15 Facts Your Boss Would Like You To Know You'd Known About Twilight Princess

Twilight Princess Game Review

The most sombre and dark of the Nintendo 3D Zelda games, Twilight Princess pushes the limits of graphics to the maximum limits on the Wii's hardware. It's darker and more unsettling than The Wind Waker. There are no bug-eyed pigs or effeminate Pirates.

Link is pulled into a parallel dimension known as Twilight Realm, where he transforms into an Hylian and a wolf, while being guided by Midna.

Gameplay

The thirteenth and final installment of The Legend of Zelda is Twilight Princess. It was released in 2006 for the Nintendo GameCube system and Wii. The game was highly acclaimed by critics and received top scores from various publications, including 1UP, CVG, EGM, and GamesRadar. Many consider it to be the most enjoyable game in the series and the most popular Zelda title on the PAL market.

Twilight princess features an artistic and naturalistic graphic style that is similar to that of Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, with a more sophisticated graphic engine. Twilight princess is the first game in the series with a fully directional control scheme instead of a fixed-point perspective as in previous games. This change was made to accommodate the Wii console's pointing-based interface. The GameCube version has an area in the back of the game that has mirror-image maps for those who prefer a fixed view.

Link transforms into a wolf once he enters the Twilight Realm. He also meets Midna, an enigmatic creature. She reveals that the kingdom of Hyrule is being taken over by a group of shadow beasts led by the evil sorcerer Zant. She also reveals that she is the real ruler of Twili but was supplanted by Zant and cursed to her current form.

A short cutscene shows soldiers being killed by the shadow creatures when Link and Midna arrive at Hyrule Castle. Then, Link and Midna escape from the castle via a tunnel and enter the Twilight Realm.

Link can move more freely around the world in the Twilight Realm by using his Wolf form. Link can also use his senses to navigate through the world. He can sense ghosts of soldiers and animals in the distance. He can also whistle and pull grass from specific patches to summon an animal such as an Hawk, Epona or other. Alternately, Link can howl near these patches to summon the same animal.

Like earlier Zelda games music plays a major role in Twilight Princess. Link can play an instrument that is musical like the flute or the harp, in order to attract and call on different animals. He can also use his voice to command the wolf's appearance. Additionally, he can use his compass to guide him around the world and avoid getting lost.

Characters

The Legend of Zelda is full of colorful and unique characters that leave a lasting impression. These unique and imaginative characters such as hands emerging from toilets to pirates sailing across vast oceans are the core of this game. Twilight Princess continues the tradition of previous games by introducing a variety of memorable characters.

Throughout the story, Link meets new NPCs that are not just interesting, but also believable. It's a big step forward that so many of these NPCs aren't just there as victims, but actually have a role to play in the story. NPCs such as Rusl who explains why the forest is becoming more dangerous and kidnaps children, or Ordon villagers who appear as wolves while the children are being kidnapped They all have distinct personalities that feel genuine.

Other notable characters include Iza who runs the Boat Rental Cabin as well as Iza's Rapid Ride in the Lanayru Province, Louise, Telma's cat, who assists Wolf Link locate a secret passageway in her bar and sewer system to the castle and Faron, whose spirit is the one who guides Link and Midna to the Forest Temple in the Eldin Province. The duo defeats the Fused Shadow possessed by Diababa and gains the first Tear of Light.

Midna is the princess of the Twilight Realm and one of the most captivating characters in the game. She can switch between her wolf and human forms and is a part of the Triforce of Wisdom. She shares with Link about her experiences at the twilight, and about how she defeated Zant the King of Twilight.

Zant is the evil sorcerer that rules the Twilight Realm. He possesses the second half of the Triforce of Wisdom. He was removed to the Twilight Realm by the goddesses for stealing their land and enslaving the people. Midna dispels Zant's power, permitting him to transform into his human form whenever needed.

The game also has an improved horse called Epona that can be ridden in Hylian and wolf versions. Link can whistle at certain patches of grass to call the animal. (similar to Majora's Mask). Twilight Princess is the first game in the series where players can identify their horse.

Theme

Music is an important part of any Zelda game. It can make a game seem massive as well as expansive and thrilling. Twilight Princess' soundtrack is often criticized for being inconsistent and sporadic that doesn't capture certain emotions. Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask and other games have captivating music that explode at the right moment to create a feeling of grandness and eerie.

Toru Minegishi and Asuka Ohta were the composers for the music and sound design in Twilight Princess, with Koji Kondo managing the composers of the series for the first time since Wind Waker. The soundtrack for Twilight Princess is a bold departure from the standard approach to the franchise, with a minimalist approach to the melody and arrangement. The majority of themes for dungeons and fields begin with one instrument, creating an eerie and mysterious atmosphere for the player. Midna's lament, for instance utilizes a simple keyboard to induce a sense of sadness in the player.

Dungeon themes are among the most prominent examples of this trend towards minimalism, with a number of Dungeons displaying a dark and ominous ambience. This is particularly evident in Twilight Realm, which has an dark soundscape that could be heard on a David Lynch movie. The lack of melody and the conventional arrangement of this track enhances its ominous, unsettling nature. Drones and bizarre patterns are interspersed to create a dark, eerie texture.

A more joyful and uplifting song is Link's hometown, "Faron Woods." This tune uses a variety of soft sounds and stringed instruments that create an idyllic feeling of safety and peace for the player. The song contains a subtle nod to the most well-known scene in the franchise, because it has a melody that is reminiscent of the iconic melody that plays at Ocarina of Time's beginning.

Twilight Princess also has dynamic songs that change based on the player's location, what they do, and what is happening. For instance, the Hyrule Castle Town theme has different versions for each section of the town and Central Square being the most popular. Central Square having a more lively and full version of the tune. These variations add a nice flavor to the world of Hyrule, adding a sense immersion and depth.

Story

The story of Twilight Princess revolves around Link trying to stop Hyrule from being engulfed by the corrupted dimension known as the Twilight Realm. To do this, he takes the form of a Hylian and an Wolf and is being assisted by a woman called Midna.

Midna was the original ruler of Twili but she was overthrown and cursed by Zant into her imp form. Link and Midna are instructed by the Sages of the past that only by defeating Ganondorf will be in a position to release them from their curse. The Sages explain that the Mirror of Twilight causes the darkness to exist in the Twilight Realm. Midna and Link travel to the Spirit's Spring, where they encounter hostile monsters that kidnap children. With Wolf Link's acute sense of smell, they follow the children's scent to a bridge, and then enter the Twilight Realm.

They enter the Forest Temple, battle Diababa and get the first Fused Shadow. Faron then informs them of their next destination, the Eldin Province in the west (Wii), or east (GCN).

At the Lakebed Temple in Lanayru, Midna teleports Link to an erupting rock and uses her power to melt the ice in the bottom of Lake Hylia. The spirit of the recently deceased Zora Queen, Rutela, then appears and tells Link that he has to visit the Lakebed Temple in order to access a treasure of the Zora.

Returning from Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, the horse Epona is able to be used in Twilight Princess. Unlike the set name used in the two aforementioned games, Link can now decide the name of the horse by himself.

After arriving in  princess demo , Midna and Link recover the remaining Mirror Shards. The Sages inform Midna that she is the true ruler of the Twili. She was passed over for the monarchy, and had turned to an ego-driven god. The Sages also tell them that the only way to defeat Ganondorf is to bring him back to the light and break the pact between the Twilight and Hyrule kingdoms.