I thought it was a great game. It has flaws but what game doesn't? No game is absolutely perfect. I thought the good things about the game more than made up for its flaws anyways. To me, it's unfairly treated and is often looked down upon for minor reasons.
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I'll start out with the
GOOD.
-Characters: The characters of the game were very deep and showed their emotions. Many characters (Especially Midna) were dynamic characters that changed over time which is something that is relatively rare in the Zelda series. Overall, I thought the characters were memorable and well-designed.
-Items: Sure, most were rarely used outside their respective temples but who gives a poop? They were fun while they lasted. Items like the spinner, ball & chain, dominion rod and double clawshot were new to the series and I would gladly welcome a return of any of them in a future game. Unlike most past items, they were innovative, different and most importantly, I got a kick out of using them.
-Emotion/Depth: I think TP handled emotion and darkness very well. Not as much as say, Majora's Mask, but still good. Emotion is something that I look for in a Zelda game. I like it when a cutscene can pull at my heartstrings and make me feel for the characters.
-Epicness: TP had an epic feel. Everything was BIG; BIG fields, BIG bridges, BIG waterfalls, BIG towns, BIG bosses. Although sometimes it felt a little empty, it still had a great atmosphere. I really felt like I was saving a kingdom rather than a tiny field with a few residents scattered around the outside. Everything was a "WOW!" factor and that custscene after Link defeats King Bulbin on the bridge and he raises his sword in triumph and Epona goes on her hind legs was especially incredible.
-Dungeons: I felt that TP had some of the best dungeons in the series. They were large, usually had a great item and the boss fights were always fun.
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Just
OKAY.
-Music: The music was just alright, to me at least. I mean, the music fit the atmosphere of each area perfectly but that doesn't mean it was very memorable. There were only a few standouts in my opinion and the rest was just a bit... dull. The music sounded hollow and tinny and could have been better.
-Graphics: I like that it was more realistic but most of the areas had a very muddy color pallet which seemed to dull down the game.
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And now we're left with what I didn't like: The
BAD.
-Story: I know that the story is one of the most praised things about the game but I just found it to be a mess of linear events. Most parts of the main story had little relevance to the rest of the story and would have been better off as sidequests (Which I'll get to now).
-Sidequests: There weren't very many times when I actually left the main story to go do something else. Other than heartpieces, the only sidequests in the game were collectiions (Bugs, poes) which I don't care for because they don't really add much depth to the game. I felt trapped in one story.
-Exploration: I was almost always guided and being told what to do and where to go. This didn't leave much to the imagination and I never felt any curiosity to go elsewhere. There would be no point in leaving the story to go explore anything because I wouldn't find anything other than caves with rupees and a few enemies here and there. I find it ironic that the largest, most expansive game in the entire series has the least amount of exploration.
Overall, it was a satisfying game. I did have a few story-related grievances but I tend to look at the positives instead of the negatives. It still holds a spot in my top 5 and I still think it's a wonderful game.
