The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD Reviews
Ten years later, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess finally sheds all of its baggage and finally is realized as the great game it always was.
I always remember Twilight Princess being my favourite Zelda game. Replaying the game in HD, I still feel the same way about it. No other Zelda game is yet to match the free-roaming world, the intense story or the magnificent dungeon design. Nothing beats taking Epona on a run through Hyrule Field, slashing at moblins on horseback. I expected more from the graphics upgrade after comparing Twilight Princess HD to 2013's Wind Waker HD, but this version of the game stands to prove that even ten years on, the game holds up well. I'd absolutely recommend picking this up for newcomers and veterans.
The biggest drawback is the lack of any major new additions, aside from the upgraded graphics. The other changes are fine, but in comparing this package to some other remakes and remasters, it feels a little bit wanting.
Quite simply the definitive version of Twilight Princess.
Personally, I found this remaster to have improved things just enough to cement me as a fan of Twilight Princess. The world is far more vibrant than before, and turning off motion controls removes almost all the frustration I experienced with the Wii version. I have an enduring affection for Twilight Princess' idiosyncrasies, creepy Malo Mart and all, and I'm glad we've had the chance to see the title refreshed for the HD generation.
There is no denying that Twilight Princess HD, despite it's new HD moniker, is a dated game. Now whether those dated mechanics are a pro or a con is certainly subjective. Much of the gameplay mechanics we take for granted like waypoints are really nowhere to be found here. On the flipside, those who like the challenge of exploring the world themselves and discovering where to go next, will certainly love to return to this darker Hyrule to get lost in it all over again.
At times, the HD upgrade looks fantastic. At other times, the HD upgrade looks terrible. But underneath it all, the game is still Twilight Princess, and that means that it's a great game.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD improves upon many common complaints from the original game.
While a couple of its old issues remain, Twilight Princess is an exciting and charming adventure through a darker Hyrule than usual.
Twilight Princess was a confused and under-appreciated game in its time, but this version is definitive, updating its overreaching graphics and making it an absolute blast to play and explore. This is a worthy remaster of the original; while it leaves some critical annoyances unchanged, it brings the game to a modern age and shows that even after ten years , it's still a fantastic entry in the series.
In short, whilst Wind Waker has risen in esteem over the years, Twilight Princess has gone from being the greatest Zelda adventure to ‘merely’ a great Zelda adventure. Make no mistakes, it is certainly still that, and worth every penny of this remaster for fans of the series, even if you still own the original. Its minor blemishes are to be expected a decade down the line but in fact Twilight Princess looks and plays better than you’ll likely remember it. Nostalgia, it seems, is still what it used to be.
Twilight Princess HD is a worthy remaster of one of the series' greatest. Polished visuals, new features and tweaks create the definitive package.
Rough horse and camera behaviour, combined with a mostly empty Hyrule Field, aren't enough to bog down what's otherwise one of the best titles in the Zelda series - and arguably in gaming history. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD's story of the worlds of Light and Twilight and their citizens is presented in HD glory, with strong emotional threads running throughout to make sure players want to spend time with these characters and save the worlds, and expertly crafted dungeons and puzzles guide them along that path. Most will likely consider Ocarina of Time to be the high point of the series, but take away the nostalgia factor, hold these two up by their merits, and Twilight Princess gives Ocarina a run for its money, while HD improves upon that in almost every way.
Still a classic, but probably one of the weaker Zelda. Overall a good remaster, albeit one with occasional performances issues, but a good release nonetheless.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD builds upon the success of the original. Though there isn't much new to see and the visuals are a disappointment it's still one of the best Zelda's available.
Strong narratives don't age, and this one has a strong story to tell. Throw in quality port work that gives the art direction the detail and clarity that it really deserves, and Twilight Princess is a classic that has scrubbed up well enough to be a worthy Wii U title in its own right.
Twilight Princess HD reaffirms everything that made this game great the first time around. Every element of the title has been refined and improved upon, making it the ultimate version of Twilight Princess.
The decade old adventure has received a nice rejuvenation, that's fixed a number of gameplay elements, sped up inventory management and polished the aging, gritty visuals. That said it's also brought up a couple of new fiddly issues like laggy offscreen play and a lackluster new dungeon. Still The legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD is nice update to one of the franchises best, a great way for fans to reminisce and a fantastic starting point for newcomers.
Playing through this 2006 Zelda game, though, made me rekindle my love for it. This is a fantastic game, even with the lame side quests and overworld. If you missed out back in the day or only have fuzzy decade-old memories, this Wii U remake is, no doubt, the new and best way to experience Twilight Princess.
Die neuen Features von The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD wirken wirklich durchdacht und setzen doch bei den bisher größten Kritikpunkten des beliebten Zelda Ablegers an. Neben einem netten Grafik Update bekommen Fans der Serie jetzt endlich auch deutlich mehr Herausforderungen geboten und zusätzlich auch einen neuen Dungeon. Leider sind die meisten Änderungen nur durch dem Einsatz von Amiibos nutzbar und viele der Rätsel und Kämpfe von Twilight Princess bleiben weiterhin sehr simpel.
Review in German | Read full review