfect" they represent progress for the franchise. SS throws away many successful and exhilarating aspects of past games, for new greener ideas. I cannot fault Nintendo for this, for without innovation the franchise wouldn't be in the same place as it is today. Nevertheless, I dearly miss the open worlds of WW and to an extent TP, interesting races like the Gorons or Zoras, the epic boss battles that *ALWAYS* required the unique item from the given temple, and finally... you can quote me on this, "a complelling story". As a self rebuttle I did greatly enjoy the new crafting system, the development of many secondary characters on Skyloft, and the new puzzles using the Wii MotionPlus. These are keepers in the Zelda franchise as far as I'm concerned, although the sword fighting with MotionPlus was at times...infuriating. Despite this the things that made LoZ so special to me, are spat on and frankly thrown out the window as far as I'm concerned for the following 3 reasons:
    1. Adventuring: Essentially none existent - 3 seperated linear areas, and a large sky that apart from skyloft has very little to offer. In WW there was a wide open world to explore that was deeply interconnected and possible to travel at anytime, even if some islands secrets were item specific. Even the original OoT was open, and Hyrule could be travelled freely other than a free choice exceptions. The main complaint is that the progress that was made in WW and not so much in TP towards a more open and interactive world was not existent in SS.
    2. Boss Fights: Just Awful - Apart from Koloktos, the huge beast with 6 arms (who was a blast to fight I should say), and Demise, the rest get to big thumbs dowm. Ghirahim is a huge pain to fight not to mention that you battle him 3 times instead of a boss that is unique to the temple, and the rest are fairly lame. One of my favourite part of the past games was the massive boss fights and how satisfying they always were. Its not a matter of difficulty, but how satisfying it is to slay a massive beast...SS misses the mark in this category.
    3. Story: Weak - this is a very subjective category I admit, but its been said before and I'll say it again...the story of SS is awful with numerous plot holes. For one who the bloody f*** is Ghirahim! yes he is the demon lord pledged to Demise, but come on! no detailed reasons for his motives, what makes him demon lord? where does he come from? In TP there was a great backstory on Zant, his background is blurry, but it is obvious he is usurping Minda as Ganondorfs pawn and is conquering the world of light. Its easy to work out that Demise has the evil, destroy everything that is fresh and sweet goal, but some more to go on would be nice espeically for Ghirahim. In every Zelda game I've been absolutely captured by the story, with SS I could barely finish the game! I don't even wanna start with Fi...in summary I would have sold my first born child to get one chance to strangle her! To sum up, weak secondary characters, terrible races (the kwikis...come on...), far to linear and repetative plot, and most importantly a lack of connection with the world depicted in SS. I want to jump in to the world's created in Zelda! if you don't feel involved in the plight of the world why bother saving it?

    Skyward Sword is a step forward for the Zelda francise in terms of controls, and systems, but 2 steps back for the key elements that any Zelda fan should sit anxiously at the edge of their seat for. SS represents a new era for the Zelda franchise, I may not like it but the 93/100 speaks for itself. Old schoolers like myself may be sidelined as Zelda moves into new, uncharted waters disregarding past innovations. I can only hope that LoZ can move forward while respecting the past by bringing about positive change, while staying true to its roots!    … Expand
  14. GenuineOpinion
    Mar 15, 2012
    1
    VERY overrated game. I don't know why people are even thinking of comparing this ill handled turd to Ocarina of Time. The controls SUCK. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise.
  15. JerDude
    Mar 16, 2012
    4
    The only reason I'm writing this is because I just beat Skyward Sword and now I need to vent about the game... I was hoping to feel a sense of urgency or seriousness about the game like in the older Zelda games, but didn't feel like that was the case at all. Instead I felt more of a sense of awkwardness. The music was also awkwardly annoying throughout most of the game. The theme songThe only reason I'm writing this is because I just beat Skyward Sword and now I need to vent about the game... I was hoping to feel a sense of urgency or seriousness about the game like in the older Zelda games, but didn't feel like that was the case at all. Instead I felt more of a sense of awkwardness. The music was also awkwardly annoying throughout most of the game. The theme song to the game was the only exception. There were a number of other awkward parts in the game, but those were the two main disappointments about the game. The things I did enjoy was the use of the wii remote. Felt like it added a lot more to the gameplay. I also liked the actual story line and how it goes into more detail about how Link, Zelda, and Girham (or however you spell his name) are tied together.

    Anyways, besides Mario Kart, Zelda is the only game I'm still hooked on from my childhood. I'll just have to give up on the new Zelda games and stick with Link to the Past or Ocarina of Time if I ever get the urge to play Zelda again!    … Expand
  16. Tommten
    Jul 14, 2013
    1
    Truly a disappointment. The motion control sucks ass. It doesn't always work and it's tiresome to play with. Also, its pointless. It would be both easier and better to use normal controls. The only reason the game had any difficulty is because the controls are useless and broken.

    Other then that, the game had meaningless conversations, a boring story, you couldn't explore, the dialogue    Truly a disappointment. The motion control sucks ass. It doesn't always work and it's tiresome to play with. Also, its pointless. It would be both easier and better to use normal controls. The only reason the game had any difficulty is because the controls are useless and broken.

    Other then that, the game had meaningless conversations, a boring story, you couldn't explore, the dialogue was slow, and meaningless boring missions. Didn't even want to make it all the way through the game, it was to bad. There was no pleasure in playing it. My brother felt the very same way and neither of us played through it.    … Expand
  17. 6xdandangp
    Dec 29, 2012
    0
    Weak story and character development. Although the game is playable, there was no drive for me to continue due to a lack of incentive to do so. I forced myself to beat the game because I beat every Zelda game before this one.
  18. Okonkwo
    May 15, 2012
    4
    Let me start off by saying I am a huge Legend of Zelda fan. After reading reviews and talking with friends it seemed certain that I would love this game. After my play through however I am left with a bitter taste in my mouth and can tell you without a doubt that I will never play this game again. I think that if you are not a Zelda fan stay away from this game. This game has taken muchLet me start off by saying I am a huge Legend of Zelda fan. After reading reviews and talking with friends it seemed certain that I would love this game. After my play through however I am left with a bitter taste in my mouth and can tell you without a doubt that I will never play this game again. I think that if you are not a Zelda fan stay away from this game. This game has taken much inspiration from modern MMOs and as such suffers from the same mediocrity that plagues that genre. The controls are terrible, the dialogue is bland and in every way that the game takes a step forward from itsâ… Expand
  19. UberPrinny
    Feb 24, 2012
    1
    This appears to be one of those games you either love or hate. Unfortunately no matter how much I WANTED to love it... I just couldn't. Going into the game I had a hard time sticking with it I was so bored... Then suddenly everyone started reassuring me "Oh no it get's good about 20 hours in". 20 hours? A Zelda game that doesn't get good until 20 hours in? I'm sorry where is the memo thatThis appears to be one of those games you either love or hate. Unfortunately no matter how much I WANTED to love it... I just couldn't. Going into the game I had a hard time sticking with it I was so bored... Then suddenly everyone started reassuring me "Oh no it get's good about 20 hours in". 20 hours? A Zelda game that doesn't get good until 20 hours in? I'm sorry where is the memo that said Zelda would be taking lessons from Final Fantasy. But even with that I trudged through hoping to get to the promised "good" that was oh so deeply buried under a mountain of trash. Sadly almost at the end of the game... it just never came. Everything seemed like a big out of the way wild goose chase and nothing really flowed all that well at all. The flying controls were "wonky" at best for lack of a better word. Displaying every damned item I'd seen a hundred times before stopping in the middle of everything to show me picking it up, the explanation of the item and showing it being deposited in my bag just seemed so very needless... And Fi, don't even get me started on Fi. After being told where something is by the various goofy characters in the game of course Fi has to pop up and say THERE IS A 95% CHANCE THAT THING IS WHERE THEY JUST SAID. Oh... oh wow thanks, what ever would I do without you? Oh what's that? I'm low on hearts? I should probably find some? MAN, so THAT'S what that constant annoying beeping was! Ugh... I can't think of too many redeeming features of this game... I really can't. The entire thing just seems like a big chore. After the one point where I have to collect all those things under water I just stopped. I just couldn't take the monotony anymore. I'm glad there are many people that got more joy out of the game than I did, but it's still no Ocarina of Time or Twilight Princess... or hell even a Wind Waker. It's just not Zelda in my eyes.… Expand
  20. play4zelda2
    Apr 8, 2012
    0
    Worst game ever. Why the fu** do you have to fight that fu**ing black monster 3 times... first time "i really did not like that" second time " I fu**ing hate Nintendo" third time i stood up, took the game out went to the street, put it in the street, and ate popcorn as i watched it get run over by a car. I stopped the car and gave the driver 20$. I Hate Nintendo. They ruined the one game IWorst game ever. Why the fu** do you have to fight that fu**ing black monster 3 times... first time "i really did not like that" second time " I fu**ing hate Nintendo" third time i stood up, took the game out went to the street, put it in the street, and ate popcorn as i watched it get run over by a car. I stopped the car and gave the driver 20$. I Hate Nintendo. They ruined the one game I was addicted to. If your addicted to LoZ play this game if you want to get over it, if you don't well its to late for me.… Expand
  21. Lost_Hero9
    May 7, 2012
    0
    Probably the WORST Zelda game ever created. Its fast travel system is completely stupid and a waste of time, the motion control's dont respond all the time and can be extremely frustrating when fighting an enemy. Previous Zelda games will always be the best. Then again, Nintendo will continue to milk the hell out of the franchise...
  22. LordSeferoth
    Dec 29, 2011
    0
    Game is utter disapointment. Controls are awful, graphics are mushy, soundtrack is disapointing and there are hardly any new innovations or features when compared to previous titles. The Legend of Zelda serie is really starting to show its age and nintendo really have to start putting more efforts to these games in future.
  23. gumpei
    Jan 18, 2012
    1
    Please you introduce classic control system.
    Motion control is a ****
    The Legend of Zelda SS is a worse game after The Legend of Zelda WW and TP, in fact they demonstrate it to the sales.
    It gets worse sales for The Legend of Zelda home of the history
  24. Jorchking
    Nov 26, 2018
    4
    I have played a long Zelda list games, but Im sure that this game is the worst Zelda in 3D. Only the Motion was excellent, but the other things, same and same the same thing. With a Lower difficulty, dungeons very easy and not workered.
    This is, by far, the most overrated Zelda game of all time.
  25. OldTimer
    Feb 11, 2012
    0
    The graphics and characters are incredible, the sounds and music are great. The challenges are awesome. Or would be, except...

    Nintendo has removed the features that made older Zelda games popular and successful; searching, thinking, reasoning out challenges. In Skyward Sword you're shown or told at least twice everything you have to do to proceed. Not only are you not given a chance to    The graphics and characters are incredible, the sounds and music are great. The challenges are awesome. Or would be, except...

    Nintendo has removed the features that made older Zelda games popular and successful; searching, thinking, reasoning out challenges. In Skyward Sword you're shown or told at least twice everything you have to do to proceed. Not only are you not given a chance to think for yourself, you're prevented from doing it. Zelda is now a movie with interminable and inescapable cut scenes punctuated with "twitch" game segments. It's no wonder Nintendo is having financial difficulties.    … Expand
  26. phads
    Nov 29, 2011
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I was really ready to love this game since it's a new Zelda game and I have played them all from start to finish! Ive grown up with these game and have been waiting along time for this wii release of a zelda game...

    First of all... Were's the freedom we all LOVED with the old games? Now you just "dive" into new areas... The exploring of the game is gone.. And why is the graphic ALWAYS out of focus? The textures is so low resolution that's a shame to the franchise.. :( The drawing distance of the game engine is terrible. The graphics is way worse than ocarina of time that came out in 1998... The puzzles in this game are great! But the control ruins the fun, the joystick is way slower than it was in TP and the motion plus of the sword is somewhat the only thing that works with the controls. You always have to recalibrate the motion plus controller when you try flying for example the beetle. And there is so many insignificant uses of the wii motion controller that could be done with buttons better! This game is made for the motion controllers but you could made a more balanced gameplay controller... The story of the game is ridiculous #SPOILERS you live on a floating island and you try to become a knight and zelda get caught by a storm and yes the nonsense story goes on. It's not like the good old games were you actualy have a good background like you come from a little forest village and fight yourself upwards in the world! No now your some kind of random god knight that's flying a big useless bird that's impossible to controll and just dive/jump into new "dungeons". And what's up with your SWORD, now it's no fairy that's helping you ,now your sword is carrying somekind of ALIEN like sword creature that calculates everything "it's 95% chance you will find Zelda in this dungeon". And the alien always talk about the motion controller and how you can recalibrate it, what a nice way to keep the adventure illusion talking about the controller "35% of all the time the alien talks". There's still no voice acting but it's of no big deal us Zelda fans are used to it and it's no setback compared to the other games. The sound is good to make it short. I have finished the game. All the way I was thinking why the **** dont I play ocarina of time / TP ?! The score is based on 1point for the sword controll, 1point for the sound and 1 for the puzzles. I hope if you read this that you will get a greater experince of this Zelda game than I had. I guess my expectations were to high :(    … Expand
  27. FightForTheLost
    Dec 13, 2011
    1
    Horrible controls, linearity, fetch quests galore, underwhelming sountrack, characters so utterly over the top ridiculously kiddy they make Wind Waker look like Gears Of War in comparison Skyward Sword proves yet again beyond a shadow of a doubt that not only is Eiji Aonouma a hack no talent director/producer but that the man can continually time and time again top his own efforts atHorrible controls, linearity, fetch quests galore, underwhelming sountrack, characters so utterly over the top ridiculously kiddy they make Wind Waker look like Gears Of War in comparison Skyward Sword proves yet again beyond a shadow of a doubt that not only is Eiji Aonouma a hack no talent director/producer but that the man can continually time and time again top his own efforts at horrible game design in a manner eerily similar to how his creative superior Shigeru Miyamoto seemingly can top himself at creating better and better games. Ever since the utter disaster and trainwreck as well insults to the Zelda series that were and are Majora's Mask and Wind Waker the Zelda series has been sliding downhill into mediocrity and impending irrelevancy. The solution of course is to either outright fire Eiji Aonouma or remove him from the Zelda team and get Miyamoto directing the series he and Takashi Tezuka invented again but will Nintendo do that? Will they do the right thing?? WIth their track record of idiotic decisions the answer to that question is unlikely. They give us a romance between Link and Zelda FINALLY and they STILL DON'T KISS! What the hell is wrong with Nintendo? 25 years of blue balling Link and the fanbase is utterly unacceptable. The Mass Effect series and Elder Scrolls have undoubtably surpassed what Zelda as a game franchise has become under Aonouma's stewardship and that never needed to happen but through Nintendo's negligence and arrogance it HAS happened. Skyward Sword offers us an ultra kiddy dumbed down Bizarre with idiotic parental figures one that gobbles like a turkey in an attempt to calm down the baby on his back which I'm sure only serves to upset the baby further and the mother idiotically calls out "hey yo!" so much to no one in particular you'd think she was a Scott Hall fan of late 90's professional wrestling fame. Add to that a cast of characters that belong on either the Disney Channel (Groose) or the Logo Network (Ghirahim, Pumpkin Soup bartender, Bizarre Fortune Teller, and Fun Island man) you've got a whole collection of characters that are simply inappropriate for the Legend Of Zelda's overall theme as a series which is that this game series is supposed to be and always was (before Eiji Aonouma got his dirty hands on it) a midieval sword and sorcery adventure which common sense dictates should feature mostly serious characters both that you can take seriously as your opponents as well your allies. The site of the eye shadow wearing, dangly diamond clad homosexual Ghirahim does not fill one with terror but a combination of disgust and laughter two feelings no one should be getting from a Legend Of Zelda series boss. Demise the final boss and predecessor of the Ganon character is more what the series is supposed to be all about but unfortunately we have to suffer through his homosexual non threatening buddy who belongs on the Logo Network Ghirahim through the majority of the game and not just once but three times we have to face that decidedly unmanly tribute to cultural marxism and the moral corruption of American society. Ultimately I give this game a 1 to both signify its quality from my perspective as well grudgingly say that hardcore Zelda fans should at least play through this one once before putting it on their shelves with the rest of the Nintendo shovelware to collect dust and never be played again to disgrace and insult our collective intelligence with. From the tedious and far too numerous Silent Realm fetch quests to the tad notes fetch quest Eiji Aonouma and the new director Hidemaro Fujibayashi have truly created something that competes NOT with Ocarina Of Time but rather with Superman 64, Majora's Mask and Wind Waker for the worst game of all time and with the latter two games for the worst so called "Zelda" game in the series history. Message to Nintendo in closing: If you have any sense left in you as a company remove Eiji Aonouma from the Zelda series development immediately and get Shigeru Miyamoto back in the director's chair or Takashi Tezuka either of the series original creators and get the best writer the series has ever had Yoshiaki Koizumi to write the story. If you want to make this series worth a damn again and sell more than Ocarina Of Time or equivalent to that title do as I say. You companies only care about money anyway and that NOT Disney-ing the series up is what will bring you the masses of money that you desire. Wind Waker was a flop and Skyward Sword is turning into a sales flop as well despite being the supposed fastest selling Zelda so understand that the overall Zelda fanbase has spoken. No more cartoons or Aonouma garbage we want a real and worthy Zelda game to follow in the direction Ocarina Of Time and Link To The Past had the series heading in so long ago and only Miyamoto and Tezuka know how to bring it back in that direction, back on course.… Expand
  28. podesta
    Jan 21, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I Am a greatest for the legend of zelda, but I have not absolutely appreciated new combat system.
    The legend of zelda is not bad hack and slash, is beautiful adventure. motion plus is annoying and tiring controller. Please returned classic control in the future, otherwise I will not buy wii u    … Expand
  29. Solifugaes
    Aug 4, 2012
    1
    I have a soft spot for Zelda from way back, this game cured me of it. Probably the most frustrating thing is sitting through constant dialogue screens. You cannot fast forward them and have to sit as page after page of boring inane rubbish (gee you look good in that green uniform...click A for next). And the text just crawls slowly across the screen. Waiting, waiting, click A.I have a soft spot for Zelda from way back, this game cured me of it. Probably the most frustrating thing is sitting through constant dialogue screens. You cannot fast forward them and have to sit as page after page of boring inane rubbish (gee you look good in that green uniform...click A for next). And the text just crawls slowly across the screen. Waiting, waiting, click A. Waiting, waiting, Click A.

    After that terrible bird race, you have to jump off a tower and land inside a circle. If you miss the circle...then try again. Well, try again after sitting through 5 screens of Zelda telling you how to do it, the text just crawls and you cannot fast foward. Ugh. This is even more frustrating than the terrible controls.    … Expand
  30. Vdawg
    Jun 2, 2013
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. First off, I wonder how much money Nintendo dished out to sites like IGN and the like to rate this zelda higher than a six? This game is honestly atrocious, and the worst zelda I have ever played. And trust me I've played through about "85% through, master." Yeah, Fi... 85%... whatever you say.... of all the zelda games. Majora's Mask, which any zelda fan can argue, has the craziest, insane, most twisted story in the franchise. Now compare that to Skyward Sword. You have a bland "hero, knight, chivalry, etc." character that hacks n slashes first and asks questions later. You know that mummified dad you had to save in MM with the song of healing? Ya, non-o-dat here.
    Speaking of music, what the flip Nintendo?! After Mario galaxy's soundtrack (which i still listen too), you give us uninspired, orchestra (orchestra, has to be good?! Right?!) music which is about as moving as a clogged toilet. The harp? Dear God, just take it away, compared to the beautiful ocarina compositions from OoT and MM, the harp playing sections include a bunch of random phrases composed by pulling notes out of a hat. On top of that, there are no specific songs you learn with the harp, just generic strumming... I still have the Song of Time button input memorized Nintendo, Holy CRAP, gamers have memory spans longer than 1 min!!!
    Now Shigeru Miyamoto himself said people stopped playing the game half way through. Well, its not rocket science, how about an actual, interesting story? From what i could gather, by the 30th hour of gameplay, I was merely a lab rat chasing after cheese on an exercise wheel. Zelda is 1 step away! Maybe next time you'll catch her! Oh, can't catch her? How about you do numerous, cloned fetch quests to upgrade your sword and shield in the meantime so you can become god? It was all so predictably written, that it could have been fan fiction. And why is every character so cookie cutter? You have jocks (all of which have a soft side deep down, awww), you have haughty chicks, you have slightly normal people (but always the same), and you have over the top weird. None of them feel tangible or interesting after you learn their 2 paragraphs of background.
    The gameplay as everyone says, fails. Sure, some boss battles inspire awe, but only because the baddies are big and interesting. When you're facing moblin after moblin that requires no more skill to defeat than whipping your left hand then whipping your right hand, the gameplay gets stale and that's not mentioning frustrating calibration and aiming issues which happen ALL THE TIME. The overworld, Skyhaven, Skyhop, i really dont care anymore, has almost nothing to do in it once you have all the money you need, and your wrist will cramp up after flying in Skyhop for more than 5 min. I would rather stroll through my generic neighberhood Walmart.
    If you know what Rune Factory Tides of Destiny is... good! You'll get my next reference. Ahem... I finished that game. I didn't finish Skyward Sword. That should make the point loud and clear that SS is the worst excuse for a zelda game ever. Nintendo abused my trust, i used to buy every zelda gaming assured it would appease my adventurous appetite. No more! This was supposed to be the first in the series timeline, well... it comes dead last in my book. Honestly, the younger generation, which apparently has half the brain (according to Nintendo) that I had at the same age, will be the only ones who truly like this game. Many longtime zelda fans and Nintendo fanboys will defend it for the sake of pride, but at the same time, inadvertently cast a shaky look over their shoulders at the shell of what used to be the quality zelda franchise.    … Expand
  31. awareat60
    Jun 16, 2013
    1
    I am a big fan of the Zelda series but skyward sword is the worse game ever! I will never get past the second condemned monster. I'm about ready to throw the controller at the t.v.
  32. sonicsword
    Nov 24, 2011
    1
    The controls are not very accurate. The story is nothing great. The graphics even considering being a Wii game has nothing that has not already been done better on that platform.
  33. Bulldozer
    Mar 1, 2012
    0
    "The Legend of Boredo...."....ah-emm, "The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword", while it could only seem an interesting game for six to eight years old guys if it weren't so boring and tiring, it's instead the perfect game for lobotomized ones. Yes, thanks Ninty for keep saying me what i have to do for the whole game, cause been lobotomized I lack that piece of brain to understand it by"The Legend of Boredo...."....ah-emm, "The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword", while it could only seem an interesting game for six to eight years old guys if it weren't so boring and tiring, it's instead the perfect game for lobotomized ones. Yes, thanks Ninty for keep saying me what i have to do for the whole game, cause been lobotomized I lack that piece of brain to understand it by myself, despite this I have to give this game a 0 only to drop its rating which is actually WAY to high, otherwise it could deserve even a 2.… Expand
  34. kickinit525
    Jan 13, 2012
    0
    i liked zelda but this is a dissapointment i mean the game in general is just so unfulling id made me want to cry if i had the choice i would play ocarina skyward didnt exactly make the chopping block
  35. Zeldafain
    Jan 25, 2012
    0
    This game isn't really that good and I love Zelda! Poor job I have to say. Nothing really even makes sense in this game but I guess you have to do better next time.
  36. greekaussie
    Nov 23, 2011
    3
    Before you write me off my review is based on the australian pal version of the game and its terrible. huge black borders (letterboxing) which cuts half the screen, why???!!?? nintendo never gave a rats arse about australian releases (they have done the same thing since the snes days) you can change the settings on the wii but it just stretches the crap out of the game. also have toBefore you write me off my review is based on the australian pal version of the game and its terrible. huge black borders (letterboxing) which cuts half the screen, why???!!?? nintendo never gave a rats arse about australian releases (they have done the same thing since the snes days) you can change the settings on the wii but it just stretches the crap out of the game. also have to mention, why does windwakers and twilights graphics seem more solid and crisp? the actual game itself is okay but your pointer just goes nuts sometimes and flying the bird feels awkward.… Expand
  37. Wolfwing0100
    Dec 7, 2011
    1
    Woops Kinda did the wrong rating there but just go towards my review - When I first saw this game I thought it would be good or something new aside from the other games like Twighlight princess. Yes it does have a long number of hours of gameplay but it seems to be just another hack and slash. The controls for it was extremely bad even with motion plus. I got frustrated with it becauseWoops Kinda did the wrong rating there but just go towards my review - When I first saw this game I thought it would be good or something new aside from the other games like Twighlight princess. Yes it does have a long number of hours of gameplay but it seems to be just another hack and slash. The controls for it was extremely bad even with motion plus. I got frustrated with it because when my controller went off screen the whole thing **** out. The story is good and interesting but the gameplay seemed to repitive to me.… Expand
  38. Cock-A-Saurus
    Dec 27, 2011
    0
    Another Zelda game, another entirely overrated game. This franchise has been stagnating since the release of Ocarina of Time. Graphics - Really? This is 2011, and after 5 years in development, this game still looks awful. I have never been a fan of the cartoon look (an i'm not alone), but even I knew Wind Waker looked beautiful. This game, however, does not. Moreover, if you'reAnother Zelda game, another entirely overrated game. This franchise has been stagnating since the release of Ocarina of Time. Graphics - Really? This is 2011, and after 5 years in development, this game still looks awful. I have never been a fan of the cartoon look (an i'm not alone), but even I knew Wind Waker looked beautiful. This game, however, does not. Moreover, if you're Nintendo, you will probably not increase the appeal of this series by choosing this particular art style.

    Gameplay- Typical Wii crap, but even worse. Look, I've played plenty of Wii games, and the games where the controls haven't been an issue are those where the whole motion controls aren't stressed (example being DKC Returns). However, Skyward Sword does stress the motion controls, and it doesn't do a good job. Holding your shied up is whatever, and the so-called "precise" sword slices aren't precise. Also, you're better off just avoiding attacks than using your shield, and most enemies on most occasions can be defeated by basic button-mashing sword slicing. Making those so focused upon, and supposedly essential precise sword swings unnecessary. Story- The only aspect of the game which I don't completely dislike. Having said that, it's not executed all that well. It reminds of Wind Waker, which I thought had an interesting concept to it, but wasn't told or illustrated in a good way. The same applies to this game. Some of the reasons for the game's lackluster story stem from poor English grammar (a lot of fragments, clunky sentences, weird language, etc.). The game also spends a lot of time telling you important to mundane things 2 to 3 times, which is aggravating. Most of the time though, there is just too much useless conversations (which cannot be skipped, only sped up). Also, when will Zelda incorporate voice talent? It really is noticeable in this game for the forgoing reasons. Other - There are other issues which bring this game down. First off, I hope you like backtracking, because there will be plenty of that (which is a cardinal sin I believe in a Zelda series). Second, most of the weapons offered in this game aren't all that good, or rarely used (the game is honestly obsessed with the sword, something I have never seen in a Zelda; maybe Zelda II?). Third, despite this game being the first to use a full orchestra, the songs aren't memorable nor made to fully take advantage of the instruments. Fourth, the game takes about 5+ hours before it actually gets interesting; that's absolutely inexcusable for any game, movie, book, etc. Again, this will not appeal to any new fans. Moreover, the ease of this game (the constant hand holding, coddling is pathetic). In the end, I don't think this game is awful, but its not great, let alone the "best Zelda ever" as so many idiots have noted. This game is weaker than Twilight, which was weaker than Wind Waker, which was weaker than Ocarina. The series simply hasn't been magical in 10+ years, and this recent entry further solidifies my idea that this series is and will continue to stagnate

    [Note: I gave this game a 0 only to drop its rating from 7.7, which is WAY to high]    … Expand
  39. Avadon
    Dec 20, 2011
    4
    Very underwhelming. The only really good thing about the game is the story. I don't mean that it's particularly well written or anything, it's as childish as ever, but somehow it convinced me and drew me in to the fairytale, so no complaints there. Other than that... The graphics are colorful but horrendous, seriously they look like late PS1/early PS2 graphics. No idea why they screwedVery underwhelming. The only really good thing about the game is the story. I don't mean that it's particularly well written or anything, it's as childish as ever, but somehow it convinced me and drew me in to the fairytale, so no complaints there. Other than that... The graphics are colorful but horrendous, seriously they look like late PS1/early PS2 graphics. No idea why they screwed that up, Twilight Princess looked amazing compared to this. The dungeons are entertaining but the game overuses some of the designs and they get repetitive. The motion controls are miserable and the game is extremely focused on them, instead of using them for optional "flair" like TP. All those people who wrote about perfect controls obviously have a different controller from the future, because both of my remote+nunchuk+plus sets behaved the same way, the game urges you to be precise, which is impossible because the cursor sometimes goes all over the place or disappears, the sword works in mysterious ways and does whatever it wants and everything else like bird flying or using the parachute etc is downright depressing in its randomness. Also, the game's too easy and never forces you to use the combat in-depth, but I guess considering the state of the controls that's a good thing. I remember Miyamoto trying to demonstrate the game at some E3 a couple years ago and he failed hardcore because the controls didn't work and he (jokingly?) asked people in the audience to turn off their cellphones because they cause interference, and we were all like "aww, it's just an early version of the game, they'll fix that". Well, they didn't do a really good job. Overall, ok game, it has its moments, but for a major Nintendo franchise that celebrates its 25th year, it's inexcusable for it to have so many problems.… Expand
  40. saintjimmy64
    Apr 5, 2015
    0
    For everything this game does right it does five things wrong. One of the laziest games Ive ever seen by definition. Reused worlds, reused temples, reused bosses, a three hour prologue, and a completely empty sky simply there to make the game last longer. This might not be the worst thing ever made but it is by far the worst Zelda game there is. But more importantly, it's just unforgivably lazy.
  41. pnkntndr
    Sep 9, 2019
    0
    I'm really shocked that there aren't more negative reviews. I wasn't a fan of Skyward Sword when it came out and I still really loathe it. It felt like a chore to complete and the best thing about it was all the slack it took for it's not at all frustrating controls (Heavy sarcasm)... It caused Nintendo to create something like Breath of the Wild. They took the really great ideas that thisI'm really shocked that there aren't more negative reviews. I wasn't a fan of Skyward Sword when it came out and I still really loathe it. It felt like a chore to complete and the best thing about it was all the slack it took for it's not at all frustrating controls (Heavy sarcasm)... It caused Nintendo to create something like Breath of the Wild. They took the really great ideas that this game had and made them actually work. But this game is the garbage heap that failed. How can someone give this a 10 with Fi breathing down their neck and holding their hand the ENTIRE GAME?!? The CD-I games might be the only Zelda games that are worse than Skyward Sword. May we never have to live though something like this again!… Expand
  42. Super_Cloud
    Jan 1, 2016
    4
    Ouch, Zelda Skyward Sword is the worst zelda i ever played... I'm fan of the series since A Link to the Past on SNES, i loved every title until Skyward sword... I had high expectation after loving Twilight Princess (i'm not comparing both!) and i was extremely disappointed in Skyward Sword, the only thing i enjoyed was doing sidequest in Skyloft, the game was so tedious, you were alwaysOuch, Zelda Skyward Sword is the worst zelda i ever played... I'm fan of the series since A Link to the Past on SNES, i loved every title until Skyward sword... I had high expectation after loving Twilight Princess (i'm not comparing both!) and i was extremely disappointed in Skyward Sword, the only thing i enjoyed was doing sidequest in Skyloft, the game was so tedious, you were always going back to place you already been, i really gave up on the game and i was more than halfway through... I did not enjoy the orchestrated ost, i'm really hoping the next zelda on wii u will make up for SS.… Expand
  43. The1CelticTiger
    Oct 4, 2012
    3
    Let me put this in summary: Nintendo couldn't have done worse for the controls by choosing to incorporate this game with wii motion plus.
    I non-stop found myself in frustration as I failed to get to grips with the unnecessarily awkward controls.
    My advise/request: keep things simple, go back to the franchise's roots and use the characteristics that everyone loves about this once    Let me put this in summary: Nintendo couldn't have done worse for the controls by choosing to incorporate this game with wii motion plus.
    I non-stop found myself in frustration as I failed to get to grips with the unnecessarily awkward controls.
    My advise/request: keep things simple, go back to the franchise's roots and use the characteristics that everyone loves about this once fantastic franchise.
    I (what seems hopelessly) look forward to the day when I will see a continuation of the ocarina of time/majora's mask quality games of the franchise.    … Expand
  44. TheTwistedKris
    Jul 22, 2014
    2
    Fun Portrayal of the main characters and passable story, but for something in the action adventure category there us a surprising lack of adventure in the 3 areas you go to which get recycled and rehashed throughout the game. For Pete's sake they flood the forest for the water segment? Did anyone honestly enjoy those design choices? How about the unresponsive controls that most of theFun Portrayal of the main characters and passable story, but for something in the action adventure category there us a surprising lack of adventure in the 3 areas you go to which get recycled and rehashed throughout the game. For Pete's sake they flood the forest for the water segment? Did anyone honestly enjoy those design choices? How about the unresponsive controls that most of the people had, and slight lag or these control issues may not seem like an issue but if every basic enemy has a direction based blocking mechanic it makes the fight against them an exercise in futility. So far from the zelda formula it isn't even funny. Beating bosses with the item found in dungeon, only 3 bosses follow that of the listed 16 in the game (on zelda dungeon). Of those 16, 7 of them are slow and clunky sword fights, 3 are fighting imprisoned, 3 are fighting Ghirahim, and 1 of them is Tentalus (boss at the end of the dungeon has nothing to do with the mechanics at all in said dungeon). The combat itself is far from fun, it has you jumping through a hoop for nearly each enemy because most of the time you are left waiting for the hoop to be at the right height to jump through it. Random flailing of the wiimote as you walk into enemies was more effective at taking out the enemies than engaging in combat was. To me that doesn't sound like an effective system, when having no strategy is preferred over actually using the new mechanics, but the things such as motion delay made that impossible so the best method was to literally make your sword unpredictable by flailing to confuse the computer without lock-on to greatly reduce the chance of them blocking it. Link may be a sword fighter but that isn't what defines his character, his use of a variety of weapons is what makes link such a liking character, becoming a swiss army knife of a character, but this game takes that away. Few item have multiple uses let alone any use given a combat situation and given the new rpg elements introduced are interesting such as crafting or scavenging, but they fall short when the items crafted have such a limited window of use. Don't forget that there is a always dowsing mechanic that tells you where to go, testing your ability to point at the screen instead of actually making you think. Now it was fun seeing more of a relationship between link and zelda, but unfortunately the game did the exact same as tetra from wind waker, upon finding out that they of importance to the plot they immediately lose all sense of character. I did not enjoy my play through of this game nor do I recommend it to people.… Expand
  45. g-whiz
    Feb 6, 2014
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I would be willing to give this game a much better review if it wasn't a Zelda game. That said, it is a Zelda game and an allegedly landmark (25th Anniversary) one at that.

    Let's start with the controls. They aren't terrible but they aren't great. Some of the new stuff (targeted diving and harp playing for example) feels clunky and rushed while the old stuff (targeting slingshot/bow and attacking with the sword for example) didn't get a good translation for the Wii Remote.

    Also, I get that it's the first Legend of Zelda made for the Wii and everyone loves swinging the Wii remote but that does NOT mean every enemy in the game needs some form of directional blocking ability. The Zelda series is great, in part, because of its puzzles-not because it takes several minutes to kill basic enemies when they block your attack over and over again because the controls aren't responding (you slash horizontal and Link slashes diagonal and gets countered-hard)

    Where this game truly fails, and why it should be a standalone game, is in the story. Every Legend of Zelda game since Ocarina of Time (at least) has had certain elements and this game had a perfect opportunity to explain where some of that came from but it didn't.

    One glaring example of this is the ring of clouds around Death Mountain in OOT, I thought it would be a nice touch for this game would explain why it was there but this game didn't even mention Death Mountain. Another example is instead of using the existing races of Hyrule (Gorons and Zoras) Skyward Sword introduces three new races (Mogmas, Robots and Parellas) who have never been seen before or since-there is some speculation that Parellas may be an evolutionary ancestor of the Zora though this is not stated in game. We do, however, learn why Link always wears green.

    Moving on...

    I'm honestly unsure what category to put this next failure in but one extreme weak point of the game in my opinion is the inability to walk/run from one province on the surface to another. The requirement to return to the sky is just odd considering the map shows that the provinces border each other. In a move that falls into the same category of not sure where to put it, this game lacks a certain epic quality which is evident when they simply flood the requisite forest to make the equally requisite lake. I have two problems with this. One-there is a lake in the game and it's sizable-USE IT! Two-Twilight Princess was made for a lesser system and had a more epic quality to it than this game does-that isn't right.

    Back to a definite story issue: the guardian dragons. Wait what? In Twilight Princess, there were light spirits sent by the goddesses (presumably before they departed Hyrule so before Skyward Sword). Where are they and why do we need dragons now-why can't we just run missions for the light spirits (who have the same names as the dragons anyway). Of the dragons, one is obnoxious, one is forgettable and one hosts a minigame which is a pain but has a cool prize.

    After the last battle, you get what feels like a rushed cut scene because someone remembered that it was supposed to be a Zelda game and figured they should explain SOMETHING important. So, with the big bad defeated, we finally learn why Link, Zelda and Ganon are seemingly inseparable forever.

    This is actually a very good game. The biggest problem is that it doesn't connect with the rest of the series in any appreciable way. The controls are clunky but serviceable. The story is good but doesn't fit the series in which it exists. This was supposed to be the beginning of the Legend of Zelda but it introduced too much new stuff that doesn't exist anywhere else in the series. Worse, it ignored obvious opportunities to connect to the series-like planting a magic tree, that EASILY could have been the Deku Tree from Ocarina of Time but no-just a tree.    … Expand
  46. Adrenalin
    Jan 22, 2017
    3
    Lack of open overworld makes this a very cheap version of the Zelda concept. The Graphics don't do the game any favor either, featuring an extremely shot render distance and a general feel of blurriness.
  47. Danman
    Dec 4, 2011
    0
    Sorry to give it such a low score but the motion controls did not work for me at all. perhaps this was a technical issue, but this is a serious issue since you can not play game if the controller doesn't work properly. After a lot of time spent making sure the controls where set up as best i could, the game had so much text to click through that after giving the game about 5 hours worth iSorry to give it such a low score but the motion controls did not work for me at all. perhaps this was a technical issue, but this is a serious issue since you can not play game if the controller doesn't work properly. After a lot of time spent making sure the controls where set up as best i could, the game had so much text to click through that after giving the game about 5 hours worth i got very impatient and frustrated and chose to play something else.… Expand
  48. Chris71186
    Oct 15, 2014
    0
    This is the only Zelda game I ever bought that I resold to a used video game vendor. To learn that this game had so many high reviews was just baffling to me. The wii controls made me want to pull my hair out. Yeah it made fights more challenging but I always liked the feeling of knocking back a ton of enemies and feeling a step above all of my opponents. The fact that even battling aThis is the only Zelda game I ever bought that I resold to a used video game vendor. To learn that this game had so many high reviews was just baffling to me. The wii controls made me want to pull my hair out. Yeah it made fights more challenging but I always liked the feeling of knocking back a ton of enemies and feeling a step above all of my opponents. The fact that even battling a goblin was a tiresome task made me want to throw the game away before it ever started. I admit the flashy cutscenes are really truly enjoyable but if that is what gives this game it's high ratings than it truly defines where we put our value in videogame quality. Fi felt like a dripping faucet and a nagging girlfriend who did everything but actually help me. There is absolutely no exploration with this game either. Worst Zelda game ever and I truly hope Nintendo doesn't repeat this model or zelda games might very well be ruined for me forever.… Expand
  49. malcolmm
    Nov 10, 2013
    2
    Easily one of the worst Zeldas I've played, and I've played most of them.

    Controls are atrocious, the motion sensing doesn't add anything except frustration. As with the latest DS Zeldas, they are recycling the same gameplay over and over again. I suppose I could say that for most recent Nintendo games Mario, Zelda, Mario Kart nothing new or improved in any of them. Hopefully the    Easily one of the worst Zeldas I've played, and I've played most of them.

    Controls are atrocious, the motion sensing doesn't add anything except frustration. As with the latest DS Zeldas, they are recycling the same gameplay over and over again. I suppose I could say that for most recent Nintendo games Mario, Zelda, Mario Kart nothing new or improved in any of them.

    Hopefully the new Zelda 3DS game will be better, it really couldn't be worse.    … Expand
  50. mbele
    Mar 3, 2013
    4
    This was by far the worst Zelda game for me. It just seemed like it was made for a different age group than Im in (born 1990). It lacked the dark parts of the story that Twilight Princess had. This made the game feel a lot more like a kids game, without the depth and mature parts of Links adventure. It really felt like they wanted to adjust the game to fit lower ages. This was shown alsoThis was by far the worst Zelda game for me. It just seemed like it was made for a different age group than Im in (born 1990). It lacked the dark parts of the story that Twilight Princess had. This made the game feel a lot more like a kids game, without the depth and mature parts of Links adventure. It really felt like they wanted to adjust the game to fit lower ages. This was shown also in the "cartoony" choice of art style and design of the characters. Comparing Zelda in Skyward Sword to Zelda in Twilight Princess, Zelda looks like a kids manga character.

    On the technical part, the motion controls werent very precise and became frustrating after a while. Sometimes you just want to sink down the couch and slip into the world of Zelda.

    I cant say much about the graphics, its down to the hardware. Though I did feel this game felt extra blurry with the chosen art style. The gameplay was alright, parts of it was very enjoyable. The game did seem a bit too easy once beaten it and there was no real urge to go back for the stuff you missed either. It would have been nice with some more sword upgrades. For future games:
    * Make the motion controls optional, with support for the Wii U pro controller.
    * Blend dark, mature environments with the colourful and fantasy inspired.
    * Make the characters with more realism inspiration. I'm thinking lord of the rings, not realism as in watching TV. We can push it much much further before it becomes "too realistic".
    * DONT MAKE ZELDA INTO ANOTHER KIDS GAME PLEASE! YOU HAVE SO MANY ALREADY!    … Expand
  51. Megakrage
    Oct 21, 2019
    0
    Putting a zero to counter act the good reviews cause it doesnt deserve an 8.1 . i love zelda. But this game isnt good
  52. Phuz
    Oct 28, 2020
    0
    Which idiots rate this zero. Great fun game with amazing Zelda soundtrack. The motion controls don't work well with the motion plus add on but seem to work fine with the wiimote when it is built in. One of the most fun Zelda's and one of the most slagged off. I found one little bit a bit fetch questy but other than that absolutely amazing game. The best Zelda? Maybe. Right up there. NotWhich idiots rate this zero. Great fun game with amazing Zelda soundtrack. The motion controls don't work well with the motion plus add on but seem to work fine with the wiimote when it is built in. One of the most fun Zelda's and one of the most slagged off. I found one little bit a bit fetch questy but other than that absolutely amazing game. The best Zelda? Maybe. Right up there. Not sure it beats ALttP but definitely way more fun to play than BotW.… Expand
  53. VidsRule
    Feb 25, 2012
    0
    I'm doing something a little different (admitting this might not be 'right'), but I'm scoring this game with-respect to my expectations. And explaining it that way, this is the most disappointing game of my 30 years of videogaming, and therefor deserves the lowest score possible. Everything about this game is average at best, and the motion controls (even though apparently great by manyI'm doing something a little different (admitting this might not be 'right'), but I'm scoring this game with-respect to my expectations. And explaining it that way, this is the most disappointing game of my 30 years of videogaming, and therefor deserves the lowest score possible. Everything about this game is average at best, and the motion controls (even though apparently great by many reviewers) are just, well, beyond terrible. The stuff that works are nothing we haven't seen before 1000 times and the stuff that is 'revolutionary' is just, well, beyond terrible. The exploration is a chore. The dungeons range boring to acceptable. The boss battles are alright. The graphics and sound are alright. The amount of BOREDOM is really REALLY impressive. Like I said I'm scoring this according to my expectations, and that may be wrong but it feels right for me. And the most disappointing game of all time deserves a -10 if I could. I'm glad I got this using my Shoppers points because spending actual cash on this would have been a tradegy.… Expand
  54. turtletalker
    Jun 25, 2013
    0
    I hated skyward sword. The whole thing felt like it was made for a toddler. I felt like the producers focused so much on the new controls that the let the storyline, soundtrack, and graphics slip by. The characters felt really awkward. Fi drove me over the wall she had to pop up to let me know that the annoying beeping noise is my life is almost gone not to mention that she was giving meI hated skyward sword. The whole thing felt like it was made for a toddler. I felt like the producers focused so much on the new controls that the let the storyline, soundtrack, and graphics slip by. The characters felt really awkward. Fi drove me over the wall she had to pop up to let me know that the annoying beeping noise is my life is almost gone not to mention that she was giving me statistics for the most obvious facts. Girihim was a freak. I was not impressed at all.… Expand
  55. gLoMeR
    Mar 11, 2017
    0
    El peor Zelda de todos sin dudarlo. Puede que el juego como tal sea uno de los mejores pero el sistema de control destroza por completo la experiencia.
  56. thefrench
    Feb 2, 2012
    3
    I game is well enough, I am fan of Zelda, but there is some bugs.
  57. Gayfish
    Jan 24, 2013
    0
    This games motion controls were so bad I didn't even want to play to the first dungeon. I didn't like the art style, but it was better than Wind Wakers. The controls killed it.
  58. Thajocoth
    Apr 7, 2017
    0
    This is the only Zelda title that completely lacks an overworld. Instead you have linear slices to play through that you visit multiple times that all look & feel kinda the same (except that one's green, one's red, and one's yellow... That's all that's really different.) You mostly fight the same few bosses over & over instead of getting new boss challenges to solve. Combat is slow andThis is the only Zelda title that completely lacks an overworld. Instead you have linear slices to play through that you visit multiple times that all look & feel kinda the same (except that one's green, one's red, and one's yellow... That's all that's really different.) You mostly fight the same few bosses over & over instead of getting new boss challenges to solve. Combat is slow and repetitive. The first few times swinging the sword to slice the enemy at the correct angle, it was alright, but after that it was more of a hindrance to push through to get back to playing the game.

    Not that there was much game to play through. The whole thing was super easy. The hardest part was sitting through the interruptions whenever the game decided to tell you the solution to something you already figured out on your own, or to re-display text you already read about what things are.

    The gratitude crystals were also very forgettable, unlike other Zelda games' collection items. There was no real searching needed to easily find them all.

    The final dungeon was alright. I liked that dungeon's main gameplay mechanic. (Avoiding spoilers, but if you've played it, then you know what I'm talking about.) That's the only good thing I have to say about this game though.

    The desert had a mechanic in it that looked like it could've been a lot of fun if they actually did much with it, but instead really just added a bit of blue coloring. (Avoiding spoilers, but if you played it, you probably know what I'm talking about.)    … Expand
  59. macskii
    Jul 29, 2014
    3
    Easily the worst Zelda game ever created, it has a mediocre boring storyline, it's the same dungeon solving except made tedious. I did not even finish this game, it brings nothing new to the series besides gimmicky controls. There is not even a left handed version! Link being left handed and they didn't even bother to make a mode for lefties. Truly a failure, don't waste your time.
  60. jkersey
    Nov 21, 2014
    3
    This game is like a mad scientist's experiment to create the worst possible Legend of Zelda game. Vast, explorable words? Take that out, and put in clunky flying to get anywhere. Awesome monster, boss, and level designs? Nah, replace that **** with repeating dungeons, recycled bosses (you literally fight two bosses twice), and very few monster types.
    Vast arsenal to collect and use? Hah,    This game is like a mad scientist's experiment to create the worst possible Legend of Zelda game. Vast, explorable words? Take that out, and put in clunky flying to get anywhere. Awesome monster, boss, and level designs? Nah, replace that **** with repeating dungeons, recycled bosses (you literally fight two bosses twice), and very few monster types.
    Vast arsenal to collect and use? Hah, how about a limited inventory that can only be expanded by collecting thousand of rupees to have a slightly less tiny inventory? Oh, you also have to farm for items like a Monster Hunter game to improve your items...except you're walking as slow as you can with a bug net to catch one bird. That's fun right?
    But the real fun comes with the combat. And by fun, I mean swinging, and getting ticked off that the controller doesn't pick up what direction you're swinging in. And you thought Navi was bad? Wait until you get to meet Fi, who makes her look like a pleasant walk in the park.
    Top all of this off with a dash of fetch quests, a sprinkle of escort missions, a dallop of glitches, and a heap of dungeons just to get to the actual temples, and you have yourself a bafflingly disappointing LoZ game. At least with Wind Waker, I can understand why people enjoyed it while I personally didn't. With this game, I honestly can't see what people even like about it.

    The music is nice, though.    … Expand
  61. Joaco890
    Nov 27, 2014
    1
    Zelda Skyward sword was a game that was meant for Wii U but rushed to be sold on the Wii console, that's the only possible explanation, since it showed elements that had enormous potential, yet snowballed in the small but relevant aspects of a Zelda game, being the worst Zelda I've ever played so far and the only ones i still haven't played are the ones on Phillips CDI.

    The story:    Zelda Skyward sword was a game that was meant for Wii U but rushed to be sold on the Wii console, that's the only possible explanation, since it showed elements that had enormous potential, yet snowballed in the small but relevant aspects of a Zelda game, being the worst Zelda I've ever played so far and the only ones i still haven't played are the ones on Phillips CDI.

    The story: Filled with the new Japanese trend where the evil guy belittles the hero only to find himself being beaten at the end. But besides that it still keeps a Zelda-ish story.

    The World: A world you want to explore yet you find yourself walking around small stages-like maps with some puzzles that unlocks an item in another map that you have visited hundreds of times(ridiculous), with the exception of the desert map(that was an awesome fresh map). The concept of an explorable sky world was awesome but it was so empty and monotonous that exploring it didn't give me any satisfaction.

    The assistant: Useless, annoying, it's like one of those MTV shows were they test how long can you keep your cool before raging making her the hardest boss of the game. Not only it will interrupt you in the middle of a fight breaking your "immersion", it will do it to inform you about trivial things or things you already know.( PS: She also spoils all the puzzles in the game.....a game that consists about puzzles and exploration)

    The Menu: Was decent.....until you reach the part where you start picking up items to upgrade your equipment... Who was the genius who thought it was a good idea to show you the menu and the explanation every time you turn on the game and pick one of those items?? If you are in the middle of a fight and a monster drops one of those you will not only see the classic pick up animation, but also be taken to the collectible items menu where they will show you what you collected.....

    (I'm not implying they should make the puzzles harder to solve, but to actually give the player a chance to think of a solution, instead of having the assistant playing the role of a tourist guide immediately.

    The items: Really liked the scarab one, it really made full use of the wiimote, the whip was so-so since it was pretty much a fancy grappling hook. The other items didn't add anything new to the game except that new interaction with the bomb.

    The mount: Funny to use, but only available in two maps which is kind of sad, also you cant use your items while you are mounting it....

    The final boss: Didn't even face him, Phi, the true final boss beat me after the "final boss" opened the portal to the final battle.

    So to the people who gave this game a good rate and dare to criticize those who disliked it should go back to all the other Zelda and play them once again.

    It didn't feel like a Zelda.

    No interesting side quests, extra items and stories
    Lack of puzzles( since Phi spoils them)
    Lack of open world elements

    1/10 as a Zelda

    3/10 as a Game    … Expand
  62. MrCommonSense
    Jan 11, 2015
    4
    I'm just going to cut to the chase, This game honestly kinda sucks. If it wasn't on the **** console in recent history then things could have been FAR different but as it is the controls are wonky thanks to the fact that you have to reset your freaking controller every few minutes just so that you can actually freaking play the game. The graphics are decent but they are blended with aI'm just going to cut to the chase, This game honestly kinda sucks. If it wasn't on the **** console in recent history then things could have been FAR different but as it is the controls are wonky thanks to the fact that you have to reset your freaking controller every few minutes just so that you can actually freaking play the game. The graphics are decent but they are blended with a bubblegum bright color scheme to hide the fact that the wii was a cheap piece of **** barely capable of producing graphics on par with the gamecube.

    My biggest gripe with this game is that every aspect of it seems to be marketed towards children. All of the things that made Twilight Princess and Majora's Mask so amazing are completely absent in this game. The dark brooding atmosphere and creative enemies and bosses are replaced with neon bright colors and almost friendly looking foes, Not to mention the fact that there are like. MAYBE twenty people in the floating city that you are protecting and the fact that the freaking zoras are replaced with TALKING SEAHORSES.

    This game is just plain **** and I never even bothered to finish it.    … Expand
  63. PokeMaster99999
    Jun 27, 2015
    4
    This game is not a good game. Unlike every other Legend of Zelda game, this 'game' uses spotty, imprecise motion controls to control Link's sword and Harp. This results in a lot of pain and annoyance, as the Harp is rendered almost unusable. There's also no 'classic control' option, so you are stuck with the fricking motion controls.
    The Imprisoned is also very cheap, and thus very    This game is not a good game. Unlike every other Legend of Zelda game, this 'game' uses spotty, imprecise motion controls to control Link's sword and Harp. This results in a lot of pain and annoyance, as the Harp is rendered almost unusable. There's also no 'classic control' option, so you are stuck with the fricking motion controls.
    The Imprisoned is also very cheap, and thus very annoying; he can climb on the second encounter, and fly on the third. In a circular arena, this is absolutely stupid, as he can easily, easily gain an advantage, as Link cannot fly; this is compounded by the next stupid design decision.
    The limited stamina gauge. No other Link has this distinction, so why should this one? The limited stamina means that you cannot run all around to your heart's content, as Link gets tired. This also limits how often you can use the spin attack, a move that has been weakened from previous (and future) games. The limited running also makes the Imprisoned fights worse, as you have to catch up to him (sometimes needing to run to an air gust to be blown to the higher level) while fighting the limited stamina. This is absolutely stupid.
    The Silent Realm is also very stupid, as first Link has to use the Harp (which uses the flawed motion controls, as stated above). Once in, Link has none of his items, and fails if touched by a Guardian. As soon as you step out of the initial ring, the Guardians awake and hunt Link down. Sure, they're put to sleep if a Sacred Tear is collected, but taking too long, being caught in a spotlight, or even touching Water all results in them waking up again. If Link's damaged by a Guardian, he has to start ALL OVER AGAIN - only missing one Tear? TOO BAD - YOU NEED TO COLLECT THEM ALL AGAIN.
    The fact that the same basic mechanic (collecting Tears to progress) was present in Twilight Princess, and was done infinitely better in said game (no Guardians, no time limit, no extra bullsh), is shameful.
    The method taken by the game to upgrade shields, items and potions is absolutely annoying, especially when it comes to the rarer materials (such as Blue Bird Feather and Goddess Plume). These materials are a pain to get, and obtaining bugs is also a nuisance, as they can fly away and ruin your enjoyment.
    Lastly, tomboyish Zelda is not a good Zelda; be more like your Twilight Princess or The Wind Waker counterpart, and be quiet and meek.

    Skyward Sword should not be considered a 'perfect' or 'near-perfect' game; its many, many flaws (many of which were not present in The Wind Waker or Twilight Princess, nor in A Link Between Worlds) prevent it from being a 'fantastic' game. All the stupid flaws listed above relegate Skyward Sword to a 4/10.    … Expand
  64. airgonomike
    Jun 1, 2016
    4
    Alright this is it... I've decided not to finish the game after the 2nd encounter with the "Big spiky monster". This thing has a name but you just end up absolutely not caring what you do anyway...
    You actually hope until that point that the game is going to be somewhat interesting but it just doesn't...
    You're just assisted, assisted and assisted again, constantly reminded to do this or    Alright this is it... I've decided not to finish the game after the 2nd encounter with the "Big spiky monster". This thing has a name but you just end up absolutely not caring what you do anyway...
    You actually hope until that point that the game is going to be somewhat interesting but it just doesn't...
    You're just assisted, assisted and assisted again, constantly reminded to do this or that by Fi who basically knows everything you have to do... The game should have called "Fi Skyward Sword". Items collection is just pointless since making a shield is close to useless.
    And flying is soooo boring... The bird keeps falling and you just end up free falling and climbing back on the bird just to get some altitude, it's ridiculous how exploring the sky is useless and boring.
    You keep going back and forth to the exact same places...

    I have a Wii U so please don't f**k up with the next Zelda Wii U please...
    Love Zelda, all of them. THIS IS NOT A ZELDA GAME.    … Expand
  65. OberiousLocke
    Jul 24, 2016
    4
    I really wanted to like this game, really put forth the effort to enjoy it. Almost everything about it is amazing. The story, and especially the soundtrack just "works" with the game and the areas therein. The reason it's getting a low score is because of the absolutely worst part of the experience; The controls. I went in with a neutral opinion about them, knowing enough about it from theI really wanted to like this game, really put forth the effort to enjoy it. Almost everything about it is amazing. The story, and especially the soundtrack just "works" with the game and the areas therein. The reason it's getting a low score is because of the absolutely worst part of the experience; The controls. I went in with a neutral opinion about them, knowing enough about it from the manual. I respect Nintendo's choice, the Wii's gimmick was motion controls, and other than SS I can't think of a game I've played that did them horribly, but from the get go I had nothing but issues, and had to re-calibrate them multiple times per session (especially the swimming segments, ughh) It finally came to a head when I was doing the Lightning round, and I was on the very last boss to get the shield. I tried twice. The first time I died and it was my own fault. The second time, I got to the 8th fight, only to die with about one or two hits left because the controls went completely out the window. I calibrated the wii remote 3 times in about a minute or two, and died because despite me thrusting it forward properly (required to hit the bosses last weak point), it made Link swing left and right like a madman regardless of what I did. I cannot in good conscience give this game any positive review, a game is built not just on it's story, sound and graphics, but it's controls (at least in my opinion, your mileage may vary) the things that are the throughput from gamer to game, and in Skyward Sword, they're nothing more than acceptable when they work 100%, and atrocious if they work any less than that.… Expand
  66. The_Log
    Mar 12, 2017
    3
    Whether you are new to the Zelda series, or a long time fan: do yourself a favor and skip this one. This is the only Zelda game I've started and not finished. I really tried to enjoy this game, but around the halfway point I had to put it down because it was SO TEDIOUS.

    This game is a hand-holding, linear chore that seem more interested in the quirky characters than the exploration or    Whether you are new to the Zelda series, or a long time fan: do yourself a favor and skip this one. This is the only Zelda game I've started and not finished. I really tried to enjoy this game, but around the halfway point I had to put it down because it was SO TEDIOUS.

    This game is a hand-holding, linear chore that seem more interested in the quirky characters than the exploration or adventure or problem solving. The motion controls work well enough, but it feels extremely awkward and it causes link's arm animations to be stiff. This makes Link almost always run around pointing his sword in the air like an idiot when at rest. Combat usually boils down to "swing sword from this specific direction" with no variety in strategy. The worst boss fight in the game is reused 3 times. The stamina bar seems to lack utility other than to limit your running. Which is a shame because apart from a couple of really great moments, there is little environment to marvel at. The dungeons themselves are decent, but there are so few of them. The second half of the game is just running back through areas you already were to collect balls of light in this awful mini game.

    Go play any other Zelda. This is the series at its lowest point. Go get Breath of the Wild or Ocarina of Time or Wind Waker or Majora's Mask or Link Between worlds. If you are getting this for a child, consider another title please. This will turn your kid into a mindless drone with no ability to think for himself.    … Expand
  67. ooo77
    Apr 16, 2017
    1
    The motion controls are aweful, it ruined what could've been an amazing Zelda game. The worst examples are swimming and the sword. It's used for literally everything. The story also isn't the best, Fi is an annoying horrible character who I hope we never see again. Also Ghirahim is the most nori g, pathetic Zelda villain ever. The fights with him are little more then glourified tutorials.The motion controls are aweful, it ruined what could've been an amazing Zelda game. The worst examples are swimming and the sword. It's used for literally everything. The story also isn't the best, Fi is an annoying horrible character who I hope we never see again. Also Ghirahim is the most nori g, pathetic Zelda villain ever. The fights with him are little more then glourified tutorials. The back tracking is annoying and boring. There's way too much of it, this is the most overrated game I've ever seen. Only reason this didn't get a 0 is because it looks good and has a good sound track, but that's not nearly enough things to save this piece of **** I hope that we get a remake on the Switch that gets rid of the motion controls.… Expand
  68. Johnny_evil2101
    Oct 27, 2021
    0
    No left-handed support in a game where the main character always was a lefty.
  69. thehairyscreame
    Aug 24, 2021
    0
    This game sucks. In 2011 this game was not good, but now it's really not good. The motion controls are gimmicky and when the game isn't holding your hand it's super cryptic. I hate this game. Critics compared this game to metroidvanias, this is nothing like a metroidvania. this game makes you revist locations over and over agiain because the devs were lazy.
  70. PrincessRescuer
    Feb 18, 2021
    1
    The Moderate Relevance of Zelda Skyward Sword is a boring game. Certainly not worth buying with current prices or re-buying on Switch. The game is designed for the creators' idea of what an emotionally fragile person is. You are constantly led by the nose constantly given opportunities to save. Enemies are slow and infrequent. The difficulty slowly and nonchalantly inches up whenever itThe Moderate Relevance of Zelda Skyward Sword is a boring game. Certainly not worth buying with current prices or re-buying on Switch. The game is designed for the creators' idea of what an emotionally fragile person is. You are constantly led by the nose constantly given opportunities to save. Enemies are slow and infrequent. The difficulty slowly and nonchalantly inches up whenever it feels like it, never making any daring jumps. The motion controls are the least of this game's problems. Take them out, and it's still a feckless game that doesn't want to be played- it just wants you to be done with it so it can be relieved of its duty.… Expand
  71. lSAGGERl
    Mar 3, 2021
    4
    Me lo acabo de terminar. La historia es bastante buena aunque típica pero bueno la he disfrutado. El juego es entretenido aunque algunas zonas se repiten para alargarlo artificialmente, pero por los controles no le puedo dar más de un 4, es de los peores juegos que he jugado en toda mi vida respecto a controles y camara y eso lastran completamente el juego, tanto que a veces te dan ganasMe lo acabo de terminar. La historia es bastante buena aunque típica pero bueno la he disfrutado. El juego es entretenido aunque algunas zonas se repiten para alargarlo artificialmente, pero por los controles no le puedo dar más de un 4, es de los peores juegos que he jugado en toda mi vida respecto a controles y camara y eso lastran completamente el juego, tanto que a veces te dan ganas de tirar el mando y claro te acuerdas de la madre del creador.… Expand
  72. peevedComic
    May 8, 2021
    2
    Sometimes I feel like this game is actively trying to get you to stop playing. The opening lasts literally hours, the overworlds are the most linear in Zelda history, the dungeons, while sometimes clever, give you the answers to all the puzzles written on signs. The main companion, Fi, constantly jumps out to either tell you information you just saw in a cutscene, or information that wasSometimes I feel like this game is actively trying to get you to stop playing. The opening lasts literally hours, the overworlds are the most linear in Zelda history, the dungeons, while sometimes clever, give you the answers to all the puzzles written on signs. The main companion, Fi, constantly jumps out to either tell you information you just saw in a cutscene, or information that was just told to you by another character. When she's not doing this, she's telling you that your hearts are low, your batteries in your remote are low, to take a break, or to use the dowsing feature again. Items will remind you what they are each time you reboot the game, the motion controls can be unresponsive, and the entirety of your adventure spans 3 bland locales that you have to revisit twice each. I found playing this game to be more of a chore than anything.… Expand
  73. GuybrushT57
    Jul 17, 2021
    2
    Je n'y ai joué que quelques heures.
    Les commandes m'ont fait abandonner.
    Imprécision, piloter les drones comme ça est un calvaire d'autant que la plus-value du combo joycon-nunchuck rrdte un mystère...
    Le seul zelda que je n'aurai jamais fini (hormis ceux sur CDi
  74. Shunior
    Apr 4, 2022
    1
    el peor, mas soso, feo y mal disenãdo Zelda 3D nunca hecho! Controles ridiculos, histpria mas sosa que coca sin gas, de verad ese juego fue el fondo del pozo para la saga! Estoy seguro que BOTW fue lo que fue porque la gente de Nintendo vió la basura que fue SS y decidió tomar una acttide al respecto. Y para empeorar esa wea me hizo gastar plata comprando un controle nuevo!
    Estica y    el peor, mas soso, feo y mal disenãdo Zelda 3D nunca hecho! Controles ridiculos, histpria mas sosa que coca sin gas, de verad ese juego fue el fondo del pozo para la saga! Estoy seguro que BOTW fue lo que fue porque la gente de Nintendo vió la basura que fue SS y decidió tomar una acttide al respecto. Y para empeorar esa wea me hizo gastar plata comprando un controle nuevo!
    Estica y tecnicamente esta muy por debajo de WW y TP, y es toda una verguanza, ese juego salió en 2011! En ese mismo año salió al mercado juegos como Uncharted 3, Batman: Arkham City, L.A. Noire, The Wicher II, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Super Mario 3D Land, y en la misma semana SKYRIM!
    Seamos sinceros, para 2011 ya no era aceptable un juego con malditas cajas de diálogos! Ya todos los AAA tenían doblaje. Incluso el Star Fox para la 3DS que salió al mismo año traía doblaje y en español! Cuando Twilight Princess salió en 2006 si que era normal los juegos no tener voz, además era un juego tan bonito, con buenos controles (al menos claro en la version original para la Gamecube) buenos combates y buenissima historia, que la falta de voz ni de lejos molesta aún a dia de hoy… pero SS es todo lo contrario!
    Y recuerden, SALIO EN LA MISMA SEMANA QUE SKYRIM!
    El juego es tonto y feo y mas bien parece que estoy jugando una aventura de Dora Aventurera do que un Zelda.
    El juego te trata como un niño tonto a todo momento. Vas a subir en una caja, aparece un npc con una CAJA DE TEXTO INFINITA en pleno 2011 con mucho mucho texto para decirte que puedes subir usando el analógico, otro npc te interrumpe para decirte que puedes correr pulsando A, y así pasa que las primeras 2 horas de ese juego es un grande, largo y innecesario tutorial.
    Pero nada ni nadie es más molesto que Fi. Esa personaje que A TODO EL RATO interrumpe el juego para decir o cosas muy obvias o porcentajes que de verdad no agregan nada al juego y deja la sensación aún mayor de que estás jugando un juego con una historia pensada por un niños de 5 años.
    Personalmente he oído de amigos que después de ver a ese juego dijeron que no sabían que Zelda era así un juego tan para niños... Porque el juego esta lleno de diálogos tontos, los “villanos” de la isla no convencen ni a su madre, una pandilla de pillos tirado de una peli para ninõs noventeros formada por un gastón y otros dos tipo torpes que hacen bulling. El juego es linear hasta no más poder, siento que Ocarina Of Time de 1998 fomentaba mucho más la exploración. En comparación a Wind Waker SS estaba en pañales! Y EN COMPARACIÓN A SKYRIM NI VOY A MENCIONAR NADA!

    Los gráficos están feos, y no solo feos para 2011, porque ya sabemos que la Wii no iba a entregar juegos HD, y la arte de Skyward Sword no era pa ser un juego realista, pero está mucho más feos que por ejemplo los Mario Galaxy. El estilo cartoon es bueno, Wind Waker tiene graficas más bonitas que SS, de hecho es un juego de 2002 que sigue siendo muy bonito!
    Pero SS no encaja, tiene cenarios genericos y mal hechos. En zonas como el desierto muchas veces estuve perdido… PERDIDO! Yo no me perdí ni en BOTW que tiene un mapeado GIGANTESCO y me perdí en eses mapas genericos de SS.    … Expand
  75. GDsReviews
    Aug 15, 2022
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Skyward Sword is the epic prequel of the Zelda series, sometimes too epic. This game has easily the best soundtrack of any Zelda game after Twilight Princess, but it is painfully long and hard, with some the worst controls I have ever played with for a game.

    This game is full of tedious but necessary actions with no real payoff, you can only save at certain places, the boss battles are absurdly hard, it constantly takes much longer than it should, two bosses are repeated 3 times, has an insanely annoying robot helper in Fi that upon departing feels like a blessing and good riddance, and is easy to get lost in even using a strategy guide like I was.

    However, the worst part of this game are the controls. It relies on the Wii Motion+ controls that you have to calibrate, and lose calibration constantly no matter how many times you recalibrate them, including right when you need your controls to function most. The worst is in the harp, which goes out so quickly that you have to hold the remote at awkward angles to get through it all. At least though you can fix them briefly by recalibrating them.

    Compared to most 3D Zelda games, the characters in this game are few in number. Impa makes her return as a strong time traveling warrior woman, but she is the only truly strong woman character in this game sadly. This game does though have a neat desert region where hitting stones shows the lush past around a barren present desert.

    The controls sink this game pretty much.    … Expand
  76. ReaperOfCrows
    Nov 21, 2021
    0
    It's almost impossible to believe this game came from the same studio as Breath of the Wild, and the older Zelda games. It's the absolute opposite in terms of quality and breadth of content. All this talk about how Skyward Sword HD fixes everything and makes it a truly amazing game is mind-blowing, almost as much as this game getting good critical reviews even on the original version!

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

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

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

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

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

    This whole experience has made me wonder if reviewers actually played through the game, or just wrote a review based on what they thought fans wanted hear about a Zelda title. I'm just dumbfounded.    … Expand
  77. BobsityJonesity
    Aug 22, 2022
    3
    Genuinely an atrocious Zelda game, an embarrassment to the franchise. This game is defined by the word boring. The repeated sections and the uninspired dungeons drag on for the entire experience. For each interesting or compelling moment/enemy encounter there are at least 5 which are boring. And Fi, just the worst!!!!!!! The only positive thing to say about FI is that she made meGenuinely an atrocious Zelda game, an embarrassment to the franchise. This game is defined by the word boring. The repeated sections and the uninspired dungeons drag on for the entire experience. For each interesting or compelling moment/enemy encounter there are at least 5 which are boring. And Fi, just the worst!!!!!!! The only positive thing to say about FI is that she made me appreciate tattle more in ocarina of time. Comparing the two would be like comparing the heat of a hot stove vs the sun. The characters here are lifeless (except for groose) your bird companion feels like a glorified vehicle, and your sword won't ever shut up, it's exhausting. Like I said however there are some real highlights here, including the Buddhist inspire ancient cistern and its boss, the pirate ship that switches from the past to the future, and Girahim. But these good ideas don't make up for the pacing and the rest of the problems. Underneath these problems there rests a good game, but if a game is more fun to think about and remember then to play that's when there's an issue… Expand
  78. Kirshks
    Jun 30, 2023
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. it's so overrated, I tried to play it and experience was awfull, game is trash… Expand

Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best Wii Game of 2011
1
#1 Most Discussed Wii Game of 2011
1
#1 Most Shared Wii Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
93

Universal acclaim - based on 81 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 78 out of 81
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 81
  3. Negative: 0 out of 81
  1. Armchair Empire
    Feb 6, 2012
    100
    Overall, this is the best experience I've had playing a Zelda game since Ocarina of Time and I'd have to say they are pretty equal in my opinion. Either way, you won't be disappointed getting this game, it's a masterpiece.
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  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jan 19, 2012
    90
    New Zelda is the best game of whole series since the groundbreaking Ocarina of Time. It is a true masterpiece with uncompromising playability. [Christmas 2011]
  3. PALGN
    Jan 19, 2012
    95
    A magnificent homage for the 25th anniversary of one the biggest franchises in gaming, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword provides a compelling gaming and artistic showcase for the indefatigable potential of the medium as a whole, and a reason to have gaming as a hobby.
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