Due to my many conflicting emotions about this game, I decided to beat it before writing a review. Now that I've done so, I feel more comfortable pointing out the game's stunning attributes - and disappointing flaws.
The Wind Waker is not a perfect game. Many expected it to be, and many have even claimed that it is, but it is not.
First of all, let's just get it out of way: the game is simply one the best-looking videogames ever made. I mean, the animation, the look, the style, the fluidity - unmatched. All the way up to end, I was consistently struck by these graphics. Anyone complaining about its cel-shaded, "kiddie" look are out of their minds, and likely haven't seen the game in action. The controls feel very crisp and natural and the adjustable camera is a dream. The sound effects are evocative and the game tells a grand, sweet story with witty writing and the heart that the Zelda series has always been famous for. Add a second quest for the first time in many years on a Zelda game, and you've got a great package all around.
So where's the rub? This game is criminally easy! After a point, I began to wander around and goof off, because I was blowing through this adventure way too fast. The bosses are a joke, and even Ganon can be toppled without kicking the bucket with a pocket full of fairies (I did it). The fact that this game follows Majora's Mask and Ocarina of Time, two of the most fiendishly labrythine games ever, only makes this more glaring. And speaking of those two games, throw in the SNES chestnut A Link to the Past and you've got an unholy synthesis of Wind Waker in it's entirety. There's virtually nothing found here that wasn't in those games in some way. It makes the gameplay predictable and sludgy too often. And how about that music, folks? Ironing... board... flat. Ugh. And if I had to sail around much more than I had to, due the poorly placed warp points, I was gonna start stabbing things.
Is all this enough to deter you from giving Wind Waker a try? No, but you'll absolutely notice these things. I very much enjoyed the game but these issues nagged at me.
Luckily, with a recently announced sequel, the cards are in play for Nintendo to fix these quibbles and deliver their Gamecube masterpiece. Until then, Ocarina of Time stands comfortably as the best Zelda game ever. Good luck, guys.
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