The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
2011
- puzzle
- adventure
- action
- fantasy
- historical
- open world
- single player
The story
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.
What it’s like
Bright, painterly skies and soft watercolour-like textures give this game a hand-drawn storybook warmth, with cel-shaded characters moving against lush, sun-dappled forests, misty clouds and sun-warmed fields. Its vibe is sunlit, wistful and unhurried, a good fit for a slow weekend afternoon, a comfort replay, or a stretch of quiet evenings with the TV dimmed. Pacing is deliberate: you wander open skies and hushed woodland, then settle into temple puzzles that reward patience and close-looking, with a score of gentle orchestral strings and whimsical flutes that swells during boss encounters. Emotionally it leans earnest and sincere, following a young hero and his childhood friend as their bond is tested by fate and time, and their arc is one of loyalty and quiet courage. Intensity is mild: combat is frequent but cartoonish, with stylised monsters, no blood and no gore, and the sword fights are physical rather than brutal. Its puzzles are the heart of the experience, so it suits players who enjoy thinking through rooms, motion-controlled swordplay, and gentle fantasy adventure for all ages.
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