Daily Debate: Was Twilight Princess’s Final Dungeon Satisfying?

On average, a Zelda game’s final dungeon is injected with a climactic flair, sinister architecture, or the ultimate test of one’s abilities — some even boast all three of these qualities. No matter how you slice it, a sense of finality permeates the dungeon. That is until one looks at Twilight Princess’s Hyrule Castle, which takes a unique approach throughout much of its duration.

From the outset, this version of Hyrule Castle is one of the most relaxing dungeons I can think of. Until Link gets to the doors on either side of the courtyard, there are so few enemies in sight. No music, either — just the light drizzle of the rain. And unlike many iterations of Hyrule Castle, this place hasn’t been repurposed as Ganon’s Tower. If I didn’t already know that Ganondorf was chilling at the top, then I’d almost suspect that this place was abandoned by everyone outside of a few monsters.

It isn’t until the player enters the castle proper that the dungeon even begins to take on a more ominous tone. Even then, it all still feels very much like a calm before the storm. It’s only when Link enters the “ghost room” toward the end that I began to feel as if I was making my way toward this game’s grand finale. The architecture is more dilapidated, a violent storm can be seen just past the windows, and the Hyrule Castle theme gradually mutates into Ganon’s anthem. It’s all worth it, too, as I still consider this final showdown with the Gerudo warlord to be the greatest finale to any video game.

Similarly to Ordon Village at the beginning of the game, Hyrule Castle is a slow burn. It seems less concerned with providing devilish puzzles than it does with settling the player into its mood and atmosphere. Its approach may differ from any version of Ganon’s Tower, but it feels appropriate for the game it’s in.

What about you, though? Were you satisfied with the game’s final dungeon? Let us know in the comments below!