The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD Reviews
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is a masterclass in how to do a remaster. Nintendo has really gone out on a limb to improve the games overall performance and it really shows. The extra little quality of life additions will make this game more accessible for a lot more gamers. This title is a must-have and will keep fans occupied until Breath of the Wild 2 arrives.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD improves on the original in every conceivable way. The visual and performance upgrades make it feel like a new game, and the motion controls feel much more responsive, thanks to the Switch's Joy-Cons. But the new button controls are the biggest improvement; instead of fighting against the motion controls, players can now savor the satisfying combat and genius level design. What was once the outcast of the 3D Zelda games now stands tall as one of the best in the series.
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.
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 has made a fool of me, and really, I am just so happy I gave it another chance. This is the best version of a truly landmark game.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD gives a misunderstood title in Nintendo's celebrated franchise a well-earned second shot. If motion controls and lack of polish turned you off this game the first go around, now's your chance to give this adventure a try. Like all great remakes, it's got some serious QoL upgrades and not an insignificant amount of graphic upgrades as well.
To celebrate the 10 year anniversary of its release, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword has finally come to Nintendo Switch. It's time to practice your flying and dust off your puzzle skills, as this is not an adventure for the faint of heart.
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
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.
While certainly not the greatest Zelda game, Skyward Sword is a wonderful entry that fans of the series would do well to check out.
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
Overall, Skyward Sword HD is a wonderful remaster and is a joy to play. However, it requires more effort than your typical Zelda game, not least due to the new control options available, but with diligent practice the game opens up into something genuinely beautiful.
It’s not quite that I had forgotten how good it was—more that I needed the intervening years to realise it.
It contains a wonderful story, one of the most satisfying final battles, some of the best humor in any Zelda game, plenty of completely optional side content, and some really unique gameplay that only Skyward Sword has offered. I have never been happier to say I was wrong about a game.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD introduces a raft of technical improvements and quality of life updates that reinvigorate and revitalise this ten-year-old game. With motion controls more precise than ever before, an alternate button control scheme that totally works, crisp HD graphics, smooth 60fps gameplay and a bothersome sidekick who's been streamlined into something altogether more useful, this really does feel like Skyward Sword as it was meant to experienced. Yes, the locking off of instant travel behind the official amiibo is a misstep, but beyond this one issue what's here is a sublime experience, a technical triumph and an absolute must-play for Switch owners and Zelda fans.
While most of the puzzles are enjoyable to solve, I wasn’t so keen on a select few objectives that required me to collect a number of orbs within a time limit without disturbing the roaming guards. I also wish that the flying mechanic hadn’t been introduced, since it only seems to be included to support the story rather than offering any enjoyable gameplay mechanic, which is odd since it featured so heavily at the beginning.
A great new version for a awesome Zelda entry. Skyward Sword looks great in HD and 60fps, but it lacks of extra content.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
In short, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is easily the definitive way to experience this wonderful adventure. The variety of quality-of-life improvements are welcome additions, fixing a lot of the issues featured in the original release 10 years ago. Sometimes the game's controls can feel a little weird depending on which setup you choose, so you will most likely experience some issues not present in the other control option. However, they don't detract from what is probably one of my favorite video games of all time. If you're interested in experiencing a deep narrative with some likeable characters, then you owe it to yourself to experience this game. Then again, even if you've played it before, Skyward Sword HD is an adventure worth revisiting with these improvements.
Skyward Sword was in need of this remaster, and Nintendo handled it with care. Now that its greatest weaknesses have been addressed, it’s finally time for the discussion to turn to what makes this game so special and a standout title in the series. I hope that many more future Zelda games will continue to be inspired by Skyward Sword HD’s strengths.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD it's the second chance that the poignant origin story of the Zelda franchise has always deserved.
Review in Italian | Read full review