17
« on: July 28, 2003, 10:45:24 PM »
Here's my review.
Graphics: 10/10
When I play a game, graphics are the least on my mind. Unless I actually take a moment to think about them, I won't notice anything that doesn't stand out. But this game is an exception. I found myself being impressed by some detail every couple minutes. The way the grass waves around, that neat look for the water, the way the spiked vines wave, the Wind Temple boss, and so on. Everything looks so alive, and, unlike OoT, not once did I find myself having to close my blinds to get a better view of what I was doing.
Sound/Music: 9.5/10
I will never get tired of the theme for when you're sailing. The bosses all have their own battle them. The mini-boss theme is great. The music for the dungeons is fitting (though I don't if anyone has noticed this, but the Wind Temple's theme has a fair resemblence to Mizar's Palace in Jet Force Gemini). The only complaint I have is that when it turns night, or you reach one of the small islands, the music stops.
Gameplay/Difficulty: 8/10
The battles are mostly like OoT, but there's one useful addition: the parry. When a badguy does an attack that gets telegraphed (you can see it coming) and you have them targetted with you sword out, it will flash green. Press A, and Link with counter with one of his own attacks. Usually it's rolling under and attacking from behind, or jumping over nailing them in the head. The use of the parry can make enemies such as the darknut, a big sword-wielding knight, considerably easier, and it's fun to watch. Basically, the controls are simple, with minor addons, but they work perfectly.
Difficulty, unfortunately, is Wind Waker's biggest weakness. The bosses, for example, seemed to get progressively easier. The final battle wasn't even that tough. Even though enemies can actually gang up on you now, you take less damage than the previous games. I'd guess that it was an attempt to balance out the fact that you can be swarmed, but it didn't quite work out. Must've been one of those ideas that seemed better on paper, than in reality. Plus, the dungeons, even though I found the design to be terrific, were rather easy. There were only two points in the game were I actually had trouble in. The first was Shark Island, since inside there you have to waves of enemies. The second area, I can't remember where it was, but it involved battling Wizrobes that could summon other monsters.
Lastability: 9.5/10
The big thing about Wind Waker is how much there is to explore. There are a lot of small islands scattered around, at least one for each square on your sea chart, sea platforms, and submarines sticking out of the water. They each contain a minor challenge that results in a prize, usually rupees, heart piece, or a treasure chart. The treasure charts are for finding treasure in the see, usually lots of rupees or heart pieces. Just gathering these can take a fair amount of time. There's also several side-quests (requited/unrequited love seems to be theme among them) and the usual minigames. A Nintendo Gallery has been added where a sculptor will make figurines of people and monsters you that you've managed to get pictures of with the picto-box. There's also a second quest, but it's rather pointless unless you intend on completing the Nintendo Gallery or understanding the Hylian dialogue playing as Link in his pajamas. No added difficulty, sadly.
Overall: 10/10 (my opinion, not an average)
My favourite installment of my favourite series. I don't think I can go back OoT or MM for a long time after playing this game.
Show Posts
