The Legend of Zelda franchise is among the most famous and historic gaming franchises of all time, so it's no surprise to determine Nintendo taking every chance they get to result in the older games more open to new audiences. The remake of Link’s Awakening for that Nintendo Switch was actually the very first Legend of Zelda game that really helped sell me wholeheartedly on the franchise. I'd played some of the older games before, but none of them really drew me in like Link’s Awakening. That's until they released the HD remake of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Skyward Sword HD) on the Nintendo Switch. I missed out on the game when it was originally released on the Wii this year, so having a opportunity to play it now with some standard of living improvements would be a treat.
Skyward Sword HD is definitely an action-adventure game that actually serves as the chronological start of the entire Legend of Zelda timeline. I’m not going to pretend to understand how the whole timeline works, but if you're the kind of person who wants to play through everything chronologically this is the place to begin. Legend of Zelda games don't typically require understanding of other games in order to make sense, but I won’t judge anyone for attempting to binge this type of great series. Since Skyward Sword HD can serve as the canonical start, we obtain a chance to see series mainstays, Link and Zelda, right from the start of their character development. We will also get to see the foundation from the famous Master Sword and Triforce, in addition to interesting side characters like Groose.
The story from the game is rather standard for a Legend of Zelda game. The primary character Link is given the job of saving the planet from assured destruction, with Zelda both helping and needing Link’s help at various times. I won’t give any major details for anyone who, much like me, had not played the game before, but rest assured the storyline is very interesting. If you’re interested at all in any of the Legend of Zelda lore, you will definitely gain a lot from playing through Skyward Sword HD.
The gameplay is also what you would expect from a Legend of Zelda game. The main action happens in various dungeons, plus some seem to be very well done. Unfortunately, some of them can also be a little too familiar and didn't keep me as engaged as I might have liked. The bosses will also be extremely a guessing game in the game, more so compared to dungeons themselves. I discovered a good chunk of these to be pretty tedious and repetitive, but there are some real solid standouts right at the end of the game that can help make up for the lower quality ones.
The game also looks great, despite being only an HD remaster of a Wii game. No art is redone or made to look like a fresh game from 2023, however the designs are interesting as always and at times are really impressiveSkyward Sword HD isn't a graphical masterpiece, but it doesn’t tell you they are. It’s still a Legend of Zelda game, so fans are going to be very happy with the setting and exactly how it all looks.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the absolute worst area of the game; the controls. The initial version leaned exclusively on motion controls because it would be a Wii game. Those controls are extremely divisive for a lot of, and that i realise why. Skyward Sword HD does give another option to motion controls, but I’m not really convinced it’s much better. You have the option to use the thumbsticks to replicate the motion controls, however the constant flicking rather than normal button presses and moves gets old very quickly. Irrrve never reached the point where the controls helped me wish to stop playing, but I can see how many people could be really switched off to the stage that they don’t finish what is an otherwise excellent game.
On a more positive note, Skyward Sword HD upholds the Legend of Zelda tradition of getting some truly remarkable music. For those who have read any one of these reviews you’ll know that music inside a game is very important in my experience, and Skyward Sword absolutely succeeds for the reason that department. Groose’s theme is definitely an absolute bop and also the various boss battle themes are very good too.
Overall, the Skyward Sword HD remaster is an excellent game worth playing despite a number of it’s flaws. There are some quality-of-life improvements throughout that won't stick out as obviously as you would expect, but they help much the gameplay a little more like a modern game regardless of the janky controls. It may not be as beloved as Link to the Past or Ocarina of Time, but Skyward Sword HD is absolutely a game title worth your time.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is available now, wherever games can be purchased.
