An amazing adventure, with solid controls, that really makes you feel like you are a part of the game.
THE GOOD
-Solid controls
-Enjoyable story
-Challenging puzzles
-Excellent level/dungeon design
-Memorable soundtrack
THE BAD
-Weak bosses
OVERVIEW
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is an exciting adventure jam-packed with puzzles to solve, enemies to slay and a huge world to explore. Making a return as the hero is everyone's favorite green tunic wearing adventurer, Link. The majestic lands of Hyrule are bigger than ever but it all begins in small rural village called Ordon. In Ordon everything was peaceful until one day a group of monsters ransacked the village and captured the children. Link in a fit of rage pursues them to the edge of town where he is stopped by a force known as the Twilight. When Link enters the Twilight he immediately turns into a wolf and notices that the rest of the known Hyrulian world is completely different. Link meets a peculiar entity named Midna and she helps him out if he'll help her in return. Now it's up to Link to bring an end to the mysterious Twilight that has plagues Hyrule and also make sure that Princess Zelda is safe once more.
There are many different places to explore from the sprawling streets of Hyrule's Castle Town to the peaceful, clear waters of Lake Hylia. Link, in his journeys, will come across many interesting characters that piece together the main story quite nicely and offer some added back narrative. The story is very well written and the character development between Link and Midna is entertaining. Another thing to note is that this Zelda game is much longer (time-wise) than the other games in the series; which gives you more to do in this epic adventure.
GAMEPLAY
At first glance it's almost like the Nintendo Wii was made for this game in regards to the controls. Swinging the remote makes sword fighting absolutely delightful and really makes you feel like you're a part of the action. A few other weapons like the bow and claw shot utilize the pointing feature of the Wii remote to its full potential. Much of the same controls from Ocarina of Time (a previous game in the series) are reused here like targeting with the 'Z' button and dodging with the 'A' button. There are a few sword combinations and special attacks to unlock which makes vanquishing monsters enjoyable and keeps things from getting stale. The game is setup in the third person perspective. The camera is fixed in the same position until you press and hold the 'Z' button. This is great for exploring and for keeping an eye on the enemy while you gain the higher ground. The D-pad on the remote can hold up to three pre-set items for you quickly select and all of your items can be used via the 'B' button. This nice feature prevents you from having to constantly access your menu and disrupting the action. Pressing the up arrow on the D-pad will call on Midna for guidance and prevent you from getting too lost in your quest. The controls, in my opinion, play a huge part in drawing you into this game.
Aside from fighting your way through hordes of enemies with brute strength and quick reflexes, Twilight Princess also tests your mental aptitude. Hyrule is filled with riddles and puzzles to decipher. Puzzle solving has been a staple for the series and this new installment won't disappoint you here. Some of the puzzles are fairly easy but there are some that require some strong willpower to overcome; this provides to be a nice rewarding challenge to the adventure.
Along with Link's trusty Master Sword and Hyrulian Shield, there are many other helpful items to find like the Gail Boomerang, Bomb and Lantern. All the items you come across will be used many times throughout your journey. In fact, some are required in order to defeat several of the bosses. Whether you're slinging arrows at monsters while on horseback or crushing ice demons with the ball and chain, you'll probably enjoy using the accessories just as much as the swordplay.
Twilight Princess is filled with many entertaining side quests and mini-games. If you want excitement you may want to head to the icy slopes and partake in a snowboarding mini-game. If you're looking for a more laid back activity you should cast your fishing rod into the fishing pond. Of course you could always explore the lands of Hyrule in search for those coveted heart pieces. All in all there are many other things to do in your adventure that are fun to accomplish, keep you well occupied and can also be very rewarding.
Hyrule is filled with unique monsters to do battle with from pig mounted goblins to hulking iron warriors. Don't let this scare you because most of these enemies aren't too difficult to take down. Now that's fine that the regular enemies in the game aren't too difficult just as long as the bosses make up for the lack of challenge. Sadly, the bosses are pretty pathetic in regards to their difficulty; some of this is due to the amount of free health that's available during the battle. They look menacing but are easy to defeat which is disappointing.
GRAPHICS & SOUND
Visually this game is beautiful; Hyrule never looked quite this good until now. I've actually found myself taking breaks and dropping by certain places just to take in the view. The character design works well and you can learn a lot from their facial expressions. The level design is extraordinary and keeps your quest for saving Hyrule fresh.
This soundtrack is one of the best yet for the series. There are many wonderful and memorable tracks from the courageous Hyrule Field theme to the serene Zora Palace theme. Unfortunately, there still isn't any voice acting aside from the occasional one-line yell at the beginning of each conversation. The rest of the sound effects work well from the clanking of swords to the rushing water of the great river; the Wii remote also produces some sound effects too which is a nice plus.
CONCLUSION
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess let's you live through the eyes of Link as he embarks on his grand adventure. The incorporation of the motion/pointing controls really takes this game to a whole new level while the story, graphics and soundtrack keep you coming back for more. This Zelda game earns its right to be the next installment to the series. I would highly recommend this game to anyone who has a Nintendo Wii or enjoys epic adventures. As the mysterious Twilight engulfs the land of Hyrule, only one legendary hero can save it and return things back to peace and light once more.