Zelda: Twilight Princess - The Bad Reviews

Obviously it's easy to play a game and like it, but what do you think your missing or overlooking when your infatuated with a game? I thought I would try to gather up some user reviews of Twilight Princess (not necessarily a game I'm "infatuated" with, and see where the differences of opinion lie.

GameFAQs.com has turned up quite a few less than stellar if not dreary reviews. One user says, "with all the fields to run through, I am a bit too humbled by its scope. Warping, a skill you acquire early on in the game, helps some, but it presents a paradox: it makes the game too small." The world is huge. But it's realistic for the setting. I used the horse quite a lot in the game and found it to be much faster for traveling around looking for bugs and treasure. And of course you lose a lot of aural pleasure in just warping around. But it is true that if you stay on the main challenge of the game, warping will handle 90% of all your travel needs.

Another user comments on the world maps saying, "The overworld is bland-looking and extremely devoid of any people or activity. In the days of games like Oblivion and Fable, this is pretty unacceptable." I pretty much agree with this. It seems that Zelda is still stuck in the world of texture mapped cubes for forests and extremely unpopulated fields and mountains. Any small areas that are creative are only visited once and then only used for a highlight reel in the end credits.

Lastly, another 6/10 review posted on GameFAQs said, "In previous [Z]elda games, there have always been items that I liked so much that I would use them just for the heck of it. Deku Nuts. Fire, Ice, and Light arrows. The Wand and Book..." Another thing I didn't think of but is absolutely true. The bow and arrow and hook shot are the most used items in the game. There were three types of bombs and a need for only two (and that's because one dungeon needed water bombs). These used to be staples in Zelda games that just didn't seem to make a grand return.

When you get down to it, this Zelda is just different. We got the adult, graphic Link we have been asking for since Wind Waker and the story and background to go with it. In the end, there is no pleasing everyone, but having an eye for the faults is just as important as noticing the anti-aliasing and stellar MIDI compositions.