How Long Does It Take To Beat The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD?

"The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD" set out to correct many missteps of the original, like its wonky camera angle and spotty motion controls, but fans want to know if the new version of "Skyward Sword" adds anything to the original formula. How many hours can gamers expect to spend with "Skyward Sword HD?" The answer may surprise fans who thought of this as more of a remake than a remaster.

"Skyward Sword HD" is more or less a straightforward port of the original game, meaning that there are no additional gameplay modes or extra dungeons. As with the remake of "Link's Awakening," players who have fought their way through "Skyward Sword" before might have an easier time traversing the different dungeons of the game. However, the total number of hours it takes to work through the main storyline and experience the world remains the same as the original release.

HowLongtoBeat notes that most players complete "Skyward Sword" in about 38.5 hours, but fully exploring the world takes a bit longer — around 46.5 hours. Absolute completionists could take up to 58 hours to smash every pot and collect every trinket the game has to offer. Though those statistics represent "Skyward Sword" for the Wii, the Nintendo Switch version should have similar playtimes, especially considering Nintendo hasn't announced any additional content for "Skyward Sword HD." However, there is one trick in the new game that the Wii version of "Skyward Sword" didn't have, and it might make the journey easier.

Nintendo released a special Loftwing and Zelda amiibo set that unlocks the ability to fast travel, even out of a dungeon. If you think you might want to take advantage of Link's feathered friend, you're out of luck, though. The amiibo sold out almost immediately, leaving a swath of angry "Zelda" fans in their wake. The whole amiibo situation got out of hand, and scalpers seemed to snatch up a large portion of the available stock. Of course, gamers can find the Loftwing and Zelda amiibo on resell sites like eBay for an outrageous price. While this amiibo can help players traverse huge parts of the map in record time, here's no consensus on how the amiibo might affect speedrun rules, especially given their rarity.

Critics generally liked "Skyward Sword HD," although some noted that the controls still felt unintuitive. Considering the mixed reviews, some "Zelda" devotees might want to make their own judgments about the latest release in the series. If all else fails, gamers can at least get another look at the infamous Toilet Ghost, who makes a reappearance in "Skyward Sword." That guy is always game for a good time.