The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD Reviews
What’s left in Skyward Sword HD is a fantastic journey with beautiful and varied locations, puzzling dungeons, memorable characters, and one of the best stories in the Zelda series. It’s nice to finally have a traditional 3D Zelda game on the Switch (albeit a remastered one), and if you’re hungry for a Zelda game that does what a Zelda game does best, I cannot recommend Skyward Sword HD enough.
Skyward Sword HD is a superb remaster of the decade-old Wii game that not only gives it a much-needed visual upgrade but also throws in so many quality of life improvements (not least of all a free camera) that it immediately makes the original version obsolete.
While not exactly what fans of the franchise might want (more so after the outstanding remasters released in recent years), The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD serves its purpose: closing/starting the confusing time loop for the current generation. Hardcore fans and collectors will definitely find their money’s worth in this title, and new players can be rest assured how it will bring them a decent amount of entertainment as they wait for the next inevitable remaster or remake… or Breath of the Wild 2.
Skyward Sword is one of the more distinct flashpoints on the Legend of Zelda timeline, and this new HD version only draws more attention to that. It’s fascinating in so many ways beyond the usual game evaluating criteria, and while I’m not sure I enjoy playing it I certainly appreciate having that historical gap filled in. Also, that leitmotif utterly slaps.
"Ancient hero looks more polished."
Review in Finnish | Read full review
Playing through Skyward HD on Switch we felt less frustrations than we did 10 years ago, while there was nothing inherently wrong with the original game, we found ourselves breezing through everything at a much more efficient speed. We weren’t getting bogged down with Fi and her dry exposition and the temperamental Wii controls, Skyward Sword HD has taken a buffer to the original game and helped it finally spread it’s wings, anyone who felt frustrated with the controls, the characters or just the overall slog of the original could find themselves finally enjoying what really is a deserving entry into the Zelda series.
With The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, Zelda fans will be able to experience a phenomenal adventure with captivating characters, ingenious puzzles and an unparalleled combat system, this time without the main aspects that degrade the game on Wii. It still has certain flaws, and while some of them are necessary to preserve the integrity of the original experience, others result from poor remastering choices. Still, Skyward Sword HD is undoubtedly the definitive version of one of the best Wii titles.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Skyward Sword is definitely one of the better games in the Zelda series. Some experimental ideas and mechanics were implemented that breathe some fresh air into the dungeons and puzzles throughout the adventure. When viewed from the timeline where Breath of the Wild exists, it is really interesting to see how Nintendo took the franchise from Twilight Princess to where it is now. Skyward Sword is absolutely a must-play for anyone who is a fan of the franchise.
Some of its more controversial elements remain, despite the technical, graphical, and mechanical overhaul. Yet the new features — optional motion controls, full camera control, auto-save, a less intrusive companion, a smoother frame-rate, and modernized graphics, among others — will surely be welcomed by parties on both sides.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD isn’t necessarily a massive upgrade over that original experience, but it does clean things up and provides a different look at the fateful connection between Link and Zelda.
It's the only Zelda game that I recommend you play only once, if only to experience the blue skies and sunshine that this game has on the outer layer.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD improves upon the original massively, with its new control scheme and impressive visuals making it feel like a whole different game. It was already one of my favourite games in the series anyway, but playing it with more traditional controls at 60fps was astounding, whilst the new quality of life improvements go a long way in streamlining the overall experience. It really is a brilliant game. Admittedly, some aspects of the game haven’t aged all that well – the repetitive fetch quests particularly stood out, whilst there were some aspects of the world that felt vacant when compared to modern titles. Between all of the enhancements, the engaging narrative, and the brilliant dungeons that have stood the test of time though, it’s easy to recommend The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD to newcomers, existing fans, or just those who were simply put off the motion controls the first time around. It’s another must-own title for your Nintendo Switch library.
Besides the obvious visual improvements, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD offers a clearly enhanced experience compared to the original Wii title. First and foremost the button controls offer a near-perfect alternative to the formerly mandatory motion controls, making the game more accessible. Beyond that, many of the original's hand-holding has been removed, leading to fewer gameplay interruptions. The game still has other flaws, but the HD version does a lot to bring out the good of the game.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is an excellent remaster of an underappreciated Zelda title.
Skyward Sword HD is enough of a Zelda game that fans of the series will still have a good time playing it. With a strong story and characters that stand out, there is still fun to be had despite the god awful controls that do their best to ruin what would’ve been an outstanding game had it adhered to traditional gameplay mechanics.
While it was largely considered one of the less popular titles in the franchise, Nintendo rereleased Skyward Sword HD for the Nintendo Switch so a new generation of players that can experience what is considered to be the narrative foundation for the series. The result is an adequate entry, but one where its history and original control scheme’s legacy still can influence people’s enjoyment.
It is a little flaw on Zelda Skyward Sword HD that there is no new contents added. But thank nintendo for letting us play the masterpiece again with HD resolution graphic and improved manipulation.
Review in Korean | Read full review
Skyward Sword HD’s quality of life improvements made to the game are a step up from the Wii version of the game. No more constant interruptions while you are playing, from Fi the spirit of the sword, that’s a blessing. The controls are better. However, I think it will boil down to how well you gel with the updated control system. I do recommend giving the game a go for those that are on their journey through The Legend of Zelda series of games. As while it isn’t the best of the best in the series it shouldn’t be overlooked completely.
There are excellent things about its plot, its level design, and its gameplay choices. But they are equally offset by some terrible design choices in the same segments. The same can be said about this remaster. For every welcoming improvement, such as the fantastic graphics, performance, and being able to ditch motion controls altogether, there is another annoying setback, such as the implementation of said non-motion controls and the bizarre camera movement.
Overall, the Skyward Sword HD remaster is an excellent game worth playing despite some of it’s flaws. There are some quality of life improvements throughout that may not stick out as obviously as you would expect, but they really help the game play a bit more like a modern game despite the janky controls. It may not be as beloved as Link to the Past or Ocarina of Time, but Skyward Sword is absolutely a game worth your time.