An under appreciated gem which at first visually challenges you to adapt to the 2006 graphics of the Gamecube. None the less once your eyes adjust, the simple charm and homage to Ocarina of Time is undeniable throughout this game.
This game does not do anything in particular to grab your attention, nothing you haven't really seen before but it works flawlessly as one progresses. There's no great hook in the beginning so for some the lack of story can unfortunately turn into a wall. This was the case for me many years ago when I first tried the Wii version of Twilight Princess. I remember specifically being completely unimpressed by the muddied texture and dull atmosphere and did not even get to the monkey holding the baby carriage. I dropped it never to touch the wii version ever again. I'm not sure why I decided to give it another shot but this time I played the GameCube version and it was a totally different feeling.
Looking around online many people would say how "the wii version was a horrible mirrored port of the Gamecube which originaly TP was designed for the GC." I never knew this and it turned out to be true. As soon as I started it I got through the rather dull beginning, once you leave Link's hometown and start the adventure I was unable to stop playing. A couple weeks later putting in time here and there I finished TP in 50 hours. This was the easiest, most enjoyable 50 hours I've put into a game in a long time!
OoT was my first console game I've ever played when I was around 5 years old. I got the Collector's Edition and played that and Majora's Mask countless times throughout my gaming life including through the 2DS versions. Of course Windwaker as well and I did manage one playthrough on the Wii U 8-10 years ago, but amazingly skipped the Twilight Princess HD port and which from my research I'm not too disappointed in because the Gamecube experience itself was extremely satisfying. Yes I even played Breath of the Wild when it released on the Wii U which was what 2017?! I liked it but found that it was a bit of a slog with the open world but did manage to beat it and had a playtime of roughly 100 hours like my Witcher 3 playthrough which was also a slog. And no I am not against open-world games, loved GTA IV, San Andreas, Dragon Age Inquisition and Elder Scrolls IV/V putting countless hours into those games.
Point of that small cynicism is that Twilight Princess is what I love about Zelda games. Many old reviews criticize this entry as bad old game design, or worst Zelda in the series. Well you can add this review to the ones who say otherwise. TP's direction, it's world, and level design is Zelda perfection. Just listen to the soundtrack closely as you play and try to argue how this is not one of the most endearing and loving tracks? How it handles old songs from previous games is not laziness it is showing an appreciation for it's roots. Playing through the levels and exploring each new dungeon with the mirrored themes of OoT but with a more serious and grounded graphical style, I still felt right at home.
Bringing memories of all the times I replayed and mastered each Zelda game and feeling that contentment as I beat a dungeon and figured out a puzzle that seemed hard at first but once you get it you feel like an idiot. Yet this still makes me smile, and I keep going. There is no doubt that the "old level design" did have it's charm and addictive qualities even more so than modern day BOTW in my opinion.
Now while Zelda isn't really a game you go to for a gripping narrative TP really does a good job and actually succeeds in creating a believable world and lore just like OoT and MM did. Containing the same mystery and intrigue and sometimes creepiness at just the right amounts. However TP takes the cake, it is now the King of all Zelda stories for me. Why?
Let's start with the obvious game mechanic of Link turning into a wolf. Now clearly whoever came up with this played Okami and was like we need Okami in Zelda. Maybe this was stupid, maybe this was a trend at the time, but this added mechanic makes the game 20x more unique and smooth in it's experience. It keeps the game fresh, and you never feel bound to doing things one way even though in terms of puzzles you have to do as it is designed. But this Okami wolf thing makes the game so much fun and traversing the world an utter blast, and of course Epona is a beast, so there's two ways of traveling the world without fast travel and it feels so fast. Then obviously what adds to the fun movement is Midna' warping, portals that you unlock throughout specific areas of the world map after you beat these big ugly things. So many options!
There was never a moment that I felt the game was wasting my time making me go back and forth like many open world games now do. I miss the days where developers actually cared about your time. Now from someone who didn't mind Navi as much in the old games but most people find her annoying. Midna is amazingly crafted and feels more like a partner through the entire adventure. She doesn't intrude hardly at all and really comes in at your discretion, and when she does she is extremely helpful. She doesn't do anything to hold your hand and may give you a slight hint here or there but she doesn't treat you like a total dumbass even if you are one at the moment.
Nothing about the story and twist surprised me, a lot of it I saw coming. You play video games, watch anime, movies, etc for so many years it takes a lot to be impressed or feel genuine interest at times. YET, this game had some GREAT MOMENTS!
TP makes Ganon into a badass, and way more cool than what BotW did. This was old school Ganon, OOT Ganon but with a fresh design, a design that one cannot deny is the epitome of villainy! His maniacal laughing is so well timed, especially when he is first revealed through the Sage's flashback when they impale him through the heart. He took it like a boss and died, only to be reborn through the Triforce still impaled. When he opened his eyes he began to laugh in this kind of "Ha ha you fools! I have no heart to destroy!" kind of way that was so cool and cinematic I now have a whole new respect for Ganon that I never thought would be possible as a vg villain. And don't get me started on the final boss fight, not the beast form or Zelda puppet part. No the duel was the best part, change my mind!
To top it all off, the ending after Ganon's defeat was one of the best finales Ive seen in a Zelda game that even made me tear slightly (which I've never done in a Zelda game before). Well maybe with the exception of Skull Kid his story use to make me sad. Nonetheless, after everything you went through with Midna Ganon's curse is lifted and you see Midna's true form. Her response to Link's awe was masterful and hit me in the feels because of how simple and sweet it was.
"What? Say something! Am I so beautiful that you've no words left?"
It was fantastic closing with beautiful cinematography that resembles the end to the movie "Casualties of War" with Michael Foxe and Sean Penn where after a soldier (Foxe) survives Vietnam and witnessed a young Vietnamese girl suffer rape by his own squad and eventually murder, he's back home on a bus staring at a woman that looks eerily like the girl who died. As she gets off he goes up to her and she turns around to tell him "it was all a bad dream", which then the scene erupts with this beautiful orchestra. For some reason in the gamr the camera angle, the motion, and the feeling brought the same vibes. I feel that both the film and the game share a similar motif or theme, that throughout the darkness in the game (The Twilight and the evil of Ganon) or in the movie (the horror of war and the darkness of humanity) beauty and love still endures somehow. The Vietnamese girl at the end who was untouched by it all, and Midna who still attained her cute funny attitude and had her beauty returned was symbolic.
Even the credits of TP kept my attention as it tied in some loose ends of some of the smaller characters of Link's life, and had a final goodbye with Midna as she destroyed the Mirror portal to the Twilight World never to be seen by Link again, only to further create this majestic connection of love that I've never seen in any Zelda game. Not the romantic kind, but of truly caring for what happens to the cast of characters. I hope this game makes a big comeback for newer generations, although they may not appreciate it to this degree. You never know though. -Gio