Twilight Princess Game Review
The most dark and serious of the Nintendo 3D Zelda games, Twilight Princess pushes the limits of graphic presentation to its limit on the Wii's hardware. It's more frightening and mysterious than The Wind Waker, with the absence of bugs-eyed pig guards or edgy pirates.
Link is drawn to a parallel dimension referred to as Twilight Realm where he takes on the form of both a Hylian wolf and Hylian wolf Hylian while being guided by Midna.
Gameplay
The thirteenth installment of The Legend of Zelda is Twilight Princess. It was released on the Nintendo GameCube and Wii systems in the year 2006. The game was highly praised by critics, receiving perfect scores from a variety of publications, including 1UP, CVG, EGM, and GamesRadar. It is considered by many as the best games in the series, and was the most-seller Zelda game on the PAL market.
Twilight princess has an artistic and naturalistic graphic style that is like that of Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, with a more advanced graphical engine. Twilight princess is the first game in the series with a completely directional control scheme instead of a fixed-point perspective like previous games. This change was made in order to accommodate the Wii console, which features an interface that is based on pointing. The GameCube version of the game features a section in the back that has mirror-image maps for players who prefer the traditional fixed view.
Link transforms into a wolf once he enters the Twilight Realm. He also encounters Midna, a mysterious creature. She informs Link that the kingdom of Hyrule is now under the control of a group of shadow beasts, led by the evil sorcerer Zant. She also explains she is the true ruler of Twili but was supplanted by Zant and cursed to her current form.
When Link and Midna arrive at Hyrule Castle, a short cut scene shows the soldiers being killed by the shadow creatures. Link and Midna then escape the castle via an entrance tunnel to enter the Twilight Realm.
Link can move more freely in the Twilight Realm by using his wolf form. Link can also use his senses to navigate the world. He can hear the ghosts of soldiers and animals in the distance. Link can also pick grass from specific patches and whistle with it to summon an animal, such as the Hawk or Epona. Alternatively, Link can howl near these patches to summon the same animal.
Like previous Zelda games music plays a significant role in Twilight Princess. Link can play instruments that are musical like the flute or harp, to draw and call upon different animals. Link can also use his voice to command the wolf form. Additionally, he could use his compass to guide him around the world and stay out of trouble.
Characters
The Legend of Zelda is full of unique and colorful characters that leave an impression that will last forever. These unique and imaginative characters such as hands emerging from the toilets to pirates sailing across vast oceans are the essence of this game. Twilight Princess continues the tradition of previous games by introducing a range of memorable characters.
Through the course of the story, Link meets new NPCs that are not just interesting, but also believable. It's a big step forward that so many of these NPCs aren't just there as victims and have a role to play in the story. NPCs such as Rusl who explains why the forest has become more dangerous and kidnaps children, or Ordon villager who snoop around as wolves while the children are being taken from them, all have unique personalities that feel genuine.
Other notable characters include Iza, who operates the Boat Rental Cabin as well as Iza's Rapid Ride in the Lanayru Province, Louise, Telma's cat, who assists Wolf Link locate a secret passageway in her bar and sewer system to the castle, and Faron who's spirit helps guide Link and Midna to the Forest Temple in the Eldin Province. The duo defeats Diababa's Fused Shadow and obtains the first Tear of Light.
Midna is the princess of the Twilight Realm and one of the most interesting characters in the game. She has a sliver of the Triforce of Wisdom and can switch between her human and her impish wolf form. She tells Link about her experience at the twilight, and about how she defeated Zant the King of Twilight.
Zant is the evil sorcerer who controls the Twilight Realm. He possesses the second part of the Triforce of Wisdom. He was banished to the Twilight Realm by the goddesses for taking over their land and depriving the people. Midna dispels Zant's power, allowing him to change into his human form if required.
Epona is a more powerful horse that can be riding in both wolf and Hylian forms. starlight princess can whistle near grass patches to summon the animal (similar to Majora's Mask). The player is able to name the horse and customize the horse, making Twilight Princess the first time in the series where the player can customize their own horse.
Theme
Music is an important part of any Zelda game. It can make a game seem vast, expansive, and engrossing. Twilight Princess' soundtrack is criticized as being sporadic and inconsistent, which doesn't capture certain moments of emotion. Ocarina of Time Majora's Mask and other games have captivating music that bloom at the perfect moment to create a sense of grandeur and eeriness.
Twilight Princess was composed by Asuka Ohta and Toru Minegishi. Koji Kondo, the composer of the series for the first since Wind Waker, was in charge of overseeing the composers. The soundtrack for Twilight Princess is a bold departure from the standard approach to the franchise with a minimalist approach to melody and arrangement. The majority of music from dungeons and fields begins with a single instrumental that creates a mystical and atmospheric ambiance for the player. For instance, the haunting music in Midna's lament uses a simple piano to create an overwhelming sense of sorrow for the player.
The most well-known examples are dungeon themes with a dull atmosphere. This is evident in Twilight Realm, which has an dark soundscape that could be heard on a David Lynch movie. The lack of melody and the traditional arrangement of this track accentuates its ominous, unsettling nature. Drones and odd patterns intertwine to create a bleak texture.
A more upbeat and joyful song is Link's hometown, "Faron Woods." This song uses a variety strings and soft sounds to create a calm and safe feeling for the player. The song also has a subtle reference to the franchise's most infamous scene, as it features a riff that is very similar to the famous tune that plays at the beginning of Ocarina of Time.
Twilight Princess also has dynamic songs that change based on the player's location, what they do and what's happening. Hyrule Castle Town has different versions of its theme for each part of the town. Central Square, for instance, has an edgier version. These variations add a wonderful addition to the world of Hyrule that adds a sense of depth and immersion.
Story
Link's mission in Twilight Princess is to save Hyrule from the corrupted parallel world known as the Twilight Realm. To accomplish this, he adopts the form of both a Hylian and an Wolf and is being assisted by a woman named Midna.
Midna was the original ruler of Twili but she was supplanted and cursed by Zant into her imp form. The Sages of the past tell Link and Midna that only the defeat of Ganondorf will be the key to their release from their curse. The Sages reveal that the Mirror of Twilight causes the darkness to exist in the Twilight Realm. Midna and Link travel to the Spirit's Spring where they encounter predatory creatures that kidnap children. Wolf Link's keen ear assists them in tracking the children's scent to a bridge nearby that they cross over into the Twilight Realm.
They enter the Forest Temple, battle Diababa and obtain the first Fused Shadow. Faron informs them of their next destination, which is the Eldin Province in the west (Wii) or the east (GCN).
At the Lakebed Temple in Lanayru, Midna teleports Link to the fiery rock and uses her power to melt the ice in the bottom of Lake Hylia. The spirit of Rutela, the recently deceased Zora Queen, Rutela, then appears and informs Link that he has to visit the Lakebed Temple in order to gain access to the treasures of Zora.
Twilight Princess allows you to ride Epona the horse from Ocarina of Time or Majora's Mask. In contrast to the set name used in the two previous games, Link can now decide the name of the horse himself.
When they arrive in the Twilight Realm, Midna and Link recover the remaining Mirror Shards. In the Palace of Twilight, the Sages declare that Midna is actually the true ruler of the Twili and Hyrule kingdoms, but she has been passed over for the monarchy and was turned into an idol to gain power. The Sages also tell them that the only way to defeat Ganondorf is to bring him into the light and break the alliance between the Twilight and Hyrule kingdoms.