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
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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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