Skyward Sword takes this legendary series to new heights
Taking place at the earliest point in the franchise, the plot begins with Link, of course, who was born and raised in Skyloft (a civilization in the sky after the ground below was swallowed by darkness). He begins to have dreams of a strange figure. Woken up by his friend Zelda, Link prepares for the Wing Ceremony, a tradition to acknowledge one as a knight. Link completes the ceremony after overcoming the attempts of his classmate Groose to sabotage him. Link and Zelda take their Loftwings (giant birds) out for a flight to celebrate, but encounter a storm which sucks Zelda down to the still demon-infested Hyrule. Soon after, Link learns that the figure from his dream is Fi, the spirit of the Goddess Sword, which Hylia created in case the evil she defeated was to stir again. She tells him that Link must descend to the surface below to find Zelda. With guidance from an elderly woman in the Sealed Temple near Faron Woods, Link pursues Zelda to the Skyview Spring where he encounters the Demon Lord Ghirahim, who is responsible for Zelda's predicament. For an origin story, it's told pretty well for the most part. The dialogue is well written and the cut scenes are amusing. The relationship between Link and Zelda is much stronger in this game too, they even give a reason why the series should be named after her.
When you step into this beautiful looking world of Hyrule, you'll start off in the sky which is where you'll probably be spending your time in between dungeons. Eventually, you'll be able to go to the ground as well, which is where you'll find every dungeon in the game and enemies roaming the forests, volcanoes and deserts. The overworld is huge but unfortunately, the ground is far more interesting than the sky. The ground is well designed, it's full of secrets to discover and puzzles to solve with many paths to follow. You'll be spending much time here before reaching each dungeon so it's nice that these landscapes are made interesting. The sky, on the other hand, could have used more content. There is the city of Skyloft which is fun to explore at first, until you realize that the only spots you'll be visiting in between quests are the stores. Other than that, you can fly to other islands in the sky on your Loftwing. These places don't offer much either outside of a piece of heart or rupees. Flying around on the bird is actually a lot of fun, but the islands are not.
For the most part, the controls never gave me too much trouble. The biggest problem you'll face is this game requires the Wii Motion Plus attachment or controller, or else you can't play the game. Outside of that, the game controls ok. The swings of your sword will give you trouble at first but within a few more minutes of playing, the almost become second nature. However, you may swing in a different direction than you intended but these controls are actually satisfying once you master them. You'll really feel like Link when slashing up badies with enough practice. The most trouble I had with the motion controls were moments that require movement like falling from the sky or guiding an item called the hook beetle. Moving the Wiimote to control where you're going can be frustrating at first and requires a lot of concentration and precision.
The dungeons are the core of the Zelda franchise, they're what basically every Zelda game relies on. I am pleased to say that Skyward Sword's dungeon designs are fantastic. They're not really all that hard to figure out, but they're fun and memorable. I think this game deserves praise for less block pushing and more focus on funner puzzles. This is also aided by some clever items to aid you like the whip which is used to swing from platform to platform, or the hook beetle which can be used to activate switches or carry other items. I do wish there were more temples in this game, but from what we have, these temples are great fun.
Much like every Zelda game before it, you'll encounter bosses at the end of every dungeon. Once again, a lot of these bosses are well designed and fun. For instance, the volcano boss which requires you to roll bombs down a hill after him and strike him with your sword. The best boss of all though, and quite possibly one of the most memorable of the series, is Magmanos. To defeat him, you have to wait for him to strike, which will allow you to throw your whip and pull his arms off, giving you access to his weak spot. Eventually he rises out of the ground and pulling his arms off gives you a chance to pick up one of his giant swords, which you can use to annihilate him. Many of the enemies and bosses are well done and require some fancy sword play from the player.
The problem is outside of these great dungeons, you have sidequests to complete, which aren't all that exciting. These quests usually involve you performing tasks like escorting or search missions as well as a stealth mission. These quests are by no means terrible or even bad, but they feel more like filler in the end. The rewards are small and they contribute little to nothing to the story.
Smart use of the motion controls, a vibrant art style and some great dungeon designs are what make Skyward Sword a strong entry into this long running series. The game will take you well over 40 hours to complete and while the side quests may just be mere filler, the dungeons and story segments are not. It is another memorable adventure that will fit any fan's collection quite nicely. Although it may not be a masterpiece, Skyward Sword keeps the series going strong and demonstrates why Zelda is still fun after 25 years.