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Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, The
Universal acclaim
Based on 16 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 246 votes
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Game Info
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Genre(s): Third-Person Action, Adventure
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
Release Date: December 13, 2006
Summary
When an evil shadow stretches from the heart of Hyrule to its peaceful borderlands, a young farm boy named Link must awaken the hero ... and the animal ... within. When Link travels to the darkened land of Hyrule, he transforms into a wolf and must scour the land with the help of a mysterious being named Midna. Ride into battle against troops of foul creatures, using an incredible horseback combat system, then take on massive bosses that must be seen to be believed. Many puzzles stand between Link and the fulfillment of his quest, so players must sharpen their wits as they hunt for weapons and items. Link, a young man raised as a wrangler in a rural village, is ordered by the mayor to attend the Hyrule Summit. He sets off, oblivious to the dark fate that has descended upon the kingdom. When he enters the Twilight Realm that has covered Hyrule, he transforms into a wolf and is captured. A mysterious figure named Midna helps him break free, and with the aid of her magic, they set off to free the land from the shadows. Link must explore the vast land of Hyrule and uncover the mystery behind its plunge into darkness. As he does, he’ll have to enlist the aid of friendly folk, solve puzzles and battle his way through dangerous dungeons. In the Twilight Realm, he’ll have to use his wolf abilities and Midna’s magic to bring light to the land. [Nintendo]
Also On Metacritic
GAMES: Legend of Zelda Collector's Edition Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time / Master Quest Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central GameSpot Guide GameSpot Hints & Cheats
Also On The Web: Official Website
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
GameSpy
It's an amazing epitaph to the GameCube's life and it's certainly the best game from Nintendo this year. If you've been on the fence in any capacity, then please rest assured that you'll not be disappointed. Nintendo's flagship game has arrived in style and you better damned well appreciate it. It's ultimately fantastic.
Read Full Review >1UP
Whatever the hardware, Zelda is a brilliant adventure: a stunning achievement, and reason enough to dust off that abandoned GameCube.
Read Full Review >Cheat Code Central
Yeah, Wind Waker was a great game, but in looking back, it sure wasn't Twilight Princess. The darker direction takes our hero and the series into unchartered territory and fans will definitely appreciate the shift in mood.
Read Full Review >Games Radar
It's still the most cinematic, engrossing Zelda we've ever played, and as such, deserves nothing but the absolute highest recommendation. Flaws are present, sure, but we'll burn our entire library of games before we say Twilight Princess is anything but incredible.
Read Full Review >GamePro
The GameCube controller doesn't quite offer the potential of the Wii remote, so slicing down enemies and firing arrows isn't quite as engaging.
Read Full Review >NintendoWorldReport
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is one of those few genre-defining games that while clearly dedicated to fans of the series, also serves as a wonderful adventure for those new to the series.
Read Full Review >Game Chronicles
Everything about it is a little familiar, the result of decades of refinement, tweaked gameplay and an ever more fully realized game universe. Although I was sometimes amazed or delighted by a new trick or character, I never felt really, truly surprised by anything in this game.
Read Full Review >Kombo
Over 40 to 50 hours of gameplay for your first time through. Every hour features challenging, rewarding, fun and entertaining gameplay. Excellent dungeon design and memorable locales.
Read Full Review >Games Master UK
A spectacular, jaw-dropping send off for the faithful old GameCube. [Mar 2007, p.84]
IGN
As someone who has played both the GameCube and Wii versions of Twilight Princess, I can confidently state that I prefer the latter for its handful of extras, including what I consider to be enhanced controls and an exclusive 16:9 widescreen mode. That being said, though, I can certainly understand why purists might want to stick with the more conventional controls of the GCN build and as far as a traditional setup goes, Twilight Princess is definitely as good as it gets.
Read Full Review >Nintendo Power
Twilight Princess was a long time in coming, but the game's depth will make it last even longer among the Zelda faithful. [Feb. 2007, p.95]
GameDaily
Even without the Wii's motion controls and an orchestrated soundtrack, Zelda succeeds with an ambitious quest that rivals "Ocarina of Time" and a control scheme that players will love.
Read Full Review >NTSC-uk
But the moment the opening symphony plays until the concluding credits, all fear and doubt quickly vanishes like the cool whispering of an autumn’s breeze. Though not flawless, Nintendo have once again demonstrated masterful craftsmanship, challenging design and imaginative artistry.
Read Full Review >Thunderbolt
This game is more or less the latest version of a realm that has been long established and already seen. Yes, the story is darker, longer, and more character driven than anything before it. Yes, the dungeons and sidequests are remarkably well crafted. That doesn’t mean that both seasoned Zelda fans and newcomers alike will enjoy the lacking difficulty and the other small problems that plague the game.
Read Full Review >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.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this game is 9.4 (out of 10) based on 246 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Astra gave it a6:
twilight princess is a good game, don't get me wrong, but i couldn't get into the storyline like i could with other games- yeah sure it had qualities from all the games and great graphics, but graphics aren't everything.
Pee D gave it a10:
This is a spectacular game built on a fantastic story and glorious graphics and visuals that seem to leap from their 2-D origins and excite the senses (both gamer and human). The story itself is a dark and morphed twist on the original Zelda story that many long-time lovers will welcome with open arms. And for those who have not yet experienced the wonder of the Zelda series, it is a fun and simple game that does not require too much previous skill. Cheers!
Nick C. gave it a9:
Great graphics, great gameplay, good replay value, and just plain awesome from start to finish. If you like Zelda, you have to play this game. If you DON'T like Zelda, you should still play this game.
Melida P. gave it a10:
I don't understand why this game is getting so many bad reviews. ): True, it's repetitive and much like the other Zelda games, but the features that are the same as the others makes it a game for the Zelda series...uh hence the name? I loved this game, the plot was better than usual, Link actually gave facial expressions, and the game is a little darker and more mature than some of the previous titles. True, the princess doesn't have a huge role where Link's entire goal is to save her, but that should be an aspect that more people should enjoy. I'm sort of tired of the helpless princess persona myself. All in all it's a great game and definitley lives up to it's predecessors.
Jack H gave it a4:
I absolutely agree with Dan W.'s review of this game. It was exactly what i was screaming (not literally) whenever i first became the wolf in LoZ: TP...an uninspired Okami rip-off in this regard...too little too late. Had this game come out before Okami it would have been more revolutionary. Also just watching the intro to the game (where link rides on his horse across a regularly sized bridge) i couldn't help but laugh in disappointment. Shadow of the Colussus....which did a far better job of creating a since of adventure, peril, and horsebacking through a lush landscape. Again i reitterate...too little too late. This was not true zelda fans from back in the regular nintendo era & beyond deserve. I didn't even bother finishing this game because it was such a disappointment. In today's world flooded with games, you have the right to be choosey and not settle for less. Play Okami and SotC instead.
Mark B gave it a10:
Absolutely spectacular! The best game ever on the mighty little 'cube, and one of my all time fave video games in 30 years of playing 'em. Took me 83 hours playing over 14 months, and I enjoyed every minute of it - well, apart from the occassional obligatory ultra-hard boss fights. The best story and characterisations yet in a Zelda game, and lots to see and do and collect and smash. Probably a bit easier than previous Zelda games, but that meant I didn't end up throwing my pad across the room in rage, or scratching my balding head in confusion as to what the hell I was supposed to be doing next. Games are meant to be challenging I know, but fun is more important! The sound and graphics are gorgeous with often mind-bending effects and enormous landscapes, plus highly effective depth-of-field, antialiasing and multitexturing the like I've not seen in a 'cube game before. It's amazing what they manage to squeeze into one mini-DVD disk and out of the console's modest little hardware package, but then the 'cube was always underrated IMHO. As soon as I'd finished the game (shedding a tear at the cutscenes during the credits of course) I wanted to play it all over again... but I might just invest in a Wii so I can appreciate it all the more in glorious widescreen, and have fun fishing with the Wiimote.
Melody C. gave it a9:
A very fun game to play. The plot is really good and it connects with one another. It's a long adventure game and totally fun!
