i liked it! i spent the first hour farming rupees so i could gnab every trendy item i could. thats how you know its good.
my greatest fear in turning this game on was the threat of getting lost in yet another expansive & beautiful world with no clue of what to do/where to go next. that feeling of hope as I would try to piece together where im meant to venture to next would transition into an aimless rigamarole without end, ending with me inevitably giving up and moving on to something else. that feeling of excitement & wonder quickly transforming into frustration & confusion is a challenging feeling to come back from, for me.
that being said, links awakening didnt just rectify this concern of mine - it erased it, keeping me continuously engaged in what possibilites exist at any given time. hints houses, chats with the owl, the ability to revisit any conversation you've previously had at any time, and, most importantly, visual feedback regarding what abilities do what in a certain space, ensured for me that i was able to assertain my wareabouts and goals whenever i desired. i constantly stumbled into areas/rooms that were clearly designed for the utilization of some piece of gear. what works about this, for me, was how the game earned my trust in how if i didn't have a certain item at any point, i would soon be able to revisit this space with said gear. that is to say, it felt to me as if the game was saying, "if you can't complete a challenge, the solution is close by".
outside of the general adventure-gameplay loop, links awakening also does a fantastic job at interconnecting its story, writing, and music, all of which work together to spin this beautifully melancholy tale of a hero saving a dream world from nightmares. music is both cheery & somewhat offputting, indicating that despite everything's glossy & textured exterior, something amiss is lurking underneath. the sound design, in my opinion, does this fantastic job of blending that upbeat, triumphant music of zelda with an uncanny, unsettling feeling that works well with the narrative.
the ui is clean & user friendly, the quests are silly & touching, and the combat is responsive & satisfying. there are parts of this game that make it links awakening and parts that make this a zelda game. both support each other wonderfully for a product that had me feeling content as the credits rolled.
my greatest fear in turning this game on was the threat of getting lost in yet another expansive & beautiful world with no clue of what to do/where to go next. that feeling of hope as I would try to piece together where im meant to venture to next would transition into an aimless rigamarole without end, ending with me inevitably giving up and moving on to something else. that feeling of excitement & wonder quickly transforming into frustration & confusion is a challenging feeling to come back from, for me.
that being said, links awakening didnt just rectify this concern of mine - it erased it, keeping me continuously engaged in what possibilites exist at any given time. hints houses, chats with the owl, the ability to revisit any conversation you've previously had at any time, and, most importantly, visual feedback regarding what abilities do what in a certain space, ensured for me that i was able to assertain my wareabouts and goals whenever i desired. i constantly stumbled into areas/rooms that were clearly designed for the utilization of some piece of gear. what works about this, for me, was how the game earned my trust in how if i didn't have a certain item at any point, i would soon be able to revisit this space with said gear. that is to say, it felt to me as if the game was saying, "if you can't complete a challenge, the solution is close by".
outside of the general adventure-gameplay loop, links awakening also does a fantastic job at interconnecting its story, writing, and music, all of which work together to spin this beautifully melancholy tale of a hero saving a dream world from nightmares. music is both cheery & somewhat offputting, indicating that despite everything's glossy & textured exterior, something amiss is lurking underneath. the sound design, in my opinion, does this fantastic job of blending that upbeat, triumphant music of zelda with an uncanny, unsettling feeling that works well with the narrative.
the ui is clean & user friendly, the quests are silly & touching, and the combat is responsive & satisfying. there are parts of this game that make it links awakening and parts that make this a zelda game. both support each other wonderfully for a product that had me feeling content as the credits rolled.