![]() It’s a damn shame that Nintendo wasn’t voicing Zelda characters by this point, because many of them deserve performances. Whether it’s Link’s egocentric rival for Zelda’s affections, Groose, or the flamboyant and narcissistic “Demon Lord” Ghirahim, the game’s writing really brings these characters to life. I think the Zelda games have always been good at skating around the edges of depth with quirky, memorable characters, but Skyward Sword’s really stand out. While there are fewer of them than in previous games, the characters here are, for the most part, funny and full of personality. Positioning the last pre– Breath of the Wild Zelda game as an origin story is an interesting choice that I don’t think I fully appreciated during its original release.īut what I really underestimated the first time around was Skyward Sword’s script and supporting cast. We see the forging of the Master Sword, the manifestations of the three goddesses, and the reason why Link’s always wearing a green tunic and nightcap. It doesn’t have a compelling companion character like Midna or the swashbuckling sense of adventure that Wind Waker has, but it does work as a sort of “starting point” for the series’ main tropes. However, an evil force abducts Zelda, leaving it up to Link (or whatever you decide to call him) to travel to the surface and discover his fate as the chosen hero.Ĭompared to its predecessors, Skyward Sword’s main story is simple, but that tracks with the fact that it’s meant to be an origin story of sorts. Not that it matters much, but Skyward Sword is technically the “first” Zelda game in the series’ official timeline and takes place after the goddess Hylia sealed away the evil on the surface and moved humans to the skies to protect them. ![]() No, what I’m seeing for the first time is that the game that was already there-the level design, the overarching structure, even the writing-was great all along. It’s not just because the motion controls are more refined, or that you don’t even need to play with the motion controls if you don’t want to, or that playing the game with HD graphics at 60 frames per second is an undeniably more pleasant experience. At least, that’s how I remembered it.īut now, playing the game again after 10 years with an HD remaster and a fresh perspective (not to mention Breath of the Wild to break the monotony), Skyward Sword is much, much better than I remember. They were all very different experiences.Ĭompared to its predecessors, the only twist on the 3D Zelda formula that Skyward Sword offered was its gimmicky motion control scheme, which never felt like enough to me. Ocarina of Time was in 3D and included aspects of time travel Majora’s Mask had you rushing to accomplish tasks before the world ended and reset Wind Waker let you loose on a massive ocean to explore to your heart’s content Twilight Princess let you turn into a wolf. But between those moments, the 3D Zelda games showcased their individual identities, both structurally and mechanically. Sure, they all required players to pretty much do what they’d been doing since the original Legend of Zelda in 1986: Go to a dungeon, get the item you need to complete that dungeon, then find the next dungeon, and so on. Before Skyward Sword, there were only four other 3D Zelda games in 13 years, and all of them had relatively unique settings and structures. Looking back on it, with a decade of experience under my belt, this evaluation seems absolutely insane. It was the exception to the rule that Zelda games were almost universally beloved. By 2011, the formula for 3D Zelda games was becoming stale, and the motion controls didn’t do anything to change that. ![]() In my mind, Skyward Sword was always the odd one out. But, for some reason, I was kind of surprised. I guess I should have anticipated that Nintendo would release an HD version of Skyward Sword, considering the company has done the same for each of its 3D Zelda titles, and the Switch’s Joy-Con gyro controls offer the perfect platform for the game’s control system. ![]() After what must have been a couple dozen tries, I simply surrendered to the fact that I would never master the controls enough to beat Skyward Sword and put it out of my mind forever. For reasons I can’t quite remember, considering it was a decade ago, I found that fight truly impossible. That’s when the motion controls truly tested my patience. When I first played it on the Wii, I was not in love with its motion controls, but I powered through and reached the final boss. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is the only game in the series that I started and never finished. Note: This review has been updated from the original version and given a final score.
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