Gamasutra examines the current 96% average score for the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess on Wii (which I still don’t have ’cause it’s sold out). From the article: “One of the more controversial Twilight Princess reviews recorded at Gamerankings is Jeff Gerstmann’s at GameSpot, in which he awards the title a score of 8.8 out of 10… Gerstmann’s biggest issue is with Twilight Princess’s similarity to previous Zelda titles… He explains: ‘There’s a very noticeable lack of evolution here, which makes aspects of the game seem more dated than classic.’”
Does Gerstmann have a point? I think he does. Zelda should be judged right along all the other games that reuse proven mechanics over and over again especially when Nintendo cites the concept as a rampant problem in the industry. But I could care less about the low review score. If one reviewer didn’t enjoy the game on a 9+ level, that’s fine. What I do care about, however, is consistency in reviews. And judging from Gerstmann’s other 9+ reviews of recent big games that “lack evolution,” I’m not so sure he has that. So I can only wonder other motivations behind being a review outlier… Publicity maybe? Intended or not, Gamespot got it.
I finally snagged the new Zelda yesterday afternoon… They had gotten their order in just a few minutes before I got there.
Yeah, I’m feeling a lack of freshness when playing Twilight Princess, too. The few additions to the gameplay are awesome, but primarily, it’s the same game we played in 1998. It’s definitely not a bad game, which is why Nintendo is hesitant on messing around with the formula, but at some point, Zelda will need a redefinition. I still love this game to death, though, so don’t get me wrong. Probably the coolest parts in the game are watching Link in cut-scenes. He shows a lot of character and it’s cool to see him in some sequences, especially on horseback.
I don’t care much about freshness when I’m playing games if they’re fun. There’s a good deal of very original games that simply aren’t good, and a lot of unoriginal masterpieces.
What was a bigger complaint in the Gamespot review was the presentation. All midi music, once again, leaves a bit to be desired, the graphics are not quite where one would hope 9as incredible as they are), and the wiimote controls are a little iffy.
@ cronotrigger913
I believe someone at Nintendo (Shiggy, Iwata, Reggie…all?) said that Twighlight Princess is the last Zelda game “as we know it.” You’re getting your wish if they stick to this.
@acletras
I certainly hope that that is true. I’ve yet to play TP, but I feel that any new Zelda Wii title should have revamped controls as opposed to remapped controls. Basically do what they are doing with Phantom Hourglass for the DS: figure out a new way to control Link given the input methods and limitations that are available.
Additionally, I hope they push new story ideas like they did with Wind Waker with settings and story idea which differ to a greater degree. I thought that game did a great job of both including its world in with the others’, but also differentiating it significantly. I hope more future games do similar things.
Maybe it won’t seem so stale to me when I finally get the Wii and a copy to LoZ:TP in two weeks. The last Zelda I played was Minish Cap and I’ve never played the 3D Zeldas. I hope I enjoye the game.
@ the anonymous that never played a 3D Zelda game.
Then you are going to have an awesome time playing TP. I would love to be in your position right now. Zelda will truly knock your effing socks off. Have fun, buddy.
I don’t understand. Since when is 8.8 a low review score? I sympathize with the reviewer, even if I don’t agree that the game deserves below a 9.0. But c’mon, it’s still better than most other launch games have been scored in recent years.
I have a hard time believing it will be better than Wind Waker (am I the only one that loved the cell-shaded graphics? It was like playing a cartoon…) I’m sure I’ll still enjoy it, and I have phantom hourglass to look forward to for more cell-shaded goodness.
I want a cel shaded Zelda that is based on land and is completely filled with magic, I think it would work really well and be better than the Sea Setting. Im disappointed PH is going to be set at sea again.
THIS IS NOT A VALID COMMENT
When Nintendo made Wind Waker people didn’t want to embrace this brave experimental direction they were taking us in, regardless of its intrinsic merit.
“Why must Nintendo experiment?” said the zeitgeist. “Why can’t they make an upgraded version of Ocarina of Time? Why can’t they just give us what we want?”
Damned if they do, damned if they don’t.
The real problem is with the people. We’re a bunch of complaining fuckers, tired of the old, but afraid to embrace the new (lest we look stupid in front of our mates).
In the past Nintendo’s real skill was to figure out what people wanted when they didn’t even know it themeselves. It’s a fine and tumultuous line to walk, and perhaps Twighlight Princess doesn’t do it, carrying too much expectation of invention in one hand, and too much nostalgic lineage in the other. But what I do know is that if there’s any company in the world that can walk this line again, it’s Nintendo.
In conclusion, it’s unfair to expect something new, when we talk about hoping for something old.
That’s funny because I have Twilight Princess and no Wii.
What you have to keep in mind is that TP was begged for going on 6 years now. It took em that long to release this game, and by the time they did, it felt old, people forgot that they asked for a reaslistic looking Zelda game reminiscent of OoT, and it got caught in the Wii storm, entangling itself with shady control mechanisms and losing its once celebrated visual appeal.
You wanted it, you got it. Problem is, Nintendo mucked things up and delayed it a year. Woulda been mostly 10s in 2005. Take comfort in the fact that they promised to reinvent Zelda after TP. This is the last one for the road. Enjoy it. I just wish it didn’t feel like Ocarina 2, but i like it.
Cinematic feel and motion capture is the future of Zelda.
@Rollin
It’s getting 10′s now. 1up, Gamespy, Gamepro, GameInformer, and a bunch of other websites/mags all gave LoZ: TP the prestigious “perfect” 10 score.
Mainly it’s Gamespot giving TP the mean look by complaining how TP wasn’t really as “ground-breaking” as OoT. Is that really a bad thing? It’s a more refined and improved verson of the tried-and-true Zelda formula, and I can’t ask more than that. There’s only one release of Zelda every several or so years, and I don’t see how they’re already tired of it when the same damn Madden/Tony Hawk game is being released every year and getting similar scores to that of TP at GS.
8.8 isn’t a bad score, but in LoZ standards, it is.
@ bigos
LOL I have the same problem. I just can’t find a Wii now at all. Maybe I will get lucky and find one soon. Must play Zelda NOW.
My point above didn’t question the 10s it’s getting now, but assumed that it would’ve gotten more and mostly 10s had it been released when initially planned (assuming it was the same product).
About the reviewers going off previous installments: Madden and Tony Hawk are sports games. Zelda has a story and timeline. They aint the same. Hawk games and Maddens only really need gameplay tweaks, whereas Zeldas and other story-based adventure series need to evolve drastically to keep the world alive. TP, WW, and MM have all been continuations of Ocarina, neither one truly being a new chapter. That’s not a bad thing, but for some it can get old after a while. TP feels like their best attempt at a proper OoT sequel, MM being a spin-off and WW being a super-sequel (way in the future). Minish Cap was the first new Zelda since Ocarina.
As far as refining the formula, there aint nothin wrong with that. But Nintendo is wise to change their Zelda recipe starting on the next entry. Either Hero of Time Link returns and has a time paradox moment or Link goes altogether, cause these old-but-new Links with the same clothes and weapons, yet somehow being different people in different times, are wearing thin.
No way Link gets replaced. No freaking way. I know it’s Legend of Zelda, but replacing Link would be like replacing Mario. It would cause an uproar if it happened.
Zelda without Link could happen…think about the Castlevania series with no contiguous hero, and they continue to produce a coherent series.
TP is another great installment in the series and a solid game. The only problem with it’s scores are the reviewers only give high scores to games that “look” great. Read a few reviews anywhere and you will see what I mean. “Gears of War” get a ten becuase of its cutting edge graphics. It may be fun, but it is essentially a photorealistic DOOM.
Chris in TN
8.8 is not a low score!!!
And I’ll judge the game soon, but I’m very sceptical and like the Gamespot review.
Next month someone else is gonna review WarioWare and give it an 8.5, and another Infendo staffer will attack that person.
It’s our thing now.