The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - Hands On Preview

It seems that hardly an E3 passes without Zelda stealing the show in some shape of form; once again this year Eiji Aonumaâ??s The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess made its playable debut, single-handedly making up for a barren Nintendo stand and helping to ensure they still attracted the crowds (4+ hours long) despite the next-gen promises ushering forth from both Microsoft and Sony.

The E3 demonstration consisted of four different scenes to highlight new features alongside classical Zelda components such as an epic boss fight and a cryptic dungeon to explore. Those hoping for some explanation behind Linkâ??s ability to transform into a wolf were in for a disappointment, however this was more then rectified after a short playtest with the title.

Naturally the big change is the move towards a visual style closer akin to Ocarina of Time, eschewing the cell-shaded delights of The Wind Waker; a decision that Aonuma-san cites as being influenced by both fans reaction and the need to represent a style thatâ??s more suitable to the adult Link featured in the game.

Recognising the need for various changes to the Zelda franchise, most notably in the form of Linkâ??s animations and more importantly the interaction between the player and Link, it was easy to discern the obvious improvements made to Linkâ??s motions (particularly when swimming), while picking up the pad revealed a gaming experience that was instantly familiar, akin to picking up that favourite book you go back to every once in awhile.

Claims of ensuring that the world of Hyrule feels vast and closer to that of older Zelda titles was hard to distinguish from the demonstration, although the prominence of Epona and a specific chapter of her and Link in action was all the evidence we needed to believe that the horse is most certainly there for a reason. Previous suggestions of a larger game were backed up during E3, with the suggestion that Twilight Princess will feature many more dungeons than the likes of Majoraâ??s Mask, The Wind Waker and even surpassing the mighty Ocarina of Time.

The game and demonstration began in Toaru Village, a typically pleasant location with obvious Western influences. Link begins the game here and comes across as a blend between a Cowboy and a Shepherd before he dons the illustrious green tunic; suitably this particular demonstration focussed on taking control of Epona and relying on the trusted challenge of herding goats into a barn. The game plays similarly to Ocarina of Time when on horseback, allowing the player to â??giddy-upâ? and featuring a smoother, more natural control and movement over the reigns (sadly not as close to that of SCEIâ??s Shadow of the Colossus); in a traditional Zelda moment, harass the goatâ??s too much and youâ??ll find they turn a worrying shade of neon pink and begin to charge after Link with wanton revenge.

Having proved our worth and knocked 24 seconds from the best time, we were then challenged to jump a series of gates to begin exploring the Toaru Village. Wanting to create the sensation of Link being a small fish in a big pond, Toaru Village is some distance away from Hyrule not to mention dwarfed by its epic size; as a result the feeling of Link being an outsider will be prevalent when it first comes to reaching the synonymous region.

Further exploration of Toaru Village revealed a number of little scenes that were very typical of previous Zelda titles; picking up a reed allowed us to play songs in a similar manner to the Ocarina and attract the attention of a hawk to solve a couple of puzzles; briefly engaged in some combat practise with a wooden sword and yes you can still harass the chickens!

Naturally the game features a different Link to those that have come before, with the suggestion that Twilight Princess takes place some decades after Ocarina of Time but before events that took place in The Wind Waker. Brief details on the storyline that have emerged thus far suggest that Linkâ??s adventure begins when he finds himself knocked on the head by a goblin, speeding off on the back of a boar with a kidnapped villager. Awakening from the blow, Link stumbles upon an entrance into the â??Twilightâ? and thus his true quest begins...

Much speculation about exactly what the â??Twilightâ? is has already been made, with the safe assumption that the new dimension represents an alternative vision of Hyrule (ala A Link to the Past), one that is increasingly becoming swept under the plague like structure of the Twilight. Itâ??s during the Twilight scenes that Link transforms into the wolf, and while there was little at E3 to shed any further light on this aspect, we can but speculate. The style represents a distinctive visual change, sharply contrasting bright, vivacious and bold objects against a monochrome world seemingly devoid of life. Itâ??s been suggested that while in wolf form Link can communicate with other animals, has heightened sensations and can solve certain puzzles; however itâ??s the appearance of Midna that is likely to hold onto the biggest surprises. A native resident of the Twilight, Midna appears to attack creatures with her long, colourful hair, although her exact motivation is as yet unclear. During the initial stages Link will find himself sucked into the Twilight, although will later gain control over the portals depicted in the trailers to easily shift between the two dimensions.

The second demonstration was perhaps the most impressive, highlighting the epic bouts on horseback that first impressed us from E3 last year. Link has to track down and attack the goblin on a boar, having tied the young Taoru villager on a pole and waving her around in celebration. A huge number of lesser opponents grace the battlefield and provide the opportunity for Link to practise his mounted combat, essentially allowing players to slash Linkâ??s sword from either side and featuring six whip icons to speed up the horse in a similar manner to the carrots from Ocarina of Time. While on horseback it seems that Link can access the vast majority of his inventory, drinking potions and presumably utilising secondary weapons such as the boomerang. Having hit the boar rider a couple of times, the goblin strides off to another area with Link in hot pursuit, leaping over a set of gates to arrive one-on-one on a bridge in a joust styled boss encounter. Both characters charge at each other, with the correct method requiring the player to duck at precisely the right moment and slash before you pass. After three hits the goblin fell from his mount to the chasm below, sadly this aspect of the demonstration quickly concluded before moving onto the dungeon.

Exploring the dungeon was very reminiscent of past Zelda titles with its ingenious puzzles and strong level designs. This particular example featured a number of monkeys that form a crucial component within the stage, helping Link to access areas that he wouldnâ??t normally be able to while the more mischievous seem to take delight in thwarting his progress. The demonstration highlighted the return of Linkâ??s trusted boomerang, although with it comes a neat enhancement that summons a small tornado in its path. Combat during these stages revealed a natural evolution from that featured in The Wind Waker, although Aonuma-san assured us that the vast number of changes, modifications and alterations that the team have made has virtually resulted in an entirely new engine â?“ rest assured the subtle brilliances of the lock-on system and various techniques has not been sacrificed or altered too much.

Finally the demonstration led up to the climatic encounter against the dungeon boss, a typical tentacle based opponent that required the clever use of the boomerang to defeat. The aforementioned mischievous monkey once again shows up, running across a rope while carrying a lit bomb for some strange and unapparent reason. The technique requires players firstly to lock on to the monkey with the boomerang and then quickly target the tentacle boss; doing so correctly catches the bomb from the monkey and delivers it to the boss for some punishment, dropping its head to the ground and allowing Link to jump in and deal some damage.

Visually the game is impressive, sporting a very natural and under-stated style to the world of Hyrule, which neatly contrasts the monochrome world of the Twilight. Having seen many next-gen demonstrations at the time itâ??s safe to say that despite the occasional iffy texture and a somewhat grainy style, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess can still hold its own and is a worthy reminder of what the GameCube can do when handled correctly â?“ being a huge fan of The Wind Wakerâ??s style I'll refuse from getting in to specifics, however those longing for this approach will not be disappointed.