Zelda: Telling a story with graphics / Plot

I thought it might be a good thing to have one thread to discuss graphics and Zelda...since really no other franchise garners so much attention and remarks as Zelda does concerning the graphics used in the games.

Taking a quick look back we have seen a variety of styles used, sometimes dues to hardware restraints, some for artistic expression. We all fell in love with the fantasy world in Ocarina of Time, and Majoras Mask told us this was the style we should be expecting...WRONG!!!

Wind Waker brought us a tale in a very different way...this style was echoed in Minish Cap and Four Sword Adventures...then we saw Twilight Princess in May 2004, and lo and behold it was a return back to OoT. Or you thought.

Is TP like OoT graphically? Yes and no. It is a much more realized fantasy world than OoT....this is what Ocarina wanted to be, but couldn't. But the world is different - it's THIS Zelda's world - not the Zelda from OoT.

I have found that the Zelda series (and I'm willing to bet) uses graphics to tell a part of the story itself, I love the look and feel of Wind Waker, just like I love Ocarina / Majoras Mask / Link to the Past and many others.

When in this world of the Twilight Princess it's important to remember you are seeing this world, this fantasy world of this Zelda, while there are references to previous games and Nintendo is starting to tie different games together - each game is a world unto itself and the expression of that world throught the use of varying styles of graphics add to the 'Legend'.

The world of Twilight Princess stands up there with the best, it is it's own world, it's beautiful and very much alive with birds, bugs, butterflys, enemies, grass, trees, steams, rivers and large lakes filled with fish.....there is no shortage of activity in the world.

I have to disagree with revfreak on the overworld being boring - I find it quite the opposite, alot of fun to run or walk through. I spend time just running through the provinces killing baddies and collecting bugs - and I am really into collecting the bugs, I have 5 left to get and I will get them.

Is the story more of the same? Yeah...and I think that is what the killer is for some...there's nothing different. The plot is the same as the first game, now of course there are lots of new twists added and new gameplay mechanics. So it's not simply a re-hash, but greatly expanded upon.

I personally would have liked to seen the following: Zelda dies and cannot be brought back, the master sword shatters and will not reforge, Ganon is the puppet for something far more evil and you even kill Ganon off about halfway through the game. As far as an overwolrd - I really like the TP overwolrd and would only want more interactivity in it, more towns, more people.

I think this title is a great entry into the series, in order for it to continue the path of greatness - the franchise does need a change....lest it become a watered down IP like Mario.

Better than Ocarina for me, not taking away from OoT, but this is a much better realized game. If this had been released in OoT's place........it would be a perfect 10 to everyone on the planet. Judge it the same way you judged Ocarina and you'll find it is a 10.

I was impressed by the grafics on this game. I knew they would be good but seriously i was amazed. The water is the best i've ever seen. And just looking over the Gerudo Desert is extremely cool, especially with all the stars in the sky...JackKrauser04

I have to disagree with revfreak on the overworld being boring - I find it quite the opposite, alot of fun to run or walk through. I spend time just running through the provinces killing baddies and collecting bugs - and I am really into collecting the bugs, I have 5 left to get and I will get them.

Is the story more of the same? Yeah...and I think that is what the killer is for some...there's nothing different. The plot is the same as the first game, now of course there are lots of new twists added and new gameplay mechanics. So it's not simply a re-hash, but greatly expanded upon.

I personally would have liked to seen the following: Zelda dies and cannot be brought back, the master sword shatters and will not reforge, Ganon is the puppet for something far more evil and you even kill Ganon off about halfway through the game. As far as an overwolrd - I really like the TP overwolrd and would only want more interactivity in it, more towns, more people.

I think this title is a great entry into the series, in order for it to continue the path of greatness - the franchise does need a change....lest it become a watered down IP like Mario.

Better than Ocarina for me, not taking away from OoT, but this is a much better realized game. If this had been released in OoT's place........it would be a perfect 10 to everyone on the planet. Judge it the same way you judged Ocarina and you'll find it is a 10.

wickerman2004

Here here good sir, I understand your comments quite well and do agree there. I looked at it this way - the land is giant, why should you know everyone?? You have your core group of people to interact with and a number of others to converse with and some quests to do for people as well. The village and Goron city could have been developed a bit more....but for what?

There were plenty of NPC's at each location, although the village I would have thought would have been more involved and lively being it's been in so many games...but keep in mind that this land has been through hard times being blanketed by twilight...that in a way relates to the realism Nintendo went after. You aren't going to find a village full thriving right after an event. The gorons seemed to have a somewhat different relationship with people with respect to Ocarina or Majoras Mask....but that's in this world...this Twilight Hyrule.

I think this is a game that after each successive play through you'll find more and enjoy it more. I am adding this to my list of games to replay for sure.

And oh yeah - I just finished it! 75 hours logged, Cube version comes out this week? Looks like I'm starting again using the old wavebird...I think it being my second playthrough and using the bird....I'll really enjoy it the second go around.

I find that the more Kidder the graphics the sooner I am able to finish the game the more mature the graphics the longer it takes me to finish the game.

Any way I perfer the OoT/MM/TP graphic style. 

To the WW/ 4 Swords/ Minish Cap