[Golden Legacy]

I'm starting this official topic for all video game reviews. Anyone is free to contribute reviews on any games they've played. This first post will be constantly updated and a have a link towards each review and author, and we'll keep this as an archive and keep it growing.

Since I'll be keeping track of all of the reviews here, discussion IS allowed, but only about the reviews themselves. Offer constructive criticism for other people's reviews. Do NOT, however, flame or attack people about their "gaming taste" or anything of the sort.

So post your reviews (THEY DO NOT NEED TO BE AS LONG AS MINE! I just went overboard because I personally wanted to), and enjoy.
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Reviews by:

Golden Legacy
The Legend of Zelda, Twilight Princess

Caael
Halo 3







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http://zs.ffshrine.org/album/twilight-princess/logo/ltpz.jpg
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Review by Riad (Golden Legacy)

General Background: The much anticipated Zelda title finally saw release in 2006, for both Wii and GameCube. First revealed at E3 2004, the game was first noted for its graphic overhaul from Wind Waker, featuring a darker game and a more realistic Link akin to the acclaimed Ocarina of Time.

The game follows typical Zelda convention, starting out as nothing more than a Link who lives a simple life in a distant village on the outskirts of Hyrule proper. You’ll eventually don the famous green outfit, ride across the beautifully recreated Hyrule field atop of Epona, visit locales (old and new), and face challenging dungeons, all against the backdrop of a wonderful plot. Let’s begin there.

Story/Premise: A dark evil begins to shroud the land… clichéd, no doubt, but the workings of the mysterious Twilight as it threatens to envelop Hyrule is no less daunting a tale. It is in this alternate realm that one of the game’s signature gameplay features occurs – in the Twilight, Link cannot sustain his human form and transforms into a wolf (the gameplay details of which I will touch on this later in the review).

Of course, this Zelda title has one of the most vivacious and creative creatures of any video game, in the form of the cute and clever Midna, who Link encounters early in the game. Her mysterious identity and whimsical ways add an extra dimension to the storyline, and indeed her role is pivotal. At times in the game, her identity and storyline will be even more interesting than the actual “Zelda plot” itself, and it does prove satisfying. Players will love Midna’s enthusiasm and quirks and wonder what’s her motive for helping Link, and they will be in awe to discover the true power of the sinister Twilight King, mastermind of the Twilight force that’s taking over Hyrule.

Graphics: Clearly this game takes on a realistic graphical overhaul from Wind Waker, and whether this game is seen as a last-generation GameCube effort or a first effort for Wii, the results are the best of any Zelda game to date. The animation is flawless, Hyrule Field stretches out in all directions with beautiful water effects, and the detail given to Link and other characters in the game is striking – the art direction in this game cannot be overemphasized enough. The Twilight Realm, in particular, is a sight to behold, with a bloom-filled color palette effect not unlike watercolors, and it is dazzling and eye-pleasing. There are a hiccups here and there (low-key textures, especially in the desert/sand areas) and some low-resolution, but on the whole the game’s presentation is wonderful and conveys the sense of epic scale of Hyrule.

Sound: Twilight Princess’s weakest point. The music in this game is certainly solid, with classic remixes that will delight veterans to Zelda and new tracks too. However, excepting a few key events in the game, most of this music is MIDI and thus lacks crispness and quality. The same can be said for the lack of voice-acting (Midna does say a few words and phrases, though), which, while not hugely necessary, would certainly help. However, what is great about the music is that it changes and follows the current game events – for example, the beautiful Hyrule Field Overworld theme now changes depending on whether Link is standing still or moving, and has a variation when riding on Epona or engaging enemies.

Gameplay: Finally, the most significant part – how does Twilight Princess play, and how does it compare with other Zelda titles?

Twilight Princess builds on a tried-and-true Zelda gaming style that should be familiar to fans. Combat follows the convention originally created in Ocarina of Time and enhanced in Wind Waker. Link will slash with his sword and use items he’s gained, and is able to use Z-locking on enemies, around which he will strafe and attack. The biggest change for these mechanics is on the Wii version of Twilight Princess, which features enhanced motion-sensing controls. For the most part, these succeed phenomenally. Whereas once you had to use an analog stick to aim, it’s now done with the Wii remote by simply pointing at the screen. Shooting down enemies with the bow and arrow with pixel-point accuracy is immensely satisfying and more responsive than ever before. Sword slashes are now mapped to simple wrist motions of the Wii remote. It’s gesture-based, so it more follows a replacement for a button than actual motion translated in the game, but it’s immersive and satisfying to defeat enemies with it.

(speaking of using the sword, there is now a sidequest and subplot involving the “Hero’s Spirit”, through which Link can learn six new sword techniques. They are incredibly useful and wicked cool, and learning them will add a new flavor and style to defeating enemies)

http://www.computergame.com.au/userimages/user1166_1150367763.jpg

Using the nunchuck’s motion sensing is a little less reliable, and even by the end of the game there were still problems getting it to differentiate between the shield and the sword’s spin attack, which is perhaps the weakest point in an otherwise improved and more satisfying control scheme.

The Wolf mechanic, as mentioned earlier, that Link transforms into is a vital part and a distinguishing characteristic of the game. Wolf Link is controlled similarly, using the analog stick to move and even using the motion sensing to attack. There is greater speed and strength, and the ability to use senses such as smell to discover hidden paths and trails. Most importantly, it is in Wolf form that Midna becomes accessible to players, and she adds important attacks and techniques, including a powerful energy shield that can trap enemies and are essential for taking out the Shadow Beings (enemies from the Twilight). It’s a fun mechanic with some cleverly designed puzzles involving Wolf form, and the only complaint here is that it’s used significantly early on in the game, and less so later on. Still important, but there will be stretches where the only reason to turn into a Wolf is to use Midna’s teleport ability to revisit old locations.

http://www.ganonstower.com/zeldagcn2/wtpz42.jpg

Speaking of which, the classic Zelda formula of exploring new areas and backtracking to old ones to discover items or new secrets is intact. Hyrule is absolutely immense in scale, as riding even Epona takes considerable time to go through it. Dungeons, a key hallmark of the Zelda franchise, return big time with nearly 10, all of which with fantastic level design and clever use of the new items. At the end of each dungeon is a boss battle, and as per typical Zelda gameplay, usually involves the new item from the dungeon in some way. These battles are epic and these creatures are huge. The concept for taking down them is always so fun to discover and to implement, the only downside is that they are usually taken care of with a few blows. There are truly some fantastic and creative ideas for boss battles – the one in the 4th dungeon, for example, still stands out to me as one of the most creative boss battles in history. That’s also worth mentioning that the final boss battle in this game is absolutely sick – your arms will be aching with satisfaction. It would almost be worth purchasing the game just to relive that one over and over.

There are many other aspects to Twilight Princess’s gameplay that are certainly worth mentioning, but I will make note of one final one – horseback riding as never before. Link can now ride on Epona with full access to his weaponry, and what results is one of the most satisfying experiences of any Zelda game. There are scripted events involving taking down enemies on horseback that occur at a few points in the game, and these are magnificently well-done. Once the small learning curve is mastered, you will be slashing enemies and making perfect body shots with the bow and arrow, all while riding on Epona through the landscape. Picturesque and appropriate, no doubt.

Overall: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is a fine game and an excellent entry in the Zelda series. It remains testament to one of the best tried-and-true gameplay of any video game series around, all while adding new features in the form of Wii-enhanced controls, the new Wolf mechanics, and horseback riding. A few elements of the game, namely the sound, could have used more polish, and there is still the problem that Zelda fans will be familiar with, in that new items received in later dungeons are only used a few times throughout the game, and then they are retired once the (usually easy) boss battles have been taken care of. However, on the backdrop of a story with a darker tone, the inevitable attachment that players will grow with Midna, and a reimagined Hyrule whose grandeur and scope is immeasurable, this is indeed the best imagining of Link and the world of Hyrule to date.


~4000~

[Split Infinity]

That's an excellent review GL, but I'm afraid that a lot of people here wouldn't have the patience to type out a 1500 word summary of a game and then just post it on a forum. I mean, something of that magnitude belongs on GameFAQs.

[Golden Legacy]

I had a lot of free time (finished classes early, took a break), and I'm NOT expecting that much. In fact, I went overboard, I realize that. That was just what I did - you can feel free to post half, even a fourth of that amount. That was just personally, I couldn't do the game justice in such a short amount of space.

[Split Infinity]

I was thinking more of a one-paragraph effort with a rating attached; that good?

[Golden Legacy]

... More than that. They should at least be broken up into a few sections, have a few sentences about graphics, gameplay, sound, overall, etc. Work with whatever system you want, make it short if you want, just put some more effort into it, more than you would a normal post. That good?

[Caael]

Halo 3

This game is outstanding. I'm saying that from an unbiased point of view as i've never owned or played previous halo games, so this was my first time playing. It, quite simply put, was the best experience I've had in gaming.

Single Player
The campaign is great fun to play and very involving with the plot. There are real time cut scenes and a few twists, and overall it's a great experience. From what i've heard, it has a lot less levels than previous games, but I still enjoyed it. Whats more is the 4 player co-op. Completing Legendary with my friends was an awesome experience. It's short, but there's loads of variety in the levels: 9/10

Multiplayer
Christ on a bike this is the best thing ever. What more do you want than dozens of amazing maps, hundreds of different matches to play and millions of people to play against? I thought offline multiplayer with bots was fun but...this is actually the best thing ever. Yes, it can get frustrating at times when you're having a losing streak but you can just take a break in Big Team Battle and everything is okay. Seriously, go play Halo 3 online now. This is the highlight of the game: 10/10

Graphics
Bungie put a ton of effort into making this game look as realistic as possible. The textures are some of the best in games. However, the character models aren't as well made. In multiplayer it's fine because everybody is a spartan or elite, but in Campaign with human faces to model, it's not as sucessful as it could have been. But the multiplayer more than makes up for that tiny little hitch. 8/10


Sound
Awesome sound. The music is epic and kicks in at all the right times, like at the start of a massive scarab battle. The gun sounds are amazing and all convey the sense of power you should feel from the respective gun. A sniper will band loudly and whoosh as the bullet speeds past. A grenade will make the right clinking noise if it bounces off metal, dirt, rock etc. Plus the voices are top notch. The Cortana flashbacks every 5 minutes are annoying but thats about it with sound:9/10

[b]Overall
The best gaming experience in my life. I've made some new friends online that I regularly talk to, so it's also social :lol: But really, if there's a better gaming experience out there, I haven't played it yet. I love this game. [b]10/10

[Laharl]

Golden Legacy, on Feb 15 2008, 11:50 PM, said:

Sound: Twilight Princess’s weakest point. The music in this game is certainly solid, with classic remixes that will delight veterans to Zelda and new tracks too. However, excepting a few key events in the game, most of this music is MIDI and thus lacks crispness and quality. The same can be said for the lack of voice-acting (Midna does say a few words and phrases, though), which, while not hugely necessary, would certainly help. However, what is great about the music is that it changes and follows the current game events – for example, the beautiful Hyrule Field Overworld theme now changes depending on whether Link is standing still or moving, and has a variation when riding on Epona or engaging enemies.

do you actually have the OST? The music ceratainly isnt MIDI :/

Voice acting is only of concern to the lazy and unimaginative

the rest of your review is decent, but i have to strongly disagree with you here

[Golden Legacy]

I don't have the OST, but is that so about not being MIDI? I'm pretty sure a lot of the music is synthesized, and there are actual orchestral pieces, but there are also just as many synthesized MIDI tracks. To be fair, I don't 100% remember (I haven't played Twilight Princess in nearly eight months), link me to the OST and remind me, would you?

And I understand what you mean about voice acting. I noted that it's "not necessary", and the game certainly succeeds without it (as have the other Zelda titles) - but it wouldn't hurt to have that option either. Not to have Link talk, but some of the other major characters. For example, we hear Midna taunt and make cute noises or exclamations, and I can't help but feel her great character could have been fleshed out more with voice acting.

Again, not necessary, but it can't hurt, can it?

[Someone Else]

Voice acting can be a mixed blessing. In games like Oblivion where there's lots of characters and dialogue, it isn't needed and can actually take something away from the game. In Morrowind (the game before Oblivion), there was no voice acting except for generic greetings, taunts in combat, and phrases outside of dialogue. (things like "Hi." "Hey, you stole something!" "Come back here!" "Hah, you're failing.") This was better than having voice acting because it allowed for more variety in the things NPCs can say. You could imagine different tones and voices unlike Oblivion, where there's only 8 or something different voice actors for over 1000 NPCs.

Linear games are more conducive to voice acting. Zelda would probably benefit from full voice acting, like the Witcher did where there's less NPCs than a huge sandbox game like Oblivion.

Since we have a Halo 3 review I'll have to make a Crysis review later... heehee...

[Aquamarine]

Very good topic, GL. Reading your TP review gives me the urge to write my own. However, it would be probably be an "answer" to your one, seeing as you absolutely loved the game, while I found a lot of it to be unsatisfying and less than I had expected. I don't think I will have time to write it up any time soon though...

However, I do agree with you that the 4th boss of the game(Stallord) is amazing and possibly the best boss in the game. I had so much fun fighting him, I wish I could play him again.