4.5/5 ★ – DarrensTrashBag's review of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD.

Skyward Sword is easily the most over-hated game that I have reviewed. It is nowhere near as bad as people say. The controls do get clunky at times but 99% of the time I can fix it by hitting the single recalibrate button. There are three instances where the controls genuinely infuriated me: The swimming controls aren't good, the fun-fun skydiving minigame, and getting the final hit on the final boss. for the rest of the 28 hours, I was fine. The stamina wheel wasn't intrusive, it was just there to make players take combat slowly rather than spin attacking eight times and killing a boss. Speaking of bosses, I do think it kind of sucks that you fight the imprisoned and Ghirahim three times each. I don't mind it too much because those fights last like 1-3 mins each. One I agree with is Fi, she is easily the worst character in the game with her telling you obvious things to being quite handholdy. Way worse than Navi. The final issue is that you have to travel to the same three places over and over again. This one I also agree with, especially the third time, that was completely unnecessary and the objective of getting the Song of the Hero could have been limited to within a temple like they did with the triforce. These are the most common complaints about this game which I find to be very minor since there is so much of this game that is fantastic and people don't pay any mind to it. The score is incredible, especially that opening cinematic. All the characters are charming and wholesome. Groose is easily a contender for best Zelda character even if he is a bully-turns-new-leaf archetype. I found a majority of the dungeons to be enjoyable with the motion controls heightening that enjoyment. The side quests range from mid to very good like the love letter quest, the gratitude crystals quest, and the lumpy pumpkin quests just to name a few. It is a shame that like about half of the quests are just to get an item delivered from the surface to someone in Skyloft. Skyloft is actually the best main hub in a Zelda game. It just has a lot of charm and detail. Finally the story, I think can fit in third place for the best story in the series. Ghirahim isn't all that special to be honest, but I do not mind him as a character. What makes the story great is the idea that this is the first game in the timeline, which does not matter all too much, but it does present an interesting idea that the cycle of Hero and Demon king for all of eternity. Scenes are well directed with a good amount of humor. Ranking of Dungeons from Worst to Best: Fire Sanctuary: This is last because it is just ANOTHER fire temple. There is so much creativity in this game and they decided to just give us a more forgettable fire temple. Getting to this temple was a slog as well. We the get another Ghirahim fight at the end, which I do like fighting him, but come on. The Pac-man sections were also just not very fun and didn't even utilize the motion controls. This was just slow and boring. Lanayru Mining Facility: I don't really like using the leaf blower that much, it isn't used for combat, it is used just to get rid of obstacles slowly. The boss is forgettable and easy. Also getting to this dungeon was also not that fun. This is higher because I really like the idea of the timeshift stones. Ancient Cistern: I do like the whip, but I do not like the swimming controls. Thankfully the swimming isn't needed except for getting in the temple. I really like the puzzles here and the boss is fantastic. Sky Keep: Good Professor Layton-like temple, but I wish it was just a bit more than just eight rooms. Maybe have like smaller rooms and do a 9x9 floor then a 16x16 floor. idk im not a game designer. also no boss, dumb. Skyview Temple: I do like the beetle item and the first Ghirahim fight does a good job on teaching how the sword controls work. Just a decent start to the game. Earth Temple: Once you get used to the ball controls, it can be pretty cool. The new bomb mechanics are easily the best thing in the game, it is a shame that they are not in future titles. The boss can be a bit forgettable but I still enjoyed it. Sandship: really great location for a temple, I genuinely do not have any grips with this one. Great thought provoking puzzles, great boss, just overall what I'd expect from Nintendo when it comes to creativity. The only nitpick I have is that there is a bit of backtracking but that is it. Overall this game did bump all over the place when it comes to my rating. It went from a 90 to a 75 to an 80, and then back to a 78, but after the finale I'd give the game a: 89/100