A game with a new villain, new weapons and an unlikely ally.
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I remember when this game first came out. It was an important release for fans, especially since we had been teased with a game with graphics like this before, only to get Wind Waker instead with its cartoony graphics and lack of difficulty. It took many years for this game to get released, and the game promised to bring new challenges and puzzles for everyone who loved this series. I am glad to say that although this game has some flaws, it is definitely worth playing. Go and buy this game and play it, I promise it will not be a waste of your time.
The game begins this time with Link living in a small town, and living as a simple herder of a goat like animal. He lives a nice life here, but one day a strange twilight starts to take over Hyrule. Some new villain named Zant has traveled from a distant land, and is the one responsible for causing this disaster all over Hyrule. The first time the Twilight takes over an area Link is in, a strange thing happens. He gets turned into a wolf an it taken away to a dungeon. While he is in there, a person named Midna comes to help release him. She leads him to Princess Zelda who fills him in on what happened. His task is clear, he has to free all of Hyrule from the Twilight and stop Zant’s plans before it is too late. How will Link be able to accomplish this? Why does Zant want to cover Hyrule in twilight? And who is Midna, and why does she want to help Link?
This game this time is broken into provinces, and each one has a theme. Ordon is where the game begins, and where Link gets his first items. Faron is more of a forest realm, with the first dungeon and a few areas important for later in the game that I will not spoil here. There is also Kakariko village, but seasoned gamers will see it is bigger and full of more life than ever before. There is also Death Mountain which is housed by the Gorons, and this realm is also bigger than before, and the dungeon here will be a real challenge to complete. Gamers will also get to return to Lake Hylia and run into the Zoras. This area brings another difficult dungeon and gives players a chance to fish again and get some great prizes here. There is also the Gerudo desert, with its mystery and intense puzzles. This area becomes very important, especially later in the game. You also get to explore new areas like a mountain peak and a city in the sky. There is even an entirely new dimension you get to see, but to go there you will have to play this game.
This game expands on many items from Ocarina of Time, and even finds new ways to use them. A great example of this is in the Goron mines, where you acquire the iron boots. You soon find out you need them here to climb the walls, walk on the ceiling and even to survive some mini boss battles. This is awesome to see,and even more fun to explore this intense dungeon. There is also a really cool Zora armor that you get to use, and it makes it easier to breathe and swim underwater for our beloved hero. This is of course needed to get through the dungeon and defeat the boss who can be a real pain to beat, but it sure is a blast to fight him. As you move on in the game, you also get a new item called the dominion rod that makes it possible to control some types of statues, and this is very fun. You can use them to beat some bosses, and to explore new areas. There is also a new weapon called the spinner, which has a lot of different uses. You can explore places where the floor is missing by riding it on the sides of the walls, you can open doors with it and you can harm enemies. These are some of the new items that make this game awesome, to see them all will have to play this game.
There are also some challenging boss battles in this new adventure. You will have to fight a number of mini bosses to attain the items you need to continue on in each dungeon, and some of them can be tough to beat. There is Dangoro in the Goron mines, who you fight in an interesting arena. You are on a giant disk shaped floor, and if you don’t hold on he will knock you clear off of it. This is a battle that will take some patience and I doubt you will complete it on the first try, I know I didn’t. The worst mini boss was Darknut, a huge evil knight with a lot of armor and a giant sword and shield. You have to knock off his armor, and then destroy him once it is all gone. This guy was a pain in my butt, I died by his hand more than I would like to admit, but defeating him is well worth the anger and annoyance he will cause you. There are also some amazing boss battles, ones that have not been seen in a Zelda game before. One boss that refuses to die is Stallord, a giant skeleton demon. Not only is he tough, but the battle at times will seem never ending. He has a real desire to not quit, and yet once he does finally kick the bucket what happens next is worth all of the tries and continues you will use. There is also Argorok, who happens to be a giant fire breathing dragon. This is an intense boss battle, and it is by far one of the coolest arenas I have ever seen. The locale is full of dark clouds and thunder and lighting, and you can tell he won’t go down easy. It will be a pain to beat him, but trust me don’t give up no matter how badly you may want to.
This game also brings some new puzzles. You get to travel Hyrule on Epona, your trusty steed. But when you end up in a twilight zone, you become a wolf and have Midna as your rider. She will be there to offer hints, and help you figure out what you need to do and where to go next. As wolf link, you get the chance to find a type of glowing wolf and actually howl, which is just amazing to do. This is a way you get to learn new skills later as a man, called hero skills. The more of these you get, the stronger and more powerful Link will become. This is also the only game in the series so far where you have to collect five pieces of heart to gain another heart container, in all of the other games it has always been four.
My only problem with this game is that it can be tedious at times. To be able to move on, you have certain tasks that you have to do, there is no choice at all. These tasks can take some time to complete, and are not always fun to do. The game is also massive, and there is much work to be done if you want to get everything. There are also times in this game that you won’t have control of what happens, like when Link ends up in a twilight zone. At first, wolf link will be weaker, and it takes some getting used to playing the game this way. Midna can also get annoying at times with her obvious advice, but she is an asset when you are wolf link. Besides these small issues, it is still a good game.
If you enjoyed Ocarina of Time, you must play this game. If you have enjoyed any of the past Legend of Zelda game, you have to give this one a try. It really is a visually stimulating adventure, and one that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. Go out and buy this game, you will be glad that you did.
You seem to like your Zelda with a nice dose of new ideas, so I would recommend Skyward Sword. Assuming you’re willing to use motion controls a lot, some people really hate that.
I have played that game, and it was awesome. The motion controls took some getting used to, but once I did they were amazing. I did a review of that game too, and it is by far the best game in the series I have played. Did you get a chance to play Skyward Sword? And what did you think of it?