Link Between Worlds is a game that does so many things
right. It captures the experience of the older top-down Zelda games while still
having a truly 3D environment. The art is a little odd, the game doesn’t take
full advantage of the 3D’s abilities, yet that hardly seems to matter. The game
manages to strike almost all the right notes with its choices. Furthermore in a
franchise filled with nearly identical games it stands apart.
Link between Worlds is known as Triforce of the God’s II in
Japan. It is a direct sequel to Link to the Past, or the first Triforce of the
Gods. Americans of course cant handle non-Christian religions so we didn’t get
those names. The over world is essentially the same, and many of the plot p
points mirror each other. Also similar is the fun game play and since of
exploration. It’s a pleasure to just wonder the over world killing enemies,
gathering rupees and looking for secrets. But beyond the surface its clear
Nintendo has learned a lot in the intervening decades. The game in hero mode is
still a bit easier than Link to the Past, which leads to a lot less
frustration. The dungeons are more distinct which leads to a lot less boredom.
Finally Nintendo has learned story telling. The story telling in Link to the
Past is nothing short of abysmal. In LBW the story telling is on point with
clever characters you can get attached to and exposition actually relevant to
what is happening.
Its actually very hard to think of criticism for Link
Between Worlds, but there are a few choices Nintendo made that I take issue
with. I think more cinematics and more complex camera work like zooming in on
the face of someone you’re talking to would increase immersion and make the
story pop even more. I also feel the sword combat can be rather boring. Minish
cap is not once of my favorite Zelda games but adding several different sword
moves would have been a good concept to recycle. I like the item renting system
but some items like bombs and arrows I wish you could gather separately.
Finally I wonder if the game will age as well as LTTP. I have no evidence
either way but my instinct tells me no.
Link Between World’s proves that there is still life in the
top down perspective. It’s a game so
well done, with flaws so small that its hard not to rank it amongst the best
Zelda games. While I can’t say what fans will make of it twenty years from now,
in the present it stands as a solid game with good mechanics, storytelling and
lots of charm.
9.6 out of 10.
-Gedaemon
No comments:
Post a Comment