The WhatsNext verdict
Skyward Sword is a superb choice for players who want intricate dungeons, inventive boss puzzles, and a storybook visual style backed by beautiful music. Players who dislike motion controls or expect a seamless, freely explorable world should look elsewhere.
What it does best
Dungeons that keep reinventing themselves
Bosses that feel like set-piece puzzles
A sweeping orchestral Zelda soundtrack
A watercolor world with an unmistakable glow
What might put you off
Mandatory motion controls
Repetitive overworld structure and interruptions
The setup
What you are walking into
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is the first Zelda game created specifically with the Wii in mind. The game makes use of the Wii MotionPlus peripheral for sword fighting, with a revised Wii Remote pointing system used for targeting. Skyward Sword is structured very similar to previous Zelda games, as you travel through an overworld in search of temples to visit and once in you solve a series of puzzles before fighting a boss at the end and receive the next bit of plot. The biggest change is that the overworld is more focused on puzzles with only a handful of action.
Where it lives
Genre
Vibe
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