Metacritic Games

Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, The (GameCube)

When an evil shadow stretches from the heart of Hyrule to its peaceful borderlands, a young farm boy named Link must awaken the hero ... and the animal ... within. When Link travels to the darkened land of Hyrule, he transforms into a wolf and must scour the land with the help of a mysterious being named Midna. Ride into battle against troops of foul creatures, using an incredible horseback combat system, then take on massive bosses that must be seen to be believed. Many puzzles stand between Link and the fulfillment of his quest, so players must sharpen their wits as they hunt for weapons and items. Link, a young man raised as a wrangler in a rural village, is ordered by the mayor to attend the Hyrule Summit. He sets off, oblivious to the dark fate that has descended upon the kingdom. When he enters the Twilight Realm that has covered Hyrule, he transforms into a wolf and is captured. A mysterious figure named Midna helps him break free, and with the aid of her magic, they set off to free the land from the shadows. Link must explore the vast land of Hyrule and uncover the mystery behind its plunge into darkness. As he does, he’ll have to enlist the aid of friendly folk, solve puzzles and battle his way through dangerous dungeons. In the Twilight Realm, he’ll have to use his wolf abilities and Midna’s magic to bring light to the land. [Nintendo]

Nintendo
Third-Person Action, Adventure
Players: 1
T (Teen)
Developer: Nintendo
Released December 13, 2006

Overall Metascore

This is a weighted, normalized average of all individual scores given by critics, on a scale of 0 (worst) to 100 (best).

96 / 100

Critic Reviews

100 GameSpy
It's an amazing epitaph to the GameCube's life and it's certainly the best game from Nintendo this year. If you've been on the fence in any capacity, then please rest assured that you'll not be disappointed. Nintendo's flagship game has arrived in style and you better damned well appreciate it. It's ultimately fantastic.
100 1UP
Whatever the hardware, Zelda is a brilliant adventure: a stunning achievement, and reason enough to dust off that abandoned GameCube.
100 Cheat Code Central
Yeah, Wind Waker was a great game, but in looking back, it sure wasn't Twilight Princess. The darker direction takes our hero and the series into unchartered territory and fans will definitely appreciate the shift in mood.
100 Games Radar
It's still the most cinematic, engrossing Zelda we've ever played, and as such, deserves nothing but the absolute highest recommendation. Flaws are present, sure, but we'll burn our entire library of games before we say Twilight Princess is anything but incredible.
100 GamePro
The GameCube controller doesn't quite offer the potential of the Wii remote, so slicing down enemies and firing arrows isn't quite as engaging.
100 NintendoWorldReport
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is one of those few genre-defining games that while clearly dedicated to fans of the series, also serves as a wonderful adventure for those new to the series.
98 Game Chronicles
Everything about it is a little familiar, the result of decades of refinement, tweaked gameplay and an ever more fully realized game universe. Although I was sometimes amazed or delighted by a new trick or character, I never felt really, truly surprised by anything in this game.
97 Kombo
Over 40 to 50 hours of gameplay for your first time through. Every hour features challenging, rewarding, fun and entertaining gameplay. Excellent dungeon design and memorable locales.
96 Gaming Nexus
The best the series has to offer up to this point.
95 Games Master UK
A spectacular, jaw-dropping send off for the faithful old GameCube. [Mar 2007, p.84]
95 IGN
As someone who has played both the GameCube and Wii versions of Twilight Princess, I can confidently state that I prefer the latter for its handful of extras, including what I consider to be enhanced controls and an exclusive 16:9 widescreen mode. That being said, though, I can certainly understand why purists might want to stick with the more conventional controls of the GCN build and as far as a traditional setup goes, Twilight Princess is definitely as good as it gets.
95 Nintendo Power
Twilight Princess was a long time in coming, but the game's depth will make it last even longer among the Zelda faithful. [Feb. 2007, p.95]
90 GameDaily
Even without the Wii's motion controls and an orchestrated soundtrack, Zelda succeeds with an ambitious quest that rivals "Ocarina of Time" and a control scheme that players will love.
90 NTSC-uk
But the moment the opening symphony plays until the concluding credits, all fear and doubt quickly vanishes like the cool whispering of an autumn’s breeze. Though not flawless, Nintendo have once again demonstrated masterful craftsmanship, challenging design and imaginative artistry.
90 Thunderbolt
This game is more or less the latest version of a realm that has been long established and already seen. Yes, the story is darker, longer, and more character driven than anything before it. Yes, the dungeons and sidequests are remarkably well crafted. That doesn’t mean that both seasoned Zelda fans and newcomers alike will enjoy the lacking difficulty and the other small problems that plague the game.
89 GameSpot
Twilight Princess contains the same expertly designed puzzles and time-tested gameplay that you've come to expect from the series, though parts of its presentation feel stuck in the past.

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