4/5 ★ – Smashton's review of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

Playtime: 30 hours INTRO The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess defied my expectations. Over the years I had only seen this game through screenshots, the cover, and an occasional clip here and there. It always gave off the impression of a darker, grittier, bleak Zelda game that took itself too seriously. The designs, color palette, and even the cover of the game lacked the bright, vivid, and joyful feeling that a fond game of my childhood like Wind Waker gave off. However, those preconceptions were completely wrong. It makes a few missteps and has occasions when it seems to forget itself or underutilize its stronger aspects. In spite of this however, Twilight Princess provides a story littered with genuine memorable moments, charming characters, well-paced dungeons, and unique mechanics that set it apart from other entries in the franchise creating a package that teeters a great balance between the light and the shadow. STYLE As mentioned previously, one of the reasons it took so long to play this title was the impression I got from the art style. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker came out 4 years prior to this title and featured a bright, colorful, vivid, charming, unique artistic style that enraptured me both as a child and stood the test of time as an adult. Meanwhile, Twilight Princess takes on a more realistic style with higher detail, duller colors, and a gloomier atmosphere. This is deceptive if taken at face value. The art style works perfectly for the tone and world of this title. It is a world teetering on the edge of light and darkness; a world of two worlds in which both should exist but risk consuming each other. The detailed style with a pinch of Zelda flair splashed into character faces and models allows the game to retain that Zelda aesthetic while also granting a unique style not seen in Zelda games to this point and which still holds up even today especially with the Wii U HD upgrade. Similarly, Zelda music—a hallmark of the franchise—is still as solid as ever. While I did appreciate Twilight Princess for its music, and quite a few songs do qualify as excellent pieces, the main detriment to the score is that the remixes of the classic Zelda tunes fans know and love aren’t given enough of their own unique style for them to feel like anything more than a nostalgia kick. This isn’t a huge issue though as, like mentioned before, Zelda titles always have solid music so remixing older tunes without fully crafting a unique feeling to them is only negative in so much as I was hoping for more. A handful of boss battles throughout this game had great themes that made them feel grander and more epic in scale than otherwise and the new tracks that play while exploring the Twilight realm and overworld also did well to set the tone and atmosphere of each unique area. GAMEPLAY Gameplay mechanics in Zelda games tend to follow a similar formula: get your sword and shield, go into dungeons, receive new gadgets to complete that dungeon and to utilize later on, repeat. Twilight Princess is no exception. If you enjoy this style of gameplay, you will enjoy this title. But, Twilight Princess does go an extra mile. The gadgets in this particular title are some of the most unique I’ve ever seen in the Zelda franchise. Anything from a giant wrecking ball, to a large mechanical spinning top you can ride on top of, and more give the dungeons and moment-to-moment gameplay a unique feeling from other Zelda titles and allow for greater experimentation with new kinds of puzzles and interesting situations. Combat is solid enough with new moves being introduced through an interesting new character that passes on his old techniques to Link. Unfortunately, of the 7 skills learned, only 3 ever felt relevant. The others were just bonuses that were forgettable. Horse-back combat was also a feature of this title but, much like the skills Link learns, was underutilized. When it was used it created a genuinely epic, heart pumping experience—aside from one instance when it felt like a chore—but, I just wished they added one or two more segments to really drive that aspect home. The special highlight mechanic in Twilight Princess however, is the wolf form. The wolf form in Twilight Princess is a mixed bag. It was a really neat concept, Link transforms into a wolf when entering into the Twilight realm and thus you have to learn a new style of play and solve new puzzles in this form. Later you unlock the ability to switch back and forth between human form and wolf form, opening the possibility of some interesting puzzles and combat experiences that would utilize both forms at once. This potential never seems to be fulfilled. The first half of the game uses the human and wolf forms very distinctly and separately which gives each a different feel and a specialized place in the pacing of the game. Once the world opens up and you gain the ability to switch between the forms at will, the wolf mechanic seems to be forgotten, an afterthought. You notice yourself using it less and less, only really transforming into it for very short periods of time before reverting back to the more versatile human form. It never gets upgraded or diversifies its mechanics like the human form does with gadgets. It became a slightly more inconvenient gadget in Link’s toolbelt. Combat in wolf form lacked the different skills and versatility that the human form did and also controlled in an often-times strange way. Link would snap his head and leap towards enemies in an unnatural motion that could freak out the camera and miss hit boxes and timing. The wolf form, while a neat idea, and a mechanic that was genuinely exciting and interesting for the first half of the game, just falls to the way-side by the second-half making it feel unfinished. The world eventually opens up to exploration much like Ocarina of Time and Wind Waker. However, unlike those titles the world does feel a bit emptier which resulted in me caring less about exploring every nook I could find. This does not mean it lacked interesting locales and things to do though. When the player does choose to explore they will find a few really great areas and secrets to uncover as well as some charming mini-games which leave you grinning. The big wish with the side content in Twilight Princess would be to expand upon character side quests. The game features such a great cast of side characters that it is honestly a shame that more side quests and goals weren’t created for them which could have encouraged more exploration of the open world. As it was, exploring the most obvious areas on the way to my next main story objective was sufficient enough before moving on to the next main dungeon. Dungeons were a highlight. Personally, Zelda games generally fall into a trap of early dungeons being extremely easy, while mid-to-late game dungeons ramp up the puzzle difficulty enough that it becomes a bit of a headache to solve, or becomes stumping enough to force me to view a guide for a solution. Additionally, the later in the game you get, the longer the dungeons become, making some feel like a slog. For the most part, the dungeons in Twilight Princess felt well-paced, complex enough to encourage some unique puzzle solving, but simple enough that the solution didn’t feel completely arbitrary. I did indeed utilize guides on occasion, but that was quite honestly more a result of impatience rather than flawed design. Twilight Princess genuinely has some of my favorite dungeons in the traditional Zelda series not only because of the pacing of each but also because of the aforementioned unique special gadgets that were created for this game. It honestly can’t be understated how fun, interesting, and unique some of these gadgets were and what a joy they were to use. Bosses, though never feeling very difficult, did feel fun to play with only a few being so simple and easy that they were forgotten. A few bosses also had some important story elements incorporated into them, which is one of the greatest strengths of this title. STORY The core of Twilight Princess is a solid enough game that adheres to the Zelda formula while mixing in its own unique charm. It is the story and characters of Twilight Princess and the fantastic memorable moments that elevate this game into a higher echelon in the Zelda hierarchy. The atmosphere does a great job making the world feel like one teetering on the edge of darkness. But that does not mean the game itself was grim and depressing. In fact, it was surprisingly charming, joyful, and quirky. It presents a story of two worlds, distinct from one another, equally worthy of safeguarding, but in danger of colliding with each other and becoming consumed by powers who wish to influence both. In the course of taking on this grand challenge, you find yourself encountering such novel moments that leave you with a lasting grin. The tone may sound bleak, but that doesn’t prevent the game from creating wacky and unforgettable scenes and scenarios that stick with you and set it apart from other titles in the series. The core of the story is in its characters with the highlight being Midna, the tiny, snarky, and brash imp who becomes Link’s shadow as he traverses Hyrule and the Twilight realm. Her presence is constant serving not only as the origin of several gameplay mechanics—transforming into the wolf form, allowing Link to traverse the Twilight realm, and allowing fast travel—but also as one of the core anchors for the story. If written poorly, she could have easily come off as annoying, aggravating, and childish. Instead, she is a charming character who clearly hides a deeper past within her that you uncover the deeper into the game you progress. Midna’s story is fulfilling and makes up one of the pillars of this game's cast. Link himself, though still a silent protagonist, is also impressively expressive. He is hyped up by other characters as a stoic hero who will do what it takes to help those close to him but his facial expressions in countless scenes also convey a gentle, kind, wholesome heart that leaves behind a feeling of warmth. These two characters make for a solid duo during the adventure that is supplemented by the extended cast beyond them. The characters who force Link on his adventure, the children from the Ordon Village, the Gorons in Death Mountain, the Zora in their Domain, the folk going about their day-to-day lives in Hyrule Castle Town, and many more, create a cast of characters that genuinely make you care about Hyrule and the world. Midna’s connection to the Twilight realm and the constant antagonistic actions of the Twilight being Zant also make the Twilight realm seem real, full, and creates a connection between you and that alternate dimension. I just fell in love with so many of these characters, even some truly surprising characters like the Occoco, a strange sentient bird-like creature that was initially just a way for Link to exit a dungeon and return, but became a whole character unto herself. There is even an enemy character who constantly antagonizes you throughout the game that, by the end, becomes memorable without even having a name. The only blemishes on this stellar cast of characters are Zelda and Ganondorf themselves who only really come around a few times in the biggest moments. But, this is forgivable as the rest of the game features so many enjoyable characters that their presence wasn’t even needed. CONCLUSION The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is a must-play experience for any fan of the Zelda style of games. Featuring some of the best gadgets the series has to offer, a tight dungeon experience that doesn’t feel like a chore, and a cast of characters that elevate the story and world of the game to new heights, it only falls short with its side content and with the selling point wolf mechanic which was solidly implemented in the first half but falls off by the second. It is a game which sets itself apart from its predecessors and even its successors making it one of the more unique and memorable of the Zelda franchise and one which still holds up 16 years after release.