Developer:
Nintendo
Publisher:
Nintendo
Available
on: Gamecube
Reviewed
on: Gamecube
Release
Date (US): Mar 25, 2003
Retail
Price: $49.99
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After
much hype-up, hype-down, and millions of angry posts
to gaming message boards all over the internet, the
latest and most controversial Zelda game has finally
come to our shores.
For those unfamiliar with it, The Legend of Zelda is
one of Nintendo's oldest and best-loved franchises.
The storyline varies from game to game, but it always
revolves around a lone hero named Link who sets out
against the forces of darkness. Critically acclaimed
and coveted by gamers of all persuasions, the Zelda
games are huge.
The reason this particular game has garnered so many
mixed reactions is its presentation -- the game is completely
cel-shaded. Cel-shading is a graphical technique that
creates the illusion of hand-drawn animation, and, according
to the game's detractors, makes everything look like
"a kiddie cartoon."
I'll address this issue later on in the review, so let's
start with the most important things.
GAMEPLAY
The Zelda games have
always prized gameplay above all else, and Wind
Waker is no exception. Everything in the game
has been executed with an exacting attention to detail,
putting even the most polished third-party games to
shame.
As the name of the game implies, much of the gameplay
centers around the wind. You can see the effects of
the wind almost everywhere in the environment -- the
grass, trees, hair, and clothing all sway with respect
to the current direction of the wind. Like in previous
Zelda games, the day fades into night and then back
again to day, altering the behavior of village dwellers
accordingly. New to this game are functioning lunar
cycles and weather patterns, which also have a bearing
on the environment. The main mode of long-distance
transportation is a sailboat, and when the weather
acts up you'll see and feel it on the sea.
When on dry land, Link scurries around in an incredibly
intuitive (and fun) way. If you were a fan of cutting
the grass and bushes in the old Zelda games, you'll
find a lot to love here -- Link can cut down grass,
large bushes, and small trees, all of which fall to
the ground in the most satisfying of ways. Battling
enemies will feel instantly familiar to veterans,
as the lock-on and fight mechanism of the previous
games returns, only more tighter and more refined.
You'll quickly be slashing, dodging, and parrying
as if it was second nature.
Of course, no Zelda game would be complete without
dungeons. The dungeons in the Wind Waker again raise
the bar, offering the best and somehow least frustrating
puzzles ever seen in a 3D adventure game. Each dungeon
features a different theme and visual style, ensuring
that the experience never becomes monotonous. Of course,
there is a new item to gain in each dungeon, which
is invariably used to fight the dungeon's boss. The
bosses, while generally fairly easy to defeat, offer
over-the-top fights and a satisfying conclusion to
a long bout of puzzle-solving.
Since the story takes place in a flooded world, a
good deal of the gameplay involves sailing. The sailing
sections, while they offer a nice diversion and tons
of side quests to entertain, can sometimes induce
yawns. You will, however, gain the ability to teleport
across the map about 25% into the game, which cuts
down on the monotony significantly.
VISUALS
This
game is among the most beautiful ever seen on a home
console. The cel-shading gives the game an unprecedented
amount of personality, and allows every character
to emote in ways never before seen in real-time gaming.
Link, in particular, boasts a long list of facial
nuances, almost all of which are capable of eliciting
delight. The way his face changes when he pulls out
the skull hammer, in particular, is simultaneously
hilarious and bad-ass. The environments are gorgeous,
and manage to capture the same hyper-stylized feel
of the characters.
The texture variety is tremendous, and ensures that
every location has a very unique vibe. The special
effects used in the water and the explosions are some
of the most original visual techniques seen in video
gaming. All this, and the frame rate stays smooth
and rock-solid throughout.
Anyone who would dare knock this game because of the
way it looks would have to have an extremely narrow
perception of what constitutes "good graphics."
This is quite possibly the best and most consistent
art direction yet seen in video gaming.
SOUND
and MUSIC
Yet
another triumph from the good people at Nintendo.
The music in the Wind Waker is atmospheric, well-composed,
and perfect for the game. You'll quickly notice the
dynamic music system when nearing an enemy and engaging
it in battle, as it changes with the intensity of
the fight. The sound direction is equally outstanding;
everything in Link's world makes a satisfying and
appropriate sound. The characters do not actually
talk, which is somewhat disappointing in this day
and age, but the sounds they emit when you first question
them are surprisingly charming.
And yes, the game DOES make use of the traditional
Zelda theme music, as you will discover during the
game's introduction.
PRESENTATION
The
game's presentation stays true to its roots, and the
map system is done very well. I would have liked to
see a slightly more visually pleasing item selection
screen (the green/yellow color scheme doesn't do it
for me,) but it is certainly quite functional. The
speech text is done very well and even alters with
respect to the tone of the speaker. Of course, you
can save the game at any time.
REPLAY
VALUE and ADDITIONAL FEATURES
Here's
where the game really comes together. The Wind
Waker is stuffed to the brim with side quests,
mini games, treasure hunts, and additional features
to play with. You can connect the Game Boy Advance
to play with a friend, who can serve either as a helpful
aide or a bomb-dropping demagogue. Once you beat the
game, you have the option of playing through a second
quest, which subtly changes the text of the game and
moves many of the items around. There are hours and
hours of gameplay packed into this disc -- you will
not be disappointed.
TO
SUM IT UP...
Astonishing.
Incredibly fun. Huge. Drop-dead gorgeous. Without
a doubt the best Zelda game ever, and quite possibly,
the best game ever, period.
FINAL
VERDICT:
10
out of 10
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