The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Review: A better yet less charming Ocarina
Twilight Princess is the first 3D Zelda that truly spoke to me. While I loved many elements of the previous 3D titles, especially The Wind Waker, I didn't quite get behind the hype for those games as much, and I felt like the odd one out, finding flaws that others bombarded me for pointing out, claiming my gripes were non-existent rabble. I grew up playing Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, yet they never felt like complete 10/10 experiences for me, like many others say. As such, this is the closest I've ever been to the hype train for a non-top-down, non-new-age Zelda game. As such, I can't wait to talk about it in today's RPG Ranked review.
Combat - 9
Sure, Tears of the Kingdom certainly has the most creative and bizarre combat in the series, and is probably my favorite offering from the series thus far. Skyward Sword offers the best immersion and puzzle elements, the Adventure of Link offers unique and rewarding Metroidvania-adjacent combat, and Echoes of Wisdom is probably my second favorite, with how fun it is to command forces around and switch between Echoes and Swordfighter Mode. However, Twilight Princess has the tightest, most refined, swordplay-focused combat in the series and easily places third for me. I have yet to play another Zelda game (and I unfortunately doubt there'll ever be another one) with such incredible dueling mechanics.
Throughout the game, by playing music at Howling Stones, you unlock more and more incredible Hidden Skills as you go. From the rewarding insta-kill Ending Blow that feels incredible to pull off, to the Shield Attack that lowers enemy defenses; from the Back Slice that lets you roll around an enemy to hit their weak point, to using Helm Splitter to pull off a disarming blow that knocks enemies to the floor in preparation for an Ending Blow; from the risky Mortal Draw that lets you insta-kill enemies if you put yourself in danger and have great reflexes, to the Jump Strike and Great Spin that let you control crowds and obliterate them, every move in this game contributes to making Link truly feel like a legendary swordfighter. Not to mention that you can change into Wolf Link and completely mix up the combat, becoming a far more ferocious, less controlled entity that can take out foes in a much more feral way. In both forms, the combat is as fluid and bombastic as can be, and I really hope that somehow—someday—we get another Zelda title that plays like this.
Story - 5
For a Zelda game, this is about the best offering the franchise has put out, outside of Majora's Mask, which is the only Zelda game I'd say actually has a competent, interesting plot that can live up to RPG stories. Truly, Zelda stories are frankly horrible compared to even the weakest of RPG stories, even if their worldbuilding is solid. At least I was far more invested in this one because Midna is adorable, and the tone is bizarrely dark enough to offer some cool visual storytelling. While the story propels the action and adventure well enough, this is never a game I'd say truly does anything above average narratively. Hey, at least it's more compelling than Mario, right?
Theming - 5
Unfortunately, this game doesn't have an especially interesting gimmick. While Wolf Link is fun and adds some great content to the combat and exploration, it pales in comparison to traveling between time, changing the seasons, racing against a falling moon, or traveling through multiple dimensions à la Link to the Past, Link Between Worlds, or even Echoes of Wisdom. It's interesting to see that I enjoyed this game and Skyward Sword more than Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, even though the latter two's premises sound so much more engaging. Still, for me, excellence comes first over creative premises. I happen to feel like Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask really lack some of the excellence I've always been told they have, no matter how much nostalgia I have for them. Twilight Princess may not have much to add in this category, but when you've got excellence all around, it doesn't bother me too much.
Music - 7.5
Like with the stories, I've typically appreciated Zelda music more as a mood-setter than believing it's all-around fantastic music. While plenty of songs in the series are exceptions to the rule, I'd be hard-pressed to say that Zelda music doesn't pale in comparison to the works of Nobuo Uematsu, Yasunori Nishiki, Yoko Shimamura, and plenty of VGM composers that emphasize melodic integrity and outside-of-the-game replayability over effective ambiance. While the Hyrule Field theme and Midna's Lament are memorable, every other song in this game feels like an extension of the gameplay and worldbuilding rather than anything truly profound. All that being said, unfortunately, this soundtrack can't score any of the je ne sais quoi points that take a soundtrack beyond general adequacy and transform it from ambiance into something timelessly terrific.
Quality of Life - 7
I find it interesting how many complaints are hurled at this game's intro for being annoying. Ever since I played Ocarina of Time for the first time as a kid, its laughably bad jank has been annoying the heck out of me. I just feel there are some very odd double standards in Zelda discussion. Then again, we all get annoyed in different ways. But I digress. This game's only frustrations come from the length of the intro, the long Wolf Link segments, and the unnecessary hoops you have to jump through for fast travel. All of these things together simply leave the game feeling less snappy than it could. Some solid refinement really would've done wonders for Twilight Princess.
Art & Graphics - 8.5
I will always champion games that don't go for hyper-realism because they always look astronomically better years later. While this is no 10/10 graphic brilliance à la The Wind Waker, the style here is equal parts adorable, charming, and macabre. The game's presentation is beautiful, and I always raise an eyebrow when people praise the Nintendo 64-style graphics and then propose that this is the game that's aged graphically.
Sidequests - 7
This may not be Majora's Mask or one of the three most recent Zelda games in terms of sidequests, but there's still some solid stuff here. From collecting new techniques to bonus dungeons where you fight your way through hordes of enemies to ones of bugs and heart pieces to collect, there's still plenty of fun, competently designed side activities to engage in here.
Items - 9.5
This game has certainly got one of the most fun and well-rounded item line-ups in the series! It's an absolute blast to mess around with all the items here... From hitting an absurd amount of enemies or switches at the same time with a single Gale Boomerang throw, to pulling a Spider-Man with the Double Clawshot; from shooting arrows and bomb arrows with a scope to controlling statues with a rod, there are so many interesting items here. Let alone the greatest Zelda item of all time (probably), the Spinner! This is just a GOATed line-up, probably second only to Skyward Sword's. Some of the items may be very traditional, but they've been greatly expanded on here.
Dungeons - 9.5
While I hold the dungeons in Skyward Sword and Oracle of Ages in slightly higher regard, Twilight Princess has a brilliant line-up of dungeons that stand as some of the best in the series. From new takes on the traditional forest, fire, and water temples that are done exceptionally well, to The Temple of Time and The Arbiter's Grounds, which are both awesome dungeons, there's plenty to enjoy here. The most unique offerings are certainly The City in the Sky, an ancient floating ruin, and Snowpeak ruins, a mansion where you have to cook soup for a yeti. Every dungeon here is full of fantastic puzzles that utilize the items I just mentioned so well, and I really hope the next post-TOTK Zelda game can find a way to balance atmosphere and puzzle design like this game does.
The Verdict
Fun Factor: 8
Overall Score: 76%
Letter Rating: A+
Twilight Princess is one of my favorite Zelda games. In my book, it takes the best aspects of Ocarina of Time and improves on them in the best ways possible, even if it loses some of that zany Ocarina of Time vibe. With some of the best combat, dungeons, and storytelling of the series, this is an awesome video game that really nails some of the best the Zelda formula has to offer.
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Primary Version: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD (Wii U)