After months of hearing people saying they would never pick up that "Celda" game, and complaining about how Nintendo ruined an awesome franchise, I'm ecstatic to report that this is quite possibly the greatest Zelda game to date.
Wind Waker does take a different artistic style, but the gamble pays off in spades. The character animations, vibrant backgrounds, and even Link's facial expressions really bring the game to life. In an odd way, it makes it seem more real than if they had gone with more realistic graphics. Since I have no complaints at all about the graphics, I'll move onto something which it's impossible to get perfect, the gameplay.
I've said I prefer Wind Waker over the Ocarina of time, and one of the big reasons is the upgraded battle system. The new parry move allows Link to dodge an enemy strike and hit them back, all with one well-timed button press. Also Link can switch to any enemy and move around them much more deftly than in OOT. If you can master it, you can take on hordes of enemies at once, which becomes a very exhilirating feeling.
On the down side, if you master the battling the game becomes very easy. A skilled player probably won't even die if they're careful. Also the number of dungeons has been lowered in favor of excessive exploration out on the open sea. Link has to go everywhere by means of a sailboat, and it's a bit excruciating until you recieve a spell for warping. Even being able to control teh direction of the wind doesn't speed things up as much as you'd think. Too much sailing and forced treasure hunting at sea was the main downfall to the game in my eyes, but they seem minor when compared to all the good things the game has to offer.
The puzzles and dungeons are as interesting as ever, and some optional quests are a more challenging part of the game for those looking for more.
Overall, while not perfect, the Wind Waker is an amazingly fun and enjoyable gaming experience, to go along with it's incredible technical proficiency. That adds up to it being one of my favorite games of all time, and with a few tweaks, it would BE my favorite, bar none.
Create an Account
Member Login
