THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: SKYWARD SWORD HD

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Rapturously received at launch, 2011’s Skyward Sword has come to be regarded as one of the weaker Zeldas in the decade since. Many found its sword fighting unwieldy and restrictive, while partner character Fi regularly interjected to offer unwanted puzzlesolution hints. This remaster offers a welcome opportunity for a reappraisal.

Fi’s advice is now largely optional, while the text descriptions of new items only appear on the first occasion you pick them up, rather than reminding you every time you launch the game. You can now flick the right analogue

stick as an alternative to swinging the Joy-con to wield Link’s sword.

All of which, alongside the expected visual improvements, make it easier to appreciate everything Skyward Sword gets right. True, after Breath Of The Wild, it’s initially jarring to return to a more conventional Zelda structure, not least with Hyrule’s sprawling landscape segmented into compact biomes. Yet it’s also dense with ideas, while its playful, inventive dungeons and soaring score are right up there with the series’ most revered entries. All of this still may not be enough to win over the most critical doubters, but Skyward Sword HD fully earns its anniversary celebration. Chris Schilling