The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
- Platform: Nintendo Wii
- Published by: Nintendo
- Developed by: Nintendo EAD
- Release Date: Nov 19, 2006
- Genre: Adventure
- Multiplayer: No
- Online: No
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Impressions Continued...
-- November 22, 2006 by: David Craddock
I'm a huge Zelda fan. I've played every iteration in the franchise since the very first in 1986 (though I played it a few years later; I was a Wii lad at the time) and while some are better than others, I think it fair to say that for me, Zelda is my favorite series. Each title is consistently good--yes, even Zelda II--and offers new stuff, old stuff, and generally, good times all around. Thus far, at about 8-10 hours in, I'm very pleased with Twilight Princess. So pleased, in fact, that I really had to force myself to sit down and write this article, because frankly, I'd rather be swinging my Wii Remote around.
Before I go any further, let me just say that I couldn't imagine buying this game on the GameCube. Just as many other (probably most) gamers, I was hesitant when the "Big N" revealed that wielding Link's sword would require using the motion sensing built into the remote and nunchuk Wii controller. I feel, and still do, that not everything should strive to use every single feature the Wii offers. Does every DS game make prolific use of the touch screen? No; some are content to merely use both screens, because the second screen is a valid feature. Pleasantly, wielding the sword via the remote (and a feature or two via the nunchuk) doesn't feel strained. You don't have to hop around your gaming room hacking and slashing; you just flick your wrist. As in other 3D Zelda games, if you want to swing horizontally, don't Z-target; vertical swing require Z-targeting; and stabs are performed by targeting and holding forward on the analog stick. The spin attack is performed with the nunchuk (just wiggle it left and right), and the always-powerful jump attack is mapped to the A button.
While I like using the Remote for sword combat, I do think it feels a little tacked on. When you get right down to it, there aren't any attacks (save a few skills that you learn throughout the course of the game) that are new to Twilight Princess. GameCube owners will be doing the same thing, except they'll be L-targeting and press B. Yes, I know this is a port of a GameCube game, and I'm really nitpicking here, because I do like the sword being tied to the Remote. So yes, it's tacked on, but that's not really bad thing, because it's fun to use; it just doesn't really feel like anything new has been added to the Zelda franchise.
And that's really the theme throughout Twilight Princess: giving familiar, tried-and-true Zelda elements a motion sensing sheen. All the familiar items are featured, such as the slingshot, the bow, the hookshot, and so on. They work how they always have, except now, you really feel like you're aiming them. And don't get me wrong! That's really cool and all, and definitely immersed me deeper into the game. I also get that these are staple Zelda items, but there's just so much of the game that I feel like I've been doing in some capacity since 1998. Everything is still captivating, and fun as hell, but it doesn't really feel new. Some items, such as the boomerang, have been given cool mechanical twists. The aforementioned is now accompanied by a gust of wind that essentially serves the same purpose as the leaf in Wind Waker: send a gust of wind to trigger switches, which in turn rotate platforms or something similar. A cool twist, but we’ll see how useful it really is over the course of an entire game.
Graphically, Twilight Princess looks much like you'd expect: a GameCube title, but prettier... which is odd to say, let alone write, since this is, again, a GameCube title! Much of the game looks very good and showcases Nintendo's familiar attention to detail: bubbling brooks, gorgeous sunsets, realistic looking characters (for a fantasy world, of course). The temples are especially fun to look at, as they draw from their classic predecessors that we've played through before. The Forest Temple is a cross between Ocarina's and Wind Waker's Forest Temple in appearance and design; in fact, many elements look like they've been given a facelift from Wind Waker, which is kind of cool.
The Twilight world is something I wasn't really looking forward to (funny, since I've been whining about a lack of new stuff) but I think I actually enjoy it more than the standard Link portions of the game. It has a late dusk/early sunset look to it, with eerie black particles that flow upward instead of from the sky. It's not too extremely different, a la the dark world in Metroid Prime 2; just unique enough to really make you feel like you're almost playing a different character--and a different game. Wolf Link is pretty cool to play as. Using his sensing abilities, you can listen in on wandering spirits, find holes that contain buried treasure or perhaps an entrance/exit from a structure (since wolves obviously have quite a time with doorknobs), and a suction field ability that draw Link's enemies to him in order to more easily dispatch them.
Link's Twilight companion, Midna, reminds me very much of Tatl, the fairy that accompanied Link in Majora's Mask: very sarcastic, very amusing, and as such, has much more interesting dialogue to read than Navi did in Ocarina of Time. She assists Link with tasks such as giving him a jumping focal point--she floats ahead, and essentially pulls Link to her by increasing his jumping ability--and also acts as an information kiosk, just like the fairies in the two Nintendo64 titles. In fact, Midna can give you hints at any time, not just when you're locked on to an enemy. Simply press d-pad up, and she'll drop the knowledge on you about where to go next, how to kill your foes--and probably make fun of you while doing so.
While Zelda games have always had interesting characters (well, three of them, anyway) and a strong enough storyline to not be criticized, the experience for many hardcore RPGers has never been quite deep enough, though Twilight Princess looks to change this considerably. Much time is spent introducing you to characters, the world (both Hyrule and Twilight), your items, and the different abilities to play regular and Wolf Link. Some characters go unnamed--remember one of the first scenes in Ocarina, where Saria comes running up to Link? My brother simply jumped over her and ran around exploring--some aren't given names, but for the most part, you get to learn about the characters Link is closest to in his starting location: Ordon Village. When someone mentions a name, you actually think to yourself, "Oh, that's the goat herder. I've helped him out a couple of times now."
There were even a few times when I was pleasantly overwhelmed with the inflow of information I was receiving. "This is connected to this, because of this person, who uses this item to collect it, so this is what you've got to do," that kind of thing. Everything has a history, and I've found myself drawn into this Zelda game's story more than any before it. Even in Ocarina of Time, considered by many to be the best Zelda game, you kinda knew only as much as you needed to know. When you were an adult, you knew you had to get Temple medallions in order to beat Ganon. As for the nitty gritty, it didn't really matter; Zelda's storytelling is done through awesome game play, and in Twilight Princess, I'm happy to report that both game play and actually storytelling take center stage. There are some critics who are upset about the fact that Zelda games still don't have dialogue, but I prefer reading text. I always end up reading faster than characters are able to speak their lines, and really, which do you want taking up more space on the disc: dialogue you can read at your own pace, and supply your own voices to; or more temples, side quests, and cinematics? Yeah, me too.
If it sounds like I'm down on Twilight Princess, then let me apologize for making myself difficult to interpret. It's been a tremendous amount of fun so far, and the focus on a more story driven experience is a lot more compelling than past Zelda titles were in terms of background story. But Twilight Princess is good in the same way Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, and Wind Waker were: not because it's a 3D Zelda, but because all three of these games essentially recycle the same elements. Again, this is not a bad thing, not at all. But with the next iteration of the series, I would really like to see Nintendo take what is now arguably its flagship series in a newer direction.
Can you imagine a Zelda game developed specifically for the Wii? Me too, and it gives me goosebumps.
Go to the previous page for Chris' impressions.
