The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was, as of 2006, the best game ever released in the Zelda series. It is largely an amalgamation of many of the defining features of past Zelda games; the light/dark world of ALTTP, the epic story of OOT, the darkness of MM, and the deeper combat of WW, but each aspect is so well refined, often beyond their original applications, that it is more than just a 'best of Zelda' compillation. The classic overworld/dungeon design has never been better, and the game is so huge it takes many dozens of hours to beat.
There are standout dungeons, such as the Yeti's house, that are among the best in the series. There are also more epic gameplay moments (they are not setpieces because they are fully playable) outside of the dungeons, such as the battle on the bridge, that give the game a cinematic feel, almost as if you are playing Lord of the Rings.
The biggest additions to the game, outside of the control scheme for the Wii version, are the wolf form and the combat on horseback. The wolf mostly controls the same as normal Link, and where their controls are analogous is inferior to his two-legged counterpart. But the wolf-specific controls, such as the energy field that allows Link to attack multiple enemies at once, are a lot of fun. The combat on horseback is perfect.
The biggest contoversy lies with the Wii controls. While they are now outdated thanks to Skyward Sword's incredible use of motionplus, I find the Wii controls of TP to be a big improvement over the Gamecube controls. Swinging the remote to use the sword, even though it isn't 1:1, is responsive and feels better than pressing a button. And using the pointer to aim is perfect, better than any early Wii FPS.
TP is not perfect, however. The first hour of the game is too slow. The graphics, while having a great art style and still good for 2006, have not aged well. And while the composition of the music is up to Zelda's high standards, the use of midi stunts its impact greatly. It was only with the Zelda 25th anniversary dc's orchestral version that I truly appreciated the new Hyrule Field theme.
But even with those few problems, TP remains one of the best games ever made, and in the Zelda series is second only to Skyward Sword.
A Series that Ages Like Fine Wine
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was, as of 2006, the best game ever released in the Zelda series. It is largely an amalgamation of many of the defining features of past Zelda games; the light/dark world of ALTTP, the epic story of OOT, the darkness of MM, and the deeper combat of WW, but each aspect is so well refined, often beyond their original applications, that it is more than just a 'best of Zelda' compillation. The classic overworld/dungeon design has never been better, and the game is so huge it takes many dozens of hours to beat.
There are standout dungeons, such as the Yeti's house, that are among the best in the series. There are also more epic gameplay moments (they are not setpieces because they are fully playable) outside of the dungeons, such as the battle on the bridge, that give the game a cinematic feel, almost as if you are playing Lord of the Rings.
The biggest additions to the game, outside of the control scheme for the Wii version, are the wolf form and the combat on horseback. The wolf mostly controls the same as normal Link, and where their controls are analogous is inferior to his two-legged counterpart. But the wolf-specific controls, such as the energy field that allows Link to attack multiple enemies at once, are a lot of fun. The combat on horseback is perfect.
The biggest contoversy lies with the Wii controls. While they are now outdated thanks to Skyward Sword's incredible use of motionplus, I find the Wii controls of TP to be a big improvement over the Gamecube controls. Swinging the remote to use the sword, even though it isn't 1:1, is responsive and feels better than pressing a button. And using the pointer to aim is perfect, better than any early Wii FPS.
TP is not perfect, however. The first hour of the game is too slow. The graphics, while having a great art style and still good for 2006, have not aged well. And while the composition of the music is up to Zelda's high standards, the use of midi stunts its impact greatly. It was only with the Zelda 25th anniversary dc's orchestral version that I truly appreciated the new Hyrule Field theme.
But even with those few problems, TP remains one of the best games ever made, and in the Zelda series is second only to Skyward Sword.