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. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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.
  4. 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
  5. 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.
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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.
  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. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. Halyo
    Dec 28, 2018
    7
    Nice artstyle, OK gameplay, no replay value. 7/10
    3D Zelda games were a mistake.
  16. 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!
  17. 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
  18. 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
  19. 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
  20. 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
  21. 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
  22. 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
  23. 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
  24. 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
  25. 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
  26. 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.
  27. 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
  28. 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?
  29. 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
  30. 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
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
93

Universal acclaim - based on 81 Critic Reviews

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