The Legend of Zelda series has recently seen rereleases of many of its core titles. So it was only a matter of time before The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD would receive a face lift. Unlike the other Legend of Zelda remakes the visuals in Twilight Princess are only a slight improvement at best, but that doesn’t stop it from still being one of the best experiences in Hyrule’s history.
In true Zelda fashion, the game starts off with Link living a peaceful life in a remote part of the kingdom. Blissfully unaware of the darkness that is slowly consuming the world he lives in. After the peace is quietly swallowed by Twilight Link finds his village in ruins, and himself in the form of a noble beast. After the longest opening sequence of any Zelda title you discover the source of the Twilight and set out to liberate the land.
Story
On your quest you’re introduced to a handful of characters completely new to the Zelda franchise. The new companions and foes you encounter excellently complement the game’s mature tone. While Hyrule itself feels familiar it pushes the envelope on iconic locales while adding unexpected ones. The quest will be a lengthy one, but in true Zelda fashion it will all boil down to three select characters. It’s how Twilight Princess masterfully arrives at this point through the story and world building that is a thing of beauty.
Entertainment
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD adds some intriguing new features such as a new Amiibo that unlocks a new dungeon, 50 stamps to collect, and gamepad features. None of these improvements are groundbreaking, yet they do make the overall experience more enjoyable. The touch screen map and inventory is convenient, while the new dungeon gives you a brief new challenge. But Twilight Princess falls flat on its face as far as high definition is concerned.
Visuals
Most times you can’t distinguish it from the Wii version of the game. Though the game has a cleaner around the edges look there is nothing here to brag about visually. The later half of the game definitely looks tremendously better than the beginning, but that’s not saying much. I experienced clipping issues throughout the game. Though it did not impact the gameplay it’s a poor showing for a game that is supposedly a polished remake. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was already a great game, but it’s disappointing that The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD did little to improve the overall look of the game. If you could use the gamepad on your Wii there would be no need to buy this game.
Gameplay
How do you make excellent gameplay even better? Well sometimes you don’t. The great dungeon design and bosses that made the original a masterpiece are all present and accounted for. With more than enough control options and tried and true gameplay there’s nothing more to say.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD is great way to revisit a classic just the way you remember it, quite literally, or to experience the epic quest for the first time. From the plains of Hyrule field to ice covered tops of Snowpeak there lives a legend about the boy who took the form of a beast and saved the world from Twilight. Whether you know the legend well or want to hear it for the first time it’s a tale worthy of praise.
