Post by Richard El Britannia on Aug 23, 2008 15:47:57 GMT
I got really excited when this game was announced, jumping on the hype train with the masses of other Zelda fans. For months, I was really excited about the game, then the day finally came and I got my copy.
When I finally got to play it, my first thoughts were how beautiful it was. The screenshots in magazines and websites really didn't give the game any justice. Seeing it whilst the DS sits snugly in your hands is really much different. I have to say, it is probably one of the best looking DS games out there. If not, the best looking DS game out there.
The game has very similar visuals to Windwaker, which had amazing visuals, too. The cartoony, cel-shaded feel really worked well in both games. Those of you who didn't like the Windwaker graphics won't be impressed here, though, it has to be said.
Not only does it feature graphics very similar to Windwaker, but it also has familiar characters due to it being a direct sequel to Windwaker. The story begins with Tetra being taken by a ghost ship and Link takes it upon himself to save her. After attempting to and failing, he falls into the sea, later washing up on an island and being greeted by a fairy who suspiciously reminded me of Navi and Tatl. With your fairy friend in tow, you embark on a quest to find the other fairies so you can save Tetra. This also leads you onto finding another new character to the game, Linebeck. To find these fairies, you have to travel to other islands to find them, but for that you need a boat. This is where the cowardly Linebeck comes in, being the owner of a steam-powered boat himself.
Fear not, the sailing on Phantom Hourglass isn't half as bad as Windwaker. There's none of the changing the wind direction or waiting for great amounts of time to reach destinations. No, it's much simpler. You simply draw a direction on your map of where you want to travel and the boat goes there. Once you get the cannon, too, you can just tap on the screen where you want to fire. This is infinitely easier than how you fired on Windwaker.
Not only is the sailing really great, so is the on-land gameplay, too. To make Link move, you simply hold the stylus on the screen in the direction you want; to make him attack, tap the enemies; to use your bow, simply use the stylus to direct it. Everything is stylus controlled, making it very easy to pick up and play from the off.
The game - while looking a lot like Windwaker - actually reminds me more of the older, 2D games in terms of gameplay in dungeons and such. It pretty much plays like one too.
This sounds all great, right? Well, Phantom Hourglass is, but it ends so very quickly, even if you include the sidequests such as fishing. And these sidequests are brilliant, too, except ... they're a bit lacking, too. The fishing, for example, started out great. You hold back on the hold by bringing the stylus back and reeling by spinning it on the touch screen. However, there are only 5 or 6 fish in all to catch. When I realised this, I was really let down.
Despite these bad points, even when you've finished the game, you can play on the WiFi mode and multiplayer modes, which play pretty well.
Even with the downsides, the game plays really well and is some good fun. I advise anyone who enjoys Zelda games to buy it and even if you're new to the franchise, still buy it.
When I finally got to play it, my first thoughts were how beautiful it was. The screenshots in magazines and websites really didn't give the game any justice. Seeing it whilst the DS sits snugly in your hands is really much different. I have to say, it is probably one of the best looking DS games out there. If not, the best looking DS game out there.
The game has very similar visuals to Windwaker, which had amazing visuals, too. The cartoony, cel-shaded feel really worked well in both games. Those of you who didn't like the Windwaker graphics won't be impressed here, though, it has to be said.
Not only does it feature graphics very similar to Windwaker, but it also has familiar characters due to it being a direct sequel to Windwaker. The story begins with Tetra being taken by a ghost ship and Link takes it upon himself to save her. After attempting to and failing, he falls into the sea, later washing up on an island and being greeted by a fairy who suspiciously reminded me of Navi and Tatl. With your fairy friend in tow, you embark on a quest to find the other fairies so you can save Tetra. This also leads you onto finding another new character to the game, Linebeck. To find these fairies, you have to travel to other islands to find them, but for that you need a boat. This is where the cowardly Linebeck comes in, being the owner of a steam-powered boat himself.
Fear not, the sailing on Phantom Hourglass isn't half as bad as Windwaker. There's none of the changing the wind direction or waiting for great amounts of time to reach destinations. No, it's much simpler. You simply draw a direction on your map of where you want to travel and the boat goes there. Once you get the cannon, too, you can just tap on the screen where you want to fire. This is infinitely easier than how you fired on Windwaker.
Not only is the sailing really great, so is the on-land gameplay, too. To make Link move, you simply hold the stylus on the screen in the direction you want; to make him attack, tap the enemies; to use your bow, simply use the stylus to direct it. Everything is stylus controlled, making it very easy to pick up and play from the off.
The game - while looking a lot like Windwaker - actually reminds me more of the older, 2D games in terms of gameplay in dungeons and such. It pretty much plays like one too.
This sounds all great, right? Well, Phantom Hourglass is, but it ends so very quickly, even if you include the sidequests such as fishing. And these sidequests are brilliant, too, except ... they're a bit lacking, too. The fishing, for example, started out great. You hold back on the hold by bringing the stylus back and reeling by spinning it on the touch screen. However, there are only 5 or 6 fish in all to catch. When I realised this, I was really let down.
Despite these bad points, even when you've finished the game, you can play on the WiFi mode and multiplayer modes, which play pretty well.
Even with the downsides, the game plays really well and is some good fun. I advise anyone who enjoys Zelda games to buy it and even if you're new to the franchise, still buy it.
