Twilight Princess was the first Zelda game that really clicked with me, and LoZ has become one of my favorite gaming series since.
The atmosphere, the characters, the sound design, the art style, etc all came together to make a really distinct and excellent game in my opinion, and it's the first Zelda title to really feel like an actual, full-scale adventure. I love the fact that Link starts the game as a simple farmhand and the outside world literally crashes into his tiny village. I remember being awestruck by the grandeur of Lake Hylia, mesmerized by the way you had to sink soooo far beneath the lake to get to the water dungeon (Lakebed Temple?), then giddy at the fact that after you beat the incredibly imposing boss in that dungeon, your next move is to get catapulted beyond what I thought was the playable world of Twilight Princess and into the Gerudo Desert, where you face off against one of the better bosses in the Zelda franchise. Then, after aaaall that, you make a trek through this snowy tundra to play one of the Zelda series' best dungeons and also Twilight Princess' most whimsical, which is essentially a Yeti's mansion in which you gather ingredients to help his sick wife. The boss fight of that dungeon is also my personal favorite in the series and the use of ice reflections was a stroke of genius.
All in all, I think that stretch of time from the 3rd to 5th dungeon of Twilight Princess might be the best chunk of any game, ever. I also love the way Link is eased into the adventure gradually from the start of the game to the end of the 1st dungeon. Something feels so right about the first foray into your adventure being this kind of creepy forest that's always been just outside the village where you've spent your entire life. The game does an excellent job of expanding the scope of the adventure as it progresses. Even the way the game emphasizes just how weird King Bulbin must look to Link the first time he sees him helps drive home the point that Link is by no means cut out for what's waiting for him at the beginning of the story which helps make all your progress feel truly earned. I think the dungeons lose a bit of cohesiveness toward the end and don't match the atmosphere of the others, but they're still perfectly fine.
Overall, excellent game. I know it has its detractors but I think the elements others are turned off by (art style, empty overworld, etc) all contribute beautifully to the game's tone and make for a compelling, memorable adventure.
The atmosphere, the characters, the sound design, the art style, etc all came together to make a really distinct and excellent game in my opinion, and it's the first Zelda title to really feel like an actual, full-scale adventure. I love the fact that Link starts the game as a simple farmhand and the outside world literally crashes into his tiny village. I remember being awestruck by the grandeur of Lake Hylia, mesmerized by the way you had to sink soooo far beneath the lake to get to the water dungeon (Lakebed Temple?), then giddy at the fact that after you beat the incredibly imposing boss in that dungeon, your next move is to get catapulted beyond what I thought was the playable world of Twilight Princess and into the Gerudo Desert, where you face off against one of the better bosses in the Zelda franchise. Then, after aaaall that, you make a trek through this snowy tundra to play one of the Zelda series' best dungeons and also Twilight Princess' most whimsical, which is essentially a Yeti's mansion in which you gather ingredients to help his sick wife. The boss fight of that dungeon is also my personal favorite in the series and the use of ice reflections was a stroke of genius.
All in all, I think that stretch of time from the 3rd to 5th dungeon of Twilight Princess might be the best chunk of any game, ever. I also love the way Link is eased into the adventure gradually from the start of the game to the end of the 1st dungeon. Something feels so right about the first foray into your adventure being this kind of creepy forest that's always been just outside the village where you've spent your entire life. The game does an excellent job of expanding the scope of the adventure as it progresses. Even the way the game emphasizes just how weird King Bulbin must look to Link the first time he sees him helps drive home the point that Link is by no means cut out for what's waiting for him at the beginning of the story which helps make all your progress feel truly earned. I think the dungeons lose a bit of cohesiveness toward the end and don't match the atmosphere of the others, but they're still perfectly fine.
Overall, excellent game. I know it has its detractors but I think the elements others are turned off by (art style, empty overworld, etc) all contribute beautifully to the game's tone and make for a compelling, memorable adventure.
