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The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD
Critics Consensus (Play It)
Skyward Sword HD is an adventure worth taking. The game features some welcome quality-of-life improvements, even though the motion controls remain hit or miss and questionable design choices persist.
Game Info
Take to the skies, draw your sword, and experience the earliest story in the Legend of Zelda series. Join Link in his high-flying quest to save Zelda, a childhood friend who must confront her destiny. Soar between floating islands and descend to the treacherous surface world in this updated HD version of the Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.
0%
Recommended
0%
Average Score
Total Reviews: 78
Silver TIER
46% of scored reviews fell within the range of 80 to 86 / 100
RELEASE DATES:
GENRES:
- RPG, Adventure
DEVELOPER(S):
- Nintendo
PUBLISHER(S):
- Nintendo
SERIES/FRANCHISE:
- The Legend of Zelda
GAME MODES:
- Single player
Where to Play
WHERE TO PLAY
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RATING & REVIEWS
Ratings & Reviews
78
Critic Reviews
82
Average Critic Score
Where to Play
CRITIC REVIEWS
All reviews are from professional critics. Learn more about the critics VSG aggregates.
High Score
100%
Median Score
80%
Low Score
50%
What did you think of The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD?
Player Reviews0 Votes
0
Chris Carter (Destructoid)
Jul 14, 2021
8/10
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.
Ben Reeves (Game Informer)
Jul 14, 2021
8/10
Skyward Sword has some of the best dungeon design in the series, but the sections between each dungeon are a slog.
Travis Northup (IGN)
Jul 16, 2021
8/10
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is a fantastic Zelda adventure that’s aged like wine, even if Wii-era motion controls still aren’t great.
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Score Ranges
Read the Reviews (78 total)
| Outlet | Author | Score | Date | Quote | Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3DNews | Иван Бышонкoв | 7.5 / 10 | 07-25-2021 | The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is a great remaster of the weak game | Read review |
| Areajugones | Juan Linares | 8.8 / 10 | 07-14-2021 | Zelda Skyward Sword serves its purpose. A second chance that has been great for the saga. A colorful, friendly game with personality that has managed to convince me that it has nothing to envy to other games in the series. | Read review |
| Atomix | Alberto Desfassiaux | 90 / 100 | 07-14-2021 | A great new version for a awesome Zelda entry. Skyward Sword looks great in HD and 60fps, but it lacks of extra content. | Read review |
| But Why Tho? | Kyle Foley | 8.5 / 10 | 07-20-2021 | 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. | Read review |
| Cerealkillerz | Manuel Barthes | 7.3 / 10 | 07-14-2021 | In theory, motion control of the Nintendo Switch paired with The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword HD is a perfect match. What sounds quite conclusive at first has unfortunately not been implemented perfectly in practice. A further complication is the optics, which no longer meet today’s standards despite HD. Even the gripping plot, which lays the historical foundation stone of the series, can only offer slight consolation. | Read review |
| CGMagazine | Preston Dozsa | 7.5 / 10 | 07-14-2021 | 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. | Read review |
| Checkpoint Gaming | David McNamara | 8 / 10 | 07-14-2021 | A faithful remake of the most polarising 3D Zelda title, Skyward Sword HD provides numerous quality of life improvements that help polish some of the original’s roughest edges. Its issues with pacing, repetitive gameplay elements, and a lacklustre narrative remain moderate detractions from what is an otherwise legendary Zelda experience, filled to the brim with the charisma, creativity, and satisfying dungeoneering the series is famous for. While it doesn’t bring any new content to the table, the addition of button controls and portability (courtesy of the Switch) means there’s never been a better way for newcomers and diehard fans to experience the strategic combat and innovative puzzle-solving of this lofty adventure. | Read review |
| COGconnected | James Paley | 80 / 100 | 07-14-2021 | While it’s not perfect, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is a massive improvement over the original release. | Read review |
| Cubed3 | Drew Hurley | 8 / 10 | 08-09-2021 | The bad rap that Skyward Sword received is evidenced here to be undeserved. Even the worst Zelda game is still a good game, and this is by no means the worst Zelda game. It has some dungeons and experiences that are standing side by side with the very best of the whole franchise. While the controls aren’t as good as they could have been, and some of the early annoyances remain, this is absolutely a must-buy. It’s not the worst Zelda game, not a bad Zelda game, but a great Zelda game. | Read review |
| Daily Mirror | Eugene Sowah | 5 / 5 stars | 07-14-2021 | 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. | Read review |
| Daily Star | Tom Hutchison | 4 / 5 stars | 07-14-2021 | 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. | Read review |
| DASHGAMER.com | Bryce Dewit | 8.5 / 10 | 07-27-2021 | 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. | Read review |
| Destructoid | Chris Carter | 8 / 10 | 07-14-2021 | 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. | Read review |
| Digitally Downloaded | Matt Sainsbury | 4.5 / 5 stars | 07-14-2021 | Skyward Sword has always sat a little apart from the others, because while all other Zelda games give the impression that you’re experiencing current events through your Link-avatar, Skyward Sword instead leaves the impression that you’re witnessing the retelling of a great legend of antiquity. | Read review |
| EGM | Michael Goroff | 10 / 10 | 07-14-2021 | 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. | Read review |
| Eurogamer | Christian Donlan | Recommended | 07-14-2021 | A fascinating second look at one of the oddest Zeldas out there. | Read review |
| Everyeye.it | Michele Verardi | 8.5 / 10 | 07-14-2021 | 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. | Read review |
| Forbes | Ollie Barder | 9 / 10 | 07-24-2021 | 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. | Read review |
| Game Informer | Ben Reeves | 8 / 10 | 07-14-2021 | Skyward Sword has some of the best dungeon design in the series, but the sections between each dungeon are a slog | Read review |
| Game Revolution | Jason Faulkner | 4 / 5 stars | 08-02-2021 | Those that played the game when it was first released on Wii aren’t missing a ton if they skip this one. There’s no new content, just tweaks here and there. However, those who loved it will find this is the best way to play it now. | Read review |
| Gameblog | Thomas Pillon | 7 / 10 | 07-14-2021 | The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword HD is a constant fight between good and evil : if the game now makes the most of the 60 fps/HD display and a mostly muted Fi, the classic controls are not easily transposables to a simple controller, and most of the already-outdated game design flaws of the 2011 game are still there. | Read review |
| GamePro | Linda Sprenger | 80 / 100 | 07-16-2021 | Not the hoped-for alternative for those who don’t like to move, but still a fun Zelda. Although not the best. | Read review |
| Gamerheadquarters | Jason Stettner | 7.5 / 10 | 08-12-2021 | 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. | Read review |
| GameSkinny | Josh Broadwell | 8 / 10 | 07-23-2021 | Skyward Sword HD on Switch still suffers from backtracking and gimmicks, but its clever dungeons and engaging narrative make it one of the best games in the series. | Read review |
| GameSpot | Kevin Knezevic | 7 / 10 | 07-14-2021 | Link’s divisive Wii adventure returns on Switch with some welcome quality-of-life improvements. | Read review |
| GamesRadar+ | Josh West | 4 / 5 stars | 07-14-2021 | 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. | Read review |
| GameXplain | GameXplain | Recommended | 07-14-2021 | Video Review | Read review |
| GamingBolt | Shubhankar Parijat | 7 / 10 | 07-20-2021 | Skyward Sword’s HD remaster helps sand out some of the game’s rough edges, but this is still probably the most flawed mainline Zelda game to date. | Read review |
| GamingTrend | David Flynn | 85 / 100 | 07-24-2021 | Skyward Sword HD is definitely the best version of the game with vastly improved visuals and new control options, but I can’t help but feel it’s lacking as a Zelda rerelease. There’s no new content, and I doubt the changes are enough to win over those who have problems with the game’s overall design. It certainly didn’t need to be a good game in its own right, but the lack of accessibility options and only somewhat reduced dialogue makes it difficult to justify the price. | Read review |
| GBAtemp | Tom Bond | 5 / 10 | 07-24-2021 | Overall, I can’t recommend anyone paying $60 for this version of the game, it’s not worth it. While some of QOL fixes are nice, and some of the new control schemes are good, overall I find it hard to recommend. If you like Zelda, you probably already bought this, and I hope you have fun with it, but if you haven’t played Skyward Sword yet, this is probably the version to play…so long as you spend $30 or less. | Read review |
| God is a Geek | Adam Cook | 9.5 / 10 | 07-14-2021 | 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. | Read review |
| GRYOnline.pl | Adam Zechenter | 7.5 / 10 | 07-19-2021 | The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is a good remaster – it’s obvious that Nintendo put some serious work into it. But remember that this Zelda is a peculiar game that can throw you off – especially because of its huge reliance on motion-sensor controls. | Read review |
| Guardian | Matthew Castle | 4 / 5 stars | 07-14-2021 | This remastered game from the Wii-era remains a wildly imaginative and magical experience created by Nintendo’s brainiest puzzle architects | Read review |
| Hardcore Gamer | Kirstin Swalley | 4.5 / 5 stars | 07-20-2021 | Skyward Sword was already a fun title for those that were able to play it, and now it’s become even more accessible with the movement away from the forced motion controls. | Read review |
| Hey Poor Player | Andrew Thornton | 4.5 / 5 stars | 07-27-2021 | Despite a slow start, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD proves worthy of its place in the series. While a bit of trimming at the start would make a stronger game, once it got going, I never wanted it to end. If you like Zelda games and haven’t played Skyward Sword, you owe it to yourself to try this one. For veterans of the game, you’ll find a ton of quality of life changes making this the definitive version. Even if you were put off by the original release, you might find this time that you fall for this legend. | Read review |
| Hobby Consolas | David Martinez | 94 / 100 | 07-14-2021 | 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. | Read review |
| IGN | Travis Northup | 8 / 10 | 07-16-2021 | The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is a fantastic Zelda adventure that’s aged like wine, even if Wii-era motion controls still aren’t great. | Read review |
| IGN Italy | Fabio Canonico | 8 / 10 | 07-14-2021 | 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. | Read review |
| IGN Spain | David Oña | 8 / 10 | 07-14-2021 | 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. | Read review |
| KeenGamer | Kara Phillips | 9.5 / 10 | 08-02-2021 | 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. | Read review |
| LevelUp | Pedro Pérez Cesari | 7.5 / 10 | 07-31-2021 | I would not say that Skyward Sword HD radically changes my opinion of the original, although it did let me see in in a new light. It still has a lot to do to keep up with the best installments of The Legend of Zelda since it highs are good, but the lows points lack the quality the franchise is known for. | Read review |
| Luis Alamilla | Luis Alamilla | 8 / 10 | 07-17-2021 | The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword HD does feel dated at times but not so much because it’s bad just so vastly redesigned for the better in Breath of the Wild. I love these more intricate dungeons. The various locations and puzzles alongside them continue to feel unique and well thought, still holding their place in the series to this day. It’s easily the best mark for this entry. It might mark the end of what was the original structure for the Legend of Zelda and despite some shortcomings, I did and will still continue to look at it in a positive light. | Read review |
| Merlin’in Kazanı | Ersin Kılıç | 80 / 100 | 07-14-2021 | The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is an incredibly diverse and constantly evolving game. If you haven’t played the Wii version, you shouldn’t miss this adventure. | Read review |
| Metro GameCentral | GameCentral | 8 / 10 | 07-14-2021 | The most uneven of the 3D Zeldas but its highs soar well above its immediate contemporaries and while the motion controls are still hit or miss at least there’s now an alternative. | Read review |
| MonsterVine | Spencer Legacy | 4.5 / 5 stars | 07-28-2021 | The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is an excellent remaster of an underappreciated Zelda title. | Read review |
| Niche Gamer | Fingal Belmont | 6 / 10 | 09-16-2021 | The great irony of Skyward Sword is that Nintendo struggled to make it have motion controls as refined as possible and in the end it made it a worse experience. Only when a traditional control scheme was implemented and the game took on a less patronizing game design philosophy is when players can appreciate Skyward Sword‘s finer aspects. | Read review |
| Nintendo Enthusiast | Jaimie Ditchfield | 9 / 10 | 07-18-2021 | 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. | Read review |
| Nintendo Life | PJ O’Reilly | 9 / 10 | 07-14-2021 | 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. | Read review |
| Nintendo Wire | Daniel Dell-Cornejo | 10 / 10 | 08-06-2021 | 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. | Read review |
| NintendoWorldReport | Neal Ronaghan | 8.5 / 10 | 07-14-2021 | 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. | Read review |
| Oyungezer Online | Sabri Erkan Sabancı | 8 / 10 | 07-29-2021 | You may have sneered when it was announced, but you will be convinced like me as you play that it is a very logical remaster choice for Switch. | Read review |
| PCMag | Jordan Minor | 3.5 / 5 stars | 07-14-2021 | The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD’s upgraded visuals and motion-free control options make this the best way to play the Wii classic, even if the game is firmly stuck in Zelda’s past. | Read review |
| Polygon | Suriel Vazquez | Recommended | 07-21-2021 | Skyward Sword wanted to keep Zelda fresh and exciting, but it did this by making the things you already did as part of its formula feel good instead of finding new ways to do them. But for a series about exploring at your own pace, simplifying dungeons to make them more fun to complete wasn’t going to cut it for much longer. The focus on action, on pulling off simple-but-cool things, only works on a platform built around how fun its controller is to use, and it only works once. After this game, Nintendo had to do something different. | Read review |
| Post Arcade (National Post) | Chad Sapieha | Recommended | 07-30-2021 | From my perspective, Skyward Sword is an interesting look back in time. It’s a good game — one of the best to fully embrace wand-based motion control — but I much prefer Breath of the Wild. I’m happy Nintendo transitioned the series to a more traditional format with combat designed for gamepads and a massive open world to explore. | Read review |
| Press Start | James Mitchell | 8 / 10 | 07-14-2021 | The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD makes great efforts to improve the original to make it the definitive way to play the series’ origin story. Whilst the game’s initially poor pacing has improved, the game can still be slightly tedious and repetitive. Putting that aside, the dungeon design, item ingenuity, and some of the boss battles are series highlights that no Zelda fan should miss. | Read review |
| Rice Digital | Trent Cannon | Recommended | 07-20-2021 | All this isn’t to say that the game isn’t worth playing. Whether you are a fan of the original or you are experiencing it for the first time, Skyward Sword HD is a Zelda game worth playing as much as any other. However, it doesn’t wipe away the issues that the original had completely. The various quality of life issues that are implemented in this version only serve to highlight the issues that plagued the original — and the fact that some of those issues require more than a simple “quick fix” provided by a remaster like this to resolve. | Read review |
| Screen Rant | Scott Baird | 4 / 5 stars | 07-14-2021 | 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. | Read review |
| SECTOR.sk | Michal Korec | 8 / 10 | 07-14-2021 | Another chance to save Zelda in old story, with slightly better movement and better graphics. | Read review |
| Sirus Gaming | Sean Christie | 6 / 10 | 07-24-2021 | 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. | Read review |
| SpazioGames | Unknown | 9 / 10 | 07-14-2021 | The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD it’s the second chance that the poignant origin story of the Zelda franchise has always deserved. | Read review |
| Stevivor | Ben Salter | 8 / 10 | 07-14-2021 | 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. | Read review |
| Telegraph | Tom Hoggins | 4 / 5 stars | 07-21-2021 | Before Breath of the Wild, there was Skyward Sword; Nintendo revisit its mechanically brilliant adventure with this improved Switch version | Read review |
| The Games Machine | Daniele Cucchiarelli | 7.8 / 10 | 07-14-2021 | Skyward Sword is still not one of the best Zelda games out there, even after improvements added to this new Switch port, but it deserves to be played thanks to a great cast of characters, a good narrative and some interesting gameplay ideas that Nintendo developed further in Breath of the Wild. | Read review |
| TheSixthAxis | Miri Teixeira | 8 / 10 | 07-14-2021 | 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. | Read review |
| TrustedReviews | By Ryan Jones | 4.5 / 5 stars | 07-14-2021 | 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. | Read review |
| Twinfinite | Rebecca Stone | 4.5 / 5 stars | 07-19-2021 | 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. | Read review |
| Use a Potion | Unknown | 9.5 / 10 | 08-04-2021 | 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. | Read review |
| VGChartz | Evan Norris | Recommended | 08-16-2021 | 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. | Read review |
| Video Chums | A.J. Maciejewski | 8.8 / 10 | 07-14-2021 | The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is an absolutely incredible game so if you haven’t played it yet, this HD iteration makes for a great excuse to finally give it a go. Those who still own it on Wii might want to hold out, though, because it’s surely not a huge step up. | Read review |
| Video Games Chronicle | Chris Scullion | 5 / 5 stars | 07-14-2021 | 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. | Read review |
| VideoGamer | Josh Wise | 9 / 10 | 07-23-2021 | It’s not quite that I had forgotten how good it was—more that I needed the intervening years to realise it. | Read review |
| Washington Post | Mikhail Klimentov | Not Recommended | 07-15-2021 | Just over a half-decade later, I played “Breath of the Wild,” which, for me and many others, became the gold standard Zelda game. It is hard — even a bit unfair — to compare the two titles. Their design intentions are different. The mechanics and technological specifications both were built around are incomparable. Even still, it cannot be denied that “Skyward Sword HD” exists in “Breath of the Wild’s” shadow, in the lull before the arrival of the latter game’s sequel. The freedom of style, movement and choice that defines the newer game cannot be forgotten or wished away. It dates “Skyward Sword HD” more than the motion controls — a throwback to the Wii — ever could. | Read review |
| WayTooManyGames | Leonardo Faria | 7.5 / 10 | 07-20-2021 | 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. | Read review |
| Wccftech | Unknown | 8 / 10 | 07-14-2021 | The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is a conservative update to one of Link’s less-heralded adventures that’s unlikely to change many minds one way or the other. The padding, control limitations, and other issues fans have long bemoaned are still in full effect. That said, there’s really no such thing as a bad Zelda game, and this one still shines at times thanks to a strong story, excellent dungeons, and some intense boss battles. If you’re impatient for Breath of the Wild 2 and have never played Skyward Sword, by all means, give the game a shot, just keep your expectations slightly grounded. | Read review |
| We Got This Covered | Josh Nichols | 4 / 5 stars | 07-23-2021 | The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD flies far higher than the original Wii version. Most of the game’s core issues have been addressed, and the presentation flows much more smoothly on Switch. | Read review |
| WellPlayed | Kieron Verbrugge | 8.5 / 10 | 07-14-2021 | 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. | Read review |
| Zoomg | محمد صادق تواضعی | 8 / 10 | 08-16-2021 | However, the story of the game continues to be fresh and engaging, and apart from the problems mentioned, you will get a fun and exciting experience. | Read review |
| ZTGD | Anthony Mann | 9 / 10 | 08-24-2021 | 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. | Read review |
The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD Credits
CREDITS
DIRECTOR(S):
Daiki Iwamoto
PRODUCER(S):
Eiji Aonuma
DESIGNER(S):
Ryuji Kobayashi
PROGRAMMER(S):
Resmi Hasankolli
ARTIST(S):
Ayden Polat, Oberon Bradford
WRITER(S):
Naoki Mori, Hidemaro Fujibayashi
COMPOSER(S):
Hajime Wakai, Shiho Fujii, Mahito Yokota, Takeshi Hama
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