Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, The

GameSpy

An excellent addition (and homage to "Ocarina") to the franchise, and you'll have an enormous amount of fun playing it from start to finish. Get over the fact that the Wii's hardware is simply not as powerful as the other next-gen machines and get into the fact that Twilight Princess is one of the best games you'll play this year.

1UP

Truly fantastic. It's not a reinvention of the genre like Ocarina was -- but it's much better, because it takes all its predecessors' raw ideas, perfects them, and creates an experience that's at once new and familiar. It's rare to find a launch game that truly justifies the purchase of a new console, but this is precisely that.

Game Informer

As monumental as each entry has been, nothing, and I repeat, nothing can prepare you for the adventure that unfolds in Twilight Princess. The debate that has waged for decades over which Zelda game should stand as the series’ best will at long last come to a satisfying conclusion, as this is unquestionably the greatest Zelda yet.

Games Radar (in-house)

One of the most stirring, rewarding gaming experiences in history.

Computer and Video Games

It's the biggest Zelda game ever without a doubt and the extra year of development has clearly done it a world of good.

NintendoWorldReport

Rather than drastically reworking the series, Twilight Princess refines and expands almost everything you already love about Zelda, and it looks damn good doing it...One of the best games of all time.

GamePro

The key to Twilight Princess' genius lies in its ability to evoke, and fulfill, a feeling of nostalgia, to return you to the bygone days when you first played a Zelda game.

Deeko

If you add in the incredibly well designed control scheme, as well as Link's new ability to turn into a wolf, you've created an adventure that easily stands head and shoulders above that seen in "Ocarina"... Twilight Princess is easily one of the most phenomenal times you'll ever have with a video game.

G4 TV

In many ways, Twilight Princess is a love letter to "Ocarina of Time." There are tons of subtle nods that a watchful gamer will spot. It’s the glorious world the N64 wanted to show us, but couldn’t.

Next Level Gaming

Without a doubt the best Zelda title ever.

N-Insanity

Put all doubts about how the control scheme fits with the Wii-mote aside, and just embrace the greatness of what this "realistic" Zelda.

Gaming Age

A masterpiece and a AAA launch title for the Wii. The dungeons are fun and the puzzles, while sometimes difficult, always make sense. The scope of adventure and exploration cannot be matched by any other game.

Cheat Code Central

Twilight Princess captures the heart and soul of what a Zelda adventure is known for and manages to surpass the current benchmark, "Loz: Ocarina of Time," widely considered to be one of the best games of all time.

DarkStation

Perfection is redefined in Link's latest adventure, and making it easily the best game ever, bar none.

Electronic Gaming Monthly

Twilight Princess is a rarity: a game that spans 60 hours and never once feels boring. Between the immaculate gameplay, the devious puzzles, and the gripping story, it's simply the best Zelda ever. And that's saying a lot. [Jan 2007, p.56]

GameShark

Twilight Princess reminds you why you began playing games in the first place.

Sydney Morning Herald

Imaginative and masterfully designed, Twilight Princess is every bit as good as the best Zelda adventures. It is hugely rewarding and absolutely essential for new Wii owners.

N-Europe

A fine demonstration of the genre and the medium, and will leave the masses breathless.

Nintendojo

Not only immersive, but addictive. Once quest has begun, it will be near-impossible to put the controllers down until Link and Midna have saved the day.

The Onion (A.V. Club)

Fifty-plus hours, an immense adventure, and a sexy new style? Twilight Princess may not perfect, but it's darn near close.

Times Online

The game contains scores of puzzles, requiring a mixture of logic, observation and luck. What’s great is that it gives you time to solve them, rather than placing you under constant pressure from grisly baddies. There’s also a plot-twist or two.

Thunderbolt

Mixing the classic Zelda formula with a more mature tale, Twilight Princess is an epic of the highest caliber that gamers will not want to miss.

The Wiire

Does Twilight Princess surpass Ocarina of Time? Again, depends on your perspective, but this latest Zelda is bigger and deeper in every way imaginable, so I'm inclined to say yes.

GameBrink

It truly is, in my opinion, the best and longest Zelda ever made. With nearly 70 hours of playtime committed and more still to do, I cant think of a better experience or value this holiday season.

eToychest

From its characters and epic, if somewhat predictable story, to the gameplay itself, Twilight Princess is a terrific extension to one of the most timeless and important franchises in video game history.

Just RPG

The lasting appeal of Twilight Princess is one of its main selling points. It is immense. Averaging around 50 hours (only for the main quest), it will keep players busy for a long time.

WHAM! Gaming

It’s a huge game with an enthralling storyline and a huge mix of different gameplay elements that will keep players from ever being bored.

Official Nintendo Magazine UK

As one of the most well-rounded, charming and utterly captivating games we've ever played, Twilight Princess is a game that everyone must experience, regardless of gaming preference. [Christmas 2006, p.52]

NGamer UK

You'll be slowing down through the final spectacular dungeons because you won't want it to end... The best Zelda ever made. Wii's off to a stunning start. [Jan 2007, p.32]

Kombo

Twilight Princess is not as revolutionary as "Ocarina of Time." It doesn't reinvent a 2D classic as a 3D one. It doesn't revolutionize the adventure genre. Instead, it takes everything about the Zelda universe and improves upon it. It is bigger, and it is better. But it’s not new. It is a great evolution of the loved series.

GameTrailers

Twilight Princess gives you just about everything you were hoping for in a new Zelda game while supplying things you didn't even know you wanted in the first place. The tone is decidedly darker, the overly melodramatic moments are subdued, and it deliverers that razor-sharp Zelda gameplay...It's easily one of the greatest games ever created.

Console Gameworld

If "Ocarina" was a great step forward from its Super Nintendo predecessor "Link to the Past" in terms of plot development, Twilight Princess is leaps and bounds ahead of "Ocarina."

Games Master UK

A massive and engaging adventure that uses the Wii controller superbly. Amazing. [Christmas 2006, p.52]

Gaming Nexus

The best the series has to offer up to this point. It gives a tantalizing taste of the Wii’s potential and an experience so big, only hardcore RPG’s can compare in depth and breadth.

VGPub

Even if you own a Gamecube, this is the version you should be buying because I can’t imagine playing it any other way, nor would I want to.

Pelit (Finland)

Quite simply an excellent action-adventure. The killer-app of all times. [Jan 2007]

Jolt Online Gaming UK

It’s not perfect and there’s no real reason to prefer the Wii version over the Gamecube’s, but The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is every bit the masterpiece gamers have been craving for, and proves there’s life in the old wolf yet.

Gamers Europe

Is it better than "Wind Waker"? Yes – much better. Is it better than "Ocarina of Time"? That’s one that might need some retrospective analysis in a couple of years to figure out, but it's certainly going to be a close call.

PALGN

It's hard to imagine Zelda getting any better than this. Quite simply, one of the best games ever created.

Play Magazine

I don’t think Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess will manage to duplicate the legendary status of its predecessor, but it has already managed to accomplish a similarly impressive feat: hundreds of thousands of people bought a $250 Wii just to play it three weeks early, and no one seems to regret it.

Worth Playing

While melee combat isn't particularly better, projectile combat is significantly improved.

Nintendo Power

At its core, Twilight Princess delivers the same awesome adventuring as previous games in the series, but Hyrule has never seemed so real and alive. [Jan. 2007, p.98]

GameZone

It’s a lengthy, massive adventure that, no matter how long it takes you complete, will still be met with the response, “I wish it could’ve been longer.”

IGN

The greatest Zelda game ever created and one of the best launch titles in the history of launch titles – second only, perhaps, to the at-the-time ground-breaking "Super Mario 64." It is also one of the finest games I have ever played.

My Gamer

The controls are as perfect as a port could possibly be, and never get in the way of your quest.

Play.tm

It might not be the utterly revolutionary Zelda title that we all expected and its not without its faults, but one thing is clear: Twilight Princess is worth the Wii's price tag alone, even if the fishing does put you at risk of a coronary.

ActionTrip

Just after I beat this game, after well more than twenty hours, I feel like I'm just scratching the surface.

GamingTrend

The game is huge and you may not even get to the first dungeon for hours.

AtomicGamer

Twilight Princess definitely was not a disappointment, though I really wish there had been a traditional control scheme offered.

Da Gameboyz

But it is the new Wii specific controls that I found brought a new dynamic to the third-person controls that Nintendo pioneered with "Ocarina of Time."

Gamer 2.0

The game is not perfect and certainly could have been improved with updated visuals and sound effects, as well as possibly even a little more variety than the already interesting dungeons.

Gamestyle

The Twilight Princess is a triumph. Every dungeon reveals something new whether it is weapons, environments, brilliantly designed puzzles or bosses.

3DAvenue

It has its problems and it's a bit of a let down considering the next generation console, but what Nintendo have done is used the Wii's strengths well with this game and that along with an excellent storyline, makes Twilight Princess a must have for early Wii owners.

Boomtown

The game's sound effort is nothing short of impressive, with a particularly thumping, epic soundtrack playing throughout.

AceGamez

For all the ups and downs Twilight Princess takes in terms of presentation, there's simply no denying the wondrous, deep adventure and revolutionizing gameplay that takes the edge off of the lack of graphical power.

Gaming Target

The game just doesn’t significantly benefit through using the remote. Everything that is done with the remote could just as easily be done with a Gamecube controller.

games(TM)

While some are sure to brand it 'stale', Twilight Princess succeeds in being not only a superb game, but also one that can appeal to both new and seasoned Zelda players at the same time - something we feel time will show to be a very difficult thing to achieve. [Christmas 2006, p.116]

Electric Playground

Twilight Princess is a great game because it's full of so many activities, and just about every one of them not only finds a cool way to use the Wii control, they're just plain fun. This is a game full of creativity in its creature design, puzzle design, combat, and story.

The New York Times

The new control scheme is beautifully integrated into the game, and it feels perfectly natural to start waving your hand like a maniac whenever danger approaches.

VideoGamer

A brilliant, near flawless addition to the series and an easy contender for game-of-the-year.

Armchair Empire

Interestingly, it’s the game’s inability to escape certain problems of previous games, like cameras and finding hotspots, as well as clinging onto the standard Zelda formula of traveling from dungeon to dungeon on a grandiose collectation that holds the game back. Despite this, it is still a must-have for anyone who owns, or is thinking of picking up a Wii.

Eurogamer

Sure, there are times in the game when you want to shake Miyamoto and co by the lapels for including elements of the game which remain dogged by old-school convention, but they represent a flea bite on what is just a stunning and relentlessly enjoyable game.

Yahoo! Games

It looks fantastic, drawing on the power of artwork instead of graphics hardware. There's nothing here that you couldn't do on the Gamecube, which is why Twilight Princess will also be released for the Gamecube. But the visuals hold their own against any next-gen system.

GameDaily

Twilight Princess stands out as one of Nintendo's more attractive games, thanks to its fabulous draw distances, breath-taking imagery, life-like animations, imaginative character designs and dramatic action sequences.

Edge Magazine

With the focus on elaboration rather than evolution, Twilight Princess triggers more memories than it creates, yet it's still an effortless classic that towers over the gaming landscape. Ignore it at your own cost. [Christmas 2006, p.68]

GameSpot

Twilight Princess contains the same expertly designed puzzles and time-tested gameplay that you've come to expect from the series, though parts of its presentation feel stuck in the past.

netjak

There are the issues with clipping and shadows that you expect from a launch title, but the problems are never so bad that you have trouble figuring out what you’re looking at. It is a little strange, however, seeing the Matrix-style animations associated with the world of twilight. Overall, the game looks very nice, but nothing about it screams "next-generation."

GamerNode

We've played it forever, but it still has that Zelda magic.

Game Revolution

Pretty much everything is just like earlier Zelda games, and that’s good from a nostalgia point of view, and bad for originality.

Digital Entertainment News

The story is very good, but the gameplay execution leaves me wanting. A solid adventure game, but it seems to be coasting on the strength of its star.

RPG Fan

A fun, but dated and unoriginal flight through the land of Hyrule. The main quest may be longer than most, and the sidequests may be in abundance, but that doesn't help Twilight Princess from feeling like the same thing we all played nearly ten years ago.

GameCritics

Using the wolf's sense to see the Twilight Realm is a ghastly, beautiful effect to be sure, but contributes little to the player's sense of discovery, save for a few holes to dig or making a few jumps that would otherwise be impossible.

Game Almighty

Fans of the series will be delighted by the recurring themes, but may be soured by a strong sense of repetition.