This year at E3, Nintendo announced that its theme was transformation, or change.
This year at E3, Nintendo announced that its theme was transformation, or change. Change can be good in order to discover great new things or to fix what is broken. In the case of the Zelda series, it has a rich history and a strong brand that few would say needs fixing so we’d hope that change here would be to discover great new things. Enter The Legend of Zelda: Triforce Heroes , a 3DS game emphasizing a new 3-player style cooperative play. Just how well does this change to the legendary franchise play-out? Not as great as I had hoped for, but it still manages to bring something fun to the table.
Let’s get started with the basics: fans of The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds will instantly recognize the familiar visual style and mechanics in Triforce Heroes . The game was built on top of the same platform so controlling Link and exploring the land will feel exactly like it did in A Link Between Worlds . That’s about as far as the similarities go however.
Instead of the familiar land of Hyrule, players will be venturing in the kingdom of Hytopia. In this kingdom everything revolves around fashion. So much so that the plot of the story focuses on the stylish princess Styla being cursed to wear the most unstylish outfit possible. Due to this the kingdom is devastated and calls out for heroes to find the evil witch and lift the curse on their kingdom. Overall it’s a pretty weak story that’s just there to introduce the outfit mechanic of the game. After the initial setting of the plot, there’s no progressing the story aside for when you encounter the witch near the end.
While players start out in Hytopia, most of the time is spent in the Drablands fighting monsters and solving puzzles in order to find the witch. Hytopia itself is quite small consisting of the castle and 4 shops in the village. The castle serves as a “hub” for players to select which levels to play in either single player or multiplayer or face off friends in the Coliseum. Each house in the village serves a specific purpose. The main house is Madame Couture’s which, aside having a super catchy theme to it, lets players craft costumes based on items they’ve collected. Each costume has its own unique abilitiy like allowing you to swim faster or shoot 3 arrows at once instead of 1. Next to that house is a shop to buy crafting items. Below them is a house to post pictures to miiverse and finally a house that gives you a chance at winning a crafting item each day you visit it. Aside from having a little charm the town feels small and there’s no sense of exploration to it.
Lastly before we bite into the meat that is the gameplay, a small note on the game’s soundtrack. The Legend of Zelda has a reputation for making timeless music and memorable themes and Triforce Heroes is no different. The game carries its own unique atmosphere that has a Parisian feel to it thanks to the use of the accordion and violin in its tracks. I wouldn’t be surprised to see some of the themes introduced here showing up in future Symphonies of the Goddess performances.
And now onto any game’s critical component: the gameplay! In Triforce Heroes you can, and are strongly encouraged, to play with 2 other friends through dozens of dungeons. This can be done through an online connection or local play (regardless if your friends have the game or not). Should you have no friends or internet connection nearby however there’s always single player mode where you play with two dummy dolls instead. Regardless of game mode, you’ll get to pick one of 8 themed worlds to play in and then select 1 of 4 courses. Each course has 4 sections in it consisting of one or two puzzles each. So in total you’re looking at essentially 128 rooms to play through. Once you complete a world, you’ll unlock 3 special challenges for each course providing tons of replayability.
The game really shines in its multiplayer mode. Teaming up with 2 friends to beat enemies and figure out puzzles introduces a charm that was previously impossible with past Zelda titles. Each character wields a sword and an additional weapon in each course which is decided based on which of the three items you pick up. For example, one course would provide a bow and arrow and 2 bombs. Each player would only be able to use the one item they chose throughout the rest of the course.
Aside working together to make the best use of items and solve puzzles, players can also carry each other to form a 2 or 3 player high totem formation. This lets players throw another player to a higher ledge or attack enemy weak spots that are higher than them. This new mechanic ensures that the puzzles you encounter in Triforce Heroes will feel fresh and will make you re-think how to solve classic Zelda style puzzles.
Communication is important in order to progress through each dungeon and while Nintendo has stepped away once again from voice chat, the stand in commands work fine. On your touch screen you’ll find 8 commands which you can send to your teammates with a simple touch. These commands range from calling them over, to indicating a throw, use of an item or just cheering them on. It works perfectly to fill the necessity of communicating together but it does leave out that fun chaotic chatter you might find in local multiplayer.
Once the dungeons are complete, players can then open one of three chests which usually contain two common items and one rarer item. These items can be used to craft new outfits to provide your hero enhanced abilities as mentioned earlier. Additionally each time you play with a unique friend locally, you’ll gain Friendly Tokens. These are unique items that can help you craft unique gear.
As I mentioned previously if you can’t play with 2 other players, which was the case for me most of the time while reviewing the game, you can go the single player route. The levels are the same however your two teammates are replaced with dolls which you can control by selecting them on the touchscreen. You can only control one character at a time meaning you’ll be switching between the 3 dolls constantly. In single player mode the gameplay feels more similar to the Stone Tower Temple in Majora’s Mask where you must use three Link dummies to solve puzzles.
The problem with moving three characters around in a game that was designed for 3-player coop play makes the game quite tedious in some parts. Often times I found myself dying or frustrated because I had to constantly switch between characters and perform precise and well timed moves which if missed led me to have to restart the whole process. This simply just wasn’t fun and I often walked away from my 3DS frustrated with the game, something I hadn’t experience in the Zelda series since the classic NES title, The Adventure of Link .
Understandably Triforce Heroes was designed for 3-player play and the fact that Nintendo still managed to deliver a single player mode is quite welcomed. However, traditional fans of the series going into Triforce Heroes expecting a single player experience as satisfying as past games will find themselves disappointed. The game isn’t meant to be a traditional Zelda experience, it’s a fresh new formula designed for those on the go or who are seeking a more social experience with the Zelda franchise. If you’re looking for some fun and hectic gaming moments with your friends then Triforce Heroes along with its clever puzzles, fun visuals and beautiful soundtrack is sure to please. For those interested in the game because of its Zelda association just be prepared for a less fulfilling experience than you’re used to.
Written by Jason Lepine
Jason’s professional and cool-headed style masks what’s really going on inside. His ridiculous work intensity will drive him to spend 12 hours perfecting a video if need be.
This guy’s probably a notch away from exploding.
Pros: Fun and unique multiplayer experience Memorable soundtrack Clever puzzle design
Cons: Tedious single player mode Weak story No sense of exploration
Final Score: / 10
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