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. roo7788
    Mar 27, 2017
    7
    nunca tuve problemas con los controles y me gustaron mucho los rompecabesas tanto que cuando lo jugue pense que era un juego de 10 pero simpre que trato de volver a jugarlo recurdo a fii y como le gusta a el juego agarrarte la mano y nunca lo vuevo a juegar relmete es un buen juego pero tiene muchos errores del diseño se vulve lento por la nesesidad de incluir a fii interupiedote a cada minuto
  2. Beppeoioi
    Nov 21, 2011
    6
    After waiting so many months Skyward Sword Zelda, after reading so many articles, see movies and read rumors, even I would give this game 10/10. Then he came out, I bought and tried and it is at this point that came the disappointment. I quickly realized that so much praise, so many high scores were just advertising. I am an expert player of Zelda, I played three times and finished ZeldaAfter waiting so many months Skyward Sword Zelda, after reading so many articles, see movies and read rumors, even I would give this game 10/10. Then he came out, I bought and tried and it is at this point that came the disappointment. I quickly realized that so much praise, so many high scores were just advertising. I am an expert player of Zelda, I played three times and finished Zelda Twilight Princess and I would have expected much more from Skyward Sword. Grainy graphics, controller goes crazy when you look off the field, the controller is not precise, enemies in spite of the above the new Motion Plus controller, are killed simply shaking the controller. And then the most important thing, the story,missing the magic, the soul is lacking, there is no involvement, few dialogues. It looks like a game made in a hurry to go to meet business needs, putting together the pieces of the previous Zelda,yet they have had 5 years of time. I've played now for 20 hours since I hope that going forward you change something...… Expand
  3. ClockworkSpec
    Jul 7, 2012
    6
    While I did like this game, it does not live up to the reviews found in the media. I enjoyed the motion controls, but the story didn't feel as engaging as say twilight princess. Also some of the game felt like it was added just to extend the length of the game rather than to add something truly important or engaging. Some portions of the game really just felt like a chore or an annoyance.
  4. MMM103
    Mar 1, 2013
    6
    I don't believe in rambling, so I'm going to review the game as a list of pros and cons. Hopefully none of it seems petulant or nitpicky. Here goes:
    Pros:
    Controls, while a little stiff at times and tending to fall into premade animations, are for the most part very intuitive and fun to use. There is no denying that fighting even basic enemies has ever been this fun in a Zelda game. Art    I don't believe in rambling, so I'm going to review the game as a list of pros and cons. Hopefully none of it seems petulant or nitpicky. Here goes:
    Pros:
    Controls, while a little stiff at times and tending to fall into premade animations, are for the most part very intuitive and fun to use. There is no denying that fighting even basic enemies has ever been this fun in a Zelda game.
    Art (or perhaps art design), soundtrack, and overall polish are incredibly high, exceptions made of course for the limitations on the art imposed by the Wii being 6-year-old hardware.
    Storyline (for once) tries something new and succeeds.
    Has the Beetle. 10/10 game of the year best Zelda thingy.

    Cons (here comes the whining):
    No overworld whatsoever- gameplay is very clearly divided into The Surface, where Things Get Done, and The Sky, where There's Clouds I Guess. The only area you'll ever have to visit outside of the surface is Skyloft.
    Bird is easy but frustrating to control and serves little purpose except to get from point A to point B. Compare to Epona in Twilight Princess, where some battles take place entirely on horseback and are actually really fun to play in and of themselves!
    Dungeon design, while still Zelda (read: amazing), pales in comparison to Ocarina of Time or Twilight Princess. Boss fights are simple and boss design is simpler. Two bosses are fought 3 different times, many of them have a very low level of detail (Scaldera, anyone?), and even the final boss is pitifully easy.
    By comparison, normal enemies are arduous, as most of the challenge in basic fights is simply waiting for the enemy to drop their guard.
    Environments, temple or otherwise, while beautiful, tend to put form over function (read: sealed grounds, giant spiral that serves no purpose except to teach you how to hold down the A button).

    Overall? Definitely not worthy of the hate it gets, but not worth the praise either. If anything, it is a perfect example of how too much polish can make a game thoroughly average- something Nintendo has been doing an awful lot recently. An absurdly clean and weirdly streamlined experience that could have been great in execution but failed in conceptualization.
    Now stop reading this review and go play Ocarina of Time again.    … Expand
  5. Metroid3175
    Mar 24, 2013
    7
    After thoroughly enjoying Twilight Princess, I felt that Skyward Sword had some pretty high standards to meet. Unfortunately, it did not deliver this time around. Too much repetition and backtracking in the gameplay got old really fast. Also, utilizing the Wii Motion Plus was a good thing but a bad thing at the same time. Sometimes the controls made sense while other times they were justAfter thoroughly enjoying Twilight Princess, I felt that Skyward Sword had some pretty high standards to meet. Unfortunately, it did not deliver this time around. Too much repetition and backtracking in the gameplay got old really fast. Also, utilizing the Wii Motion Plus was a good thing but a bad thing at the same time. Sometimes the controls made sense while other times they were just ridiculously frustrating. Overall, Skyward Sword is an "okay" installment, but if you are looking for this one to be up there with some of the most memorable Zelda games, I recommend passing on this one.… Expand
  6. enkaybee
    May 23, 2013
    6
    This game is fundamentally very good, but was tarnished by a few flaws that made it difficult to enjoy.
    Starting with the good:
    The art style and music are phenomenal, as can be expected from the series. No disappointments in these areas. The level design is very good and takes advantage of the motion controls well. The levels were built around motion, not the other way around (see    This game is fundamentally very good, but was tarnished by a few flaws that made it difficult to enjoy.
    Starting with the good:
    The art style and music are phenomenal, as can be expected from the series. No disappointments in these areas. The level design is very good and takes advantage of the motion controls well. The levels were built around motion, not the other way around (see Twilight Princess).

    I'm neutral on the game's plot.

    Now the not-so-good:
    It treats the player like a moron, constantly assuming that he doesn't know what to do and constantly interrupting gameplay to tell him. It gets worse and worse as the game progresses. If this help system had been implemented in a way that made it voluntary, it would be a non-issue.
    There is a lot of boss repetition, which is unusual for Zelda games.
    The game is easy, even in hero mode. Solving puzzles is more a matter of moving your arm correctly than thinking correctly and bosses do very little damage. Enemies die when you breathe on them. Very few of the heart pieces are well-hidden.

    A lot of the reviews on here seem like they were written by people who were blinded by the "new-ness" of it, without actually taking the time to analyze the gameplay. It has the makings of an excellent experience, but it's brought down at least a few notches by its flaws.    … Expand
  7. LairdEJM
    Sep 11, 2013
    6
    I have to go against the crowd here I'm afraid, as I found this game very dissapointing, and my least favourite Zelda game on a main console.
    My issues stem from the graphical design which feels childish, but not unique like Wind Waker.
    The wii motion plus controls very rapidly annoyed me and would have been a good feature...IF it were needed, which I don't feel it was. I also had great    I have to go against the crowd here I'm afraid, as I found this game very dissapointing, and my least favourite Zelda game on a main console.
    My issues stem from the graphical design which feels childish, but not unique like Wind Waker.
    The wii motion plus controls very rapidly annoyed me and would have been a good feature...IF it were needed, which I don't feel it was. I also had great trouble engaging in the story and landscape of this prequel game, as Hyrule didn't look anything like the Hyrule we see in Ocarina and Twilight Princess, a good example being Faron Woods which instead of being a dark, mysterious forest was a fairy land with happy creatures and a palette which was far to happy, not to mention the lack of trees...
    I also found the plot particularly uninspiring this time around, being entirely unbelievable and seeming to lack the links we were promised to the other Zelda titles.
    These things aside, it is still a Zelda game with some fun moments. The idea of skydiving by jumping off your bird thing is quite entertaining at first, (but loses it's charm quickly especially since the Sky world is actually very small.) Temples are a puzzle as usual and can offer hours of entertainment.

    I suppose my score for this game just reflects my lack of engagement with the plot...I really couldn't really care if that Sky world was destroyed because it didn't charm me at all. A shame but perhaps I went into the game with too high expectations.    … Expand
  8. inudg
    Jun 27, 2020
    7
    If this is your 1st Zelda game, will be great. The music and graphics are cool, and the gameplay is awesome. The bad part is the story, sooooo flat, some characters are kind annoying and they give you all the items and take you by the hand.
  9. rickyjunior
    Jun 28, 2020
    7
    Skyward Sword is a strange game. The controls are horrendous, the enemies are completely boring and uncreative, each bossfight is repeated 3 times, and yet it still draws you in and stands pretty tall above most other games in terms of visuals, music, and general atmosphere. I wouldn't recommend it, but it is an interesting experience.
  10. knave84
    Mar 4, 2012
    7
    My first Zelda game was Twilight Princess and I have some really fond memories from that adventure! So that's the Zelda game I can compare this too, but generally I have been playing video games for over 20 years. Skyward Sword is a mixed bag...graphics range from pretty to blurry mess..story is typical fairy tale no one really cares about...gameplay is great..motion controls work most ofMy first Zelda game was Twilight Princess and I have some really fond memories from that adventure! So that's the Zelda game I can compare this too, but generally I have been playing video games for over 20 years. Skyward Sword is a mixed bag...graphics range from pretty to blurry mess..story is typical fairy tale no one really cares about...gameplay is great..motion controls work most of the time but are far from perfect...difficulty level is just right...I love: the sense of adventure, the music, the dungeons, the anime style animations and jokes...I hate: repetitive tasks, limited areas, fetch quests, unskippable dialogs that go on forever, no voice acting, annoying sound when hearts are low... Really, this game is worth a playthrough but Nintendo really need to modernize this franchise...the way this game is presented, it's only saved from being mediocre by the Zelda name...if this was the first Zelda ever, compared to other modern games..it would be a failure..please Nintendo don't let Zelda die like this...bring it into the 21st century!… Expand
  11. dimweat
    Nov 25, 2011
    7
    I've played every Zelda game since 1987, so I was pretty pumped for Skyward Sword. The first warning sign was when the game required WiiMotionPlus to function. With the imminent release of the Wii U, and no other major first party games to be released on the Wii, Im left believing that the sole purpose for this is to add a secret $40 to the price tag. It certainty didn't add to any gameI've played every Zelda game since 1987, so I was pretty pumped for Skyward Sword. The first warning sign was when the game required WiiMotionPlus to function. With the imminent release of the Wii U, and no other major first party games to be released on the Wii, Im left believing that the sole purpose for this is to add a secret $40 to the price tag. It certainty didn't add to any game play. Many times during the game, it demanded a vertical swing. Simple enough, right? swing the remote in a verticle slice. WRONG! THAT WASNT FLAT, THERE WAS A SLIGHT ANGLE! TRY AGAIN!....after 30 more attempts, finally Link decides to throw me a bone and hit the target. 30 hours in, I still had to pray my wrist wouldn't snap in half from trying to direct the Possibly Polio-ridden Link to dive, or throw a bomb: both actions that we're perfect 20 years ago by the innovation of an 'A' button. If you can get past the needless, frustrating and sadistic controls, then you'll find creative dungeons, compelling-ish story (Still dont really know the justification for the first half of the game) and some good adventuring. Im just skeptical of any game where the boss can be defeated (not joking here) by flailing my limbs around for 2 minutes… Expand
  12. Andrevv14
    Aug 26, 2012
    6
    I've played through Majoras Mask and Ocarina of Time, and this is not even close. The first problems being the intro, in the N64 titles the intros are short, sharp and interesting...In Skyward Sword the intro drags along. I think that the introduction (first 2-5 hours) is most important because that can make the difference between someone playing and quitting the game and i dont think thatI've played through Majoras Mask and Ocarina of Time, and this is not even close. The first problems being the intro, in the N64 titles the intros are short, sharp and interesting...In Skyward Sword the intro drags along. I think that the introduction (first 2-5 hours) is most important because that can make the difference between someone playing and quitting the game and i dont think that the first hours of gameplay are fun at all. The story in Skyward Sword does also not live up to usual standards. But what were looking at is gameplay. On so the combat is rather fun and maybe even a bit more involving than that of Oot and MM. Saying this, the boss battles are quite tedious and the controls for blocking and rolling are inconvenient. The games items are also pretty interesting. I mean, the claws and the beetle thing are both pretty cool items but on the other hand i find it really repetitive to use the dowsing thing over and over again. One thing they have perfected time and time again in the Zelda series is the soundtrack, and im happy to say at least they got something right with this game. The dungeons are also quite well thought out as usual but lack variation, i mean for example the first dungeon. Confuse the eyeball, shoot the bug, open a door...Rinse and repeat. But in saying all this, i know ive sounded a little harsh on a game from a series that i love. But the wait was very long and it was very disappointing compared to the others. In saying this it is not a bad game, it is just i know they can do better because they have done much much better before.… Expand
  13. iatenine
    Apr 20, 2012
    6
    Zelda: Skyward Sword is a good game that finds itself in the unfortunate position of being compared to previous Zelda titles. While in many ways it does improve upon the old ones and utilizes the Wii motion controller to its fullest by making intuitive and challenging combat as well as new, if not occasionally bewildering puzzles, the open-world gameplay and sidequests have been at bestZelda: Skyward Sword is a good game that finds itself in the unfortunate position of being compared to previous Zelda titles. While in many ways it does improve upon the old ones and utilizes the Wii motion controller to its fullest by making intuitive and challenging combat as well as new, if not occasionally bewildering puzzles, the open-world gameplay and sidequests have been at best streamlined and at worst ruined. Before I continue I'd like to stress the fact that this is a good, though I would not say "great" game however due to the shower of praise it has received in the media I'd like to focus on the drawbacks so many "professional game reviews" forgot to mention before I paid $45 USD for a used copy (Closer to $100 if you include the cost of a Wii Motion Plus controller).

    First and foremost are the controls. Yes, after 3.5 years into the console's life Nintendo finally releases an add-on to improve the hardware. While I can't deny some improvements have been made in terms of position detection of the Wii-mote, it's far from perfect and the point-and-click ability has suffered a far worse setback than anything has improved, so much so there's an in-game function to recenter its calibration. Furthermore the new bomb-flower rolling mechanic is more of an endurance test as most the time the game can't tell if you're trying to roll it or return to the useless "in-between" stance in which Link simply awaits for the bomb to explode in his hands. Even the simplest of puzzles involving this can take 3 hearts easily.

    Next up is the exposition. Yes I know Zelda games have a traditionally slow opening but in all Zelda games I can immediately recall saving is something you can do anytime and pick it up later. Worse that it's been almost 15 years since Ocarina of Time yet there is still no skippable cutscenes, including the schizophrenic treasure dialogues. It doesn't matter if you have 6 Eldin Ore. The 7th one may stop to tell you what you just grabbed and what it's for (vaguely) but then again sometimes you'll get 5 more it will just let you on your merry little way. The biggest offender is the story itself though. Even after you've descended to the surface and solved a few puzzles an old lady stops you and tells you basically nothing you haven't already heard. "The Goddess has chosen you. You're to save Zelda". Had the way out just been unlocked she could've been missing and the only question would've been "why make such a large room just to hide a few items?"

    Linearity. OK in a way almost all Zelda games are fairly linear. You need to go to certain temples in a certain order and obtain certain items to solve certain puzzles (although I accidentally went to one temple out of order in Phantom Hourglass) but they still felt like an adventure, largely due to the open world and having the freedom to find side-quests. While some interesting features are there to be found, the hidden "dungeons" that make extrapolating their contents such a challenge are from what I can tell nowhere to be found. Regenerating enemies make sure you don't explore too much on the surface either and seem to be the only indication as where you're supposed to be. It's very easy to not know where you're supposed to be and spend a long time exploring a vast, enemy-infested but otherwise uninteresting map. It feels more like being on an airport's moving sidewalk than on an adventure. Had half the explanation for the story (which largely consists of telling you whom you're looking for every time you find a key to a dungeon or boss room) gone into pointing you in the right direction then I'd probably be able to lose two criticisms and sadly, no, I'm not nit-picking. The exposition really is that forced, there really is a "right direction" in a Zelda game and the puzzles really are this perplexing.

    At the end of the day I'd be recommending this to everybody and my brother if, for nothing else, to demonstrate the Wii has potential despite its limitations had it simply been known as "Skyward Sword" in the unlikely event I would give a title a second glance. Fortunately, at least for Nintendo profits, it is known as "Zelda: Skyward Sword" but with that free ride comes a higher standard, including that of an expansive and immersive world and while many of my criticisms can be applied to previous titles of the franchise I do feel that as a Nintendo fan I am entitled to expect some improvement over time, even if that means taking a chapter from previous installments or at the least the "zip-through-speech" button that made the N64 Paper Mario one of my favorite and most replayable RPGs in video-game history.    … Expand
  14. ShaneS
    Jan 19, 2012
    6
    There is almost zero exploration in this game. Having a big open world with multiple towns, tons of sidequests, and tons of things to find and do has been a zelda tradition since the begining. Skyward Sword throws all that out in favor of a singular town, which acts as a hubworld to take you to the dungeon areas. Before you can enter each dungeon though you have to perform a dowsing fetchThere is almost zero exploration in this game. Having a big open world with multiple towns, tons of sidequests, and tons of things to find and do has been a zelda tradition since the begining. Skyward Sword throws all that out in favor of a singular town, which acts as a hubworld to take you to the dungeon areas. Before you can enter each dungeon though you have to perform a dowsing fetch quest which is boring and only serves to prolong the game. If you want to know what it's like playing Skyward Sword then just imagine what Ocarina of Time would be like if you took away everything but the dungeons, and added in some annoying fetch quests to prolong the game.… Expand
  15. sheepishdolphin
    Mar 15, 2012
    6
    Bought this on the strength of reviews. Good game- but not great. No exploration, a single town, lots of padding.. it felt like the game was sending me on fetch quests 'just because', and the storyline was really weak. The controls were good and accurate, but laggy, which often caused frustration and in the end I couldn't be bothered, and flailing worked just as often as being preciseBought this on the strength of reviews. Good game- but not great. No exploration, a single town, lots of padding.. it felt like the game was sending me on fetch quests 'just because', and the storyline was really weak. The controls were good and accurate, but laggy, which often caused frustration and in the end I couldn't be bothered, and flailing worked just as often as being precise did.

    And Fi, the games 'Navi', is super annoying, blocking gamplay to reiterate what you have just been told/discovered. Overall, my least favourite Zelda game, and the only one that has had me bored and begging for it to finish.    … Expand
  16. jiggajim
    Apr 15, 2012
    5
    Finally quit this game today. Tried to like it, but just didn't live up to the series' standards. Heavy reliance on motion control, but precision was definitely lacking. Requiring flying, a dull activity, pretty much sums up the entire game. It was fun when things were actually happening, but I got tired of the linearity, the retreads back to old worlds, the swimming (ugh). JustFinally quit this game today. Tried to like it, but just didn't live up to the series' standards. Heavy reliance on motion control, but precision was definitely lacking. Requiring flying, a dull activity, pretty much sums up the entire game. It was fun when things were actually happening, but I got tired of the linearity, the retreads back to old worlds, the swimming (ugh). Just disappointed.

    To me, this game perfectly highlights the problems of relying on motion control for precision activities. Too often I felt that I wanted to perform some maneuver, but Link did not respond. The stamina meter was an interesting addition, but it eventually it just annoyed me.

    Can't count the number of times I've replayed Link to the Past, but this is the first Zelda game I just got bored and quit. How disappointing.    … Expand
  17. ZootMan
    Mar 17, 2012
    5
    Fetch quests....is that a legitimate substitute for the dungeon puzzles of the past? The 'dousing' mechanic is the worst thing to ever happen to this once great franchise. Well played, Nintendo. You just reused 80% of the content for us to play through again. Oh, and you have repeated non-skippable bullsh*t dialogue to torture the player with? Uh huh. Oh, you say you also have crappyFetch quests....is that a legitimate substitute for the dungeon puzzles of the past? The 'dousing' mechanic is the worst thing to ever happen to this once great franchise. Well played, Nintendo. You just reused 80% of the content for us to play through again. Oh, and you have repeated non-skippable bullsh*t dialogue to torture the player with? Uh huh. Oh, you say you also have crappy combat that pales in comparison to previous games? Yup. Oh, you say the game holds your hand so tightly their is almost no freedom of exploration? Sure, sure. I am a hug fan of Twilight, Wind Waker and past games, so it saddens me to give this a 5. This franchise, like others, is on cruise control. But with Zelda on the cover, you know those scores inflate reeeeaal. easy.… Expand
  18. tzfrankelbaum
    Mar 7, 2012
    5
    Enjoyable enough to be worth a look if you are a Zelda fan (as I am), but has a deliberate, heavy handed feel that can get tedious. There are very few mysteries or puzzles to actually "solve", as everything is spelled out...often literally... multiple times. As others have noted, the same battles have to be repeated; the same areas have to be returned to for what often equates to a 30Enjoyable enough to be worth a look if you are a Zelda fan (as I am), but has a deliberate, heavy handed feel that can get tedious. There are very few mysteries or puzzles to actually "solve", as everything is spelled out...often literally... multiple times. As others have noted, the same battles have to be repeated; the same areas have to be returned to for what often equates to a 30 second - 1 minute "quest"; and at this point I could probably recite the description of every treasure in my sleep. (If every other aspect of gameplay can be saved at a save point, why can't the fact that I've seen a banal item description- and don't need to be reminded that "it can be found anywhere" or "it is very rare" - be noted!?) Controls worked fine for me; in fact, if it weren't for the involvement of physical activity, I don't think I would have kept playing. Graphics are ok; hated them at first but they grew on me. Still prefer any other Zelda title's style though. Overall, I much prefer the Zelda titles for the NES, SNES, N64 and Cube, all of which retained a level of challenge and rewarding puzzle solving that SS is lacking. In a slight throwback way, the feeling of going back to the same places over and over again in SS is reminiscent of having to start all the way back at the beginning in the original Zelda titles... but in a somehow even more irritating way.… Expand
  19. natsad11
    Apr 4, 2012
    6
    this episode is not comparable thilight princess, for me it is not so impressionnant.Je think the Wii has reached its limits with this new episode charts. In addition some features were not interacted Link does not enough with its environment. But it's still a good game to discover in the wii console.
  20. DemKin
    Dec 9, 2013
    6
    The worst Zelda to date, without a doubt. The graphics, if not super ugly, look old and flat, the dungeons are not what we used to see, the writings are not good, sometimes even a real pain to read, the ideas are not good... But the worst part, where it hurts the most, is definitely the controls. They tried waaaaaay too hard to include motion features, waaaaay too hard. It limited theThe worst Zelda to date, without a doubt. The graphics, if not super ugly, look old and flat, the dungeons are not what we used to see, the writings are not good, sometimes even a real pain to read, the ideas are not good... But the worst part, where it hurts the most, is definitely the controls. They tried waaaaaay too hard to include motion features, waaaaay too hard. It limited the gameplay, felt repetitive, and the game felt more like some kind of QTE Zelda than a real Zelda. Oh, and my arm hurt after a 2 hours.
    Overall, the gameplay feels incredibly tedious, especially for a big fan of the series like me. It's not a Zelda, I couldn't find the personnality and the heart of this unique series. It's a random Wii adventure game.
    Even if A Link Between Worlds was absolutely amazing, after playing Skyward Sword, I cannot help myself but fearing for the future of the 3D Zeldas, and more generally for the future of my favourite video game series ever. A huge disappointment.    … Expand
  21. Halyo
    Dec 28, 2018
    7
    Nice artstyle, OK gameplay, no replay value. 7/10
    3D Zelda games were a mistake.
  22. Garfailed
    Apr 5, 2012
    5
    Nintendo brings a new flavor of dungeon'ing and exploring to Zelda, though it has repercussions that weaken the foundations on which the series was built on. The artwork and design are colourful and beautiful, and add a vibrant atmosphere to every area, but the problem that arises with the setting is that they are confined. Zelda fans should be well accustomed to being able to explore aNintendo brings a new flavor of dungeon'ing and exploring to Zelda, though it has repercussions that weaken the foundations on which the series was built on. The artwork and design are colourful and beautiful, and add a vibrant atmosphere to every area, but the problem that arises with the setting is that they are confined. Zelda fans should be well accustomed to being able to explore a vast amount of environments, that's part of the appeal of the series. Unfortunately SS restricts the players ability to travel from one area to another, and so a feeling of disconnection arises, like how you do when you have to go back to a menu in a game to pick a new destination. You no longer feel as immersed in the gameplay. Monsters are few and far between, though they are spread over larger areas. The motions of defeating them become repetitive, just as pressing a certain button repeatedly would. The motion controls do not feel natural because of inaccuracy, lag and the need to calibrate often. This also causes the motion controls to not feel anymore realistic than pressing buttons would, you've only changed how you send commands.

    The characters and plot felt bland and empty. Your companion for the game in particular, who will also give away many puzzles in the game before you can even take a crack at them. The final battle and ending left me dissatisfied, but given the story that led up to it, that wasn't surprising.

    Overall, the game should be played through to the end before you review it. Too many seemed to jump on the bandwagon of excitement, played it for a few hours, gave it critical acclaim, and then had second thoughts later. It's a game worth playing, if not just to make your own opinion about the motion controls. Those expecting a dynamic journey with a great story and character development that doesn't make you roll your eyes, may be disappointed.    … Expand
  23. WiiEntertainYou
    Nov 27, 2011
    7
    First of all, I wanna say that I'm probably the biggest Zelda-Fan in the universe. I love the series, I admire Nintendo's work and I really can't stop playing any Zelda game. However, let's get back to the review.

    When I finished Zelda: Twiglight Princess in early January 2007 on the new Wii, the first thing I did after mashing Ganondorf was to google for Zelda 2 for Wii. I found a news    First of all, I wanna say that I'm probably the biggest Zelda-Fan in the universe. I love the series, I admire Nintendo's work and I really can't stop playing any Zelda game. However, let's get back to the review.

    When I finished Zelda: Twiglight Princess in early January 2007 on the new Wii, the first thing I did after mashing Ganondorf was to google for Zelda 2 for Wii. I found a news saying that Aonuma already confirmed a brand new Zelda title for Wii. Since THEN I have been waiting for the E3 presentation of Skyward Sword.

    I started crying after holding it in my hands... (Just kidding, but I was happy). I started playing it and I was happy. I saw a Link finally expressing his emotions, I heard the amazing, STUNNING new soundtrack and, I must admit, the beautiful grafics. Even though everyone says they look like crap, I really enjoy the art style, though it isn't as dark as it was in Twilight Princess. The controls of Skyward Sword are just perfect. They work better than your arms. Seriously, Skyward Sword is a video game with perfect controls and it is very hard to find other games with the same scheme.

    Now the story... When I talked to my brother about the "new" Zelda game coming out soon, I already predicted that it is potentially the best Zelda game of all time. Remember, Ocarina Of Time IS the best (Zelda) video game of all time because it's got everything that touches the gamer. Great Story, great music, great visuals (we're talking about 1998). And those aspects are exactly the essential things in every good video game. Zelda: Skyward Sword was supposed to convince with it's story, it was supposed to convince with it's content. It was supposed to explain the happenings before Ocarina Of Time, so Skyward Sword was supposed to be another milestone, such as Twilight Princess.
    In fact, it does not convince with it's story. Last night, when I finished playing it... I was like: "When does it start, I'm still waiting...!" Then the credits. I was disappointed. I honestly expected more than that after thoes five long years. Don't get me wrong, Skyward Sword is worth playing it, especially to see and to learn how Nintendo figures out the full potential of the Wii. Those guys finally showed how the Wii was supposed to work. Also, I like the upgrad feature, just one of many new things. Ah... this **** word "suppose".

    In conclusion, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is a good game, but it doesn't have the great atmosphere, this typical Zelda flair. It's not epic. Not at all. It's just gone too casual. It has awesome visuals, spectacular controls and an awesome soundtrack. But again, it's story does not convince me as a hardcore Zelda fan. I'm disappointed and I feel sad after waiting 5 years and getting a too tiny Zelda world and a too short story.

    Evaluation:

    Visuals 8.5/10
    Sound 9/10
    Controls 10/10
    Story 5/10

    End result: 7/10 (Does not correspond to the average score)    … Expand
  24. Metascoreman
    Mar 25, 2012
    5
    I played the game almost all the way through, but unfortunately I got so frustrated that I gave up. Game itself is OK, although nowhere near as captivating as it's predecessors. There was "too much of the same" all the way through and it failed to match the magic previous games had. Unfortunately it did not have as many towns to visit as previous ones, sky island was too small for myI played the game almost all the way through, but unfortunately I got so frustrated that I gave up. Game itself is OK, although nowhere near as captivating as it's predecessors. There was "too much of the same" all the way through and it failed to match the magic previous games had. Unfortunately it did not have as many towns to visit as previous ones, sky island was too small for my liking and the story got me tired. That enemy guy looked more like something from DBZ than a villain that belongs to the Zelda Universe. I got to the Sand Ship boss and my wiimote and nunchuk did everything they could to sour my experience.
    All the way through the game I found controls tedious at the best and they ruined many a fun moment for me.
    I think they tried too hard to push for the wiimote functionality that they screwed the controls up that the game was no fun to play at all. Bloody thing got de-calibrated so often that I spent ages just adjusting it.
    It was not that much of a problem in low intense areas but with that sand ship boss the experience became unbearable. You are switching from the sword to the bow and arrows, have barely a few seconds to shoot him, and your screen starts spinning like a **** you are desperately trying to calibrate it, and the chance of shooting him is gone and what is worse, because you are in the first person mode, you get disoriented and get pummeled in the end. It is really annoying when you know exactly what to do, but the game flaws your attempts. Eventually I got it done, but then asked myself if it was worth it, decided it felt more like a waste of time than fun it should be and gave up on the game all together.
    And I blame Nintendo for it. So here you go have your 5 ( I wanted to do zero, but I could not justify it to myself) And if it was not a Zelda game I would probably give it 7 but after decades of setting the bar so high they have to be marked on their own merits.    … Expand
  25. theobvioustruth
    May 10, 2012
    7
    I'm sorry for being rude, but to everyone giving this game a 10 out of 10, and using remarks such as "Best Zelda Ever" and "a Masterpiece", are you all on meth? I UNDERSTAND it's your opinion, but it's also an opinion others are going to read and make their decision on this game upon. I LOVE the Zelda franchise, I have played every main game in the series, and only haven't beat 5 of them,I'm sorry for being rude, but to everyone giving this game a 10 out of 10, and using remarks such as "Best Zelda Ever" and "a Masterpiece", are you all on meth? I UNDERSTAND it's your opinion, but it's also an opinion others are going to read and make their decision on this game upon. I LOVE the Zelda franchise, I have played every main game in the series, and only haven't beat 5 of them, but I did beat Skyward Sword, within a week of it's release, and I was out the door to trade it in for Skyrim as soon as I saw "The End". I'm NOT saying this game is worth anything less than a 6 out of 10, but I AM saying that nearly every blockbuster game to come out in 2011 was better than this game. I'm also saying that this was the worst game in the franchise, completely abandoning the polished story telling, art and gameplay of all previous Zelda games in the past and devoting itself to a gimmick that Nintendo is pushing down our throats as fans of this series. I didn't want to buy the Wii Motion Plus, but I did just so I could play this game, and Nintendo understands that there are people like me out there, there are a lot, and they completely used that against us. As for everyone giving it anything over an 8 out of 10 and praising it like its some kind of milestone in the franchise, I'm going to have to assume you're all in denial, because like myself, you wanted this game to be worth the over 5 years it took to create, but it wasn't, so you don't need to ruin the accumulative score with your simplistic "OMG 10" reviews. As for the game, it's a 7 out of 10. As someone said before, for the worst game in the franchise, 7 is a pretty outstanding score.… Expand
  26. smaugrens
    Jan 22, 2014
    6
    It has been some time since I played this game and reading some of the negative reviews reminded me of why this game just did not do it for me as an addition to the Zelda series. Perhaps my problem is coming at the game as a long time Zelda fan? Maybe. This game just felt very gimmicky and childish, I never really felt like I was saving the world in any sensible way, and I could notIt has been some time since I played this game and reading some of the negative reviews reminded me of why this game just did not do it for me as an addition to the Zelda series. Perhaps my problem is coming at the game as a long time Zelda fan? Maybe. This game just felt very gimmicky and childish, I never really felt like I was saving the world in any sensible way, and I could not have cared less about Zelda in the story. As a fan I would score the game lower but I also have to give credit for the parts of it that were actually done quite well. That being said, I can highly recommend Twilight Princess, but I don't feel this one is worth the fans' time.… Expand
  27. Dhulfiqar
    Feb 22, 2014
    6
    This game is so horrible that it makes you feel pain. The annoying repetitiousness, linearity in game, horrible bosses, the level design, storyline, the music. This games makes me feel bored every moment when i proceed in the game. I feel like i played another Ocarina of Time clone with horrible design.
  28. spencerplewe
    May 19, 2020
    7
    Upon its initial release, I adored this Zelda entry specifically for its story, controls, and fun characters, and those still hold up. Eight years later, however, a crucial flaw that was more apparent to me was the pace of the story, which is very uneven and exhaustively repetitive.
  29. Tsili
    Nov 27, 2011
    7
    While being a Zelda game makes this a fun game it is left far behind than the rest of the series. The storyline is good and all the characters are in line with what you'd expect from a Zelda game. The game however feels like it's centered around promoting motion plus. It's not so much that the controls are awful as I've read in other reviews rather than they are too much. There are noWhile being a Zelda game makes this a fun game it is left far behind than the rest of the series. The storyline is good and all the characters are in line with what you'd expect from a Zelda game. The game however feels like it's centered around promoting motion plus. It's not so much that the controls are awful as I've read in other reviews rather than they are too much. There are no simple actions in Skyward Sword you always have to make these weird movements to achieve it. Furthermore it is the first game of the series where I found many items useless. For example the whip is only good for riddles in some dungeons, useless after that. The beetle is not usable in combat. As for the shield most times you are better off avoiding an attack rather than blocking it with your fragile shield. In many cases you'd even be better off whacking like crazy at the enemy until you accidentally hit. All in all if you are a Zelda fan you should play this game although you'll probably find it inferior. If you've never played a Zelda game you should play another game of the series first an only come back to this one if you find yourself hooked.… Expand
  30. fartgorilla
    Feb 9, 2012
    6
    I am astounded at the positive reviews for this game. I am a lifelong gamer and a longtime Zelda fan, so I've been trying very hard to like it, but I finally reached my limit and had to quit playing altogether. It would be a fine Zelda game if not for the Motion Plus controls. I love the concept of 1-to1 sword fighting, but it just is not responsive enough to be a satisfying experience forI am astounded at the positive reviews for this game. I am a lifelong gamer and a longtime Zelda fan, so I've been trying very hard to like it, but I finally reached my limit and had to quit playing altogether. It would be a fine Zelda game if not for the Motion Plus controls. I love the concept of 1-to1 sword fighting, but it just is not responsive enough to be a satisfying experience for me. A good one in three strikes is misinterpreted, if not more. Sometimes, much, much more! I can't fathom how so many people can actually enjoy that experience. I have tried multiple controllers, I have replaced the batteries over and over, thinking it was a problem with my controllers, but the result is always the same. Overall it's okay...sometimes it's terrible, and sometimes it is rather engaging. It doesn't break the game, but it's far from the groundbreaking experience that many people are claiming. If that was all they used the motion plus for, it would probably be a great addition.

    As far as the Zelda-ness of it, it's an excellent Zelda game. The classic game elements are all as good as ever, the dungeons are huge and smart, the puzzles are fun and well designed. For all my frustration, I've pushed through so I could get to more of that stuff, the stuff I love about Zelda. Finally, on a very late level in the game (after you get the bow), I died over and over on the boss because my shield kept popping up when I was supposed to prepare a skyward strike. The battle required the same mechanic earlier on, and I didn't have this problem, so it might be a bug...still, it was the last straw. By the time I managed to unequip my shield, I had used all my potions and I died soon after. Aside from that, I found the use of the motion controls -- outside of sword fights -- to be just as intrusive and silly as in Twilight Princess, if not even more so. Virtually every menial task you have to perform requires some use of the motion plus. Swinging on vines, balancing on ropes, aiming and throwing projectiles, etc. It was tedious the first time I had to do it...and made worse by the fact that it actually expects some level of precision. I preferred TP's controls because they were just translated button presses, and you didn't have to worry about holding the stupid controller at the right stupid angle to do something stupid. That's not fun or immersive or meaningful, it's stupid! The one thing other than sword fighting that was actually fun was shooting the bow. The pull-back mechanic was really satisfying for some reason. Anyway, it's hard not to recommend this for Zelda fans, because it's more Zelda. It's definitely a Zelda game. If you're a Zelda fan and you're dying for a fix, it's probably worth picking up right now. If you're curious but you aren't convinced, I'd definitely recommend waiting for it to go on sale. It's worth trying, if you like Zelda. The controls are a real mixed bag, and for me they make it more frustrating than fun. At the same time, everything else is there to make it a great game. The world is gigantic and filled with stuff to do. The dungeons are enormous, the new gadgets are fun, the puzzles are as good as ever. Argh, I'm so frustrated because I want to play it so badly but it's just no fun!    … Expand
  31. Dodo22
    Mar 7, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. So many fetch quests that felt forced and unnecessary. Indeed "fetch the 15 pieces of the doodad I scattered around the land even though I know you're the hero and you need this doodad" was made into a chore in this game. Moreover, these doodads don't even serve a function! If I had been acquiring items by finding their pieces that were scattered by a malevolent demigod to impede my progress, I'd be content. There would be purpose to progress. However, instead you collect songs that are put in there for the sake of having songs, and unlike Ocarina of Time, they don't warp you anywhere or change game dynamics. Indeed, they are one-use spells that open some NEW FETCH QUEST TRIAL. Half of the sidequests involved going to the surface and finding an item that was literally RIGHT BESIDE the save statue. Fetch the 12 pieces of the song to open an area to fetch the 12 pieces of a spirit gauge to open the dungeon to fetch one of three flames. Incredible feedback and battle mechanics can't save the dreadful pacing and plot points. Great for sword fighting. Terrible for everything else.… Expand
  32. TitaniumDragon
    May 21, 2012
    5
    This is the worst entry in the entire Zelda series that I have played. While they did try to do a few things to mix things up a bit, ultimately the game is utterly formulaic in the worst ways possible, and many of its innovations fail to actually be FUN.

    The incorporation of motion controls into the game seems like a good idea, but unfortunately in practice they are extremely clunky.    This is the worst entry in the entire Zelda series that I have played. While they did try to do a few things to mix things up a bit, ultimately the game is utterly formulaic in the worst ways possible, and many of its innovations fail to actually be FUN.

    The incorporation of motion controls into the game seems like a good idea, but unfortunately in practice they are extremely clunky. Flying around and swimming both use the motion controls, and while flying works decently (not great, but not horribly), swimming does not - the only good news is that you will hardly be swimming in the game, but the few times you do have to swim it becomes a bit frustrating. You can manage, but it just doesn't feel right. Fortunately, running around in 2D works just fine, but sadly your sword, too, uses the motion controls. This seems like a neat idea at first, but unfortunately it fails to deliver. While it works fine for the slashing and spin cuts, unfortunately stabbing doesn't work very well at all, doubly so when your shield is out, oftentimes coming out as the wrong kind of attack. This is deeply frustrating when you need for it to work. The only motion control that works well is your shield, which works completely flawlessly.

    Your bow, oddly, does not take a cue from Wii Sports Resort (which actually did bow controls RIGHT as a minigame, and a fun one at that!) and sadly uses just the standard old point with the wiimote - this works alright, but is disappointing. Ultimately, the fact that most of your items use some weird mixture of motion controls and the IR sensor results in a very inconsistent feeling about the game, and it doesn't make you feel good - the motion controls constantly break immersion, which sucks. As the capstone of the Wii, this game tried to show that motion controls were a good idea, but failed utterly.

    The rest of the game is also flawed. The enemies are very repetitive - there are very few types of enemies, and only a few of them are particularly interesting to fight. By about a third of the way through the game, you will have seen every enemy the game has to offer, and sadly (and more than a little bizzarely) the game repeats bosses incessantly - one of the bosses (Ghirahim) is fought three times, and really four times because the final boss (Demise) is very similar to Ghirahim, and actually probably more boring than him. The Imprisoned is a boss you fight three times, and the fights are simply not different enough to matter or to be very fun. At one point you fight him twice, back to back, and it is quite boring. While there are some fun enemies (Lizardfos are actually quite fun to fight, as are the skeleton enemies) overall the game repeats monsters far too much and by the end you are very tired of fighting the same old things for the upteenth time, bosses and normal baddies alike.

    The story is also bad. Most people don't even know that the world is in trouble, let alone that you're saving it, and there is nothing about the story which is very gripping. The fact that you live on floating islands is pretty much entirely incidental to the plot - it is just the Hyrule Field of this game, and it is no more interesting. The flying hardly matters at all - at only one point in the entire game do you actually use your bird to fight a bad guy - and really was an idea which was utterly wasted on this game.

    The only good thing about the game is the dungeons and the leadup to them; the Lanyru desert is actually fairly enjoyable and has some interesting ideas, and the beetle allows for some interesting puzzles. Sadly, they failed to exploit the beetle as well as they could and should have, and many of the new items (the blower and the whip) feel very pointless. Unfortunately, the hookshot (or should I say, the clawshot) is feeling increasingly this way as well - once a really neat piece of equipment, the heavily sanitized targeting (targets and vines) results in it feeling much less versatile, interesting, and useful. Thus you're left with the bow and the beetle as the cool items that you can do lots of stuff with - a disappointingly small list

    The ultimate problem, though, is that Zelda has failed to evolve, learn, and grow. Darksiders is basically a Zelda game, but its combat was much better and the game was thus much more fun. But the real tragedy is that Batman: Arkham Asylum is a Zelda game - just think about it. Batman has many of the same items as link does (a hookshot/grapnel, bombs, he even has a boomerang!), and he runs around solving puzzles to progress through dungeons, but unlike Link he isn't groundbound, he is very mobile, the combat is interesting, and the gameplay overall is much better. When you realize just how far behind Zelda has fallen, you wonder why you'd ever play a game like Skyward Sword in the first place. And the answer is - you wouldn't.    … Expand
  33. tritium
    Jan 11, 2012
    5
    I've played this game for 10 hours and I seriously can't understand all the 10s this game is getting. Must be Nintendo employees or fanboys. This game can be extremely annoying at times. There is a lot of dialog in this game, but the dialog boxes are typed out so slowly and there's no way to speed them up. By itself this wouldn't be so bad, but they keep popping up with "helpful" hintsI've played this game for 10 hours and I seriously can't understand all the 10s this game is getting. Must be Nintendo employees or fanboys. This game can be extremely annoying at times. There is a lot of dialog in this game, but the dialog boxes are typed out so slowly and there's no way to speed them up. By itself this wouldn't be so bad, but they keep popping up with "helpful" hints which simply can't skip and in one case had to wait through 3 of them each time I had to reattempt a particular challenge which was so frustrating (just let me retry the challenge again already)! Also annoying is the dialog that is often forced on you when you enter an area or at the end of a fight. Even more annoying is when a NPC directs you to do something and the game forces you to do it on the spot without letting you run off to grab that heart of gem a monster dropped not far away first. If you run too far away from where you need to do this task, you get a dialog with the same directions again and get teleported back. The combat controls are annoying. For many enemies you have to angle your sword attack in a particular way, but it's too sensitive to the initial movement you make before you make the proper swing you actually intended to make, so it often takes a few attempts to make a simple horizontal attack for example. Also, throwing items requires a particular motion with the controller that never seems to work for me on the first attempt. And it's far too sensitive to the angle of the controller in order to power up your sword. On the other hand, simply shaking the controller is sufficient for most fights. The camera movements can also be a bit annoying at times. Having said all that, it's not a bad game. Yes, it's like the previous Zeldas in many ways, but that's what the fans expect and want and that's what they've delivered.… Expand
  34. BrynRees
    Jan 30, 2012
    6
    As a game I'll give this a 7, but as a Zelda game I'll give it a 5-6.
    Huge disappointment in this game, been a massive zelda fan for about 14years, prior to this one wind waker was the only one I did not finish, not because I couldn't but because I didn't want to.
    The game has loads of very tedious tasks that seem only there to lengthen the game. It is very annoying that every time you    As a game I'll give this a 7, but as a Zelda game I'll give it a 5-6.
    Huge disappointment in this game, been a massive zelda fan for about 14years, prior to this one wind waker was the only one I did not finish, not because I couldn't but because I didn't want to.

    The game has loads of very tedious tasks that seem only there to lengthen the game. It is very annoying that every time you start up the game you always have to discover the weird elements things and bugs all over again, you always have to keep talking to the shop owner to buy something unlike scrolling across like the old games.
    I hated the controls, there was nothing wrong with using a hand controller for zelda, if they really wanted to experiment they should have given you a choice to have the motion or normal controller,
    I had to stop playing after collecting part of a song from Faron, I know the rest of the game is just pretty much that so I'd rather just watch the ending than suffer that tedious task another two times plus the other pointless tasks I'll probably have to do before getting to the end.

    If they make another, then I hope they go back like it was in the good old days    … Expand
  35. kaiokan12
    Nov 23, 2011
    6
    From all the perfect 10/10 and the hype of the last zelda game on the wii, I would be expecting an incredibly awesome game. Instead, I got a game that is just "fine" for the wii. And, in comparison with all the great triple A releases on the ps3 and xbox, a game that just doesn't measure up.

    Gameplay The game is easy, really easy.You never actually have to die in this game. All the    From all the perfect 10/10 and the hype of the last zelda game on the wii, I would be expecting an incredibly awesome game. Instead, I got a game that is just "fine" for the wii. And, in comparison with all the great triple A releases on the ps3 and xbox, a game that just doesn't measure up.

    Gameplay
    The game is easy, really easy.You never actually have to die in this game. All the enemies can be beaten without any challenge. The wii sensor always has its usual issues(not comparing to the usual button controls) Some of the boss fights were allright, but nothing special.

    Graphics
    I am really disappointed with them. I don't understand how they managed to make a game that looks worse than both twilight princess and wind waker. They tried blending the styles, but did so in a way that just doesn't mesh.

    I give the game a 6 because while the game is not terrible, it just doesn't compare to the competition. OOT released today would garner an 8, and this game is decidedly inferior to that.    … Expand
  36. EastonReviews
    Dec 24, 2011
    5
    -sigh- IGN, you prefered a female peter pan running around punching at stuff over Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim? This game or this series is too repetitive, overrated, and has poor graphics. The controls are your typical Wii game, so pretty lame. The game itself is very fun, but it's been evened out with how typical these games are, it's not quite on the 50 dollar price tag. That's when-sigh- IGN, you prefered a female peter pan running around punching at stuff over Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim? This game or this series is too repetitive, overrated, and has poor graphics. The controls are your typical Wii game, so pretty lame. The game itself is very fun, but it's been evened out with how typical these games are, it's not quite on the 50 dollar price tag. That's when IGNorance comes by and gives this game a 10.… Expand
  37. TheCodeIsRed
    Mar 5, 2012
    5
    I thought it couldn't be done. Since that dreadful Chrismas where I received Zelda 2: Link from Satan Clause . I was then subjected to the most depressing and frustrating game since TWO months ago when I got Super Mario Bros 2 for my birthday!! Mario aside, since that abomination (that was traded for Metroid to a naive neighbour! Whooo!) I have loved and enjoyed EVERY LoZ game. I'm notI thought it couldn't be done. Since that dreadful Chrismas where I received Zelda 2: Link from Satan Clause . I was then subjected to the most depressing and frustrating game since TWO months ago when I got Super Mario Bros 2 for my birthday!! Mario aside, since that abomination (that was traded for Metroid to a naive neighbour! Whooo!) I have loved and enjoyed EVERY LoZ game. I'm not going to wax poetic about every game I've played from the series, I'll just say my three favourite are Link to the Past, Majora's Mask and Windwaker. But I love every game in different ways, except for 2 and now Skyward Sword! The start was well told and the gameplay was fun. I was getting frustrated with the bird controls but presumed it was just first time play issues. Fast forward to the action and exploring aspects that were, again, frustrating but with these in time I got wise to but not the bird controls, which still had some serious stank to it!!! Though I will give a high five to the dropping off the bird and skydiving to a destination which looked very cool! The sword play is just like Twilight but a little more precise, the balancing/ledging was hard at first but got easy over time, the items were half and half with my real complaint being no boomerang!! I was a bit disappointed by the repeat boss, the mining facility, the beetle, the main bad guy, the utility belt, and that idiot clown mini-game. But my biggest frown was how little exploration and secrets there was. Only a handful of levels and very, very little exploring made the gameplay really repetitive and lacklustre. By the time I got to the air monster, I was in full depression and felt "Here we go again" which I NEVER had even in Majora's!! And that was Link's answer to Groundhog Day!!!! So I was really excited at the start, got emotional at points, had some fun but in the end I was left unfulfilled and frustrated. I'm not saying to avoid this game. If you love Zelda then buy this now!! If you've never played Zelda and am somewhat a game player, this game is actually very good as it helps you along and gives you minor hints. Though as a fan I found it very annoying after a while especially Fi's COMPUTER talk! I was just disappointed as a major fan, maybe due to me getting old and crusty!! What did it for me was that I had no need to play this game again after beating it and it has been some time now. That is what told me that Zelda 2, along with Mario 2, Kirby's Epic Yawn and Metroid Other M now had a new companion in my Nintendo Temple of Bore. Sorry again Link.… Expand
  38. wyvernshido
    Dec 1, 2011
    5
    Twilight Princess for me; I've been forcing myself to play skyward sword, it's the first Zelda game i dislike. I brought all the Zelda games on there launch dates; I'm so surprisingly shocked at my hate for this game..........(MY OPINION ONLY) it feels like a dumbed down Dark cloud 2 (visuals and gameplay wise) with bad music, and link seems to be weaker than previous versions. Oh; and whyTwilight Princess for me; I've been forcing myself to play skyward sword, it's the first Zelda game i dislike. I brought all the Zelda games on there launch dates; I'm so surprisingly shocked at my hate for this game..........(MY OPINION ONLY) it feels like a dumbed down Dark cloud 2 (visuals and gameplay wise) with bad music, and link seems to be weaker than previous versions. Oh; and why are the puzzles so easy? Poor Pacing; repetive objectives, and ugly characters. on the upside i did get a gold wii remote out of it :)… Expand
  39. dz9
    Jan 13, 2012
    6
    What I hate about most mainstream reviews on this game is that they seem to drive on the fact that everyone is SUPPOSE to like Zelda. They seem to forget that the controls only work 35% of the time, lots of time you'll find yourself throwing more slashes than you wants which sometimes means game over, lots of times Link will swing the opposite way you actually swing which can cost you aWhat I hate about most mainstream reviews on this game is that they seem to drive on the fact that everyone is SUPPOSE to like Zelda. They seem to forget that the controls only work 35% of the time, lots of time you'll find yourself throwing more slashes than you wants which sometimes means game over, lots of times Link will swing the opposite way you actually swing which can cost you a heart, they seem to forget the fact that you have to constantly recalibrate, I don't care that it is easy to calibrate, the damage is still there, you still have to take time out of the action constantly just to calibrate the remote, they seem to forget that the new stamina bar is more limiting than it is strategic, they seem to forget the long unnecessary loading times between areas, and they seem to forget the fact that Link can't make clear turns which constantly cause you to mess up in the dungeons. BUT WHAT THEY DO SEEM TO REMEMBER IS the cleverly designed graphics, the focus on story, the innovative new way of the world map, and the cool new tools in Link's arsenal. The Good: graphics, story, innovations in world map and tools, and a few cool utilizations with the Wiimote. The Bad: the wiimote can't handle the game, too many loading screens, unresponsive moving controls, and the stale stamina bar. I LOVE Zelda games just as much as everyone else, i even loved Twilight Princess, seeing the main developer of Zelda show off the tech behind this and seeing that the game was even messing up for him in front of a live audience made the game look embarrassing. I'm glad to report that the game is controlled better than the time of the tech demonstration that I just mentioned, and the 35% of the time that it works, it works beautifully. It's hard not to imagine the possibilities of this game if it was hosted on the Kinect or Move, it's not just the Wiimote that can't handle the game... its the Wii in general. Most of the flaws in the game is not the games fault, it is the Wii's... the game is utterly and drastically limited by the Wii's tech. Maybe and hopefully this game will be much better on the WiiU. In the End... this is a good game: FOR THE WII, but on the scale of what most games can do now, it falls flat… Expand
  40. ultrasuperstar
    Feb 22, 2012
    5
    The controls are heavenly but the game isn't. While the controls work great and lead to many interesting moments, there just isn't a fun game attached to them. It's pretty much just wasting time to get to one area of the world, which allows you to waste time in ANOTHER part of the world (That on the way, just waste your time with flying that can take several minutes. ) The only fun to beThe controls are heavenly but the game isn't. While the controls work great and lead to many interesting moments, there just isn't a fun game attached to them. It's pretty much just wasting time to get to one area of the world, which allows you to waste time in ANOTHER part of the world (That on the way, just waste your time with flying that can take several minutes. ) The only fun to be had in this game is inside the dungeons, which there are not enough of. I think I will skip future Zelda games if they are anything like this.… Expand
  41. andsoitgoes
    Nov 22, 2011
    6
    I'm feeling a bit... I don't know. I fondly remember playing the very first Zelda, dying... a lot. I've played every Zelda from that point on. A Link To The Past changed my entire outlook on gaming. It, along with Super Metroid were what defined that era. Then welcome the N64 and the new 3D Zelda... I felt empty. Maybe it was all the yapping, maybe it was the goofy characters, the stupidI'm feeling a bit... I don't know. I fondly remember playing the very first Zelda, dying... a lot. I've played every Zelda from that point on. A Link To The Past changed my entire outlook on gaming. It, along with Super Metroid were what defined that era. Then welcome the N64 and the new 3D Zelda... I felt empty. Maybe it was all the yapping, maybe it was the goofy characters, the stupid expressions, the repetitive phrases, the silly grunts and groans - but it lost me. I tried playing through OoT, MM... but I never ended up getting an N64 and tried it much later. I felt lost, there was no connection. I found my way back on the GBA releases and fell in love again, so of course I snapped it up when Wind Waker released on my recently purchased Game Cube... meh. It was okay, better than the previous games, but still with the goofy expressions, no vocal work, silly translations, characters that don't fit what you'd expect in real life (really, that's how kings/leaders speak?). But I finished it, even though by the end I wanted to take the boat and set it on fire.

    Then I fell back in love with the Minish Cap, got the Wii for Metroid Prime and snapped up TP... same problems, same dislikes but worse, I had to waggle the heck out of my arm to play.

    And now, this, with Motion Plus, and my RSI due to all the work I've done in these many years, I end up sore from swinging my sword, annoyed from the flying, sick of the stupid characters, the powdered cheeks, the goofy look of the salesman, the offensive flamboyant Beedle? Really? This is compared to the complex characters in almost every other video game out there?

    I don't get it. I may finish it, but I just don't get it any more. I'll go back to play LTTP, and all the awesome GBA games, skip the stylus-focused NDS.

    Zelda to me isn't this. For a lot of you it is, and although I don't understand that and know it's my own fault constantly trying... but this just isn't my thing. I'm very disappointed, how could I not be? This is something I grew up on from its very first incarnation - but how does everyone just shrug off the weirdness and sillyness, just that... it's so.. Maybe that's why people like it. I don't know. Sigh. I don't get the overwhelming praise. I mean, I want to, but I just don't feel it. It's not a "terrible" game, but I just don't feel I have the desire to finish it. If I do, I fear I may need to spend 5 times the price of the game on physio for my arm, stupid waggle controls...    … Expand
  42. Novaprospekt
    Dec 3, 2016
    7
    I will start off in saying Skyward Sword is overall a great game. Great, but not excellent or amazing like Ocarina of Time or Twilight Princess were.

    The story is fresh and I think is one of the games strong points. It sets you in a completely different environment than what you are used to in previous titles, reminiscent of Majora's Mask when you realized Termina Field is not Hyrule,    I will start off in saying Skyward Sword is overall a great game. Great, but not excellent or amazing like Ocarina of Time or Twilight Princess were.

    The story is fresh and I think is one of the games strong points. It sets you in a completely different environment than what you are used to in previous titles, reminiscent of Majora's Mask when you realized Termina Field is not Hyrule, but makes sense when you understand that Skyward Sword takes place very early in the LOZ timeline. There are familiar names or "roots" of names you will recognize from other titles (titles that take place in the future of the LOZ timeline) that really makes the story feel special that you are playing through the very early period of the Zelda Universe and setting events in place for the future.

    The Wii Motion plus controls -- I love them and I hate them at the same time. The are a breath of fresh air, especially in the beginning, when you realize the game was built around them as opposed to the other way around. Eventually though, you get the feeling that some features are there just for the sake of being there. For example, opening up boss rooms becomes an oft-frustrating task that often boils down to a lucky flip of your wrist instead of precise motion. Other puzzles with the motion controls simply boil down to praying the sensor doesn't go crazy and really fails to make you THINK or challenge your mind to solve it.

    The score in this game is also good, but not spectacular. I certainly felt immersed playing in LOZ game with familiar songs and sound effects, the game's music failed to capture my mind in the way that Ocarina of Time or Twilight Princess had. Speaking more to TP, the overworld theme of TP is still a song that rings in my memory -- as were the ambiance of various locations throughout the world. SS fails in that respect. The song while flying becomes very repetitive and though an appropriate brass-filled overture for the sky, it just misses the mark for what you'd expect from a newer LOZ game in composition and memorability.

    Worth mentioning here is the musical instrument of this game. It felt like a gimmick for the sake of including an instrument. The songs largely do not matter other than a "one time use" to progress the story at specific points, and especially don't matter since you don't control the actual tones with the controls - the game plays it for you. This really disappointed me when you think back to OOT, Majora's Mask, and even TP where the Wolf howling, though superficial at its core, was turned into a memory game that had you controlling the pitch.

    Finally, the puzzles. I found most of the game's puzzles to be interesting and challenging, requiring you to integrate knowledge from all previous Zelda games but most impressively they often required you to make use of items you received much earlier in the game. This is a fresh departure from previous Zelda titles where many puzzles only integrate the 1 or 2 items you most recently received while forgetting the rest. All items you get in Skyward Sword have a purpose and may be needed at any point in any dungeon. As great as all of that is, the game also baby's you. The in-game helper (i.e. Navi/Tat'l/Midna equivalent) is EXTREMELY annoying and often interrupts you right when you start to think about where you are or what to do next -- breaking the immersion and the flow of the preceding events or the events that are about to happen. Many times I found myself wishing for a setting for "experienced player" or "advanced player" where I didn't get interrupted and told immediately what to do or where I had to go until I had a chance to figure it out for myself.

    This game would have seriously benefited from a simple button to call for help when you wanted it but otherwise leaving you to your own devices until called for. It made the game feel even more linear than it already was having someone constantly saying 'OK go here next', or 'how about do this to solve the puzzle and then go here.'

    Overall, Skyward Sword is a great game and fine addition to the series. It falls short of the mark in music, and some of the Wii motion controls end up pissing you off quite a bit. The game has some really challenging puzzles, while also having a little too much nannying or "babying" on the part of the in-game helper. The story is fresh and interesting, but is extremely linear (almost to a fault) and late in the game it has you doing things that feel bored or repetitive as if the tasks only exist to prolong the game but not the story.

    I rate this game an 7.5/10 overall, but I just felt there was something missing that made games like OOT and TP the masterpieces that they were. I round down to a 7 because the mini-games and peripheral things to do in SS also fall very short of the mark for me.    … Expand
  43. Duke_Challenger
    Dec 18, 2011
    6
    Zelda: Skyward Sword is the first game I've really played in long time since I've been a fan of the series since I was a kid. However, it does not really live up to the innovations of previous Zelda games. Rather there are some new aspects here and there, but it really just copies off of the formula of past Zelda game, along with using all the same ingredients that were once innovationsZelda: Skyward Sword is the first game I've really played in long time since I've been a fan of the series since I was a kid. However, it does not really live up to the innovations of previous Zelda games. Rather there are some new aspects here and there, but it really just copies off of the formula of past Zelda game, along with using all the same ingredients that were once innovations of the previous Zelda games.

    Flaws of Zelda: Skyward Sword
    â    … Expand
  44. Staggs
    Oct 10, 2013
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I wanted to love this game. I wanted to love it so much. In fact, about halfway through my first play through, I was ready to proclaim the Zelda series completely revitalized after the (IMO) ho-hum fest that was TP. The game starts agonizingly slowly (but what Zelda doesn't nowadays?), but once I got to the first dungeon I was having a blast. The motion-based puzzles were extremely well implemented for the most part, and satisfying to solve. And a couple of the boss fights rank among the best in the series, simply because there's more to them than exploiting a weak point.
    But then something happened. Nintendo was afraid of letting this game end. Around the 25 hour mark I began realizing that most of the things I was doing, I had done before. And this feeling never ended. Pretty much the entire second half of the game is a bunch of One quest in particular stands out: the objective is to get a certain item. In order to get this item you have to collect three pieces from these three guys. Alright, kinda stupid seeing as how I had been doing this same thing for 40 hours at that point, but whatever. WELL it turns out that each of these three guys wants something done for them, one of which is an infuriatingly dull underwater scavenger hunt that just wastes your time. The other two are similarly boring busy work that require you to either re-collect your items all over again or take an item to a faraway place for three seconds and then return it. Terrible, padded game design.
    Okay so you have your three pieces from the three guys. It made you want to bash your skull open to get them, but there you go, you made it. Give me the item, Nintendo.
    WRONG! Now you have to play through this stupid, frustrating stealth minigame that you have already played THREE TIMES before in different settings. Once you succeed with that, you are given a thing that you need to use to get the item. When you use this thing it unlocks a dungeon in which you FINALLY get said item. Like, holy I spent five hours jumping through the hoops before I even got to the dungeon. After that, there is no dungeon Nintendo can throw at me that wold be worse. In fact, the dungeon is one of the better ones in the game. The stupid fetch quests were the real dungeon.

    I would rather have a short, awesome game than a long and hollow one, Nintendo. Stop going all Harvey Dent on us.    … Expand
  45. AnonymousPal
    Jan 8, 2012
    7
    I was so excited for this game but overall it kind of left me disappointed. It is not the best game for the wii (Mario Galaxy) and there is no way it is the best game in the series although it would probably be in the top 5 for both. (My top Zeldas btw in order are: Link to the past, Wind Waker, Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess and Link's Awakening THEN skyward). Even the wii game of theI was so excited for this game but overall it kind of left me disappointed. It is not the best game for the wii (Mario Galaxy) and there is no way it is the best game in the series although it would probably be in the top 5 for both. (My top Zeldas btw in order are: Link to the past, Wind Waker, Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess and Link's Awakening THEN skyward). Even the wii game of the year I would have to give to Xenoblade over Skyward Sword and it was a pretty rough year for the wii. Here are my reasons for a 7.5.
    Pros:
    It's Zelda
    Motion controls done as they should be and work most the time
    Impressive puzzle design
    Loved how Link was more athletic
    Loved the "time capsule" levels

    Cons:
    First NO over world to explore. I loved the twilight princess world and was hoping for expansion.
    Only 3 worlds that you return to like 4 times
    Time for voice acting (ok to leave Link out)
    No hidden faries for upgrades
    Fight same bosses up to 3x
    Pick a graphic style and stick to it: Skyward sword and Twilight both looked great don't need to fuse them rather improve them.
    Motion controls often need resetting
    Weak side quests
    The shadow realms: one or two is enough!
    Kept feeling like something big was coming but nothing did.
    Repetitive

    The game does lay a nice foundation to build upon for the Wii U which will be able to bring a more powerful experience in areas other than just control. That I am excited for!    … Expand
  46. HitomiNoRyu
    Jul 5, 2014
    7
    I am giving this game a 7 for admittedly selfish reason of I couldn't finish the game. Not because of gameplay...gameplay was awesome no doubt about it. I'm giving this a 7 because Fi ruined every aspect of my experience. OMG this character is the most annoying thing ever. She wouldn't shut up about her unnecessary statistics about things we can figure on our own. Worst of all, I couldn'tI am giving this game a 7 for admittedly selfish reason of I couldn't finish the game. Not because of gameplay...gameplay was awesome no doubt about it. I'm giving this a 7 because Fi ruined every aspect of my experience. OMG this character is the most annoying thing ever. She wouldn't shut up about her unnecessary statistics about things we can figure on our own. Worst of all, I couldn't just mute the game to avoid her nonsense because Fi would pause my battles for her to give obvious adv---SHUT UP I DON'T CARE!! I want to strangle this person who pitched Fi to be included in this game.… Expand
  47. Erika22
    Jan 11, 2012
    5
    My boyfriend got this for me for Christmas - He loves gaming, but I'm pretty bad at it. We both thought this would be a good way for me to play something with him that was maybe more my speed. The controls were weird, and the game seemed pretty dull and boring. I don't know enough about games, but even he said that this game was a huge disappointment for him (he's a big zelda fan).My boyfriend got this for me for Christmas - He loves gaming, but I'm pretty bad at it. We both thought this would be a good way for me to play something with him that was maybe more my speed. The controls were weird, and the game seemed pretty dull and boring. I don't know enough about games, but even he said that this game was a huge disappointment for him (he's a big zelda fan). Pretty lackluster, not much else to say. Although I did learn a new phrase! "Fetch quest", lol. This game is full of them.… Expand
  48. mattysurvive
    Apr 19, 2012
    7
    I want to establish something before I write this review: When I purchased Skyward Sword, I was tremendously excited to play it. Zelda is a big deal to me. I'm 20 years old, so I was the perfect age to discover Ocarina of Time when I did. It seeded itself into my heart as one of the most magical experiences from my childhood, and therefor my life so far. I've heeded the call to save ZeldaI want to establish something before I write this review: When I purchased Skyward Sword, I was tremendously excited to play it. Zelda is a big deal to me. I'm 20 years old, so I was the perfect age to discover Ocarina of Time when I did. It seeded itself into my heart as one of the most magical experiences from my childhood, and therefor my life so far. I've heeded the call to save Zelda and Hyrule many times over now. I've traveled to other lands and even other dimensions, and just when I think I've seen it all, each games offers an array of new experiences and topics. Every game in the series thus far has given me memories that I'll always have, even now (I only recently beat Wind Waker and A Link to the Past). The point that I want to make is that I had never been disappointed in a Zelda game, and never imagined I ever would be, until Skyward Sword.
    Whatever excitement I had tearing into the foil around the case and putting the disc into the Wii was rather quickly diminished after maybe an hour of playing this game. After Twilight Princess, I had come to expect long tutorials in Zelda, but come on.. And when you finally arrive in the untamed world of Hyrule, it resembles a playground. There are only three areas on the map for you to explore, and theyre all quite small. It's very simple: there's a forest area, a volcano area, and a desert area, and they're not that attractive visually. You will be visiting the same three maps many, many times. Yes, these maps expand later, but its not enough, and 2 out of 3 times, those additions are too similar to the original map for my taste. They just feel like simple levels in the game, rather than areas to explore, without anyone to really interact with on the scale seen in nearly every Zelda game before. That brings me to the characters. I don't like them, no one stands in a way I'll remember, aside from the core characters in the story, and there aren't too many. I did however feel myself really involved in Groose's story, but ultimately failed to impress me. Fi has her moments, but you can count them on one hand. The story itself is okay, but "safe". I wish Nintendo would have tried new things this time around, given the production time of this game. It just doesnt stand out over any Zelda game I've played before, at all. I do remember going back and forth fetching items many times though. While it does have plenty of moments, it could have been much more. And for fans who care, there are maybe 2 memorable songs in this game. That's saying a lot for a Zelda title. What I feel happened is Nintendo sacrificed much of their grasp on what makes their franchise magical because of the focus on the Wii Motion Plus, which is sad, because it doesn't work that well. Before Skyward Sword was released, I trusted Nintendo that they would never implement a control scheme into a Zelda game if it did not work, and I was excited to see the Motion Plus in action, but it immediately failed to deliver. He never held the sword like I was holding it. I struggled with swinging my sword exactly the way I needed to for hours. Hours of clumsy buggy controls. What's sad is that you can feel the potential, had the Wii Motion Plus delivered. Most of the items are great ideas, but like the swordplay, they come up short because of how buggy the controls are overall. Most frustratingly, the "Skyward Strike", which consists of you charging your sword by holding the Wiimote over your head and then swinging it downwards, is a pretty important part of the final boss battle, and in the heat of the moment, it failed 4 out of 5 times. I died 13 times before I beat him.
    One thing I really did like: the dungeons. You will remember these dungeons, they are terrifically difficult, and all of the items in your inventory to good use during your time in each one. They feel fantastic, look fantastic, and you'll feel all the more brilliant every time you conquer one. Too bad most of the bosses disappoint, save a couple (Dungeon 5's boss is a brilliant battle). I'm giving this game a 7 out of 10, and I wrote this review with the intention of justifying a 6 out of 10 score, but there are redeeming points in this game. It's still a lengthy adventure, full of puzzles and things to be discovered, but there are so many disappointments, which is rare for this series. This was my least favorite title in that series, so I think it speaks for the entire series that I'm giving it a decent 7. Try not to buy it, but any Zelda fan should play it, but don't expect anything more memorable than anything released in this franchise's impressive 25-year run.    … Expand
  49. kuehnau
    Oct 30, 2016
    5
    I've always like the Legend of Zelda franchise. I grew up with it and I've played every game. So I was excited to play Skyward sword.

    The game uses advanced motion detection in the controller to better detect player movement. The idea was that they were going to make an attempt at emulating sword play in the game. When I first started playing, I thought it was a unique idea, but the    I've always like the Legend of Zelda franchise. I grew up with it and I've played every game. So I was excited to play Skyward sword.

    The game uses advanced motion detection in the controller to better detect player movement. The idea was that they were going to make an attempt at emulating sword play in the game. When I first started playing, I thought it was a unique idea, but the longer I played, the longer I realized I didn't like it, I really wanted to just play with a standard controller.

    The game makes it a point to bascially justify the existance of the new motion controller, by making you have to use it constantly. While flying your bird, you have to wave your controller around to make it fly. In almost every dungeon there's stupid ropes you need to swing off of, or tightropes you have to balance on to cross large gaps. These felt fine at first, but once I realized that every location is literally littered with this junk, I became annoyed. Boss doors are locked with these stupid, 3D keys, that you have to spin around and rotate in order to get it to fit into the boss door. Neat concept but poorly used. I spent far too much time trying to figure out how to actually rotate the stupid key.

    The Legend of Zelda has never been a platformer game. Granted, some of the games required a bit more climbing or jumping than previous titles, but the design they used for the game is going to have you constantly jumping from platform to platform, swining on ropes and vines and lame distractions like that.

    Further, the game simply feels smaller than other titles because of how they chose to design the world. You'll start in a sky city and you can transverse the air with your bird. Once you get deeper into the game, you'll travel to the surface to explore, fight monsters and delve into dungeons. The problem is, these areas are all seperated into smaller locations, which are accessed by the sky. It makes each area feel small and isolated, instead of like a vast kingdom.

    There's also your new assistant, Fi, who is constantly bothering you with needless information. She's worse than Navi in the N64 version. You are constantly being harassed by stuff no one cares about. It becomes frustrating really fast.

    The reality is, this doesn't really feel like a true Legend of Zelda title, the motion controls really ruined it for me and it felt more like a theme park than a vast unexplored land.    … Expand
  50. chronoT
    Sep 2, 2012
    7
    I bought a Wii and this game over the summer because of everything I've heard, and I am a HUGE Zelda fan. Zelda link to the past and Zelda 64 were two masterpieces, and every Zelda after should walk in their shoes. I will admit that this game was innovative in certain ways and fun, but for some reason it just felt a little too different. Some of the items were pretty silly, like the blowI bought a Wii and this game over the summer because of everything I've heard, and I am a HUGE Zelda fan. Zelda link to the past and Zelda 64 were two masterpieces, and every Zelda after should walk in their shoes. I will admit that this game was innovative in certain ways and fun, but for some reason it just felt a little too different. Some of the items were pretty silly, like the blow dryer and I thought the flying beetle was a neat idea just not for Zelda. Also, what happened to the music in this game? The music at certain places, especially in the desert was kind of ugly. I would love to see a Zelda game use SOME previous music in a remastered form such as the dungeon music from aLtTP, memories would flourish. I also have to somewhat agree that the controls are a little sloppy and annoying at times, and for some reason I don't really like flailing my arms around to play a Zelda game. Graphically I was a little disappointed too because I prefer a more mature type of artwork compared to a sort-of childish look. I have to say too that even though some of the areas were pretty large, it felt a little too linear and I wish they didn't include all these check and save points that make it feel less like Zelda. The flying around on the bird was a good idea but sometimes it gets a little annoying as well. If you are a die hard Zelda fan though and you own a Wii already, this game is worth at least checking out because passed all the flaws there is still a good game. I totally agree with IGN giving Zelda 64 a 10 out of 10 but not for this game, a 10 is overrated IMO.… Expand
  51. McFungus
    Nov 16, 2012
    6
    Zelda, what an inspiration this series has become. We look to you not only as an originator of a whole subset of gaming but to perfectly encapsulate and immortalise transvestites as not only being people, but being heroes. Only perhaps with Kirby, another fine Nintendo creation, have we seen a long standing transexual role-playing series. To this I say Nintendo should be given a hugeZelda, what an inspiration this series has become. We look to you not only as an originator of a whole subset of gaming but to perfectly encapsulate and immortalise transvestites as not only being people, but being heroes. Only perhaps with Kirby, another fine Nintendo creation, have we seen a long standing transexual role-playing series. To this I say Nintendo should be given a huge hurrah by the greater community for their ability to radically change the way we think. For anyone, be they man or woman, or one that identifies better as the other, can be a hero to all.… Expand
  52. Fetacritic
    Oct 5, 2013
    7
    Very boring, hours long opening. Nothing really new. Levels are repeating themselves, puzzles aren't that great. Characters are quite meaningless. Even the sidekick is annoying and boring (I miss Midna!). The graphics are quite bad, even for the Wii. It looks worse than Twilight Princess and is nothing near the graphical quality of e.g. Mario Galaxy. The sword controls with Wii Motion PlusVery boring, hours long opening. Nothing really new. Levels are repeating themselves, puzzles aren't that great. Characters are quite meaningless. Even the sidekick is annoying and boring (I miss Midna!). The graphics are quite bad, even for the Wii. It looks worse than Twilight Princess and is nothing near the graphical quality of e.g. Mario Galaxy. The sword controls with Wii Motion Plus aren't that great either.

    If you can slog one's way through the first seven very boring hours, it gets better. But it stays very dated. Same old elements like every Zelda of the last years had, nothing new, characters still don't speak. Feels very dated in every aspect. I loved OoT, WW, TP but couldn't get warm with Skyward Sword at all. Worst Zelda I ever played. I think the series needs some kind of reboot like OoT was back in the days.

    It's still fun to play if you don't count the first hours. But in my opinion it's one of the most overrated games of all time.    … Expand
  53. DrGenisi
    Jan 1, 2013
    6
    Let's start with the positive. For those of you who don't know this game is the first zelda game in chronological order. I'm not gonna bore with the Zelda timeline so let's go to gameplay. I had high expectations for this game and from the beginning to the end of the first dungeon, those expectations were met. Almost one to one tracking with the sword, interesting new items with new waysLet's start with the positive. For those of you who don't know this game is the first zelda game in chronological order. I'm not gonna bore with the Zelda timeline so let's go to gameplay. I had high expectations for this game and from the beginning to the end of the first dungeon, those expectations were met. Almost one to one tracking with the sword, interesting new items with new ways to play. That came at a price though. CALIBRATION. There is so much calibration in this game because the Wii MotionPlus gets uncalibrated so easily. I don't have the Wii RemotePlus so I don't know if that's better. So even though we have the amazing one to one sword tracking and the (tricky to master) different techniques for different enemies, I can't say I enjoyed playing the game because of the endless calibrating. I much prefer games like Ocarina of time and Majora's Mask because it's not tedious and that makes it fun. There's a line between fair but hard and then just overly annoying and Skyward Sword falls into the overly annoying section. This bit is personal so I'm not gonna take marks of for this but I've met a lot of people with the same game experience as me so I should. I said that it was "fun" until the end of the first dungeon/temple. That's when the game didn't become hard just, I didn't know what to do. I had to look up a guide literally every 5 mins. That was the thing that made me put down the game and say no.… Expand
  54. thebeachinator
    Oct 12, 2014
    6
    I have played every zelda game so far. I am a huge fan of the series, but this may be the worst one in my opinion. My main objection is with the combat style. The sword follows the wii remotes movements. You have to swing at the openings in the opponent's defense. The angle of the swing is very important and I just can't control it properly. When i wind up for a backhand swing, LinkI have played every zelda game so far. I am a huge fan of the series, but this may be the worst one in my opinion. My main objection is with the combat style. The sword follows the wii remotes movements. You have to swing at the openings in the opponent's defense. The angle of the swing is very important and I just can't control it properly. When i wind up for a backhand swing, Link just swings forehand right into the enemies' block and then staggers backwards. Its clumsy and frustrating. Everything else is good and the flying system is great. But overall I have lost interest and don't think i will ever finish the game.… Expand
  55. Game_Row
    Nov 16, 2014
    6
    This game had potential. Good storyline, decent maps, and a cool new way for transportation. After you stop drooling from all these great new features let's get into the needy greedy. Nintendo tries to implement their motion plus. This makes it really annoying. You will be constantly trying to level it again and again making it difficult to control. This game makes you use thisThis game had potential. Good storyline, decent maps, and a cool new way for transportation. After you stop drooling from all these great new features let's get into the needy greedy. Nintendo tries to implement their motion plus. This makes it really annoying. You will be constantly trying to level it again and again making it difficult to control. This game makes you use this feature by controlling your transportation, sword, and many other aspects. Not cool, especially when fighting enemies. I think I got half way in the game and haven't picked it up since. I'm sure I would have had a better experience if Nintendo gave me a controller option.

    -Game_Row    … Expand
  56. SirKirbyThe4th
    Feb 9, 2015
    6
    Quick, Fi! Summarize the cut scene I LITERALLY watched less than 1/2 a second ago! Let's explore the same places 7 million times! Where is the eye I need to hit?
    Good game.
  57. MissFantastic
    Dec 1, 2013
    6
    After playing this game through, I was pretty disappointed. In my opinion, Skyward Sword is a fantastic game...sadly, it doesn't hold true to the Zelda series. There are two key parts of the franchise that Skyward Sword is missing: the open world design and being able to complete dungeons in any order the player may choose. I honestly don't see how people can say that it stays true toAfter playing this game through, I was pretty disappointed. In my opinion, Skyward Sword is a fantastic game...sadly, it doesn't hold true to the Zelda series. There are two key parts of the franchise that Skyward Sword is missing: the open world design and being able to complete dungeons in any order the player may choose. I honestly don't see how people can say that it stays true to the Zelda series, or how Nintendo thought they were going back to their roots with this one. Aside from the negatives, the game has an as-usual fantastic story along with great graphics suited perfectly for the Wii's aging hardware. I just couldn't give the game a high score because it doesn't "feel" like you're playing a Zelda game. That and the amount of hand-holding in the game was a real turn off for me. I give this a score of 6 because it's a good game, but in my opinion, deserves its own IP and should not be part of the Zelda franchise since it deviates so far from the other games. Of course, like any other Zelda game, it's a must-play for a fan, but be prepared for a game play style much different from what you're used to!… Expand
  58. MisterButter
    Nov 22, 2014
    5
    I have a bunch of small complaints but the big one is the motion controls. It's an interesting idea but it makes fighting simple enemys very difficult. So think about it, do I wanna play a video game or do I wanna get sword fighting lessons?
  59. bearbishop
    Jul 22, 2014
    7
    The critics on this site should be ashamed for the way they review stuff. Why is it that every single Zelda game regardless of whether it is a good game gets a 90+. This game was pretty fun, but it does the typical **** that Nintendo loves to do in Zelda games now where a huge part of it is just stupid filler garbage. I never beat this game, but I got to dungeon 6 and realized that all IThe critics on this site should be ashamed for the way they review stuff. Why is it that every single Zelda game regardless of whether it is a good game gets a 90+. This game was pretty fun, but it does the typical **** that Nintendo loves to do in Zelda games now where a huge part of it is just stupid filler garbage. I never beat this game, but I got to dungeon 6 and realized that all I had to look forward to was a crappy dungeon where you use mole claws as a tool to enter into some weird mini game where link tunnels around. Then after that you backtrack through all the old areas and collect pointless items like tad tones. I saw the ending and it was cool, but not worth going through a bunch of post game garbage that shouldn't have even been included.… Expand
  60. HSuke
    Aug 6, 2014
    7
    Skyword Sword is a prime example of why you can't trust critic reviews for a blockbuster game. 93 Critic Metascore, 7.9 user score.

    Skyword is the retarded, bastard son of the Zelda series. It had lofty ideas that were poorly implemented. First, using the Wii-mote Plus was so frustratingly cumbersome because the Wii was just unable to detect it accurately. That was essentially the only    Skyword Sword is a prime example of why you can't trust critic reviews for a blockbuster game. 93 Critic Metascore, 7.9 user score.

    Skyword is the retarded, bastard son of the Zelda series. It had lofty ideas that were poorly implemented. First, using the Wii-mote Plus was so frustratingly cumbersome because the Wii was just unable to detect it accurately. That was essentially the only reason the boss fights were any challenge at all. It felt like I was playing the QWOP version of Zelda. It would've been much better with a GC controller.

    The story was decent, but Zelda games are never about the story. Skyward Sword has some of the worst dungeons of all Zelda games. If its puzzles were twice as smart, they'd still be grossly stupid. In terms of gameplay, SS was basically the CoD equivalent of adventure games--it was very linear. You go from point A to B to C without much of any thought. Gone were the brilliant puzzles of OoT and LttP. Skyward Sword's dungeons all felt 1-dimensional.

    The game was also tediously long. Getting from any place to another required minutes of flying in the sky, which didn't really add anything to the gameplay. Being able to teleport between owls would've fixed that. Lastly, the songs (with the exception of Fi's Theme and the Gate of Time) were quite repetitive and annoying.

    Criticisms out of the way, it was still a decent game. It just was nowhere near the level of its predecessors.    … Expand
  61. UrbanScott
    May 1, 2014
    7
    The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is a great game. With a long story, fun gameplay, and high replay value, the game just feels fun compared to older games. However, that being said, unlike the classics, Skyward Sword lacks any real challenge and puzzle that would take more than 10 minutes to complete. The story is good, not great. It does tie in a lot of the series. The gameplay is highlyThe Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is a great game. With a long story, fun gameplay, and high replay value, the game just feels fun compared to older games. However, that being said, unlike the classics, Skyward Sword lacks any real challenge and puzzle that would take more than 10 minutes to complete. The story is good, not great. It does tie in a lot of the series. The gameplay is highly enjoyable with the Wii Motion plus and is very satisfying. The graphics, although, not realistic by any means, do work for the game. Instead of realism, it's replaced with art. The entire world when viewed, looks like a piece of art which does replace any desire for realism.

    However, the thing that really draws me back is the child-ish nature to the game and the easiness to it. Something I wish Zelda would start doing is making the games darker. Make the game more realistic. Twilight Princess and Majora's Mask are great examples of ways to do it, without making it very violent. Also, compared to older games, I never found myself stuck in one spot very long. Majora's Mask took me almost a year to complete when I first started playing it. Ocarina of Time took even longer. Now, this does make the game more relaxed, family friendly, and enjoyable, but when I'm playing Zelda, I want puzzles and a great story.

    Overall, it's a good game. Worth buying. Would I say it's amazing by any means? No.    … Expand
  62. le-weirdo
    Jul 1, 2014
    5
    look, i believe that this game is good, but it is just not for me. this game is too slow in the beginning and doesn't go faster after that. some of the characters are SO annoying. Zelda, Groose, Fi. I'm not lying that the first world took me 6 HOURS. in this game (just as any other zelda game) you can collect items for potions, and if you collect it for the first time they explain it toolook, i believe that this game is good, but it is just not for me. this game is too slow in the beginning and doesn't go faster after that. some of the characters are SO annoying. Zelda, Groose, Fi. I'm not lying that the first world took me 6 HOURS. in this game (just as any other zelda game) you can collect items for potions, and if you collect it for the first time they explain it too you as usual, BUT EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU TURN OFF THE GAME AND COLLECT AN ITEM AGAIN IT TELLS YOU AGAIN WHAT IT DOES. this get to you frustrated really fast. i got so mad that i didn't came further than half the second world. the music also feels.............not that great, boring too be honest.
    i'm sorry but this game is just not for me.    … Expand
  63. GypsyPeach
    Aug 1, 2014
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Although I generally do favor Zelda games I had a hard time with this game. It was difficult to see where this story fit in until the official timeline came out and then it was a little easier to accept that Zelda wasn't the princess, there is only 1 goddess as opposed to 3, there's no master-sword etc.

    Still the controls with the wii-mote felt TOO sensitive for aiming and swinging alike and I didn't like the gameplay as much overall. The art style was definitely better in twilight princess as well as was the story and pretty much everything and I'd much rather play that. The music in Skyward Sword was still good though and the bosses were challenging, the temples were fun and the new items were cool but overall it was just a meh game for me.    … Expand
  64. Brendon6446
    Jan 21, 2015
    7
    I beat the first temple (thats enough to judge the game i believe) and the game is good. Solid story, big map, decent art style, eh....ok characters. The bright colored world is different but probably most similar to wind waker if i had to choose anyway the game has good intentions but what really got to me were the motion controls. The motion controls are very annoying and difficult. ThisI beat the first temple (thats enough to judge the game i believe) and the game is good. Solid story, big map, decent art style, eh....ok characters. The bright colored world is different but probably most similar to wind waker if i had to choose anyway the game has good intentions but what really got to me were the motion controls. The motion controls are very annoying and difficult. This zelda had the worst controls of the entire franchise. The controls is what lowered the score of this game for me. Nintendo is a great company and what is cool about them is that they are always trying something new and succeed a lot but sometimes you fail. That being said everything besides the controls are solid so i believe my score is reasonable until i play the game more… Expand
  65. yoshi_s_island
    Oct 10, 2021
    6
    This came when Nintendo had started not to be really serious with their major releases for domestic consoles (as opposed to only for the handhelds).
    The GameCube age, an age where Nintendo tried to be very serious as they had with the N64 before that, taught Nintendo a stern lesson about the dangers in, let me repeat myself, being serious versus lowering their target and aiming at the    This came when Nintendo had started not to be really serious with their major releases for domestic consoles (as opposed to only for the handhelds).
    The GameCube age, an age where Nintendo tried to be very serious as they had with the N64 before that, taught Nintendo a stern lesson about the dangers in, let me repeat myself, being serious versus lowering their target and aiming at the mass of players.
    The Wii generation is where they enacted what they had been taught by "the market".
    They did it with Super Mario Galaxy, with the Mario Kart series' instalment, and they did it with Zelda.

    Firmly lowered the... requirements to play, and I am not talking of hardware requirements.

    After the misunderstood masterwork Twilight Princess, Zelda has luckily gone back to its identity and spirit with its Switch instalment. Those two games are where I suggest to you to begin if you want to approach the series.
    Then would come the two very good ones for the Nintendo 64. Then the 2D ones.
    Skyward Sword being the single one to studiously stand clear of, ever.    … Expand
  66. Hackattaque
    Jan 14, 2016
    7
    I skipped Twilight Princess so can't compare but this game is not worth the money or the hype in my view. Odd design choices like a run meter and dodgy motion controls (just unsheathing your sword is ridiculous) make combat and exploration a chore, while the story is just not very interesting. I'm glad they are trying new things but ultimately they tinkered too much with core playI skipped Twilight Princess so can't compare but this game is not worth the money or the hype in my view. Odd design choices like a run meter and dodgy motion controls (just unsheathing your sword is ridiculous) make combat and exploration a chore, while the story is just not very interesting. I'm glad they are trying new things but ultimately they tinkered too much with core play mechanics and not enough with story, character and the way the game unfolds.… Expand
  67. TharosTheDragon
    Aug 17, 2015
    6
    This is the worst Zelda game. That doesn't mean it's a bad game though, since Zelda does set the bar pretty high. I'm mostly turned off by how uninspired it is. Instead of someone saying "I have a great idea for a new Zelda game," it feels like someone said "we need a new Zelda game for the Wii, so what can you come up with?" The story is the same old boring crap about how you're the heroThis is the worst Zelda game. That doesn't mean it's a bad game though, since Zelda does set the bar pretty high. I'm mostly turned off by how uninspired it is. Instead of someone saying "I have a great idea for a new Zelda game," it feels like someone said "we need a new Zelda game for the Wii, so what can you come up with?" The story is the same old boring crap about how you're the hero of destiny who has to fulfill a prophecy. Every single item in this game is based on an item in another Zelda game. And Navi doesn't hold a candle to how obnoxious your sidekick is now. As a testament to how sloppily this game was thrown together, it was released with the most glaringly fatal glitch that has ever been seen in a Nintendo game. I'm sure the developers were all very embarrassed by how badly this reflects on them.

    One thing that annoys me about this game is that it was advertised as going at the beginning of the "official Zelda timeline." I could write a whole other review about how stupid that timeline is and how I wish they could just treat Zelda like many other highly respected series like Final Fantasy and Fire Emblem by accepting that the games don't have to be connected in their storylines. Anyway, since I was expecting this game to be set at the very beginning, I kept my fingers crossed in hopes that they wouldn't start the game off with the Wind Waker Zelda trope of having hieroglyph-like murals explain the ancient historic conflicts that occurred long before this game. And sure enough, that's exactly how this game starts. And the game is full of references to the distant past, like with the admittedly cool mechanic of having time shift stones reveal the world of 1000 years ago. It's full of ancient things because the makers of this game don't know how to do things any differently, but also because I'm sure the decision to put this game at the beginning of the timeline came after the game was already made and so the writers were not part of that conversation. Minish Cap explains the origins of Link's hat, so if you want Link to have his signature hat in the game you better put it after Minish Cap in the timeline!

    To be fair, I do appreciate the few new things they tried with this game, like the stamina bar and the limited inventory space. But the problem is that both of those things serve to limit what you can do and so are perceived as nothing but an annoyance! Players want to feel empowered rather than stunted, and so those new features fall flat on their face. And speaking of empowerment, I'm sick of the Zelda story trope of having your every move be predetermined as part of some prophecy, which is hit harder in this game than any other. I'd like to carve my own destiny, thank you very much.    … Expand
  68. Kamiyasi
    Feb 26, 2017
    6
    The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is a mixed bag from start to finish. It comes tauntingly close to a really fun and engaging Zelda game at times, but overall it's a drudge to get through. Everything element in the game progresses in a very basic pattern; Fi comes out, tells you to go to unlock a new location, you go to the new location, she tells you to dowse for some items, you dowseThe Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is a mixed bag from start to finish. It comes tauntingly close to a really fun and engaging Zelda game at times, but overall it's a drudge to get through. Everything element in the game progresses in a very basic pattern; Fi comes out, tells you to go to unlock a new location, you go to the new location, she tells you to dowse for some items, you dowse for said items, she tells you to find a dragon, you find the dragon, and then you get to the dungeon. Rinse and repeat. After the first dungeon, everything that follows is completely predictable. The fact that the different areas are disconnected from one another and are only accessed through drop-off points from the hub world only adds to the feeling that you're simply being lead from point A to point B (often literally as you have to dowse for items with your sword far more often than necessary) than getting to explore a vast world. For these reasons, the world you explore is a bust. The combat doesn't fair much better. This may vary person to person, but in my experience the motion controls were unresponsive and often unpredictable which made combat unsatisfying. Fighting simple enemies like keese or bokoblins became a chore. This become even more of a problem when some bosses required being fought multiple times throughout the game. The remaining elements that I felt left down with are the characters and quests. I found both to be rather lacking, with very few interesting NPCs (the Goron bud and Groose were my favorites by far) and most of the side quests boiling down to simple collectathons. All of these things hampered the experience for me greatly, but it's not all bad. The music is great, and the atmosphere is often spectacular. I didn't like Ghirahim as much as other baddies like Vaati, Zant, or Ganon, but he was still a fun character. I also enjoyed the segments where you have to outwit the invincible guardian enemies while running from safe zone to safe zone. I don't think Skyward Sword is a bad game, but it's not a great game. For a game in the Zelda series though, I was personally disappointed.… Expand
  69. knightk
    Mar 1, 2017
    7
    This is a Zelda game with some of the series most fantastic dungeons / puzzles / designs. But sadly its all wrapped around this horrible idea of motion controls. The most difficult part of the game is struggling with getting the motion controls to do what you want, when you need it to. Some of the bosses require specific hand waving motions, and even with the official Wii+ remotes,This is a Zelda game with some of the series most fantastic dungeons / puzzles / designs. But sadly its all wrapped around this horrible idea of motion controls. The most difficult part of the game is struggling with getting the motion controls to do what you want, when you need it to. Some of the bosses require specific hand waving motions, and even with the official Wii+ remotes, sometimes it just doesn't work. It feels like your fighting the motion controls more than the monsters that inhabit this new Legend of Zelda world.

    They even put an option in the items menu for re-calibrating the controls since it messes up so often. I had to do this a few times to get to grips with the controls, and it totally takes me out of the experience, since it a strange stoppage to put down your controller, and wait 30 seconds for it to not be stupid.

    Visually its one of the best looking Wii era games. Distant backdrop are mosaic-ed in the beautiful colorful scheme throughout the whole game. Characters and creatures are distinctive and make the world feel very much so alive.

    I finally just beat the game in preparation for BOTW. (since it was my only Zelda game i never finished) And the story, dungeons, and overall look of the game screams classic Zelda game, but having to play it was a pain, because the motion controls completely ruined the video gaming experience.    … Expand
  70. daManne
    Mar 29, 2017
    7
    I love the Zelda Franchise and I did enjoy this game. But it is one of the weakest Zelda titles. I loved Zelda in this game. She finally was a real person and had a believable friendship with Link. The dungeons were mostly very good, especially the one with the time stone. I also remember great boss fights.

    But the game has too much back tracking. I had problems with the motions    I love the Zelda Franchise and I did enjoy this game. But it is one of the weakest Zelda titles. I loved Zelda in this game. She finally was a real person and had a believable friendship with Link. The dungeons were mostly very good, especially the one with the time stone. I also remember great boss fights.

    But the game has too much back tracking. I had problems with the motions controls. And the worst thing was that stupid fight against the Imprisoned, which you have to do 3 times. It was absolutely tedious with no fun involved.

    All in all it was a fun game, but clearly not as good as other titles in the franchise.    … Expand
  71. Asrieled
    Mar 11, 2017
    6
    Although I rather enjoyed this game, I understand and mostly share some of the concerns.

    One of the best parts of this game were the cut scenes and the story - although some of the bits in-between were sometimes a bit of a mess, the cutscenes kind of tie it all together. For me, they were one of my main inspirations for proceeding in the game, rather than for the sake of completing it -    Although I rather enjoyed this game, I understand and mostly share some of the concerns.

    One of the best parts of this game were the cut scenes and the story - although some of the bits in-between were sometimes a bit of a mess, the cutscenes kind of tie it all together. For me, they were one of my main inspirations for proceeding in the game, rather than for the sake of completing it - Always a plus for a game.

    I kind of enjoyed the visual style, which was sort of a more traditional, if not more 'bright' rendition of Twilight Princess's theme. It's also noticeable that this 'Brightness' isn't *Too* bright; instead of hurting to look at, you can recognise it as a style rather than a forced lighting change. The areas were nicely presented, but they don't give you as much space to explore, like games such as Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask do. Due to this, I think the game might of been a bit better if the areas below actually connected, though I'm not sure how that would work with the whole map and falling through the sky thing the game has going. The 'connecting' of different areas in the majority of other Zelda games, in my opinion, seems to generally make the world feel like its actually a world you're exploring.

    Something I didn't really like at all was the whole 'Dowsing' thing in order to get to the dungeon. It kind of takes away the magic of exploring the area and trying to find a way, which is almost never a tedious experience in a lot of other Zelda titles. It also makes the areas almost seem like a one way path which you have to follow, only making very slight detours here and there.

    In regards to the motion controls, I honestly didn't have an issue - BUT. If it *does* happen, (and apparently, its more often than you think!), then its a pretty game ruining experience. This is probably just a way of showing off the consoles features in a Zelda title though, so I can kind of see what Nintendo were trying to do. I'll just leave it at that.

    All the Zelda games have it - The water temple, That other water temple, The water temple from that other game, you name it: there's always a puzzle which takes too long for you to figure out and ruins the moment, or simply seems like too much of a chore, even for the most determined individual. This wasn't *too* bad of a problem in Skywards Sword, however the parts I remember as being tedious are pretty bad. The whole 'empowering of the master sword' thing seemed cool at first, but it just kind of seemed like they ran out of ideas and were throwing me in slightly different places in the same areas.

    Finally, I'd like to address maybe the biggest letdown of the game, the sky. Y'know, the main part of the entire game. I kinda thought they'd have it basically be the reverse of Windwaker's The Great Sea, but what it turned out to be was no where near as good. The sky can be described as just... kind of empty. Sure, there's islands, but they take just that extra 30 seconds too long to actually reach - the in-between is literal nothingness. The Great Sea may of been empty and has quite a large space between islands, but it gives that *Zelda Vibe* of exploration and adventure - Its a whole darn ocean for Pete's sake! There's so much to look at, so much in the horizon, and you want to explore it all. I was hoping for a similar feeling with the sky, but it unfortunately failed to deliver.

    Despite all this, they managed to hit a near perfect score with another Zelda game. Again. Huge, Exciting tracks like Ballad of the Goddess alongside peaceful and charming ones like Romance match nearly every scene perfectly. Ballad of the Goddess especially is one of my all time favourite tracks from ANY Zelda game - now that's saying something!

    Overall, I'd rate this game a 6/10, though perhaps leaning more towards a 5 than a 7. Although the Cutscenes and music were really good, its lack of exploration and traditional Zelda gameplay which lets this title down. They tried to do something different, but it didn't go all too well. Hopefully this game should reinforce the idea that exploration is a pretty big part of what makes Zelda Zelda.    … Expand
  72. Meta1234
    Apr 20, 2018
    7
    Very good effort except for the clumsy controls that give back frustration. Story repetitive as always. Only the boss was named Demise instead of Ganon, Wow!
  73. philou
    Feb 17, 2019
    5
    Firstly let me say that I'm a big Zelda fan. Skyward Sword introduced some new ideas like upgrades with treasure and bugs. The shields now have limited durability for some reason, which only led me to not using it that much. The three main areas feel more like a big dungeon which I enjoy. Most side quests, are happening in the overworld but are actually just there to upgrade your wallet.Firstly let me say that I'm a big Zelda fan. Skyward Sword introduced some new ideas like upgrades with treasure and bugs. The shields now have limited durability for some reason, which only led me to not using it that much. The three main areas feel more like a big dungeon which I enjoy. Most side quests, are happening in the overworld but are actually just there to upgrade your wallet. Speaking of the wallet: I feel like rupees have a much higher value in this game. Stuff is pricy and getting money togther isn't as easy as one might think.

    But enough of the good stuff and on to the reason why I like this Zelda game the least so far.
    Some people described the game as challenging and praise it for the hard fights. Also the varying game mechanics like using the canon boat or the Groosenator were praised. The problem is - the game is only hard because of the awful motion controls which, regardless of motion plus, weren't as sophisticated as they are today. I played Twilight Princess on Game Cube so I was able to enjoy it.
    Many game mechanics are only there to give you a reason for using the wii remote.
    Trying to aim for something? Better hold your nunchuk perfectly still because Link gets his shield out and interupts anything you do with the remote.
    After playing the game for 30h it still happens from time to time.

    Also it seems the game designers were a bit lazy or maybe rushed by Nintendo. There are ao many recycled assets it's really sad. Most enemies you encounter are just the same ones you encountered from the beginning of the game with mote stamina and slightly different skills but in a different color.
    The Puzzles are okay I guess - sometimes almost too easy.
    Small Keys rarely appear and only serve as a method of preventing the player to progress. They could've just replaced them with switches. In other Zelda games you usually get a key and need to decide which of 2 or 3 possible doors you want to open next - in Skyward Sword: One key, one door.
    At one point in the game you need to get something for a character that is hidden in a dungeon you visited before but this time, what a surprise, different colored enemies and one door is locked again! Nothing at all was enjoyable about this segment.

    So: No, I will not play the game again. Unlike Ocarina of Time, which I play to a 100% at least once a year. Many reviewers compare the two games but I really don't get why. Is it the usage of a musical instrument? The one that you have to play with actual notes in OoT and in Skyward Sword you just wave the wii remote like an idiot?

    Yes: There are some quite good gameplay elements like the timeshift stones and making sword fighting more complex by introducing different directions.    … Expand
  74. couchmonkey
    Sep 10, 2021
    7
    This game is good, not great. Pros and cons from top to bottom:

    #1. Con: The world design sucks - I expect something reasonably open-world from Zelda, but this is more like a hub with three mega-dungeons tacked on. Link finally gets to fly...as long as he stays in his closed-in cloud land and only enters the "regular" overworld from above. #2. Con: The story forces you down a linear    This game is good, not great. Pros and cons from top to bottom:

    #1. Con: The world design sucks - I expect something reasonably open-world from Zelda, but this is more like a hub with three mega-dungeons tacked on. Link finally gets to fly...as long as he stays in his closed-in cloud land and only enters the "regular" overworld from above.
    #2. Con: The story forces you down a linear path with a load of backtracking. In one open lake area, I was forced to do four different things in order...go to the wrong area at the wrong time and you'll just be sent away. Sad!
    #3. Pro: The motion-control sword battling is pretty great. Some consider it too puzzle-y, I thought it was fun and this is the closest thing you'll find to a full-fledged motion controlled swashbuckling adventure on the Wii.
    #4. Pro: Possibly the best soundtrack in the series.
    #5. Con: The swordless scavenger hunting sequences with one-hit deaths are a pain in the rear.
    #6. Con: I hate the sidekick, Fi. Worse than Navi, for real.
    #7. Small Pro: the story is pretty entertaining, albeit with some weirdo characters in the mix.

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

    Dollar value: I'd pay around $40 Canadian for this game.    … Expand
  75. Owen76287
    Feb 10, 2021
    7
    I wouldn't have enjoyed this game if it hadn't been my first Zelda title. I enjoy it but the controls are extremely flawed, The story is slightly tedious but will keep you playing.
  76. Pembroke_Watts
    Oct 14, 2021
    5
    Skyward sword could potentially be a solid game. Unfortunately, it is often held back from the wii motion controls, which sometimes are not responsive to your actions.
  77. xboxlikewater
    Nov 20, 2012
    7
    A good game but a bad Zelda game. Zelda is held to higher standards than other franchises and this is just a step backwards. The variety in enemies is low, the combat is boring and consists of waggling your wiimote for most enemies, the dungeons are short and easy, it's extremely linear, and there is too much back tracking.
  78. Sevvy88
    Jun 7, 2013
    6
    Underwhelming. I think that's the best word here. I remember watching my mom play A Link to the Past as a small child and being so excited when I got Ocarina of Time for my birthday one year. I really expected a lot out of this game, but it seems that the "on-rails" hand holding trend in modern gaming has tarnished even Zelda. The story is cute and typical, Link and Zelda are as adorableUnderwhelming. I think that's the best word here. I remember watching my mom play A Link to the Past as a small child and being so excited when I got Ocarina of Time for my birthday one year. I really expected a lot out of this game, but it seems that the "on-rails" hand holding trend in modern gaming has tarnished even Zelda. The story is cute and typical, Link and Zelda are as adorable as they have ever been, and the dungeons are pretty well designed and fun, but the exploration is gone. That sense of place that was galloping through Hyrule on Epona's back is definitely gone. And did I mention that I hated the flying thing? Maybe I am just handicapped, but seriously, it just didn't feel good. It's alright. It's not Zelda, at least not how I remember Zelda being. Oh well.… Expand
  79. EtaYorius
    Jul 17, 2023
    7
    The game is not that good, since its more of the same stuff from older games, Zelda needs to redefine itself... its pretty much the same story, the same characters with different controls and dungeons. There are no towns and NPC's are scattered in small areas. It kinda feels...small with little life. It's not a bad game, but definitely one of the weakest zelda games.

    My individual score    The game is not that good, since its more of the same stuff from older games, Zelda needs to redefine itself... its pretty much the same story, the same characters with different controls and dungeons. There are no towns and NPC's are scattered in small areas. It kinda feels...small with little life. It's not a bad game, but definitely one of the weakest zelda games.

    My individual score is 75 - 100    … Expand
  80. SveedeshFeesch
    Mar 6, 2012
    7
    It is Zelda. The only thing it does special are the motion controls, otherwise, its pretty average.
    The visuals and OST are both nice, but the gameplay does nothing special.
    The story is standard Zelda affair and Groose is the only character who is really likable.
    Its a solid game, just nothing all that special.
  81. clear2345
    Aug 11, 2012
    7
    If you dislike zelda games already, you not gonna find much here. The gameplay is the best ever created in my opinion, and the graphics are great, but over that if you not a fan of the series ( like me ) not much is gonna keep you interested.
  82. JangerGR
    Jun 7, 2012
    7
    This game was great, but the opposite of simple. The control wasn't very good and calibrating the wii motion plus was a pain. I would be pointing in the middle of the screen and my cursor was so far to the right you almost couldn't see it, the skyward strike took at least 10 minutes to do, and selecting items from your pouch should have been move the d-pad to select, not move the remote.This game was great, but the opposite of simple. The control wasn't very good and calibrating the wii motion plus was a pain. I would be pointing in the middle of the screen and my cursor was so far to the right you almost couldn't see it, the skyward strike took at least 10 minutes to do, and selecting items from your pouch should have been move the d-pad to select, not move the remote. The silent realm was a nightmare, i avoided the game for months thanks to it, the silent realm will drive you nuts, and is sure to have you angry. I also can't thrust, so trying to beat the cross dresser, bizarre Ghirahim was really difficult. Let's look at the positive, the music was the best i've ever heard in a zelda game, the areas were different and amazing to look at, the creatures were almost cooler than ever, and finally the characters and the side quests are the funnest parts of the game.… Expand
  83. Diwvsen
    Oct 4, 2012
    7
    The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is a great game, one of the best available on the Nintendo Wii, but a disappointment for any long-time Zelda fan.
    If you've never played a LOZ game before, chances are you will see through the many issues of this game. The game suffers from a lot of pacing problems. Fetch-quests dominate many hours of this game and grow very tedious when flying around    The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is a great game, one of the best available on the Nintendo Wii, but a disappointment for any long-time Zelda fan.
    If you've never played a LOZ game before, chances are you will see through the many issues of this game. The game suffers from a lot of pacing problems. Fetch-quests dominate many hours of this game and grow very tedious when flying around the over world is such a slow progress. The over world in itself is very bland and does little to encourage exploration, which is a huge part of any other LOZ game. You will come across many floating islands, but these house nothing interesting for you to discover. The game also suffers from padding problems. You'll be exploring and expanding three major areas throughout the game (a forest, mountain and desert). This Metroid-like backtracking approach is clever enough, and a fresh direction for the series, but one that grows boring when you'll do fetch-quests in these areas and fighting the same bosses up to three times. With this approach the game tries to pack more content in between the game's 7 dungeons, which is a fresh idea after Twilight Princess that consisted of walking from dungeon to dungeon. As already stated, this content is sadly mostly about fetch-quests, like collecting random tears, fish-notes (dafuq?) or filling a tub with water in order to extinguish a fire. The game improves upon the very shallow motion controls of TP, so much in fact, that it does not come with the option to play it with a normal controller. This is a mixed result. While the controls work most of the time and offer interesting gameplay, they are not always responsive, which can be very frustrating when playing through the game's harder "Hero" mode, or the "Boss rush" mode.
    Skyward Sword is a very cinematic experience, sporting a charming paint-like visual style and great cut-scenes driven by fantastic facial animations. There is still no voice-acting in this game, which is about time, but the animations mostly make up for this. The story does nothing new for the franchise. This is your typical "Zelda gets kidnapped, Link has to go through 7 dungeons in order to rescue her" story. To great disappointment, the cast of characters is very limited, considering the minimum amount of side-quests available in the game. Speaking of side-quests, these come in different qualities: There are some interesting personal ones, while carrying pumpkins is downright lame. The main story boasts about 6 major characters: Link, Zelda, Fi, Ghirahim, Groose and Impa. The only ones of those that shine are Zelda and Groose, because they are the only characters to see any kind of development. Link is good thanks to the animations, but he is silent and mysterious once more, so not much can be said about him. Ghirahim, the new villain of the game, is interesting at first, but quickly becomes boring as he has lack of motives and remains the same character throughout all of the game. Impa is just a trickster, there to guide Link and Zelda on their quests. Fi is the new companion, and my god if she isn't awful. You could just as well call her captain Obvious. This creature has a nasty habit of pointing out the obvious for you, constantly, with no way for you to disable her comments. If you see a boss door she will pop up and tell you that it probably requires a special key to open. If you see a lever, she will tell you that there is an 80 % chance that it can be turned, and so on. While perhaps there is a clever approach to this, it quickly becomes frustrating. Fi is by far the worst companion in any Zelda game to date, only shining slightly in the very end of the game.
    The dungeon design in SS is great. While none of the dungeons will go over in history as some of LOZ's best, they are very creative and funny to complete. The boss fights are also fantastic, with the exception of a few you have to fight multiple times. My only complaint about the dungeons is that they are a bit short and easy, mainly because of lack of different and challenging enemies.
    SS also puts a little emphasis on customization, something that is very limited, but nonetheless very welcome. You can now upgrade weapons, armor and potions if you would like to do so.
    LOZ: SS is an average Zelda experience with many obvious flaws. The biggest flaw is that it tries to do so much new for the franchise, while ultimately achieving nothing. The ALTTP/OOT dungeon formula is beginning to show age. It is nice to see more emphasis on content between dungeons, but when this consists of bad padding, it    … Expand
  84. Persin
    Jan 4, 2013
    5
    Skyward Sword is a game of bests and worsts. Its motion controls are everything Nintendo promised, and a feature that should be carried over to future titles. Where it fails is in its mise en scene, variety and atmosphere. Repetition of the same areas and flying across the sky (to islands that, unlike Wind Waker, often hold little secrets) takes away the game's potential majesty, and theSkyward Sword is a game of bests and worsts. Its motion controls are everything Nintendo promised, and a feature that should be carried over to future titles. Where it fails is in its mise en scene, variety and atmosphere. Repetition of the same areas and flying across the sky (to islands that, unlike Wind Waker, often hold little secrets) takes away the game's potential majesty, and the music, while amazing in some places, is dull and repetitive in the fields of the game's main areas. The story, while suitably complex, lacks any visible threat within the game world to compel the player. That said, the areas, though repeated, are well-designed and hold many secrets. In short, it is a game whose brilliant parts cannot quite make up for its letdowns.… Expand
  85. jkratyo
    Oct 27, 2012
    5
    This is NOT the best Zelda game but what a great collection of ideas and controls. The game opens up slowly and is well thought out. Each dungeon has to be worked for, as with most of the Zelda games, but more so in skyward sword. However, when Dungeons are reached they are easy, a lil on the short side and linear. Disappointing (very!).
    The use of clear targets for the hookshot seems    This is NOT the best Zelda game but what a great collection of ideas and controls. The game opens up slowly and is well thought out. Each dungeon has to be worked for, as with most of the Zelda games, but more so in skyward sword. However, when Dungeons are reached they are easy, a lil on the short side and linear. Disappointing (very!).
    The use of clear targets for the hookshot seems ridiculous.. ever since windwaker.
    Too often the guidance of fi completely removes any satisfaction any puzzle element would have given. Fi should take notes from Navi. Fi is a spoiler!
    Puzzles are a breeze, but, never before in a zelda game have I died so many times. Ocarina was never so punishing as this outing.
    Sword training could have evolved a bit further.
    The harp - WTF! does it get any more basic? FFS! Epic fail!
    The way the skyward sword world is arranged is BRILLIANT. This is one major score for this game and the choice for quick exploratory detours from the main quest is within easy reach.
    I have enjoyed parts of this game. It contains some wonderful ideas and effects. Experimenting with the new controls has been refreshing.

    best bits - Boss Battles, New controls, sound, central island idea, save points, enemy fights

    worst bits - Dungeon Difficulty far too easy/ cut scenes no quick skip - Item collect pauses - annoying/ Too lengthy game. Silly sudden deaths at times.

    sound - great, outstanding - best ever in a Zelda game

    graphics - great for wii

    boss difficulty - Balanced.

    best Zelda? - No way is it Skyward Sword! Ocarina of Time still reigns.

    NOTES

    How brave to have gone with wiimote design for this console.
    Amazing to think OOT achieved so much all that time ago.    … Expand
  86. H1P1
    Jun 14, 2013
    6
    Ambitious but disappointing. Whilst game scores are often arbitrary, two things are certain: 0 means there is absolutely nothing right with the game and 10 means there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. Yet Skyward Sword is littered with perfect scores creating high expectations and a fascade of perfection despite it containing fundamental gameplay errors.

    The motion controls are    Ambitious but disappointing. Whilst game scores are often arbitrary, two things are certain: 0 means there is absolutely nothing right with the game and 10 means there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. Yet Skyward Sword is littered with perfect scores creating high expectations and a fascade of perfection despite it containing fundamental gameplay errors.

    The motion controls are imprecise and always fail at the worst times. This would not be a problem if precision was a limited requirement, but nearly every enemy is required to be killed in a precise manner. The game is repetitive you will have to visit the same areas again and again, of which there are only three additional areas to the hub town. Nearly all of the side quests are fetch quests and the game constantly pulls you out of the experience with a bland side kick constantly interrupting the game to point out the bleeding obvious, especially after the bleeding obvious was just mentioned. Further, every time you pick up a collectible item the game will pause and open up your inventory and describe the item, despite you having 55 of them already. This all pulls you out of the mood and atmosphere of the game, especially when momentum is being gained. In addition to all this there is nothing extra to do the clouds are littered with islands, yet 90% of them contain nothing of interest it creates an illusion of expansiveness but in reality is disjointed and rather barren; certainly not a staple of the Zelda franchise.

    However Nintendo brings a few new players to the table in an attempt to change up the Zelda formula which has been gospel since Ocarina of Time. The dowsing and RPG style inventory upgrading system are new as well as the customary temple treasures however these things either add little or detract from the experience. Dowsing is basically a scrap metal detector when was this fun? The RPG system is distantly related to the Zelda 2 system but ultimately more of a pain than anything as it requires going back to the hub world... AGAIN. The new temple treasures however are a benefit and have a useful life longer than the temple, but many of the items are not as satisfying to use as many of the traditional Zelda treasures, even though they are implemented well with the level design.

    Nintendo did have to change up the formula, however it did not really work out for this game the same as it did for Majora's Mask.

    Is it worth playing for a non-Zelda fan? Sure. Will you be disappointed if you are a Zelda fan? Likely.    … Expand
  87. IToldYouDog
    Dec 15, 2012
    5
    This game has it's good parts and bad parts. The reason I got this game was because many big game review companies were putting out 10/10 for this game. Maybe I just don't like this genre (this is the first Zelda game I have played), but I just didn't like it as much as most reviewers.

    The graphics: This game is not bad to look at, but it just doesn't stand out above any other games I    This game has it's good parts and bad parts. The reason I got this game was because many big game review companies were putting out 10/10 for this game. Maybe I just don't like this genre (this is the first Zelda game I have played), but I just didn't like it as much as most reviewers.

    The graphics: This game is not bad to look at, but it just doesn't stand out above any other games I have played. The characters and creatures are animated nicely.

    The controls: The controls took me a long time to get used to. However, the sword-swinging with the Wii motion plus is amazing. With my own experience, it responded with little lag and very accurately. Shaking the nunchuck to use a shield bash was also well implemented.

    The sound: The music is nice, but it didn't stand out all that much either. I do think that some of links voice clips are quite funny. if you accidentally burn yourself in lava, then you will know what I am talking about.

    The gameplay: I found it lacking at some points. Sometimes, quite boring. I would often explore for a very long time with very few enemies to battle. Some of the puzzles had answers that took a very long time for me to figure out. Sometimes I would try looking for a hint online, and then I figured out that the reason why I didn't solve the puzzle was because of a small detail that wasn't very obvious. Battling is fun, and I did enjoy the boss fights.

    The story: The story is one of the strong points. I found it (at least the parts I have played through) to be emotional, and the cut scenes are well animated.

    Maybe I don't like this genre of games, but make sure to read many reviews to see if you want to play this game.    … Expand
  88. wa2kool
    Mar 7, 2013
    5
    I just can't work this game out. There is massive critical acclaim for this game but I honestly can't see why. Critics and audiences praised the control system, why? The pointer controls are too unresponsive and keep requiring you to recenter them, the motion controls are not tight enough and quite frustrating. Gameplay feels lighter than previous Zelda's due to the motion controlI just can't work this game out. There is massive critical acclaim for this game but I honestly can't see why. Critics and audiences praised the control system, why? The pointer controls are too unresponsive and keep requiring you to recenter them, the motion controls are not tight enough and quite frustrating. Gameplay feels lighter than previous Zelda's due to the motion control implementation it's like Wii Sports with a story. Plot is hardly a black sheep in the Zelda universe, it isn't clever in it's execution, Nintendo just made up a story about the origins of the Master Sword and made players think that the story had existed throughout the franchises history, quite cheap really. Locations are generic...but NO ICE WORLD!!!! WHAT??? It's like Super Mario Sunshine all over again, saying that, the Lanayru Desert segments are some of the series finest. Returning to the comment about being 'cheap', some elements in the game feel as though they were taken straight from other game series' such as Resident Evil and Ninja Gaiden. In several segments you have to defeat hordes/waves of identical enemies just to proceed to the next area with only your sword motion movements as the only form of variety. The watercolour art style is luscious but it's personally not my favourite look for Zelda. There are a lot of smart puzzles in the game but experienced Zelda gamers will find them disappointingly easy, perhaps offensively so. The boss fights rarely impress but when they do, they really do. The game is long but this is mainly due to repetitive and uninspiring fetch/collecting quests, the average player could clock around 20-30 hours.

    Graphics: 8.5/10
    Gameplay: 6/10
    Features: 5/10

    The WORST Zelda game ever made to date! Lazy controls, basic design and cheap tactics can't be disguised behind Skyward Sword's appealing art style. A thorough disappointment in my opinion. I'm sticking with Twilight Princess and waiting for Wind Waker HD.    … Expand
  89. Victory
    Jan 12, 2013
    6
    This is the worst Nintendo Zelda I've ever played (and I've played them all), that doesn't mean it's a bad game, it just isn't GREAT. What scares me the most about this game is all these 10 out of 10s, the lack of honesty and sheer blind fan boy attitudes will keep this game series from developing in a positive direction and that scares and saddens me. Anyway my review:

    I love this game    This is the worst Nintendo Zelda I've ever played (and I've played them all), that doesn't mean it's a bad game, it just isn't GREAT. What scares me the most about this game is all these 10 out of 10s, the lack of honesty and sheer blind fan boy attitudes will keep this game series from developing in a positive direction and that scares and saddens me. Anyway my review:

    I love this game because: The artistic style, the aiming controls (for slingshot etc), the story line is very strong, the Japanese style voice acting, the setting of the game, the bug hunting, the new tools/equipment.

    I hate this game because: The sword motion controls suck, and hinder my enjoyment. The support character Fi is annoying, she's more annoying than Navi. The game holds your hand constantly, repeating instructions way too many times. The game tells you constantly about the items you're picking up if you've loaded a save (for example, I have 39 sacred bugs, I KNOW WHAT THEY ARE) and you can't skip or speed up these explanations. The constant dungeon feel, linearity and lack of exploration (and lack of exploration reward). Finally the music is terrible with only Skyloft and Ballad of the Goddess being remotely catchy. The harp stuff is awful too.

    Overall I don't hate this game but I'm getting bored 25 hours in, I just want to finish it now and find out what happens. I'm expecting many people to disagree with my review but I certainly hope Nintendo pay attention to more level headed reviews like mine.    … Expand
  90. CJR
    Jan 5, 2013
    7
    Having played nearly all the previous titles over the years, this title had the bar set quite high and I believe nintendo in-house is able to do better. Frankly Twilight Princess was better, I thought the over-world design was just plain lazy and the backtracking through the same areas was a little bit boring.

    While there are plenty of good and bad things about this title comparing it    Having played nearly all the previous titles over the years, this title had the bar set quite high and I believe nintendo in-house is able to do better. Frankly Twilight Princess was better, I thought the over-world design was just plain lazy and the backtracking through the same areas was a little bit boring.

    While there are plenty of good and bad things about this title comparing it with it's predecessors and expectations for a zelda title, there were good things to, swordplay was new and took getting used to, this game had one of the best boss battles in a zelda game ever, and the graphical styling was too gimmicky and a side step rather than a step forward.

    If this title was not a zelda game, I would have reviewed differently and more positively, If you have never played a zelda title, this is a great game to get into it with, it is more of the same of what has made it good since the 90's and has a decent story with the bare essential dialog from very well animated characters. As a zelda outsider 9/10 - a top wii title and must have for any system owner

    As a zelda veteran 6.5/10 - a new chapter of the Link attempts to save hyrule with the usual characters, alot of newcomers and condensed, creative new locations.    … Expand
  91. dannesolna
    Mar 1, 2013
    5
    An OK game in the series. It seemed to target the a new younger crowd, after going after the more mature with Twilight Princess. This seemed pretty obvious with the rating e10+ (for everyone above 10 years old), compared to Twilight Princess T (for teen).

    I was not a fan of the art style, which seemed too "cartoony" and too far from realism. Some people are scared of too much realism,    An OK game in the series. It seemed to target the a new younger crowd, after going after the more mature with Twilight Princess. This seemed pretty obvious with the rating e10+ (for everyone above 10 years old), compared to Twilight Princess T (for teen).

    I was not a fan of the art style, which seemed too "cartoony" and too far from realism. Some people are scared of too much realism, but I cant say Im one of them. I would love to see Zelda fuse with skyrim, offering both colourful environments and dark. I do not think realism would ruin the fantasy feeling. I would like Zelda to be the game version of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings (visually)!

    The gameplay is pretty good and I didnt get bored at any part of the game. That has ever happened in any Zelda game though! For a Zelda

    The motion controls work the best in this game so far, but its still not great. The input lag and lack of preciseness is still enough to put me off. Id love to see the option to use a regular controller (Wii U pro controller) in the upcoming game. I also miss the times when I could lay in bed sunday mornings and slip into the world of Zelda. The motion controls pretty much ruined that experience. To summarise its a good game, but acording to me the worst instalment in the 3d series. There are plenty of games for the younger crowds, please give us Zelda fans what we want!    … Expand
  92. CannonBlaster
    Jul 20, 2013
    6
    I can't really explain this game. You're either love the game, or hate the game. You might love wonderful characters and clevar timeshift stonesm, or you might hate the forced plot and repetitive fetch quests. It's hard to recommend something like this, because it's so hard to tell. You really have to play for yourselve in order to have a TRUE opinion.
  93. WyattTheAwesome
    Jun 4, 2013
    7
    In every way, shape and form, Skyward sword is amazing. Even if it may not have done a lot to innovate, who the hell cares? We like a game for what it is. It doesn't need to constantly change for us, but sometimes it's okay. I actually liked the motion controls for this game and, believe it or not, Link has character development! This is a must play for the wii
  94. brendo214
    May 21, 2019
    6
    This game started off so strong. I thought it was going to be favorite Zelda game. Then it started to recycle the same areas over and over again in a way that made them feel really stale. Then the 'magic' of the motion controls started to wear off, and I just grew tired of them. It all just came crashing down. It was so close. One bit of praise I can give to this game though is that thisThis game started off so strong. I thought it was going to be favorite Zelda game. Then it started to recycle the same areas over and over again in a way that made them feel really stale. Then the 'magic' of the motion controls started to wear off, and I just grew tired of them. It all just came crashing down. It was so close. One bit of praise I can give to this game though is that this game easily has the best story and characters of any Zelda game. Groose is a champ.… Expand
  95. wescrigg48
    Apr 22, 2019
    7
    good game but the motion controls sometimes dont allways do what you want they usaly work but they strugle with charging skyward srike and doing a foreward thrust
  96. Leviata_Reis26
    Jul 21, 2023
    5
    Zelda: Skyward Sword é uma desgraça de jogo, muito chato. Gosto da musica, desenho dos personagens aceitavel, é legal adicionar a batalha, ter que acertar o calcanhar de Aquiles pra vencer lutas, mas o controle não ajudou muito, foi uma experiência desgraçada. Vou listar problemas desse jogo mal projetado. O Link mal aguenta correr, péssima criação de stamina. O mundo do jogo não te daZelda: Skyward Sword é uma desgraça de jogo, muito chato. Gosto da musica, desenho dos personagens aceitavel, é legal adicionar a batalha, ter que acertar o calcanhar de Aquiles pra vencer lutas, mas o controle não ajudou muito, foi uma experiência desgraçada. Vou listar problemas desse jogo mal projetado. O Link mal aguenta correr, péssima criação de stamina. O mundo do jogo não te da liberdade pra evoluir inicialmente, uma falsa liberdade. Os personagens secundários nem faz diferença. A Fi npc tutorial tem mais relevância que a Zelda igualmente o jogo antecessor, pois a Zelda desaparece no começo e ainda é petrificada no final. O progresso no jogo e uma desgraça sem criatividade, se resumi em pegar pedra mapa no bosque, na ilha vulcão e no deserto, evoluir a espada no bosque, na ilha vulcão e no deserto, e pegar as três partituras musicais no bosque, vulcão e deserto. Oque a Nintendo fez pra enganar os clientes, "olhe, tem uma passaro pra você domar e voar'. Passaro patetico, que não pode atrevessar a nuvem para a campanha principal, igualmente ao lobo patetico do jogo anterior. E ainda trouxeram a quest idiota do jogo anterior de coletar 15 pedrinhas 4 vezes. Sobre mais uma falta de criatividade nas batalhas, você enfrenta a Besta (Aprisionado) três vezes, multiplicando o jogo chato. Apos zerar, abri a opção de Campanha Heroi, não vou jogar, vou deletar esse jogo. Durante a jogada, eu notei que o jogo e chato, não senti prazer em jogar, torcia pra acabar logo pois não queria jogar mais. Zelda: Skyward Sword é um jogo sem criatividade. Nota: 5/10… Expand
  97. Crimson9
    Dec 21, 2022
    5
    The motion control gimmick works fine but its hardly a brilliant addon. Other than that, the game design of skyward sword is not innovative. Which is a problem already but in many ways I find the game design here to be a step backwards. TP and Windwaker were more open than Skyward Sword in many ways, and had better designed and less obnoxious tutorials. Some of the dungeons and bossfightsThe motion control gimmick works fine but its hardly a brilliant addon. Other than that, the game design of skyward sword is not innovative. Which is a problem already but in many ways I find the game design here to be a step backwards. TP and Windwaker were more open than Skyward Sword in many ways, and had better designed and less obnoxious tutorials. Some of the dungeons and bossfights are good but overall this is my least favorite zelda game by a mile.… Expand
  98. Yojimbo2015
    Mar 4, 2023
    7
    Another beautiful looking Zelda game that lacks the darker edge of the best instalments and so I personally prefer Twilight Princess - which you can also play without the expense of buying a Motion Plus, unlike this.

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

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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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