The Wind Waker Review
Written by Akira
First Impressions: 2.5/5
Long before this game was released, my blood was boiling. Why? The graphics, of course! I was walking around, muttering under my breath, "He looks like a rag doll! A rag doll!" Not really what I think now, but those were my thoughts. Also, when I first played the game I still wasn't too pleased. As of yet, I am still trying to comprehend those graphics and how they really make you feel when you play the game. On a good note, I was highly anticipating this game.
Gameplay: 9/10
The gameplay was excellent in this game! A good batch of new items and some improved ones, and the fighting was quite immersive. However, many of the items felt uselsess after the dungeon said item was used for was past. Mainly this concerns the really cool Deku leaf. Ah, yes, one more thing: The Great Sea. It balanced itself out to neither helping nor hurting the gameplay score, because it was fun and an excellent idea while at the same time it got rather dull. I hate oxymorons...-__-"
Graphics: 5/5
Here it is, folks! The big one! Despite all the controversy over the graphics, I still give this category a 5/5. Why? Because the graphics accomplished what they set out to do, showing rich colors and actual emotion (wow!). On the other hand, the graphics did make parts of the game feel childish. Ah, but wait, and draw no conclusions until I have finished: The game was meant to feel childish and light-hearted at the beginning, but not at the end. Thus why the final battle with Ganon(dorf) feels almost like an entirely different art style. That, in my opinion, was when cel-shading really showed its true value. I must make a point about this, though: those bigoted "fans" who didn't finish (or never started) the game sure missed out on the awesome experience!
Story: 20/20
Yes, I gave the story a perfect score. Some people would say things such as, "But you just collected some pearls and awoke Sages!" However, I'm talking about the story at large. You know, with Hyrule being flooded and all? This story was so involving that I was shouting at the TV when King Daphnes "I Hate You!" Nohansen Hyrule made his wish about...well, just play the game if you want to know what happens. Let's just say that I was crying and shouting. Such a weirdo, I am.
Challenge: 2/5
Das ist nicht so gut. This game was pathetically easy. In fact, if you were to say, "What about all those puzzles?", I would reply, "There were puzzles in that game?!" Also, the fighting was rather a let-down. If you want a challenging game, you'd be better off with a 2-D game, or even OoT; truthfully, nearly any game besides this one.
Interaction: 15/15
Link most definitely interacts with the environment in this game (like with those weird eyes of his). There is also very good and realistic dialogue with most people. None of that "Yes, I know that the moon is about to crash into Termina and kill everyone alive, but I still need that Moon's Tear for my wife." kinda stuff. The game feels realistic, too, despite the graphics. This is one of those games where you forget that you live on planet Earth and play from 5:00 P.M. till 5:00 A.M. Fun!
Side-Quests: 5/5
That was one of the things about Wind Waker, there were a lot of side-quests, about a 6/5's worth. However, many of them weren't fun but were useful, or vice-versa. Or they made you want to jump off your boat and drown.
Continuity: 5/5
The whole "flooded Hyrule" thing is extremely vital to the Zelda series. It leaves some questions, too, such as "How does Hyrule come back to the surface?" or a multitude of questions about the so-called "New Hyrule" Unfortunately for us, none of these questions will be answered in TP.
Music: 8/10
I absolutely abhorred the Wind Waker itself, thought it was just plain awful. However, the theme song for the Wind Temple and some of the other music was kinda catchy. I also like the music that plays during the final battle-cutscene-thingy...and during the little story at the beginning (that's what's playing in the background). Not to mention the music that shapes how you experience the normal gameplay.
Overall Feel/Originality: 20/20
This game was extremely original and daring, and most certainly plays like a Zelda game.It really keeps you in its spell and makes you think long and hard about what the Zelda series truly is. Not that bad!
TOTAL: 91.5/100; an A
Not bad, not bad at all. This game has a great backbone, but little quirks over certain things like graphics and gameplay can take some time to get over. And some bigger quirks (*cough*Great Sea!*cough*) make sure you never really get over them. Still, a worthwhile game to play, and I when I say "play", I mean buy it, don't rent it. You don't rent Zelda games. It's just not right. So let's go! Go where, you ask?...
"As for our destination...
the wind will guide us."
Buy It?
Yes!
The Wind Waker Review
Written by Chubbes
First Impressions: 2/5
I've got to say, I was absolutely disgusted with the whole cartoon concept at first. In fact i only bought this game to recieve Ocarina of Time: Master Quest! My last impression is very positive though.
Gameplay: 5/10
Don't make me laugh! Most of the game is spent sailing, and the rest is mostly spent in side quests. Only about 25% of this game is spent in dungeons, which makes this game as small as Majora's Mask.
Graphics: 4.5/5
I once thought badly about these graphics but now they aren't so bad except for the townspeople, who are pretty scary looking!
Story: 20/20
This game out of all the Zelda games is the best in terms of story. It actually stops to explain what the heck is going on. In fact they spend 5 to 10 minutes in dialogue giving you great heaps of conectivity information.
Challenge: 2/5
A pretty easy game after Ocarina of Time, the game it was supposed to be a sequel to.
Interaction: 10/15
This game had quite a bit of interaction in a few places and none else where!
Side-Quests: 5/5
Whoo, boy! There is a ton of side quests in this baby! There is alot of stuff to do on the populated islands, and this game deeply reflects the many side-quests that Majora's Mask has.
Continuity: 5/5
As said earlier this game has a huge amount of information regarding continuity.
Music: 10/10
The Zelda series has never gone wrong with their music, and The WindWaker is no exception. For instance the Great Sea Theme is a perfect example of that.
Overall Feel/Originality: 20/20
This deserves the full 20 points because it shows alot of new features and really modernized the series in so many ways. The ocean was a nice touch of originality. The weapons and sword techniques were really awesome, too!
TOTAL: 83.5/100; a B-
Great in many ways, but lacking in others!
Buy It?
Yes.