The Legend of Zelda videogames are some of the most highly anticipated of any game, and The Twilight Princess is debatably the most anticipated yet.
After the cel shaded graphics of The Windwaker (which were excellent in my opinion), Twilight Princess was hailed as a return to the "realistic graphics" like the ones found in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask on the N64.
---------- Storyline ----------
Zelda's storylines have always been great and Twilight Princess is no different.
The game begins with Link working on a ranch in a village known as Ordon - helping look after the goats that live there. When the village children are kidnapped, along with Link's long time friend Illia, Link sets out on a long quest to rescue them which involves entering the perilous twilight realm and being transformed into a wolf, where he meets an impish creature called Midna.
As with previous Zelda games you will learn more of the story as you progress through the game - you will meet many interesting new characters, and the many plot twists in the story ensure that it is constantly enthralling and exciting.
My only complaint in terms of storyline is that it's build up is perhaps a little too slow at times, something that may put off some gamers new to the franchise.
---------- Graphics ----------
The graphics and presentation of Twilight Princess is absolutly outstanding in all aspects, and is made all the more impressive considering the fact that the game was also designed with the Gamecube's limited specs in mind, and not just the Wii.
Twilight Princess' worlds look absolutly fantastic,
from the bright, vivid Hyrule Field right down to the gloomy, dark Twilight World, the game succeeds in looking great in all environments.
The game frequently transists between day and night cycles - these cycles have been very cleverly designed and the different visuals give the game's worlds a very unique and different feel at different times of the day.
Twilight Princess' characters also look absolutly splendid. Nintendo have clearly spent a lot of time and effort in ensuring that each character looks unique and interesting, and this clearly shows when playing.
My only complaint on the graphics front is that the colour brown has perhaps been a little overused in Twilight Princess, although this is only a minor problem and isn't really particularly noticeable whilst playing.
---------- Sound ----------
Twilight Princess' musical pieces aren't really as memorable as some of the ones that have appeared in Zelda games in the past - there are no tunes that really get stuck in my head like I have found when playing some of the previous Zelda games.
This isn't to say that Twilight Princess' soundtrack is by any means poor however, the songs are still of a very high quality and succeed in setting the atmosphere perfectly - especially the musical piece that accompanies the Twilight Realm.
The game's sound effects are perfect, everything sounds exactly like it should do - from the crashes Link makes when he bumps into things right down to the swishes heard when swinging your sword. The speaker built into the Wii controller is especially impressive - the added effect of hearing sounds right up close adds an extra layer of atmosphere to the overall experience.
---------- Gameplay ----------
Twilight Princess sticks to the long running Zelda theme of exploring giant dungeons that need to be explored completely from top to bottom in order to progress.
As with previous games in the series, the dungeons are filled with perplexing puzzles to complete that are guaranteed to stump you on at least several occasions as you explore each one, whether it be a key that needs finding, an area that needs unblocking, or an item that needs obtaining.
The puzzles often require that you use a particular item in your inventory, like using your bow and arrows to knock down a ladder or bridge, for example. Usually there will be a plentiful amount of puzzles that require use of an item recently obtained in the particular dungeon - these puzzles usually begin simple at first in order to allow you to become familiar with using the item.
Each puzzle often needs to be figured out before you can progress in the dungeon, which can lead to frustration if you find yourself bamboozled by a particular one, which is guaranteed to happen eventually. Even so, the puzzles are never unfair, and with a little thought can certainly be solved eventually.
The dungeons that you visit are usually filled with many different enemies, and, whilst none are particularly challenging to defeat, using your sword and shield to defeat them is a rewarding and enjoyable experience.
At the end of each dungeon there is usually a boss to fight. These monsters are certainly large and intimidating, but they usually have a weakness and are much easier to defeat than they look. These monsters usually require that you use a mixture of combat skills and grey matter to properly defeat them - and figuring out their weakness is usually the best part of the fight.
Whilst the dungeons are definitely the biggest part of Twilight Princess, there are many different quests that need to be completed outside the dungeons - often involving you exploring the huge lands of Hyrule killing monsters as you go.
In addition to this, there are many non essential side quests in the game. One of these includes a quest to locate many different bugs around Hyrule, receiving a reward for every bug you collect. The beauty of these quests are that they can usually be completed any time you wish, so if you are stuck on a particularly section of the game you can always do these side quests for a while before returning to what you were doing before later.
Another enjoyable side quest is the hunt for the many heart pieces that are scattered around Hyrule. For every five pieces that you find, you will receive an extra life heart, something that proves invaluable when fighting the difficult bosses and enemies found later in the game. Alternatively you will collect an additional life heart for each boss that you defeat, ensuring that you always have a fair amount of life energy even if you choose not to search for the heart pieces scattered around the game.
---------- Controls ----------
When I first heard about the Wii's new controls I was initially very worried that they wouldn't work and that they could risk detracting from the overall playing experience.
After playing Twilight Princess for a short while I soon learned that this was not the case at all, as the controls work perfectly, in fact I have became so used to them that I don't think that I will ever want to return to a normal controller ever again.
---------- Conclusion ----------
In my opinion, The Twilight Princess is a fantastic game and a must for any Wii owner, even one who has never played a Zelda game before. It certainly improves over the previous Zelda games in a huge number of ways, and really sets the standard of quality that over Wii games need to follow. So if you have a Wii, buy this game and prepare to enjoy one of the greatest videogame experiences money can buy.
Thanks for reading!
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awesome review. i just brought it myself n i agree it is a good game
monkeykong1 12.02.2008 16:55
Great review.
RobinLawrie 24.08.2007 16:09
Excellent review. I think I have been into every corner of Hyrule and completed the quest a couple of times. This has got to be the best Zelda (so far).....looking forward to the next one.
When an evil darkness enshrouds the land of Hyrule, a young farm boy named Link must ... more
awaken the hero - and the animal - within. Link, a young man raised as a wrangler in a small, rural village, is ordered by the mayor to attend the Hyrule Summit. He...
Postage & Packaging: free Super Saver Delivery Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Become a LegendThe Biggest Zelda Adventure Of All TimeFire projectiles with precision ... more
simply by aiming at the screen with the pointer!Swing the Wii Remote and Nunchuk to wield your sword and shield!When unnatural twilight blankets Hyrule, change into a...
Link, a young man raised as a wrangler in a small, rural village, is ordered by the mayor ... more
to attend the Hyrule Summit. He sets off, oblivious to the dark fate that has descended upon the kingdom. When he enters the Twilight Realm that has covered Hyrul...
Postage & Packaging: £1.94 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
When an evil darkness enshrouds the land of Hyrule, a young farm boy named Link must ... more
awaken the hero - and the animal - within. Link, a young man raised as a wrangler in a small, rural village, is ordered by the mayor to attend the Hyrule Summit. He...
Postage & Packaging: £1.94 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: Zelda- Back To It's Best! Great Graphics, Gameplay + storyline! Disadvantages: That you don't really get to settle down + bosses a little too easy.
Advantages: Intuative gaming experience, accessible to a variety of gamers, plenty of extra features. Disadvantages: Will have to look slightly harder to compensate for the hardcore nintendo fans
brianmaiden 18.05.2009 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
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