N-Philes

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Posted December 24th 2006 by Terry Harjanto.

A sinister shadow creeps forward from the edge of the world to enshroud the land in eternal twilight, turning those who fall beneath it into lost souls. Spurred by this visibly growing dark force, the monsters who have begun to roam the fields grow in number. But these monsters are just as ambitious and pervasive as the darkness. As the eternal twilight strikes, so do the monsters. Villagers are killed, children are kidnapped. Hyrule, once again, is in need of the green clad hero bearing the Triforce of Courage.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess has finally arrived and it proves that timeless legends, passed down from one form to another, indeed exist. Though Twilight Princess plays almost exactly like the three previous 3D Zelda games, you will not feel as if you're playing some updated version of a previous game. Instead you will feel as if you're taking part in the development of a legendary saga.

When Twilight Princess was first announced for the GameCube there was much rejoicing across the gaming community. Gamers were naturally upset when news broke that it was being delayed. However, the real shock came when it was announced at E3 2006 that Twilight Princess would not only be delayed, but made into a launch title for the Nintendo Wii. What sort of impact would the Wii's unique controls have on the game? Should the motion sensing Wiimote be something gamers would have to worry about?

The answer to that question is a comforting and resounding ‘no'. Though controlling the game's protagonist, Link, using the Wiimote-nunchuck combo isn't perfect, it is still fully functional. There's no doubt that pressing a button to swing a sword is easier and a lot more efficient than actually swinging the Wiimote. When you're dealing with something that senses motion, which can be inconsistent compared to the digital input of a button, there will be times when the Wiimote interprets your hand movements in some way that you didn't intend. If you just flail the Wiimote around randomly, Link will not mimic every single one of your wild swings. But this is something that actually highlights how much of a challenge it is to master the sword play in Twilight Princess. To pull off really smooth combos, you'll have to treat the Wiimote as you would a real sword. You'll need discipline and good timing since you'll only be able to make Link look like a real master swordsman when you yourself have learned to time your swings of the Wiimote to match Link's sword swinging animations.

There are some other minor issues with the controls, the nunchuck will sometimes misinterpret a jab (used to do a shield bash) as a shake (used to perform Link's trademark spin attack) or vice versa. But this is generally something that won't result in serious injury or Link's death. As well, moving the third-person camera around has been tied specifically to the Z-trigger button on the nunchuck due to the lack of a second analog stick, so it can be it a little difficult to move the camera position around when a Z-targetable enemy is nearby.

However, none of these control problems break this game. Rather, the minor issues with the controls are over-shadowed by the great positives. The Wiimote's ability to aim with pin-point accuracy makes the concept of aiming with an analog stick seem completely unappealing and archaic. Using long-range weapons such as the boomerang or the bow and arrow has never been easier. If you've got a good eye and a steady hand, you'll be able to pick off monsters before they come anywhere near you. That is, if you're willing to deny yourself the fun of melee combat.

Now that everybody's worries about the controls have been put to rest, it is time to really jump into the land of Hyrule and delve into its deep dungeons and explore its expansive areas. As expected, you control Link as he goes about saving the world. Early on in the game, Link finds himself being transformed into a wolf by the invading dark force known as the Twilight Realm. A little shadow creature from the Twilight Realm by the name of Midna is quick to offer Link help to restore Hyrule back to normal, but only in return for fulfilling her own ulterior motives. Midna functions a little like Navi from Ocarina of Time but she also plays a larger role in the story as she directs Link from dungeon to dungeon. Not only does Midna help Link repel the Twilight that has fallen over parts of Hyrule, but she is also using him to recover ancient artifacts of great power.

These dungeons, of course, are filled with both monsters and puzzles. It generally doesn't require much effort to dispatch most of the creatures but the puzzles can be a real challenge. All of the puzzles, however, are logical and won't stump you long enough to be frustrating. Each time you unlock another section of a dungeon by solving a mind-boggling puzzle, you'll be rewarded with sense of achievement. Naturally, not all of the artifacts found within the dungeons are for Midna's use only. Weapons and equipment, both old and new to the series, are hidden within the dungeons. Once Link recovers these items from challenging mid-bosses, he can put them to use to fight enemies and solve puzzles. The dungeon bosses have also gotten much bigger in this latest Zelda game. The camera will often have to zoom out just to view the massive size of the bosses. Taking into account that most dungeon bosses have multiple forms, the final battle in each dungeon often has an epic quality to them.

In between dungeons Link has a chance to explore a massive game world filled with secrets, monsters, and mini-quests. Some of the mini-quests have been worked into the plot of the game so that Link's adventures is not just fighting monsters and solving dungeon puzzles. For example, while Link is still under the wolf-form curse, he has to hunt down these shadow insects and recover magical "Tears of Light" in order to drive away the Twilight that infests the region. In another instance, Link has to defeat a Goron Elder in a sumo-wrestling match to gain access to the Goron Mines. Later on in the story, Link acts as a horse-mounted bodyguard for a carriage carrying an ill Zora Prince. And to reach the Snowpeak Ruins, Link gets to show off his moves by riding a frozen leaf as if it were a snowboard.

The aforementioned mini-quests specifically contribute to moving the story along in Twilight Princess, but there are also side-quests that can be completed just for fun. Hyrule is huge and there is much within it you can collect. Special combat techniques, golden bugs, and poes, and of course the Zelda staple, heart pieces, used to increase Link's total life energy. Not all of the side-quests involve collecting as there are some action-oriented puzzles such as being carried by a gigantic bird's talons through a gorge, or herding goats at Link's home village. Fishing also makes a major comeback in Twilight Princess, with a large fishing pond that requires a canoe to explore as well as multiple lures and fishing controls that make great use of the Wiimote and nunchuck.

Considering all of the things within Hyrule to do and see, you actually have quite a few options when it comes to traveling across the huge game world. You can take the scenic route and travel on-foot, gallop across the land on Link's horse, Epona, or transform into a wolf and sprint. Or you can take the quick route and ask Midna to warp you to different parts of Hyrule. Either way, a lot of time can be put into playing Twilight Princess, and very little of it has to do with traveling. The main story will take approximately thirty five hours to complete, but considering that all of the side-quests are fun and some very addictive, you're more than likely to go beyond that.

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