Don't Buy Into These "Trends" About Twilight Princess
Author : Lawson McKenzie | Published On : 14 May 2024
Twilight Princess Game ReviewTwilight Princess is the darkest, most serious and serious Nintendo 3D Zelda game. It pushes the visual presentation of the Wii to its limits. It's more tense and ambiguous than The Wind Waker, with a lack of bugs-eyed pig guards or edgy pirates.
Link is drawn to a parallel dimension known as Twilight Realm where he takes on the form of both the form of a Hylian Wolf and the form of a Hylian while being guided by Midna.
Gameplay
Twilight Princess is the thirteenth installment in The Legend of Zelda series. It was released in 2006 for the Nintendo GameCube system and Wii. Critics praised the game and gave it perfect scores in several publications such as 1UP CVG EGM and GamesRadar. Many consider it to be the most enjoyable game in the series and the most popular Zelda title on the PAL market.
Twilight Princess has naturalistic, stylized graphic style that is reminiscent of Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask and Ocarina of Time, but with a more sophisticated graphical engine. Twilight princess is the first game in the series that features a fully directional control scheme instead of a fixed perspective as in previous games. This change was made to accommodate the Wii console's point-based interface. The GameCube version has an area at the back of the game, with mirror-image maps, which are for those who prefer an unchanging view.
After entering the Twilight Realm, Link is transformed into a wolf and meets Midna, a mysterious creature. She informs Link that the kingdom of Hyrule is now under the control of a group shadow beasts led the evil sorcerer Zant. She also explains she is the real ruler of Twili but was taken over by Zant and cursed to her current form.
A short cutscene shows soldiers being killed by shadow beasts after Link and Midna arrive at Hyrule Castle. Then, Link and Midna escape from the castle via an escape tunnel and enter the Twilight Realm.
Link can move more freely in the Twilight Realm by using his Wolf form. He can also use his senses to navigate the world. For instance, he could sense the spirits of dead soldiers and other animals that are in the distance. Link can also pick grass from specific patches and whistle with it to call an animal, such as a Hawk or Epona. Link can also whistle near the patches to summon an identical animal.
Like earlier Zelda games music plays a significant part in Twilight Princess. Link can use a musical instrument like the harp or flute to draw and summon animals. He can also command the wolf's form by speaking. He can also use his compass as a way to help him navigate through the world.
Characters
The Legend of Zelda is full of colorful and unique characters that will leave an unforgettable impression. These quirky and creative personalities, from hands emerging from the toilets to pirates sailing across vast oceans, are the essence of this game. Twilight Princess continues in the tradition of previous games, introducing numerous memorable characters.
Link is introduced to new NPCs throughout the story who are not only interesting but also credible. It's a major step in the right direction that many of these NPCs actually have a role in the story instead of just acting as victims. NPCs such as Rusl who declares that the forest is dangerous and kidnaps children or the Ordon villager who disguises himself as a wolf to hide his identity when the kids are kidnapped all have distinct personalities.
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 helps Wolf Link locate a secret passageway through her bar as well as sewer system into 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, the princess of the Twilight Realm, is also one of the most intriguing characters in the game. She can change between her wolf and human forms and possesses a piece of the Triforce of Wisdom. She talks to Link about her experience at the twilight, and about how she defeated Zant the King of Twilight.
Zant is the evil sorcerer that rules the Twilight Realm. He possesses the second half of the Triforce of Wisdom. The goddesses banished him to Twilight Realm for enslaving their people and enslaving their territory. Midna dispels Zant's power, allowing him to change into his human form whenever needed.
Epona is a better horse that can be used in both Wolf and Hylian forms. Link can whistle at specific grass patches to call the animal. (similar to Majora’s Mask). The player can name the horse which makes Twilight Princess the first time in the series that a player can customize their own horse.
Theme
Music is an integral part of any Zelda title. It can make a game appear vast exciting, expansive, and captivating. Twilight Princess' soundtrack is criticized as being sporadic and inconsistent and doesn't convey certain emotions. Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask and other games have captivating music that explode at the right 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 time since Wind Waker, was responsible for overseeing the composers. The soundtrack to Twilight Princess is a radical deviation from the standard approach to the show, with a the minimalist approach to music and arrangements. Most field and dungeon music begins with a single instrumental, creating a mysterious and atmospheric ambiance for the player. For instance, the haunting music of Midna's lament makes use of an ordinary piano to create an overflowing feeling of sadness for the player.
Dungeon themes are among the most prominent examples of this trend towards minimalism, with a number of Dungeons displaying a dark and ominous ambience. This is most evident in Twilight Realm, which has an eerie soundscape that could be heard on the soundtrack of a David Lynch movie. The dark and unsettling quality of the track is amplified by the absence of recognizable melodies and the traditional arrangement with dreary drones and peculiar patterns interspersed to create a dark, gloomy texture.
A more uplifting and joyous track is Link's hometown theme, "Faron Woods." The song makes use of various soft sounds and stringed instruments to evoke an idyllic feeling of security and peace for the player. The song is subtle references to the most well-known scene from the franchise, because it has a riff that is similar to the famous melody that plays at the Ocarina of Time's beginning.
Twilight Princess also has dynamic songs that change according to the player's whereabouts, what they are doing and what's happening. For example the Hyrule Castle Town theme has distinct versions for each area of the town, with Central Square having a more boisterous and full version of the tune. These variations are a nice addition that can help to create a sense of depth and immersion to the world of Hyrule.
Story
Link's goal in Twilight Princess is to save Hyrule from the corrupted world known as the Twilight Realm. To accomplish this, he takes the form of a Hylian and an Wolf, as well as being assisted by a woman named Midna.
Midna is the first ruler of the Twili However, she was supplanted by Zant and cursed into her imp form. The Ancient Sages inform Link and Midna that only the defeat of Ganondorf will remove them from their curse. The Sages reveal that the Mirror of Twilight causes the darkness to be present in the Twilight Realm. Midna and Link travel to the Spirit's Spring, where they encounter hostile monsters that kidnap children. Wolf Link's keen ear helps them track the children's scent to a bridge nearby, and then cross over into the Twilight Realm.
They enter the Forest Temple, battle Diababa and obtain the first Fused Shadow. After this, Faron informs them that the next stop is the Eldin Province to the west (Wii) or east (GCN).
Midna at the Lakebed Temple of Lanayru teleports Link to a fiery stone and uses her powers on the ice beneath Lake Hylia. The spirit of the recently deceased Zora Queen, Rutela, then appears and tells Link that he must visit the Lakebed Temple in order to access a treasure of the Zora.
Returning from starlight princess of Time and Majora's Mask The horse Epona can again be used in Twilight Princess. Contrary to the name of the set used in the two previous games, Link can now decide the name of the horse himself.
Upon arriving in the Twilight Realm, Midna and Link recover the remaining Mirror Shards. At the Palace of Twilight, the Sages declare that Midna is actually the real ruler of the Twili and Hyrule kingdoms, but she has been ostracized by the monarchy, and then turned into the gods for power. The Sages tell them that they will only defeat Ganondorf if they bring Ganondorf to the light and break the pact between the Twilight kingdom and Hyrule kingdom.
