Skyward Sword

WHAT IS IT? Skyward Sword is the 16th installment in the Legend of Zelda series, and this time round Nintendo promises a turning point for its hugely popular, action-adventure franchise. Gameplay will heavily rely on the Wii MotionPlus peripheral for sword-fighting, and you can also expect a revised Wii Remote pointing system to spice things up a little. WHY SHOULD WE CARE? If you’re tired of sitting through linear, first-person shooters and want to get a sense of adventure and achievement back into your gaming, then Skyward Sword is a must. Everything from the new visual style (a painting come to life, is Nintendo’s pitch) to enhanced Motion Plus combat looks set to lift this latest Zelda outing above previous instalments, which were getting a bit samey. One-to-one sword control, using Wii MotionPlus, will up the action factor tenfold alone. As for story, Nintendo has kept its cards close to its chest on this one, which is probably a good thing. Playing a Zelda game not knowing what to expect is one of the greatest experiences gaming has to offer.