The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD Reviews

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is ranked in the 89th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
8.5 / 10.0
Jul 14, 2021

A simple control scheme concession elevates this new version of Skyward Sword from simple HD remaster to essential playing for anyone that dismissed the original for its love affair with waggle. Here's a top-tier 3D Zelda, freed of its shake-to-win shackles and ready to be appreciated anew for its timeless tale and awesome adventuring.

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8.5 / 10.0
Jul 14, 2021

What Skyward Sword HD does best is make a 3D Zelda once thought limited to a unique console playable in perpetuity (hopefully). Along the way, enough changes and tweaks are made to improve the adventure, whether it's streamlined tutorials or satisfactory button controls. It wasn't known at the time, but this represents the final chapter of Nintendo's 3D Zelda design that started with Ocarina of Time. With hindsight, Skyward Sword HD serves an interesting coda that paved the way for Breath of the Wild. The linear ebb and flow of Link's earliest chronological story might be rooted in the past, but it's still an engaging and cozy adventure in the present that's well worth playing or revisiting.

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8.5 / 10.0
Jul 14, 2021

An almost mandatory recovery for those who have been struck by Breath of the Wild and equally essential for those who threw in the towel in 2011.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Jul 14, 2021

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is an adventure worth taking, a chance to reevaluate one of the largest and most experimental games in the series' history.

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Dave Aubrey
Top Critic
Jul 14, 2021

The linear structure of the game and relative empty space of the sky will still frustrate some, but the core sword-fighting gameplay and straightforward Zelda structure is better here than it is in many other games. If you want a traditional 3D Zelda experience, then Skyward Sword HD is an easy choice.

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94 / 100
Jul 14, 2021

Ten years after its original release, we meet again with a magical adventure. The last classic Zelda, before Breath of the Wild, is still an adventure that will leave us marked for life, and is much better enjoyed with the new control scheme. The changes ensure that it continues to be very current.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

Recommended
Jul 14, 2021

A fascinating second look at one of the oddest Zeldas out there.

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IGN Spain
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Jul 14, 2021

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is the return of a title that celebrates a decade but that is an example of the good work that occurs in the most careful Nintendo. A review of the classic formula of the saga read and executed through the prism of motion control, and a lesson in design that offers good palaces, a succession of puzzles very well measured that ends at the top, one of the most worked stories of the series, a spectacular soundtrack and a unique combat system. A revision to the height that updates with success what is already a classic of the franchise.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

Recommended
Jul 14, 2021

The remastering of The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword HD makes it a drastically more accessible game on the Nintendo Switch that offers a wider audience the chance to explore the earliest point within the expansive Legend of Zelda timeline.

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8 / 10
Jul 14, 2021

This is what people truly want from a Switch port. A gentle, well thought out, genuine upgrade that captures the heart of the original game and allows it to flourish at a higher standard. Although it is still perhaps a little simplistic, the game has redeemed itself through the quality-of-life updates that were sorely needed the first time around. Skyward Sword is finally a winner, and will undoubtedly delight newcomers and old fans alike.

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Jul 14, 2021

It’s great to see a Nintendo classic like this get a decent makeover and opens up one of the early Link efforts to a whole new fan base by weighting it in more modern gameplay standards.

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7.5 / 10.0
Jul 14, 2021

Though it may be one of the weaker Zelda games, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is a good adventure in its own right.

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8 / 10.0
Jul 14, 2021

Zelda: Skyward Sword was a weird game to assess in 2011, much less today. It had a lot of great ideas undercut by some questionable design choices, but to some, it was the best Zelda ever made. I understand that $60 for a remaster of a 2011 game is a big ask, but this is the definitive version of a flawed yet fun adventure that should be part of any Zelda rotation.

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Ben Salter
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Jul 14, 2021

Skyward Sword HD is more about updating a game designed for the Wii’s waggle to work well on a handheld and with a conventional controller. With that focus, it delivers a version of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword that is much easier and more natural to play from start to finish.

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8 / 10.0
Jul 14, 2021

Another chance to save Zelda in old story, with slightly better movement and better graphics.

Review in Slovak | Read full review

Nintendo News
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Jul 14, 2021

While Skyward Sword HD’s visuals breathe new life into the decade-old title, the quality of life improvements aren’t quite enough to make this instalment in the Zelda franchise soar to new heights. However, its strong cast of characters, hallmark dungeon designs and excellent storytelling keeps it afloat comfortably above the clouds, offering an experience that’s hard to forget.

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GameXplain
GameXplain
Top Critic
Liked
Jul 14, 2021
Is Zelda: Skyward Sword HD Better on Switch? - REVIEW video thumbnail
8 / 10.0
Jul 14, 2021

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is a good re-release of a game that renews, evolves or even upsets many of the distinctive elements of the series, but suffering from substantial rhythm problems in its second half.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Jul 14, 2021

Skyward Sword HD is the definitive version of the game, with many of the annoyances from the original Skyward Sword scrubbed from the experience. Skyward Sword HD has its frustrating moments, but it's still an excellent game, and it's worth a return trip to those who already soared through the skies on the Wii.

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8.5 / 10.0
Jul 14, 2021

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is a solid game that in several respects makes it clear that the original was released 10 years ago. But don't be discouraged – you will experience a decent and rewarding gameplay.

Review in Polish | Read full review