The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD (Download) (Switch)

In der Theorie ist die Bewegungssteuerung der Nintendo Switch gepaart mit The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword HD ein Perfect Match. Was zunächst durchaus schlüssig klingt, wurde in der Praxis leider nicht ganz einwandfrei umgesetzt. Erschwerend hinzu kommt die Optik, die den heutigen Standards trotz HD nicht mehr entspricht.

Skyward Sword was in need of this remaster, and Nintendo handled it with care. Now that its greatest weaknesses have been addressed, it’s finally time for the discussion to turn to what makes this game so special and a standout title in the series. I hope that many more future Zelda games will continue to be inspired by Skyward Sword HD’s strengths.

The various quality-of-life tweaks that Nintendo has implemented here, welcome as they are, don't fix Skyward Sword's biggest issues, and it remains the most uneven 3D entry in the Zelda series. Even so, the improvements in this Switch remaster make the overall experience more enjoyable, and the characteristic Zelda magic ultimately outshines the game's faults.

Zelda: Skyward Sword was a weird game to assess in 2011, much less today. It had a lot of great ideas undercut by some questionable design choices, but to some, it was the best Zelda ever made. I understand that $60 for a remaster of a 2011 game is a big ask, but this is the definitive version of a flawed yet fun adventure that should be part of any Zelda rotation.

A gentle, well thought out, genuine upgrade that captures the heart of the original game and allows it to flourish at a higher standard. Although it is still perhaps a little simplistic, the game has redeemed itself through the quality-of-life updates that were sorely needed the first time around. Skyward Sword is finally a winner, and will undoubtedly delight newcomers and old fans alike.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is a great example of how to do a remaster, not only improving the visuals, but also adding in many quality-of-life improvements and introducing an alternative option to the divisive motion controls for swordplay. For the stellar dungeons designs alone, Skyward Sword HD is a must-play for Zelda fans and Switch owners.

Skyward Sword’s overall structure remains largely the same, and its abundance of fetch quests means that this is still a game of dramatic peaks and valleys.