The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Review: The best traditional 3D Zelda
If you're not okay with the fact that Skyward Sword is my favorite traditional 3D Zelda game, you might want to click off this review and go play Ocarina of Time for the 72nd time. Jokes aside, this really is the 3D Zelda game that spoke to me the most. While I love many things about almost every Zelda game, Skyward Sword just had all my favorite elements of the previous 3D games rolled into one, even if it didn't 100% excel in every category. I'm excited to talk about this polarizing game today, as much as I might get some flack for it. Thanks so much for joining me, and I hope you enjoy this RPG Ranked review.
Combat - 8.5
While it's not nearly as unique or involved as many Zelda games, Skyward Sword has two fantastic features: immersion and upgradability. Even with a traditional control scheme on the Switch, it's more immersive than usual Zelda fare, as sword slices are controlled with the joystick and feel really good to pull off. And, with motion controls? You feel like the legendary hero yourself! There's a lot more mental involvement in swordplay here as well, since enemies block attacks aggressively and directionally, really making you think about the way you swing on a whole new level. As such, the dueling is more engaging than any other Zelda game, save Twilight Princess, due to its Hidden Skills mechanic. Of course, the fact that the player gets a shotgun-esque slingshot and can drop bombs on enemies with a mechanical beetle doesn't hurt, either. Using the Beetle in combat is definitely one of the most underutilized mechanics by the many players I see play this game... It's truly a blast to use!
The other great factor I mentioned was the upgradability. While not nearly as in-depth as Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom's cooking and armor-upgrading mechanics, or Tears of the Kingdom's Fuse, or the Ring system present in the Oracle games, or even the Maimai system in Link Between Worlds, the upgrading here is really good, and definitely the best of any traditional 3D Zelda game. Using Rupees, Bugs, and various components to upgrade weapons and items, as well as to craft Potions? It's the sort of thing that really adds a powerful layer to Zelda games, and it's something that was absolutely missing in previous 3D titles. This is a really nice addition to the game overall, giving me far more incentive to gather Rupees and kill enemies than in other Zelda titles.
Story - 4
I was told by many Zelda fans that this would finally be the Zelda game that convinces me these games can have good stories, but... Nope! Unfortunately, aside from some rather charming characters like Groose, Zelda, and Girrahim, the plot here is utterly generic, to an extreme fault. Play practically any RPG, and this'll be a very obviously mediocre story. This might be incredible for the huge population of people I've met who obsess over Nintendo and play only Mario and Zelda games. Still, for us RPG nerds, this continues to be a disappointing series narratively, and Skyward Sword is just another disappointment.
Theming - 6
I really love the idea of a whole-series prequel where you fly about in the sky on a bird, but since neither of these elements is really implemented in a fully fleshed-out manner, it's a hard sell to say that this game's gimmick was all that good. Of course, the motion controls are also a nice gimmick, but it's enough of a mixed bag that I don't really feel I can call it fantastic outside of its implementation in combat.
Music - 7
I've always been on record saying that Zelda music is really overrated in the world of VGM, but this soundtrack is quite solid. The Skyloft music and Ballad of the Goddess are both especially notable! It's not one of my favorite VGM soundtracks, but at least I can see where people are coming from when they say that. The best aspect of this game's soundtrack is definitely its orchestral instrumentation and its ability to capture the game's vibe perfectly. However, like most Zelda games, there's only one or two notable melodies, unlike other franchises like Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest. Of course, music is one of the most subjective things on planet Earth, so I can't pretend to be objective here.
Quality of Life - 7
This game has a few rather annoying flaws. One, the exclusive Amiibo relegation of competent fast travel is an abysmal design choice. Flying really does eventually feel like an absolute chore... Even more so than sailing in Wind Waker could be sometimes! Two, either way you play, the control scheme here is a tad more janky and less fluid than the previous two 3D titles. This definitely rears its ugly head during some of the game's minigames. However, other than these two problems, all's pretty much well.
Art & Graphics - 9.5
While Wind Waker has the best art style and the Breath of the Wild duology are the most graphically impressive entries, Skyward Sword isn't all that far behind. This game goes for my favorite 3D art approach: anime realism, as I'd dub it. The proportions are realistic, and everyone looks great, but it doesn't look completely ugly by the time the next generation of hyper-realistic graphics rolls around. This game is simple and beautiful: just how I like it.
Sidequests - 7
As always, we've got some fun Heart Piece collecting and zany minigames here to hold the player over. You've also got plenty to purchase, a fun and slightly difficult boss gauntlet to play through, Gratitude Crystals to collect and purchase upgrades with, bugs to catch, and much more. None of it is incredible side content, but it's all fun enough to hold you over in between main plot events.
Items - 9.5
Equally on par with Twilight Princess, this game has an incredible item lineup. On top of the usual slingshot-bomb-bow setup, this game has Digging Mitts, the Whip, Double Clawshots, and the Beetle! You can swing around like Spider-Man in two different ways using two different items, you can fly a drone around to do your bidding (and drop Bombs!), or become the Underminer. No matter what you're doing, it'll be lots of fun, as this is some of the best the Zelda series has (and probably will ever) offer!
Dungeons - 10
On the 2D plane, Oracle of Ages is king. 3D? It's easily Skyward Sword. I thought nothing would top Twilight Princess, but, thankfully, I was wrong. While the penultimate and first two dungeons are nothing special, the rest are perfection. From the Lanayru Mining Facility that utilizes wind mechanics masterfully, to the multi-layered Ancient Cistern inspired by unique mythos; from the Sandship that wonderfully utilizes time manipulation and multi-layered puzzle design, to the Sky Keep, where you move dungeon tiles around to create the perfect routes... It's all phenomenal stuff, and easily the standard by which I'll continue to compare 3D Zelda to for years to come.
The Verdict
Fun Factor: 8.5
Overall Score: 77%
Letter Rating: A+
Skyward Sword has problems still, sure. However, with it looking less unlikely every day that we'll get another traditional 3D Zelda game, it feels like this is the true culmination of everything that came before it. It amalgamates all my favorite elements of the previous games, even if it doesn't quite have as unique of concepts or vibes. I can't claim this is objectively better than any of the previous 3D titles, but it was certainly the one I had the best time with.
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Primary Version: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD (Nintendo Switch)