Stort Twilight Princess In-Depth Preview med screenshots

Skrevet af Matthias Aurelian - 27-06-2005 09:52

Fra GameCube Advanced er her et dybdegående preview til det kommende Zelda-spil, Twilight Princess. Her får vi bla. historien til spillet detaljeret fortalt. Og i får også lige en opsumering med screenshots og artworks m.m. oveni.
God fornøjelse!


June 24, 2005

by: Phillip Levin

The Legend of Zelda has been perhaps the one series Nintendo fans can always rely on through both thick and thin. For over the past fifteen years, Nintendo has forged one of gaming's most popular, memorable and successful franchises. With millions upon millions of games sold, the series has explored both top-down 2D mechanics as well as revolutionary 3D ones, not to mention a number of other areas as well, such as gorgeously beautiful cartoon-esque worlds and not-so-successful sidescrolling ones to boot. We’ve seen just about every kind of Zelda adventure we could imagine, minus a Zelda MMORPG or Zelda racing simulation.

With The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, the latest game in the series for the Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo and EAD are exploring an area of the series its fans have wanted it to for a long, long time. Link’s latest adventure features dark, gritty and realistic visuals, creating what is being hyped as the hero’s most epic adventure to date. Even at this year’s annual Nintendo pre-E3 press conference, the company referred to Twilight Princess as one of the series’ darkest, most mature and epic installments. It then proceeded to show off a minute-plus trailer that highlighted a number of both new and old mechanics that seem to back up Reggie Fils-Aime’s (the company’s chief marketing officer) boast.

Twilight Princess also showed up at Nintendo’s E3 booth in full force, drawing a four-hour line of fans that wanted to play the latest Zelda game. We played with all the Zelda demos on display numerous times, and we can’t wait to get our hands on the full game when it ships later this year. But since E3, Nintendo has been as quiet as expected on Twilight Princess, and it will likely remain quiet until this fall when it ships Twilight Princess to retailers. However, that doesn’t stop us from writing everything there is to know about the game at this time. That said, be sure to enjoy our detailed write-up on The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess just below.

Features
Link is back in his darkest adventure yet. Nintendo utilizes an altered version of its Wind Waker graphics engine to create realistic visuals, wetting Zelda fan’s appetites

Play as a young cowboy named Link, who must save his world as well as another

Solve puzzles both by playing as Link and by playing as his alter ego, a wolf, which he transforms into while in black-and-white Twilight World

Explore two different worlds, one in color, the other in mystified black-and-white, the cloud of the Twilight World

Team up with unfamiliar characters, such as Midna, a cat-like creature who Link must work together with while in the Twilight World and familiar characters as well, such as the Gorons

Twilight Princess features a highly evolved horseback-riding system that employs plenty of mob fighting and boss fighting

A modified combat system returns now featuring a downward jump attack as well as other unannounced surprises

Over 10 different dungeons and temples to traverse

For the first time ever, Dolby Pro Logic II support mingles with orchestrated music in a Legend of Zelda title

Coming to the Nintendo GameCube this fall


Link Is Back
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess stars a young cowboy named Link who lives on a ranch in a rugged, western-style town called Tauru Village. Every year, a representative from the small village must visit the famous city Hyrule for an event called Hyrule Summit. One year, however, the usual Tauru Village representative cannot travel to the city, thus the town chief asks Link to go. The young cowboy wrangler sets off for festival as soon as he steps foot into the land of Hyrule, he transforms into a wolf. Surrounding him is a colorless and a suddenly unfamiliar land of black and white.

Rather than being an alternate dimension like the dark and light worlds in A Link to the Past, the Twilight Realm is actually within the same dimension as Link’s normal world. However, something sinister is slowly blowing the curse of this black and white cloud across the world of Twilight Princess.

Upon entering this strange, unknown land, Link is captured. He is eventually rescued by a mysterious creature named Midna. This cat-like animal dons some kind of strange mask very similar to that of the Majora’s Mask from the Zelda game of the same name. However, the mask has some designs that differentiate itself from the mask seen in the Nintendo 64 adventure. While inside the Twilight Realm, Link and Midna are not separable, thus Link’s wolf self must travel around the realm while riding on Midna’s back. The trailer Nintendo played at its pre-E3 show showcased several clips of Link traveling with her, including scenes where he fights off enemies. The combat system, in fact, seems to feature specific mechanics to welcome the wolf and cat combo. One scene shows off what seems to be Link locking onto several enemies at once, then lunging into them all.

The overall effect of the Twilight Realm seems to be that every human that enters the infected part of the world transforms into an animal. Link obviously transforms into a wolf. But one rumor that lit up internet message boards suggest that Princess Zelda, who has been confirmed to be in the game by Nintendo after being shown in video form, transforms into Midna, the cat-like animal. Nintendo has not commented on this speculation. However, speaking of familiar faces, the company has confirmed that Ganon will make an appearance in the game.

While the Twilight Realm will play a large role in Twilight Princess, the game will also feature plenty of action outside of the realm, where gamers will play as Link, in a more traditional sense, exploring the game’s truly gargantuan world. Twilight Princess’ collective landscape – from the hub world to the towns to the dungeons – will be three times the size of the one found in the Nintendo 64 hit Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Because of this, early on, Link will be introduced to his beloved horse, Epona, who he can use to travel the massive land surrounding him. On horseback, control will be very similar to horseback play in both Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask. In both games, Link could feed carrots to Epona to cause her to run faster. However, doing so five times consecutively would require Link to wait a period of seconds before he could feed her the carrots again. In Twilight Princess, Link can do the same, only now he whips Epona -- up to six times -- old west-style.

One horseback-riding element in Twilight Princess players won’t recognize is the horseback combat system. Link will be able to lock-onto enemies in the area, letting him slash his sword at them when players press the B button. Holding down the B button causes Link to power up his famous spin attack, which will cause him to lethally twirl his sword around in the air, dealing massive damage to anything he touches. Slashing at enemies on horseback will eventually cause them to fall off their boars or whatever they’re riding, falling to the ground dead. In addition to the swordplay, link will also be able to shoot his bow-and-arrow at enemies while on Epona, allowing him to hit anything too far away to handle with a sword. One trailer shown by Nintendo features a horde of bats or keese chasing Link. He turns around and shoots a bomb arrow at the group of bats, igniting the vermin in midair. Puffs of smoke and bits of fire rain down around him, creating a memorable scene.

Traditional-style boss fights will be found throughout Twilight Princess, but Nintendo promises players a handful of epic horseback boss fights to boot. One mini-boss fight takes place on a bridge somewhere in what looks to be Hyrule field. Engulfing the area is a raging fire and rubble from its havoc. Link must joust with a foe, trying to knock him off the bridge into the huge abyss below. If, however, Link doesn’t successfully hit the troll before it hits him, he’ll fall off himself. While we wouldn’t quite classify this as a true boss fight, it’s easily a mini-boss fight, and at the very least, a glimpse of what we can expect from the game later this year.

The massive world of Twilight Princess is also home to over ten different dungeons and temples that Link must traverse along his adventure. At E3, Nintendo demoed one of these dungeons, named the Forest Temple. As readers might guess, the name very much represents the dungeon’s theme. When Link first walks into the temple, the game’s camera cinematically swings around our hero, finally resting behind him in a traditional third-person view. A heavy wooden door slams shut behind him, sending dust scattering beneath his feet. Surrounding Link is what looks like the inside of a massive tree. The walls are covered in bark, the floor is made of wood, and grass, branches, weeds and other flora cover the area. Puddles of water are spread here and there. Branch-like bridges and walkways make their way up and around the dungeon. There are spider webs, burning torches, and even a wall covered in vines that Link can climb – in a very familiar Zelda fashion. The scene is atmospheric.

Inside the dungeon are puzzling rooms to pass through, enemies to slay and other surprises hidden in its dark shadows. Puzzle design seems Zelda-esque, with familiar puzzles spread throughout the dungeon, but there are also a handful of new puzzles too. For instance, inside the Forest Temple, Link rescues a group of baboons that he’ll have to cooperate with later on to pass over some chasms within the dungeon. The monkeys help him by swinging him across these normally impassable gaps.

To solve puzzles and navigate these dungeons, Link will come across items he can add to his inventory, as he has in his past adventures. In the Forest Temple, he discovers one item called Gale Boomerang. This modified version of a Boomerang summons a gust of wind he can use to manipulate objects in the area. Many puzzles will be designed with a specific item in mind, and, likewise, many items that Link will find are being created with many puzzle ideas in mind. In past Zelda games, he often finds upwards of 15 different items along his way. We expect Twilight Princess will be no different in this regard.

A variety of enemies inhabit the tree-like temple we played through. Zelda fans will recognize Lizard-esque foes called Lizalfos. They’re back in full force, complete with their swords and shields. Gamers will also recognize the plant-like creatures called Deku Plants. Link even fights off monstrous versions of some familiar enemies, like the gigantic Deku Plant he has to square off with later on in the dungeon. In fact, the dungeon’s final boss is actually a terribly overgrown Deku Plant of some sort. In order to defeat the sinister plant, Link has to use Gale Boomerang to throw bombs into the plant’s mouth, eventually doing enough damage to render the monstrosity dead.

We expect that this is just a taste of what’s to come as far as dungeons go. Will we see any dungeons inside the Twilight Realm, or will they all take place outside of it? On top of that, there seems to be some kind of strange connection between Link and animals this time around. In all three official trailers Nintendo has shown over the last year, it’s continuously hinted at this. And after E3, with the baboon-themed dungeon, it seems all the more likely.

In Twilight Princess, Link will be able to swim under water as he did in both Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask. This ability was sorely missing from The Wind Waker, but with it back, we’re sure to see many under water puzzles and or maybe dungeons as well.

A cast of familiar characters are returning, too. Zelda fans will recognize not only the many different enemies, such as Stalfos, Lizalfos, Moblins and Deku Plants, but friendly characters such as Gorons as well. In the Zelda trailer shown at GDC 2005, a scene showed Link fighting with a Goron. Does this mean Link will square off with the race that has traditionally been a help to him in previous installments? Or was this merely some training of some sort? Nevertheless, there are some new faces here too – one of which looks to be inspired by Ents found in the Lord of the Rings. For those unfamiliar with Tolkien's work, Ents are gigantic tree-like creatures that roam the land.

Technology
There’s no denying that Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker was a beautiful, beautiful game. But at the same time, there’s no denying that the cell-shaded romp stirred up quite a controversy, either. And yet Twilight Princess has received just as much attention, though it’s admittedly more positive. When Nintendo revealed the game at its pre-E3 2004 press conference, the room of Nintendo fans, game journalists and gamers alike went nuts. The scene was an ecstatic crowd of gamers – some crying, some screaming and some sitting still, at a loss for words.

So, the question is, does it really look that good? In a word, yes. Or at least it does so far. It seems to merge a solid mix of realism with manga-style fantasy. The result is something many Zelda fans have wanted since the launch of the GameCube.

Twilight Princess will employ a dynamic 3D camera system, meaning it will change its positioning depending on what is going on in the game. However, gamers can still expect the now-famous behind-Link camera view that Ocarina of Time first pioneered seven years ago. At E3, all four demos on display used the familiar camera view, so we didn’t get a taste of the dynamic camera system. However, it’s been suggested that it will be used for some puzzles. For instance, imagine Link having to solve a maze-esque puzzle. The camera would pull back, up and over Link’s head, giving players a top-down point of view to work from.

Graphically speaking, things look sharp and polished. The game is actually running on the same engine as The Wind Waker, and at times it shows. While in the Twilight Realm, Twilight Princess takes on a cell-shaded look. The colors used on character models are brighter and more cartoon-like. However, surrounding these characters is a black and white world of gritty realism. It’s a very artistic mix.

But fans needn’t fret. We’re still getting the realistic Zelda so many have wanted for years. Link’s animation is smooth and realistic. When he walks past any character in the game, his eyes will look at the character. He’ll do the same with any significant object he passes along his way, too. Meanwhile, Link’s surrounding world is just as lifelike. Mostly realistic textures paint his surrounding world, doubled with dynamic lighting effects and plenty of shadowing effects to boot. Another mouth-watering particle effects system is also being used. Other beauties will include the best water in a Zelda game, ever -- not to mention very impressive draw distances.

The variety in the visual design will carry over to the environmental design, as well. One temple Link will come across features a fire theme, thus it employs a moody heat shimmer, similarly to that of the one found in The Wind Waker. He goes up against a gargantuan ogre while in the temple. The creature is engulfed in flames and wields two heavy chains for a weapon. Then on the opposite side of the spectrum, Link explores the inside of a huge tree at a later dungeon, as discussed earlier, where he fights monstrous plant-like life forms. Outside of it is a dark forest, a full moon glowing over it. But he’ll also scale mountains and many other locales yet to be revealed. It’s going to be very atmospheric. One of our biggest complaints with Wind Waker was the lack of variety when it came to environments, as it was sorely missing some key areas that could have helped make it feel that more epic. So, we’re hoping Twilight Princess delivers in this regard.

Supposedly, this will all be locked at a solid 30 frames-per-second. The demo at E3 was pretty solid as far as framerates go. Twilight Princess carries over the stylish freeze when Link smashes an enemy with his sword, but this shouldn’t be mistaken for a framerate problem.

When it gets down to it, Twilight Princess is shaping up to be a real treat for the eyes, but it should also serve as an equally impressive treat for player’s ears, as well. Nintendo has already confirmed that it will feature some orchestrated music – a first for the series. There will still be a share of MIDI-like tunes here and there. The music we’ve heard from the game, so far, though – MIDI or not – is top-notch. The E3 2005 press conference trailer featured a nostalgic mix of several Zelda melodies. So, we’re rightfully very excited about the game’s score.

On the other side of audio, sound effects are in the same league as past Zelda games. Things sound realistic and clear. The only disappointment is the lack of full voice work for the game’s dialogue. There will be very little voice work in Twilight Princess, all of which will be limited to Link’s grunts and whatnot.

In the last few Zelda games, Link has equipped a musical instrument of sorts. These instruments have played an integral part in every Zelda game they’ve been apart of. Will we see anything like them in Twilight Princess? Just something for fans to consider.

Expect full Dolby Pro Logic II support for those with a set-up that can utilize the option. No 16x9 mode is planned for widescreen owners, unfortunately, though they can look forward to 480p for their high-definition sets.

Future Outlook
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is on track to becoming perhaps the best Zelda game to date. It seems to have it all – impressive graphics, beautiful music and tight gameplay. All the pieces of the puzzle are there. Nintendo just needs to put them together. According to the company, the game’s world is three times the size of the world in Ocarina of Time. That’s huge. On top of that, it will feature more dungeons than either Ocarina of Time or A Link to the Past, putting the total dungeon count at at least ten. There are also tons of both new and old items for Link to employ along his adventure. And we can’t forget the entirely new storyline – one that seems to be the darkest and most epic of any Zelda game ever created, if not the most downright intriguing.

There’s the new horseback battle system, too. That means there are not only on-foot boss fights in store, but plenty of epic horseback fights sprawling acres and acres in the queue, too. At E3 we got a taste of it, and we liked what we saw. We also loved the boss fight at the end of the Forest Temple. And we of course loved the Forest Temple itself. We were pretty impressed with what we saw at E3. And we didn’t even get to see any of the new stuff that excites us most – like the Twilight Realm or playing as Link the wolf.

Indeed, the ingredients for success are there. But can Nintendo do it?
We’ll have more on Twilight Princess as it happens.


Og her på N-club vil vi selfølgelig også have mere info når det kommer.

Kommentarer:

#1 - Silmon

Level: 1 (Goomba)

27-06-2005 10:46

jeg havde ikke tid til at læse hele artiklen, men gør det nok senere

#2 - LinkTheWindWaker

Level: 22 (Ice Keese)

27-06-2005 10:49

Hm... det sidste billede er da en smule underligt Ligner da piraterne fra The Wind Waker

#3 - Mads_7

Level: 1 (Goomba)

27-06-2005 13:11

Ja, jeg fatter det heller ikke helt..
Men spilet ser feeeedt ud! ^^ *Savle savle savle*