Details from Game Informer’s perfect Zelda: Skyward Sword review

The latest issue of Game Informer is arriving in subscriber’s mailboxes, and it contains a verdict for The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. The game received a ten – this is significant because it’s the first ten the writer has handed out during his time with the publication.

For details from the review, head past the break.

– First game the reviewer has played that delivers on the promise sparked by the initial Wii remote showing
– Combat and puzzle-solving rise above the majority of Wii releases, and the most recent Zelda titles
– Clever and challenging motion control implementation
– Requires a higher level of patience and mastery
– Enemies are smart and fast enough to block your attacks
– Swinging the Wiimote isn’t boring or frustrating
– The reviewer has never felt as engaged or interested in the combat sections of a Zelda game as much as Skyward Sword
– You’ll be torn to shreds if you just waggle the Wiimote
– Study opponents’ moves and attack at the right timme from the right angle
– Game has some of the most interesting boss battles in the series’ history
– Fight a giant scorpion, sword-swinging robot
– Rarely falls back on the formula of using a tool to take down the boss and attack it three times in a row
– Need to be more persistent and smarter to defeat enemies
– Last two boss battles are the most difficult fights in any Zelda game
– Almost every action uses motion
– Tons of usage for the Wiimote without coming off as a series of tacked-on minigames
– Motion controls feel natural and rewarding
– Story is “a major step up for the franchise, with clever writing, an interesting (if strange) new villain, and a wide cast of characters that would feel at home in one of Disney’s better animated movies.”
– Twists take the plot in surprising diections
– Game makes you care about the characters
– Reviewer feels Skyward Sword’s story is the most emotionally effective Zelda game
– Skyloft is a fascinating locale with many sidequests and secrets
– Flying to different floating islands takes some time
– Flying is faster and less annoying than sailing in Wind Waker
– There were some times the reviewer felt the pull of his next objective was so strong that he would have happily accepted a fast warp to that location
– First playthrough took 40 hours
– Physical size of the world is smaller than Twilight Princess
– Some backtracking through areas you’ve already completed while on fetch quests
– Game usually changes the environment in interesting ways or dishes out new challenges
– Reviewer never felt cheated by repeat levels
– Skyward Sword shows how Zelda can evolve
– Gameplay/story are the biggest shifts the series has ever seen
– Art style works well with the Wii’s limited hardware
– Orchestrated music is beautiful and nuanced
– Surprisingly challenging post-game content
– High replay value