My Review- The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (GC)
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is, at the time of this writing, the most recent console Zelda game. It is also another favorite of mine, as it was the first game of its kind that I ever played, and made me realize that video games could be a storytelling medium. Twilight Princess is a fantastic game, arguably the best console Zelda title- timeless gameplay, great graphics, an intriguing story, and a level of polish rarely seen in games. Please note that this review is of the Gamecube version and not the Wii.
STORY
Twilight Princess begins as many games do. You are Link (or someone else if you wish to change his name), a young farmhand from the village of Ordon, in the southernmost province of the kingdom of Hyrule. Link is assigned by the town mayor to travel to Hyrule Castle and present Princess Zelda with the village’s annual gift to the kingdom. However, before he can leave, his village is attacked by strange beasts and his childhood friends are kidnapped. Upon giving chase, Link is pulled into a strange, dark world that eerily resembles his homeland. As the beasts that dwell in the darkness come for him, a strange mark flashes on his hand, driving them away. Screaming in pain, Link is transformed by the darkness into a mighty wolf, and is dragged away by the monsters. Upon awakening in a dungeon, Link meets Midna, an impish denizen of the darkness who agrees to help him escape if he will do as she says. The two escape the dark castle, only to find, of all people, Princess Zelda inside. It is then that Link realizes that the darkness isn’t a separate world at all- it is his own home, steadily being covered by the evil Twilight. From here begins Link and Midna’s epic quest to free the land from the Twilight’s grip and stop the forces that seek conquest of both their worlds.
Twilight Princess’s basic story has been told before in countless Zelda games (near the end, the game starts to rely on a few elements left over from Ocarina of Time), but is still a good one. The cast of characters is kept relatively small, and each has their share of character-driven moments throughout the 50+ hour epic. The story has many humorous moments as well, but the generally melancholy tone keeps the story engaging and feels truly heartfelt. The unique aspects of the story are many- the relationship between the Realm of Light and the Twilight Realm is interesting, especially.
One aspect of the story that truly shines is the evolving relationship between Link and Midna. Midna starts out as a whiny, controlling brat, who makes it clear to Link that she has her own reasons for helping him and doesn’t care about his world at all. Over the course of the story the two characters become closer, eventually becoming good friends. Midna’s character truly grows through the story, and she gives the tale a tangible touch of humanity and one of the few truly sweet relationships in gaming. Twilight Princess has one of my favorite stories in ANY medium, and easily my favorite in a video game.
GAMEPLAY
Twilight Princess features gameplay similar to other console Zelda games, albeit with a few changes. The biggest change is the ability to switch between Link’s wolf form and his human form. Early in the game you can only be a wolf inside the Twilight Realm, but about 1/3 of the way through the game you can transform at will, and the wolf form can be incorporated into both puzzles and combat, which adds a fresh layer of strategy on the already solid Zelda formula. Other minor additions include the ability to use your sword while on horseback and the ability to warp to different locations with Midna’s help.
Twilight Princess’s gameplay contains equal amounts exploration, puzzle solving, and combat. The game’s world is truly massive, split into four provinces that and gradually opened by clearing them of Twilight. You are free to travel wherever you like, and can ride a horse freely to travel faster. There are dozens of secrets to uncover, but finding your next objective is easy- there’s always a map to follow if you get lost.
The game follows a traditional formula- find location of next dungeon, got to dungeon, get new item, beat boss, progress story. The games nine dungeons are increasingly complex labyrinths with tougher enemies and puzzles. In each dungeon, you obtain a new weapon that is the key to defeating the dungeon’s boss. When you do defeat the boss, your maximum health increases and the story advances.
The combat in Twilight Princess is simple, but gives you a lot of freedom. Link has four basic moves- Slice, Stab, Spin Attack, and Jump Attack, which are easy to use. He can learn seven hidden skills that provide increased sword skill, such as deflecting enemy attacks with a shield or killing an enemy with the draw of a sword. Twilight Princess also features a couple of mandatory horse-riding sections, which are also easy to control. There are two horse combat sections in the game, and they are exhilarating. Most of the puzzles require the item you found in the dungeon, but many of them require you to think outside of the box.
My only gripe with Twilight Princess’s gameplay are the few times where the game deals you an unfair hand. Specifically, there are a few puzzles with extremely complicated and unclear answers. It doesn’t happen often, but getting stuck on one of these is frustrating. Another minor annoyance is, in order to clear the Twilight, you must hunt down enough Tears of Light to clear an area, which can be annoying. Still, there’s nothing here that will make you run for a strategy guide. Twilight Princess’ gameplay is as timeless as Zelda gets.
PRESENTATION
Twilight Princess’s visuals may no longer be cutting edge, but they look great nonetheless. There are a few rough edges and textures, and faces have a slightly craggy look, but overall the game makes a strong impression. The massive open world is simply gorgeous, with so many beautiful landmarks. It is truly immersive and makes Hyrule seem like a real place. The many towering bosses are impressive, too. Easily the best visual achievement is the Twilight Realm. The haunting ambient music, echoing sounds, strange hues, and general sadness succeed in giving the darkness an eerie beauty.
The music was composed by one Koji Kondo, and for the most part the music fits the game perfectly. Unfortunately, a few of the MIDI tracks (specifically the normal battle music) is repetitive and weak, but most of the background and cutscene tracks are memorable and beautiful.
CONCLUSION
I recently replayed Twilight Princess to see if it held up to my memories. It did, without a doubt. It’s clear that Nintendo put a lot of effort into the game. The land of Hyrule has provided me many hours of enjoyment, and I will visit it again and again.
SCORE- A
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