The Wind Waker

While I'm waiting for a CVS diff from sourceforge, might as well give my review of Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker - one of the top reasons to get a GameCube.

Firstly, it looks good. Real good. Not that I can compare it to its predecessors, since the last game I played in the series was over ten years ago. Smooth as can be. Bright, attractive, colours. Distinct and detailed characters. Visually, nothing can be faulted.

I'm not usually a game music fan (I'd rather listen to Holst when playing Diablo II, for example), and repetitive sound usually drives me mad, but Wind Waker manages to impress. You notice the music changing, and multiple sounds per action even jumping around in your ship survivable.

Being a relative newbie to the console world, Wind Waker's 3D movement took some getting used to, and I still occasionally miss a jump and scream in despair (in unison with the character). It really impresses me that all seven buttons and three joysticks on the GameCube controller are all used to drive the game, and yet it all gets translated from thought to controls relatively easily.

The pacing of the game is perfect. It only becomes more frenetic and overwhelming when you're able to cope with it. You never really don't have anything to do. Just as you're starting to get bored of doing something one way, you're given a faster way of doing it.

There's very little by way of roleplaying, with the majority of gameplay being made up of puzzle-solving and adventuring (ie, moving around and killing things that move, including the grass). There's rarely consequences for cutting down someone's lawn and stealing all the gems in their house. While this tingles my roleplaying danger sense, it does mean you can never get into a situation that you can't continue. Which is infinitely preferable in this sort of game.

Back to pacing - the introduction of the tools and equipment is well-thought-out. You get used to life a certain way, and you suddenly realise you've been missing out, and that you might have to go back somewhere to explore with your new skill. And then you find out new ways to use your equipment too - almost as good as getting someting new.

The puzzles are mostly just right - some really simple, most requiring non-trivial thought, and other requiring a good think. However, some are just the sort of "a-ha!" thing that test your ability to try every single thing you can do, to every object you can do it to, and from every position where you can do it - rather than actually solving the puzzle.

The only other thing that bothers me slightly is that, except for the bosses, the combat is way too easy. And resources are maybe a bit too plentiful. I suppose I'm used to deadly dungeon crawls where you ache for another arrow.

Finally, the attention to detail is just amazing. As time passes, the moon and sun move across the sky, and the moon changes phases. Weather changes (although you control the wind indefinitely, it seems), clouds move, people walk around, head home after dark, or come out after dark - a number of puzzles require a specific time of day, or phase of the moon. Every bit of equipment is used thereafter once available - and the changing types of interactions between objects show a real dedication.

So, Wind Waker is officially in my top five. It's not quite as engrossing (or as free-form and time-consuming) as Morrowind, although it's technically a lot better game. Definitely consider taking the leap to buying a GameCube justified from just this game. Next up: Metroid Prime (or Animal Crossing? hmmm...).