The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Review

A masterpiece is defined as an outstanding work, achievement or performance, a consummate example of skill or excellence of any kind.  As the Wii enters its final days, Nintendo has released the newest edition of The Legend of Zelda series, Skyward Sword for their ailing console.  Much unlike Twilight Princess, which launched with the Wii, Skyward Sword is built from the ground up for the Big N’s motion-based console.  In short, Skyward Sword stands as the pinnacle of the Wii’s library, an example why high definition graphics do not make games better and why motion controls are not just a gimmick.  In the truest sense, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is a masterpiece of this generation of consoles, the best game of 2011 and if I may be so bold, the greatest Zelda and one of the greatest video games of all-time.

Skyward Sword serves as the origin story of the legend that is now known as The Legend of Zelda.  You play as Link, a young teenage boy who lives in a world above the clouds called Skyloft.  During a little flight with his childhood friend, Zelda is swept to the world below the clouds by a demonic force.  In order to save his friend, Link claims the Skyward Sword and journeys to surface below the clouds.  Link’s adventure takes him from lush forests to scorching volcanoes to dry deserts fighting monsters and the “Demon Lord” Ghirahim to fulfill his quest to find Zelda.  Even though there is no voice acting, Skyward Sword is the most cinematic Zelda in the series as it strings together a phenomenal story, incredibly deep characters and subtle yet wonderful allusions to other games in The Legend of Zelda.  It might bother some gamers, but Zelda does not need voice acting to make a great story.  Reading text gives players the freedom to imagine how these characters would sound like what you do when you read a book.

Skyward Sword still offers the same Zelda formula that we all know and love, but with a good amount of changes to keep things fresh and exciting.  The biggest change is in the environments leading up to the dungeons instead of a series of little quests; these environments are constructed like dungeons themselves.  They introduce new unique mechanics and challenges that are both brain-racking and extremely satisfying.  One of these new mechanics that completely blew me away was the Timeshift Crystals found only in the Lanayru Desert.  Shifting between the desolate desert to the lush beautiful grasslands is one outstanding effect and offers a great amount of puzzles that have never been touched in a Zelda game or any game I can honestly think of.  To top it off, these environments complement the phenomenal and I mean damn phenomenal dungeons and boss battles that are the best in the series.  The final boss battle is not as epic as the four part battle with Ganondorf at the end of Twilight Princess, but it sure as hell is epic in its own right.

The designs of the levels are not all that has been changed or added.  New items such as the Beetle and Gust Bellows and additions like the crafting system, which is addictive and fun, and parkour-lite stamina system just add to the great experience.  Other than the dungeons, two other aspects of Skyward Sword steal the show.  They are the graphics and the music.  The graphics might not be in high-definition, but they are artistically stunning and beautiful.  They perfectly blend the adult look of Twilight Princess with the cel-shaded cartoony style of Wind Waker to make a game that looks like you are playing an impressionist painting.  Being that the Wii is not a graphics powerhouse, some textures do not look as impressive, but that is too few and far between.  Skyward Sword marks the first time that Zelda has been graced by a fully orchestrated soundtrack.  It feels so alive and natural that it will be very hard and going back to the midi music of previous games.

All-in-all, masterpiece is not a word I throw around lightly.  It goes to the games that I feel in my heart define my love for this form of entertainment.  Games like Skyward Sword are testaments to why video games should be considered an art form.  As the swan song for the Nintendo Wii, every Wii owner should go out and buy this game.  It is the Game of the Year.  It is the greatest game in The Legend of Zelda series (yes, in my opinion better than Ocarina of Time).  Finally it is a masterpiece of this console generation and the entire history of video games.