The most engaging controls Link has ever known and a gorgeous water color art style make this another Nintendo classic.
I don't want to do any story spoilers so I will focus on gameplay, aesthetics and music. Nintendo's use of motion plus control technology has made Skyward Sword's combat the most complex, engaging and ultimately satisfying combat experience in the entire franchise. The 1:1 motion tracking isn't 100% perfectly accurate but it is still pretty close and honestly the game doesn't require perfection because it is more about slicing and stabbing in the right directions to get around your enemies guard rather than pinpoint accuracy. One of the reasons Skyward Swords motion control combat works so well are the enemies Nintendo has designed for it. They are typically more complex from previous Zelda games in the sense that they are in themselves puzzles. If they are blocking a certain way you have to strike and move to make them open their guards and you have to slice in the right direction to hurt them. I think this Skyward Sword has required me to do more parrying and dodging in the first 15 hours than any other entire game in the franchise. What you get really is more difficult and more satisfying combat experience and I think the best combat the franchise has ever offered.
The dungeons and puzzles there in are as clever and fun as ever and Skyward Sword keeps up the storied tradition Zelda has built for itself as a place where you can get a variety of challenges from a variety of different kinds of puzzles. Nintendo rarely falls into the trap of mistaking frustrating for challenging and Skyward Sword's puzzles find that middle ground between fun and challenging so that you enjoy them, feel satisfied by solving them, but aren't stuck on them for so long that it disrupts the flow of the game.
Nintendo has included a few more RPG style elements in Skyward Sword including weapon upgrades and a stamina bar and these inclusions really work in making exploring more rewarding and making combat more thoughtful and strategic. The upgrading system isn't terribly deep but it is enough to keep me interested in finding weapons upgrades and new gadgets. There is an assortment of tools and weapons for Link to use in combat and puzzle solving including a flying beetle that will help you solve puzzles and find hidden items.
The pacing of Skyward Sword is an improvement over previous Zelda iterations. Almost all Zelda titles from Ocarina to Twilight Princess have overly long initiations with tasks about herding goats and other such not so fun activities. Skyward Sword isn't totally without these kinds of tasks, but there is far fewer of them and you get into the main quest action relatively quickly. Despite being another rescue the princess story, Skyward Sword has an really interesting dogma and set of characters. The world of Skyward Sword starts in Skyloft, a utopian city above the clouds where giant birds are the transport of choice. Flying around on the birds is pretty simple and doesn't require much skill but it really isn't a big part of the game. It is a pretty way to get you to the dark and broken worlds below the clouds where Link's missions take place. These worlds are drawn in a beautiful water color art style that works perfectly within the limitations of the Wii hardware and still creates a rich and colorful world. The fact that Nintendo made Skyward Sword on with HW power that could be found 10 years ago makes their accomplishment all the more mind blowing. Sure, at times Skyward Sword can feel dated. The worlds can feel a bit empty compared to something like Skyrim but this feeling is very fleeting because there is so much to enjoy here and the characters and enemies are crafted so lovingly that you can't help but be taken in by this world.
Zelda games are known for their beautiful music and Skyward Sword doesn't disappoint in this area. The music is gorgeous and as memorable any Zelda game ever made. The sound effects are adequate but nothing special and this is one spot where I am hoping the next Zelda game takes it up a level but that brings me to my biggest point about Skyward Sword.
Skyward Sword is a brilliant game and one of my favorite Zelda titles ever but maybe more importantly it makes me excited to play the next Zelda game and it has reminded me why Miyamoto and co are as revered as they are. Throughout this game I catch myself being amazed over how much fun I am having but often those thoughts drift into thinking about how awesome an HD Zelda will be. This isn't me wishing for better graphics. It is just me spinning the wheels and getting excited about what the next Zelda could be like. In other words, Skyward Sword has all but confirmed that the Wii-U will be a day 1 purchase for me.
It has been a rough year for Nintendo, but the brilliance on display in Skyward Sword will remind everyone why every gamer should be excited about the future of not only Link, but as Nintendo as a whole, including Link's new future home the Wii-U. Skyward Sword is a display of brilliance that has been rarely matched by anyone other than Nintendo themselves and serves a stark reminder that Miyamoto and co are still brilliant game developers, maybe the best.
9.5/10