Traversing Hyrule (cont.)

Yes, the main plot-twist of the story also serves as an integral part of the gameplay, and it really adds a new layer to the Zelda experience, albeit a rather non-enjoyable layer. The wolf (here on referred to as "Wolf Link" because it is Link transformed into a wolf) is really simply there to be controlled for an incredibly tedious part of the game. Fortunately, this particular segment only takes a half-hour or so, but it is an incredibly boring half-hour. The segment in question involves the player looking for Tears of Light. These tears are the key to ridding Hyrule of the evil twilight. The player must use their enhanced vision and sight powers while in wolf form to find the invisible Tears of Light.

Fortunately, the game's map outlines the location of the tears but the tears are so far apart from each other that it takes a very long time to find them all. After the Tears of Light have been found, the game pretty much scraps Wolf Link except for some vital parts of the story. Link's wolf form will still be used in a few parts that are so insignificant that it seems that Wolf Link is really only a plot device. A real shame because controlling Link as a wolf has a lot of potential, and it is sad to see that potential go to waste.

Easy does it

Twilight Princess suffers from an extreme lack of combat difficulty. The game is extremely hard when it comes to puzzles and figuring out what to do, but when it comes to combat, the game's difficulty is dramatically decreased. Enemies, at the most, deliver only two hearts' (life energy) worth of damage, and this is when you are fighting the most formidable foes in the game. The player can really get through the game with only the amount of heart containers the game has lying in plain sight. This means that exploration is not really needed to get through the game which is an unfortunate departure from past Zelda games.

In fact, the game does not really reward players for extensive exploration. Most of the time, players who stray off the beaten path merely find a treasure chest full of Rupees. When this happens, the player feels cheated for the effort they just went through thinking they may have gotten an extra heart container or something more useful.

The senses

Twilight Princess might actually have the greatest visuals of any Gamecube game ever made. Nintendo really pushed the Gamecube's five year old hardware to the limit, producing some never-seen-before graphics. The lighting is highly realistic as Link's sword and shield gleam beautifully in the morning sun and light reflects off water surfaces. All this helps in making the game truly immersive. Nintendo's developers paid a lot of attention to detail when they made this game and it really shows in the character models, textures and everything else.

The sound and music however are a mixed bag. Well, rather the music is a mixed bag. The classic Zelda tunes are all there. From the classic discovery tune that plays when you uncover a secret passage to the sound that plays when you acquire a new item. Small voice-overs are also played when you talk to an NPC or slash your sword. Nintendo made sure every sound-effect is top-notch, but the music is iffy. Music consists of MIDIs (albeit, very high-quality MIDIs) instead of the full orchestral sounds that all the fans were clamouring for. The classic Zelda music which strikes nostalgia into Zelda fans everywhere has absolutely no showing in this game. That is not to say that the musical score is entirely without merit as it fits each and every area perfectly. From the eerie music of Arbiter's Grounds to the cheerful and up-beat music of Ordon Village, everything sounds as if it belongs with the setting. It just doesn't sound all that great to my ears.

Play and replay

Twilight Princess has a lot to offer in terms of replay value. The main quest itself takes upwards of forty hours but you will have to rush through the game to finish it in that time. For perfectionists, finding every single heart container/item, and exploring every nook and cranny will take well over one-hundred hours. The game is so engaging that, like for instance Ocarina of Time, you will find yourself wanting to play the game over and over again.

That is the only word to describe Twilight Princess is 'Wow!'. Nintendo went all out and created one of the finest games in history. Twilight Princess is a game that no-one should miss. Despite some short-comings (centring mostly around the lack of rewards for extensive exploration and the tediousness of the Wolf Link segments), Twilight Princess delivers an amazing adventure full of top-notch gameplay. Twilight Princess has the most depth and overall enjoyment of any of the games in the Zelda franchise.