The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess teaches us about the responsibility of wielding power, and what power can do to those that do not know courage.
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Sources:
IGN - Nintendo’s History at E3 (2004) www.ign.com/articles/2011/05/...
Nintendo @ E3 2004 • Nintendo E3 2004 Press...
Twilight Princess Reveal • One Of The Best E3 Rea...
Iwata Asks - Wind Waker iwataasks.nintendo.com/interv...
Iwata Asks - Twilight Princess iwataasks.nintendo.com/intervi...
Game Developers Choice Awards - Twilight Princess Writing Award game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs...
DICE Awards - Twilight Princess Honours www.interactive.org/games/vid...
Eurogamer - Aonuma apologizes for Wind Waker www.eurogamer.net/articles/ne...
Nintendo World Report - Eiji Aonuma @ GDC 2007 www.nintendoworldreport.com/fe...
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
6:12 Choice
45:19 Responsibility
1:04:18 Power
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"this is achieved through one of Zelda's best characters" The Postman? Oh, Midna. Right on.
“HHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!”
Shout out to Beedle who endured for untold millennia all the way to Botw.
Nah that's the Banker/Beggar from OOT/MM (according to my fifteen year old sister that literally wrote smut between him and themselves)
@@zk0rned Bro what is wrong with ur family?
@@7F0X7 they were joking when they made it it's pretty funny imo
I don't care what you say, blocking an attack, rolling to their back, slashing them up, finishing with finishing blow and pressing A at the end to the animation is still an unmatched experience in tloz
The skills need to be in BOTW2. They need to, and the Darknuts and Iron knuckles. The combat can be so extreme.
It's honestly the elements of combat I missed the most in SS and BOTW. Zelda combat peaked with TP and you can't change my mind.
@@tloz171nfs It was literally the exact same as Wind Waker and OoT. Only the animations were different.
It's also the only game where you can run and swing your sword.
@@TheAlibabatree TP took the base combat and expanded it. It was more fluid than OoT. It took WW parrying and made it something the player could do whenever they wanted, and even added more moves from that. One particular move was the shield bash, the inspiration for BotW's parry. It let you use more items than just the bow on the horse (even if you count WW giving items on the ship, anything other than the sail stopped the ship). It added underwater combat with underwater bombs and swordplay (OoT functioned via only hookshot). It brought in bomb arrows and combined the bow with a telescope (sniper option). Combat difficulty could be a thing via different tunics. It also was the only game where you could run while swinging your sword.
It’s strange that I never hear anyone talk about it, but one of my favorite parts of this game is when you first return to Ordon Village, trapped as a wolf. It’s night, the music is tense, and you have to talk to frogs and chickens to get info. The villagers are afraid of you, and you really feel alone. Super cool chapter of the game, but it’s strange that I never hear anyone really talk about it.
This is one of my favorite parts of the game as well
My favorite as well
yesss, the first time I played TP I was young. that part made me cry a little.
If you want to see more analysis of those themes check "Twilight Princess Symbolism! Fear and Discrimination" .
SAME i used to keep a specific save file that was forever in this portion of the game just to mess around on it whenever i got bored of doing the story on my main file
It does feel like this incarnation of Link actually lives in this Hyrule. In other games, Link _feels_ very much like an outsider/traveler.
I completely agree. This Link has spent time bonding with the characters around him before the game even takes place and it shows. Rather than this Outsider Hero who saves Hyrule because it's the right thing to do, this Link's sense of responsibility stems from his care for his home and the people within it on a personal level. And unlike most of the NPCs from previous Zelda games (with perhaps the exception of Majora's Mask), these characters are not one-off NPCs that you never see again once you leave the area they live in. Link continues to interact and build relationships with them throughout the entirety of the game. Most of the NPCs (and especially the children) have pretty significant character development, even Ralis. Not just the ones that have a direct impact on Link's quest to restore light to Hyrule, like Midna. Even our interactions with Yeto and Yeta make it seem like Link has built a relationship with them as more than just a stranger who helps them and leaves again. He's a friend. Hyrule is his home, and this is one of the first games in which you actually *feel* that connection as the player.
In the very original Zelda, he is an outsider in fact! He just kind of stumbles into Hyrule in the middle of Ganon's takeover and decides if noone else can do something then he will.
@@CappnRob “well SOMEONES gotta do something about it” “You just fulfilled a prophecy of endless reincarnation” “And if you’ll let me I’ll be on my way now”
Thats ironic because Link lowkey IS an outsider to this Hyrule, Ordon Village exists just outside Hyrule and Link's first time visiting Hyrule was in wolf form
@@thepoppets1052 While he interacts with everyone in the village and seems to be super close to them, it also seems funny to me how he lives just outside of Ordon as well. Maybe it was Nintendo's way of saying he is an outsider no matter what. But even if he may be a bit different from everyone else, he still deserves to belong somewhere and feel inclined to help those in need no matter where he is. That is just my interpretation of course.
I’m so sick of people saying this game is just an Ocarina of Time clone. This game is clearly so much more than that
Agreed
Wait are u serious? There are people that really call TP the clone of OoT?!? WTF, what is this maddening. Twilight princess deserve more love, is one of the best game of the series (best in my opinion)
I mean, I love this game to death but I don't blame people for saying that because the similarities are almost completely parallel
@@hylianro it just bothers me especially considering how it is kind of the fans fault when you think about it. There was so much backlash to Wind Waker’s style and the fans kept pushing for another game similar to Ocarina of Time.
lol its nothing like OOT not any more than skyward sword... as in its Link with a sword and shield. people are silly
I really liked Twilight Princess' slow opening. Starting in Link's village, really shows this Link was just a guy living his life before Gannon's machinations start affecting Hyrule. This Link feels less like a hero of destiny but one who chose to take up the mantle of Hero, much like the Hero of Winds. It gives these Links much more agency in their own stories. I'm prob a bit biased as I also just love the characters, like talking to the animals in the village when you come back as the wolf.
Reminds me of those games where it states that you're not the hero, you're just another dipshit running around in the world. It's one of the reasons Caves of Qud is so strong of a game.
Remember Twilight Princess and Windwaker happen around the same time. While the Link we see in TP is the chosen here he really doesn’t seem like it. Both Link’s while in different timelines have basically the same “normal” life. It’s a really awesome parallel really. I’m a brand new Zelda fan and I’m blown away by how much effort they put into this franchise!
that aint biased, thats just another kind of gamer. others cant stand a slow pasted intro because they start the game already wanting zelda ACTION. while i love the intro. its a completely different approach but still is the same philosophy. also people who like the roleplay aspect in games more, are more likely to like the intro
@@zero.Identity it is a bias, I like character interaction a lot, even if it just those little things. So the fact that the game includes a lot of that in the starting area means I'm coming into the game with already good feelings about it.
@@Samantha_yyz but i wouldnt consider that i bias its just that not everyone is the same and not everyone likes every kind of game/play style. so obviously the game aint the best in every category for everyone. its just another type of enjoying a game. some like to get real deep into the story in slow pasted, actually normal all day life in a fantasy setting as a start of to then get a greater and for sure, a different kind of imersation.
Personally, I always felt Twilight princess was the peak of Zelda's storytelling. The fact that this game broke away from the usual 'Collect the items and save the world' skit and really went beyond the limit for lore instead really was a welcoming sight for sore eyes. Additionally, they really added a good proportion of personality for every single one of it's characters regardless if they were the main character, Npc's or sidekicks. The fact that this game was easily overlooked because it wasn't the same skit as previous games feels rather sad in a way because it totally deserved more credit and recognition than it was given.
Honestly I don't think this game is overlooked by most players. it was a different time back then, we weren't as immediately connected. To me, honestly I think the same sort of people that cheated us out of the TP sequel everyone agrees we all wanted, are the ones that undermine the success of this game. Also the same ones that try to make it sound like it's close minded Westerners that wouldnt' give WW a chance that cost that game, rather than acknowledging the graphic style was a bad choice. It didn't match with the spirit of the series, which has nothing to do with OoT being what people remembered. ... My first LoZ, the one with the biggest nostalgia points, if A Link to the Past, but I will state hands down that Twilight Princess is the pinnacle of Zelda games. It is the only game so far that has captured the true spirit of the series in every sense. It fulfilled what the older games tried to do, but couldn't because of the technological limits (or in the case of OoT the newness of the tech). The world was a bit small, but that's a tech restraint as well. Unfortunately BotW did not deliver on properly expanding the series into an open world.
I agree well wouldn't Waker wasn't amazing game through ART and the overworld Twilight princess had the best storytelling as well as combat and puzzles
I disagree Windwaker was the peak of Zelda, TP was just them caving to pressure and delivering something souless and empto to please the voices that had been critical of windwaker.
Twilight Princess is my favorite of the LoZ series
@@DaDunge thats harsh... but hey, nintendo brought it to themselves when they showed that new 3d link vs ganon demo with "realistic" graphics at the time, then out of the blue proceeded to scrap all of that in favor of cel shading.
To this day, Twilight Princess is my favorite Zelda. It helped me when I was grieving my mother's death.
That's heavy. Sorry for your loss.
❤❤❤❤
So sorry my brother. Take good care and continue to enjoy the things you hold dear.
Twilight Princess is my favorite game because it makes me feel closer to my sister, whom passed away many years ago. Some of my fondest memories is watching her play this game.
The fact that Midna leaves the world of light and severs the connection between the worlds forever is heartbreakingly somber, but man is it effective.
Twilight Princess is a lot smarter than people give it credit for, and parallels Ocarina intentionally because both Link's are blood related. Navi leaves OoT Link in the end, and Midna leaves TP Link in the end. Both games are about loss and renewal.
Man that scene at the end with Midna is so good. Twilight Princess is still my favorite Zelda game. Midna is such a great character, I love even at the end she teases Link.
I hate the conclusion, because it states the lesson as "twili and light are never allowed to combine" even though we see them combining with both link and midna. it's sort of a weird "we're different thus we should exclude eachother" lesson that I personally disagree with. but otherwise, I love the game.
Thank you monke
@@MG-mh8xp I think it’s more that Midna knew the destruction that would happen if both worlds tried to continue to interact. Both would eventually destroy each other because of the power each provided for the other. Midna cut off the connection to prevent further conflict. In the long run, she probably made the right choice.
"The cave of Ordeals gives you a bottle of great Fairies' tears" Yo, my man, once you beat the gauntlet you get to refill with fairy tears at ANY of the light springs in the game. You can always hold one full hearts refresh + minor invincibility. Totally worth it as a final reward for your mastery of the combat mechanics. THREE DARKNUTS AT ONCE!
Oh wow, I thought it only caused fairies to appear at the springs...
oh snap, I never knew this either!!!
There can also be 4 darknuts, AND the postman if you redo the cave
Plus there are bottle-able fairies released as well... If you stand still near them, the fairies will land on Link's hat and sword tip occasionally. It's a cool little detail.
@@LiamTriforce dude they even tell you! can't blame you as after beating it one is just done with life, but they take you to Lanayru's lil' cave after it because you can go there anytime and refill the tears with talking to the weird fog of the fairies now there
I think Twilight Princess has the most slept on cover arts. One of my favorite covers ever
Yeah! I love it so much I need a poster of it badly.
It’s literally my favorite cover art of any video game.
@@traviscunningham7062 specifically on the Wii. That golden holographic with the white borders 🤌
Agreed. The art style reminds me of those old Renaissance paintings.
Also you’re right. I own the Wii version and I love how shiny it looks. Especially compared to the GameCube cover.
Part of what makes Midna stand out from Navi, the King of Red Lions, and Fi, was that fact that not only do you need her to save your world, but she needs you to save hers. This becomes all the more clear once you get to Midna's rescue sequence. She's a partner, rather than a sidekick. You become so much more attached to her and her story because of this! Awesome video, Liam! Twilight Princess is my favorite Zelda game and you hit all points that make it great and you were fair and honest with your criticisms. It's clear you took your responsibility to this video seriously and it shines!
Literally all of the other companions need you to the safe their world.
As dull as the first chapter of TP is. I sort of get it, it's meant to be a quiet rural village. Which if you've ever lived rural, TP is very very true to life being so boring. But it *does* capture the transition and emphasise it, between the chill, down tone life Link lived. To the drastic and massive adventure of the world. I hate the goat thing. But this was like a Microcosm of my own childhood growing up in rural Welsh valleys to breach into the world. Its perceived flaw is exactly why its perfect.
I loved the beginning. The change from quiet calm farm life to terrifying unknowable monsters has stuck with me to this day
Lol city folks don't get it. It's not boring in general. It all depends on what you value in lfe. I would never want to live in a big city.
Aye, I tried city life in Uni. Definitely not for me. The slower paced life is beautiful. I adore having nature around always also. I missed the trees and rivers when I lived the city, even when I moved to Cluj for a while, living the outskirts. Rural life seems dull to many folks from urban life, but I'd say its the most fulfilling. The responsibility and constant stuff to do on the farms, working as a Herbalist and Forager. Running weaving workshops. I couldn't ask for a better life. And I think Link would've been happy to return to Ordon after that whole ordeal to get back to the peaceful way of things. It breeds creativity Imo, which is the main reason we exist as living consciousness I think.
Its also really cool your first time around, yeah its kinda slow but as a kid I loved being able to take my time, get a wooden sword, learn aboht the village and its residents before it all goes to shit
I definitely connected with the start and this link the most, even a little bit down to the goats (I own a few). And honestly this link is just the most capable of all, and has the most personality (I don’t think BotW link is really that strong on his own). He is just a simple guy and enjoys his simple life.
A little detail that lends to the responsibility point: according to the manual for the Wii version, Link is next in line to become mayor after Bo retires
I can see that. The other male characters don't seem to have the same level of courage and well, responsibility that Link has. Link is completely alone in his home, corrals animals, has the respect of the neighborhood kids (hardest job tbh) and just carries himself with confidence. As for the females, it's a feudal setting.
I like to think that Colin will now take up that responsibility, since he’s also grown as a person due to the ordeal and Link now has other responsibilities so he can trust Colin with Ordon
Too bad he leaves out of the village, to go to Hyrule Castle at the end credits. Which if you're paying attention to the environment he rides out on, you would notice it's him riding out in to the direction of leaving the forest entirely.
This is exactly why TP link is my fave, he’s a sweet responsible brother type and chills with his horse and farm stuff in his nice calm treehouse. Literally living my dream 😭 He is a sweet boy who’s serious about the people he cares about
yes!! ive forever had a crush on this link. while hes definitely handsome, what makes him so lovable is how hes determined to protect everyone he cares for. hes also very chill and quiet and so very sweet. precious smile too.
I always thought the Eldin Bridge fight was so incredibly strong story wise. Link's not just doing through the motions, hes angry, and he stomps out all the bokoblins in his way, the elite riders that accompany the bokoblin king, and the king himself just to get his friend back.
The absolute majesty of his heroic pose at the end of the battle, a true hero awakened.
15 years and this is literally the first time I've encountered anyone who acknowledges what a great character Colin is.
You might like this guy then: kzhead.info/sun/Z8huf5uniXh5fZE/bejne.html
Facts
I always thought Collin was a little girl when I was a kid 😂
@@greekstyle5788 Not many guys named Colin in your part of the world? It's fairly common in the UK lol
Colin is one of the best characters in TP! Love that little guy!
Midna was one of the very few times I ever truly felt for a game character. I remember talking to my roommate at the time when the game had just come out, about what we thought of her. I thought she was an evil character at the start, possibly even the true enemy that you would face later. But when she is laying over Link's back, barely alive, and the incredible song that is Midna's Lament started to play, I was feeling the sweat on my brow hauling ass to the castle. I can only imagine Link running so hard that he could feel his heart about to explode and his legs giving out, but pushing on anyway. Because that's how I felt as an onlooker. I loved Twilight Princess, enough to acknowledge it's faults. But because of Midna, it remains my personal favorite of the entire series.
If i have a video game character waifu, Midna would be. I have her happy theme as my ring tone and a screenshot of her in her shadow silouhette in Fyrus's boss room. Always press Z everytime just to her and watch her talk throught the entire game, and i feel like i know her like the palm of my hand. When she broke the mirror, i was depressed for 3 days. Twilight Princess should be an M rated game, that would be an even more insane creative risk than the final product and fits better with the Link&Midna dynamic.
"acknowledge it's fault" Basically nonexistant, the original Gamecube version is the most polished 3D Zelda that i ever played, also has the least amount of bugs, making it extremely difficult to speedrun. We won't get another Twilight Princess ever again, that game is an anomaly in the AAA industry and Nintendo.
Midna was a character unlike any I'd ever met in gaming... I remember getting this game for Christmas in 2007 when my parents bought a Wii for all of us. At 7 years old, I felt she was somehow different from the other companions Link took on his previous quests but I never understood why. I never finished the game and my parents ended up getting rid of it because it frightened my siblings and I, but I always remembered Midna even as I grew up and my taste in gaming began to truly flourish and change. Fast forward to 2021, I'm 21 years old, and I have a small GameCube collection with Twilight Princess proudly part of it. Playing through it as an adult, despite having the ending spoiled for me a long time ago, I still hold Midna in high regard for her beauty and her dark but sweet and playful nature. Despite her using Link at the beginning to further her own agenda, Link still fights tooth and nail to help her when Zant curses her, eventually leading to Midna seeing that the beings of the Light aren't all evil despite how her people were treated long ago. Midna will always be my favorite princess in gaming history
@@wilsonjonah I'm 23. One of the few fortunate people that owned the OG Gamecube version of Twilight Princess. Midna is not just the best princess, but the best ruler that i ever watched on fiction, she gets her hands dirty for doing stuff that absolutely no politician on the real world would do. Thanks to Twilight Princess, i'm proud of being a libertarian, real life politicians are just a bunch of Ganondorfs. And i'm not ashamed for saying this, but Midna is still my videogame waifu since a very, VERY long time. I love her so much, i 100%ed TP 3 times and i tried to press Z just to watch her talk, sometimes i dream that i'm Link and i have interesting debates with Midna...
@@wilsonjonah Midna is not dark, simply mischievous, playful and nerdy. The only dark thing about here is her appearence and past.
I’m not even 15 minutes in and I already have to post this comment. I really appreciate the recognition of how the twilight in this game is so beautiful with it having a “gold tinge”. It’s so completely unforgettable. Twilight princess was the first Zelda game i had ever seen, I was 9, my mom started playing it when the wii came out. sometimes, she would play at 3am, and I would sneak out of bed and watch behind super intently. After watching her play so much I asked if I could have a file and she said yes. And from there on out it would be engraved in my memory forever. This game impacted me so much as a child that as an adult, I use it as inspiration and reference to my own art and even in my work. Visually, the game imprinted my mind and made me feel emotions I couldn’t put into words, just based on the color palette and animation. Starting the game as a 9 year old child who never truly felt the full effect of sadness, it pretty much raised me to find beauty in sadness throughout my teen years. This game gave me so many core memory’s wether it was playing the game, trying to draw characters from the guide book, or just daydreaming about playing it. I even have a tattoo of argorok on my arm ( I also loved dragons at the time so it made me love the game more) that will soon turn into a whole TP sleeve. I could probably explain for hours every detail that makes me love this game. But you’ve already said it all in this video! I respect Your ability to see this game deeply and more like a lesson and experience rather than just another Zelda game. Because this game IS an experience. Thank you for making such a wonderfully detailed video, it really captures how profound TP is on essence, aesthetic, characters and story.
Heck yes, I love personal stories like this. It's amazing how, especially when we're young, a game's art direction _alone_ can challenge or evolve our perception of emotions. For me, it was Mario Galaxy, one of the first games I ever played. Behind the bright and bouncy platforming, there was the vastness of space, complimented by gorgeous, sometimes ethereal music. It felt strikingly beautiful, yet haunting and endlessly mysterious. Rosalina's storybook and the rebirth of the universe especially made me feel things I had never felt before. And I love it so much. Super jealous of your Argorok tattoo. Good luck on the sleeve, and you better not forget Ook! :P
I know this is 9months old but I just wanted to thank you for sharing your stories. These kind of things make me so emotional and your story was so sweet and touching, people can easily dismiss video games and their impact but they can be such important pieces of art that we form around. I have some pieces of media that impacted me this way so I definitely get what you're saying and it feels so important.
Ocarina of Time may be a fable, but Twilight Princess is an epic poem. The colours, the graphic style, the characterization of the characters, the plot and, especially, the music of this game create an atmosphere that is still unmatched in the series. Maybe it's because I literally grew up with this game, like a lot of people did with Oot, but the emotions I feel by playing this game are like no others. The fact that in this game you can find epic scenes like the fight on the bridge, high energy moments like the fight against Argorok, sad moments like the Midna's Lament sequence and creepy almost horror scenes like the fight against the last light insect, it's just incredible to me. On top of that, the locations in this game are so atmospheric, like Geld Desert and Lake Hylia. This game is overall just a masterpiece and deserves to be recognized as such.
Twilight Princess was the first Zelda game I ever finished, and even though I haven't done another full playthrough of it because of certain puzzles annoying me into quitting, I feel like it's one of the strongest entries in this series in terms of story. That's the reason I can't get enough of the Twilight Princess Manga. The story and characters being my favorite part of the experience, a manga retelling is my ideal way to re-visit it. Awesome video, as always!
First time I've ever seen someone mention the Twilight Princess manga! Always found that weird, since it's got so many volumes (it's taking its time to tell the story) compared to other Zelda manga adaptations. It's honestly my favorite because Twilight Princess has such a great cast of characters.
100%ed the game 3 times. I get very emotional every time, the game is a masterpiece on everything, difficult to find flaws with it minus the exception of the ancient MIDI-like sound quality that the music has. Don't get me started ok the Wii U remaster, i would make a giant rant of a comment just by the music in the remaster alone, don't get me started with the rest of that game.
It has the best story.
@@saricubra2867 Whats wrong with the WiiU Port?
I always thought TP had a pretty mediocre story. It's awkwardly paced, it has a lot of shallow and uninteresting characters and it's full of plotholes and random stuff that doesn't make sense. It was cool to see more elaborate cutscenes for the first time in a zelda game, but I think it's over all just a shallow spectacle.
Hearing the audience's reaction to the TP trailer still gives me chills.
Probably their best E3, still. It was so great it spawned that 2-panel IGN reaction meme from way back.
I literally almost cried when I see oot in the trailer
reminds me of the crowd when i saw Endgame honestly
Twilight Princess excels in its character maneuvering, swordplay, atmosphere, and lore. Ocarina and Majora's Mask pair up perfectly with it (in the child timeline) for a really somber tale of 2 related Links. To this day it has my favorite Zelda visuals in the series. It took the Japanese-stylized visuals of Wind Waker and combined them with the dark fantasy of something like a Lord of the Rings movie. TP Link looked so cool and mature wearing chainmail in the concept art and final game. He still seems like the most grown up Link to me...
Lord of the Rings is NOT Dark Fantasy. Dark Fantasy is contrasted with Lord of the Rings as being the complete opposite.
The reason why Twilight Princess is so memorable is because it's packed with sequences that make memories. From freeing Colin to escorting the wagon to the skeleton head boss battle, every step is totally different from the last one.
I noticed a big piece of the game left relatively unmentioned here, the responsibility of restoring Ilia's memory. It seemed like she was just thrown in with the other kids from Ordon and brushed aside for Midna. However, i think it's absolutely significant enough to merit a greater mentioning. From the escort quest to getting her charm, Link's responsibility of restoring Ilia's memory is a really touching and memorable part of the game. You don't mind going to such great lengths to help her because you've seen Link's bond with her and understand how important she is to him, and it makes completing her story arc in the game all that much more fulfilling. But beyond that, there's a darker way to end things, as the quest to restore Ilia's memories is one of the few responsibilities that you can make Link completely abandon. Once you have access to the Hidden Village and have cleared of the Bulblins, nothing is stopping you from showing Impaz the powerless Dominion Rod and getting the Book of Sky Characters then and there. And once you have the book, all you need to do is show it to Shad and start on the journey of investigating the owl statues. There's no story requirement to actually restoring Ilia's memory; you can just leave Ilia to suffer in her amnesia, eternally waiting for her hero to return with a way to help her. It's an absolutely chilling way to complete the game, but nothing actually stops you from doing it. I'll concede that I don't know if this can he done in the HD version. I've only played the original, and I've never seen anyone else attempt or even mention it in regards to either version. But I still feel that it's something that should be talked about.
Oh wow, is that true? I thought there was something forcing you to restore her memory in some way, like I thought Shad only returns to the basement after you’ve gotten all the Sky writing and seen the scenes with her.
@@cloudycanine9682 Yup, it's true. Shad is always in the basement after you finish Temple of Time, so you can do every part of the Sky Characters quest as soon was you can get the book and show it to him.
TIL I abandoned Ilia without even noticing
many people don't like me for this, but I thought Ilia was the worst part of the game
@@jwitn I had a hard time liking Illia too. Might be, for me, because the scene where you find her comes shortly after Zelda reveals how she sacrificed everything, ending up a prisoner in her own conquered home, for the sake of keeping her people safe and all the soldiers care about at Telma's bar is poor Illia. Like, I get it, and it's not fair to the character of Illia, but it really rubbed me the wrong way.
I can already tell this is going to be a great watch. TP is a game I love, especially thematically, and I’m glad to see people still talking about it years later
TP gives me OOT vibes
One of my favorite things about TP is that Rusl's opening dialogue is actually true. The connection between Sunset, the "other side" (the Twilight realm), and spirits of the dead can be seen. As you traverse the world, when you see a Sunset (Twilight), the skybox for a few moments becomes identical to the sky in the wolf-centered Twilight levels. That beautiful color of orange is something Midna also talks about when remembering her home.
If it didn't do things that slowed down the game to a crawl, it would be my favourite. But walking with the iron boots and climbing are so unbelievably slow. It was such a dumb design decision
I love it both in story/world and gameplay. It's the only 3D Zelda game that i ever played that makes me feel like the true sucessor of A Link To The Past and i loved exploring ALTTP's hyrule, the problem is the plot that was barebones. I never liked OOT's hyrule, combined with Navi and the clunkyness of the N64, i don't see it surpassing TP (the magnum opus of the series). TP is so easy and fun to 100%, that Fortune Teller is brillant game design that was on ALTTP but removed on OOT and MM for whatever reason...
I hope they bring the dark theme back into a future Zelda game.
I feel like the beginning, the "menial" tasks of just being in the village and living life, is something I always looked back to. It provides a strong emotional connection to Ordon village and its people, and eventually when I'm whisked away, it provides a purpose more than just completing the game. I want to go back to the peaceful times, before the kids were kidnapped, before the twilight. The rest of the story is really amazing too, but the intro really provides that connection and purpose the world. It was my first ever Zelda game and a game I have also played through many times, and although I've played many other Zelda games, this one will remain one of my favorites, because of the storytelling, the emotional connection, the lore, and the music. For the same reasons, Skyward Sword is also one of my favorites.
Lol, continuing to watch the video, you described almost exactly what I meant. In the intro, it makes you value those simple tasks and shows that Link is responsible and nice and establishes that emotional connection to the village.
I have noticed that throughout this game links face expression changes. He looked more soft in the beginning of the game but as he progressed and kept changing into wolf link and then back to human and then just all the crap he’s been through throughout this game, he gets a more angrier beast type of look to him
No he doesnt lol.
@@thegameshows1And I heard him growling when other furries showed up
@@thegameshows1 yeah that’s placebo
I watched my siblings play this game when i was four years old, learned to play it when I was six, and beat it for the first time by myself when I was 8. This game raised me and will forever be the biggest core memory I have.This game was also the first reason why I wanted to learn to draw, and now I am studying to become an art teacher! I have always loved this game and I even danced to Zelda's lullaby in my first holy communion and in my quinceanera. It's so refreshing to hear someone point out every single thing that I have loved and hated about this game, I wish I could replay it like it was my first.
Whoa, your church sounds pretty chill. That's neat you could use that song for those moments!
Same here, but with music! This game inspired me to play in symphonies! I never had a quinceañera but maybe I’ll put Zelda’s lullaby in my graduation playlist. :) This game hits different.
I love your story! it reminds me of mine in some ways except for me it was with ocarina of time as a lil kid but it definitely shaped my life growing up. Then as a teen TP entered my life and it brought me back to when I was little playing OoT, I love TP a little more than OoT but Oot will always be a classic for me still.
When I was younger, my first Zelda game was Twilight Princess. It's what got me invested in the series and I enjoyed it considerably, but I never actually finished it, left off at Snowpeak. Then, about three weeks ago, I got the game again as I'm starting to collect for the Wii. I played through the whole thing, got 100% completion because it's obligatory when playing a Zelda game, and felt such pride that I had finished what child me had started. It's not my favourite Zelda game, but I'm glad I decided to choose it as my first all that time ago.
Thanks for sharing! What’s your favorite Zelda game?
Yes. What's your favorite Zelda game?
Majora's Mask. Doubles as my favourite game ever.
@@realkingofantarctica right on! Mine’s Ocarina of Time. I love majoras mask too! I love that they didn’t pull back on the heavier themes. Those two games have helped me process a lot of stuff in my life. Thanks for sharing your perspective!
Right on. Similar story to mine, except I never 100% completed Twilight Princess. I’m not that dedicated.
Man... the twilight princess intro song still gives me shivers. The nostalgia is so strong
Maybe it's just me, but I really felt connected to Ilia's quest...seeing her when you are a wolf, and then finding her again once you are human again, only to have her not recognize you crushes me. To me their relationship was a budding romance that signified what could have been for link as he grows into an adult. She is more special than the other kids to link.
Something that stood out to me that wasn't mentioned was what this game implied about how the Hero of Time/Termina ended up living his life. From abandoning his trusty green tunic to seemingly being brutally sliced apart by an unknown enemy and left to die in the middle of the woods, it kills me that there isn't a third game with this Link between Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess :/
Same here, I feel that there’s a story between Majora Mask & Twilight Princess that could’ve been a game even if it ended with Link’s death
In that same vein, I'm one of the many hoping that one day Nintendo gives us a game about an old Link. Yeah, all of the Zelda games are about growing up and accepting responsibility and what not, but isn't getting old part of growing up? There's still a message to tell about maturing *as* an adult, instead of simply maturing *into* adulthood. How many adults have we known that chose to ignore their duties to their family, friends, and community? How many chose to abuse their power and knowledge in old age? There's still more to tell, and I want to see an old man Link kick ass with a gracefully aged Zelda (Or maybe a little girl Zelda he protects?) Honestly there's a lot that can be done that I hope I get to see. Official or otherwise
While it is fanmade and not canon, MajorLink is currently working on what he theorized happened to that hero post Majora’s Mask, and it is really good. I highly recommend the channel to any Zelda fan in general
Also the sense of utter Regret keeping him to the Mortal Plane verses passing on. There’s this sense of grief and genocide permeating basically every aspect of Twilight Princess’s worldbuilding: locations, design elements, characters and groups, lore exposition, even and especially dungeon design (although this requires cranking up colors and contrasts to see it vs fuzzed out due to hardware limitations) What would prevent a Hero from passing on until he can at least pass on his skills to the next one? Uh…Y E A H. Accidentally causing a WORSE tragedy than the one he did as a child by pulling the Master Sword would definitely do it. (And OoT Zelda-although we never see her ghost-must have similar regrets, considering how Savvy TP Zelda seems in the history leading up to the events of TP and her realization of Midna’s true identity. OoT Zelda&Link broke their era, then accidentally broke the next one.)
@@anonymousfellow8879 you are my favorite person fellow Zelda fan
I adore Ordon village and Twilight Princesses intro. I used to restart the game just to be able to play through it again. It's so pleasant and mysterious and compelling when peril strikes. [Especially if you supplement your playthrough with the manga]
That first time turning into wolf is amazing
The official manga is required reading for TP fans. The ending is amazing and the Midna fanservice is ~Perfecto~.
I love it too for being so frugal.
@@nillynush4899 Are you referencing a manga released by Nintendo, or the non-canon manga by Akira Himekawa?
1:01:40 on the idea of corrupting people's intentions I always really loved that evil smile Link had for a moment at the end of that story. Even if it was just for a second it showed just how dangerous that power was and how vulnerable even Link was to that corruption
Those details are why Twilight Princess's story and narrative is fantastic. Nintendo used facial expressions to get across those little details, that even someone as noble and kind as Link could be drawn in by the corruption of power.
⚠️SPOILER ALERT⚠️ Was anyone else BALLING their eyes out when bringing midna to Zelda, when her helm was crushed and when she shattered the mirror at the very end?? The tears….so many….. Also, I actually really like the slow start. It shows link in his ordinary life, then, everything goes wrong. It gives you a slow tutorial while still feeling on edge.
When I first played the game, I absolutely hauled ass to Hyrule Castle telling her it was going to be okay, and that she wasn't going to die. And then I absolutely bawled my eyes out at the credits because I didn't want her to go. I personally feel she is the BEST partner character in the LoZ series, and she might've even ended up unintentionally inspiring a character of my own. Now when I play the game, the ending is still always sad, but I understand the choice she made at the end was for the betterment of both worlds and how hard it had to be for her to make as well.
Absolutely. I was in literal mourning for like a week straight after finishing the game, and it kindled the "Werewolf child" cringe phase I had, because I loved Link and her's dynamic, the story, and to this day I now have a type, thanks to Midna. She was impactful throughout the whole story and I don't think another character will ever come close to making the impact hers made on me as a person. Also I agree on the slow start. It's a bit hard for my ADD brain to get past now, but I wouldn't have the beginning any other way. It tells its story and accomplishes exactly what it set out to do.
Yesss I remember vividly feeling the same. Such a great game 🥹
my first zelda was Majoras Mask and the next one our family ever bought was the wii Twilight princess and i fell so inlove with the story and everything about those two games.. safe to say i was balling my eyes out so much i just wish to one day be able to see midna again
When I first played this gamr as a kid, I was genuinely frightened when everything went wrong. Especially when the shadow beasts came out, I was almost too scared myself to fight them lol
I got all the way to the Palace of Twilight when I was ten in fifth grade. I play games super slowly so it had taken me about a year of on/off playing on school nights and weekends to get that far. At the point in that dungeon where you get the compass in the east corridor, I just stopped playing and moved on to other games. I couldn’t tell you why, but I quit just because I felt like I had gotten far enough to feel accomplished. The game remained my favorite of all time despite my incomplete relationship with it, and in December of 2020 I picked it back up on the exact same Wii in the exact same save file, and finished what I started almost ten years prior. It was the most accomplishing feeling in all of video games for me to defeat Ganon and watch the credits that night last year, even more fulfilling than beating O&S a few months earlier. I freaking love Twilight Princess.
I love reading stories like this, thanks for sharing!
I was similarly one to take a long time to beat Zelda games. I usually took months to beat them when i was younger
I had a very similar experience. But the reason I quit playing back in 2007 was actually due to noping-out of the palace of twilight. Being chased by the wallmasters legitimately caused me to panic. I had nightmares about carrying that damn orb while being pursued relentlessly. Once I started high school I went back and finished it and played it all again and again
We have really similar stories, dude! I can't remember when I first picked it up, but I was probably 11 or 12, and I stopped playing because I was confused by the forest temple at the start of the game. Moved on for a few years, then decided I'd try it again in grade 11 or so, when I was 17. Over the weekends that year I managed to get to the Palace of Twilight, but got so frustrated with getting that first Sol out of the place that I gave up for a few more years. Cut to a month ago, and I decided it was high time I finished the game that's been sitting around for so long. I have never been so excited by a game in my life as I was taking down Ganondorf in that final sword fight, not sure if I was going to make it. I'm not ashamed to say that when they showed Ordon Spring during the credits I burst into tears. Something about the way the lights hit everything in the game and the eerie, melancholy quality to the soundtrack makes it one of my favourite games I've ever played. Here's to us for seeing it through!
Will always be my favorite. Playing it on release, christmas 2006, felt almost surreal. I even loved the bug hunts, it was so weird and atmospheric. Felt wrong in the completely right way. Now we just need the HD-version on Switch.
Wii u has the HD version
@@BaawBee if you paid attention to what he said. He said the HD version on Switch meaning he was acknowledging the Wii U HD port.
@juliette Irene If we have another remaster with the same dated MIDI-like sound quality from the Gamecube, i WILL NOT buy that remaster. Twilght Princess original Gamecube version is the 3D Zelda that holds up pretty well, i would make a long rant about that "remaster" , i have Final Fantasy X remastered as the standard of a good remaster, sadly Nintendo dropped the ball.
Facts man. Best Zelda game easily
@@melomitchell8714 exactly
Liam you're a wizard dude, literally got me tearing up with nostalgia because of how you can convey the emotions I felt when I played this game as an 11 year old and realizing them now as an adult
Most kids today overuse and don't know what the word "literally" means or stands for.
I loved TP's Kakariko Village. It feels like something out of a spaghetti western, and you really feel like it was prosperous once.
Twilight Princess always stuck out to me thanks to the more realistic design. Although I’ve never really played it until much later in my life, this was my first introduction to the Zelda series. Link’s look here always stuck with me since I first watched that e3 trailer, and it remains as my favorite incarnation of the character design-wise.
It's so incredibly cool and feels like an evolution for the series and the characters. It's kinda depressing to look at this game now and realize that they scrapped it all I favor of cel-shaded anime
@@alexanderjakubowski5673 Atleast it worked out for them. Breath of the Wild is a really great game. What the fuck is a squidward sword?
Same for me, I like the design of TP the most. Especially the look of Zelda was amazing, so mature and elegant. Not a yellow or green haired iffy princess.
For me, TP symbolizes the end of my childhood and the end of an Era. We were very poor growing up, but my grandmother used to play games with me all the way back from the NES. When the N64 came out we swooned over OoT. I remember fondly beating the game with her and could not wait until we got MM. When we did, we started the game, but fate would have other plans as she passed away before we could complete it. I still never beat that save file on her Gold cart. When wind waker came out, it was different enough that I could play through it and enjoy it. But when TP came out, I tried to get through it, but alas, it wasn't the same. I couldn't help but think about how I lost that special place to enjoy these games with my grandmother, and it just felt like something died within me with her that wouldn't let me enjoy it as much as I should have. I respect the hell out of this game, but it always makes me sad remembering how I lost that special feeling when I came across this game.
I have a similar experience. Being around 15 when this came out it was the first time the 'magic' was gone compared to playing Ocarina and WW as an awestruck child. Windwaker foreverrrr
@@stanleyhercules yeah, man. Sad stuff. It's really heartbreaking when that happens.
@@nyguesswho Yeah man it's rough, the judgment of society really pulls you out of curiosity of awareness and into the ego. I think as adults that sense of curiosity is still our truest form though, if we have the courage wisdom and power to break down the walls that have formed in our minds lol.
@@stanleyhercules deep, harsh and fair. Everything you just said.
My gramps got me OoT when I was a lil kid and he always loved hearing about it and seeing the game be played, watching the story. My first Zelda game I played that got me obsessed with all things LoZ. I didn’t lose that special feeling playing TP though, I’m sorry for your loss.
Link's sense of duty in this game is so critical in this game. It really goes hand-in-hand with the concept of courage and wisdom being the roots of true power. It also makes him feel like an actual hero, and a higher role that the player actually wants to fulfill.
The opening title screen to Twilight Princess will always be my favorite. The angelic voices, the strings, and pressing start right at the end to hear the sword being drawn after music faded out will forever give me goosebumps. Truly an amazing piece of work.
The Legend of Zelda has been one of my favorite game franchises with OOT being the first 3D game I ever played blowing my small child mind. Twilight Princess has always held a special place in my heart though for it's atmosphere and grim reality. This game tonally felt so different than every other legend of zelda game, even in it's brightest moments there's always something that feels off, or troublesome which makes so much sense considering the hyrule everyone is living in. It feels like a damaged and broken world.
TP gives me OOT vibes
A potential sequel is something I've wanted for a long time now. TP Link could go on an adventure to reconnect with Midna ala OoT Link searching for Navi. A unique sequel (if I had my way) would involve a grown up Colin. Colin looks like young Link, he was inspired by TP Link, he's the son of swordsman Rusl, and he has his own Sword and Shield in the credits. That story would be free from the confines of the Triforce, free to tell its own more basic story, but with subtle callbacks to Zelda. Colin could have TP Link's hidden skills or Hylian shield as a token to remember him by, but the story would be a complete one-off.
Twilight Princess is easily my favorite Zelda Game. It's just an amazing adventure that makes me feel like a hero with the weight of the world on my shoulders.
I love the intro to TP it feels so homey and I love talking to all the characters. It set a tone that Link appreciates his village and put meaning into saving the kids (and hyrule) because you built those relationships w them in the beginning.
This video structure is simply gorgeous, the moment he says "help" after describing one of the most striking scenes in the game and then hearing that piano in Midna's Lament cracked something in me, tears of light, amazing work!
I was literally binging your Zelda retrospectives in order last night; the timing on this video is perfect
well yeah google was listening
This is the best video ever made about my favorite game ever made. High praise, but good lord is it earned. Twilight Princess was my first Zelda, when I was seven years old. I completed my first playthrough in 2010. It was my headfirst dive into one of the greatest series of all time. This game was the first time I realized that a game could tell a real story. The first game to make me really think about how I treat others. It will always hold a very special place in my heart. Thank you for making this video, Liam.
Your experience mirrors my own down to the exact years. Growing up with this game has shaped me in so many ways, as silly as it sounds.
55:44 My favorite moment in any video game ever. I'm getting so passionate about it now I'm beginning to cry. Link raising his sword and Epona rising up in victory was the moment when I knew I would remember this game forever. 1:05:45 This is also my favorite moment. Midna made Zant go POP!
Recently found my old copy of tp for GameCube and immediately I was thrown into the mind of my 7 year old self back when my brother was still alive and we bonded over our love for the game… twilight princess will always have a super special place in my heart
TP Link is seriously underrated. What a good, sweet, responsible boy.
Midna is the best character in Twilight Princess. Nobody can change my mind.
Not gonna try lol
Well, she is the co-protagonist.
No reason to try cuz you’re totally right
Wrong, Midna is the best character in the whole Zelda franchise
She's my secret but not so secret videogame crush.
This is the best Zelda game. The greatest depth, the best characters, the best story. You feel for these characters, you sympathize with them. All Link and Midna want to do is save those they love. And both mature along the way and love each other. I hope Midna returns in a future zelda game. She's the best companion in almost any video game
TOTK is just way better
I still like this game tho, top 5 for me
@@Satanhohohothe BOTW games are honestly completely different from twilight princess, i don't like them at all personally. i played the first one for maybe 15 minutes and then never touched it again
@@Satanhohoholaughably incorrect
I think that the opening segment in the village does a great job of establishing who link is his place in his community and his relationships with his friends and neighbors Which is important to get the player to care about them when the kids get kidnapped
I always loved TP, it’s easily one of my favorite Zelda games. The darker themes really add an extra layer of intrigue to the story. The combat is easily the best of any Zelda game. Norma Is easily the most complex companion character in the series. I never understood the hate for the game. Especially the ridiculous argument that it’s a OoT clone.
I don’t understand how this game is a OOT clone. Sure, it took inspiration from that game, but that doesn’t automatically make it a clone.
When I was a child and relatively sheltered from the world, Zelda was this weird enigma to me. I had never played a Zelda game, but I had always imagined Zelda was this dark, brooding, and mature franchise. When I picked up my first Zelda game, Breath of the Wild, I liked it a lot-but it didn’t feel like ‘Zelda’ to me. Rather, it was the opposite of it. Breath the of the Wild is undeniably a good game, but something about it was… unsatisfying to me. So after doing some research on the series, I decided to pick up a copy of Twilight Princess to see if that was the game that I thought this series was years ago. Fast forward to today and it’s now my favorite video game of all time. Excellent video! I love watching your retrospectives and especially love seeing another fan of Twilight Princess
...Legend of Zelda never was brooding or edgy XD The series has all types of genres.
Yeah the zelda franchise is not really dark. Some game are very colorful, childlike, some are more dark and edgy. Twilight princess for me has the perfect tone
I played a breath of the wild, I had fun but nothing more. But when i see twillight princess again "oh my god" it's the coolest of them all. I would like to go back to this Christmas of 2006 and do it again for the first time
breath of the wild is much more akin to the earlier games, you should check those out
The ending of this game has ALWAYS made me tear up so much. No matter how much I see it I always tear up. I view this game as an art piece more than I do a game. It's designed so carefully to create a beautiful story of self sacrifice and care that every time I see Midna's last moments in Hyrule I can't help but let a tear fall. It may not be the best in gameplay but it more than makes up for that in how well the story is written.
That last battle was iconic. Facing off against ganondorf never felt so good
I have to be honest this is my most favorite game of all time. It was one of my gaming memories watching my brother play it and then later playing it myself. It was of the first games that drew raw emotion out of myself and made me feel like a badass.
This is such a meaningful and heartfelt appreciation for Twilight Princess. Thank you for your devotion to voicing the beauty and greatness of this wonderful game
Twilight Princess is an epic adventure in every sense of the word. A grand adventure with compelling characters and amazing gameplay to stick it all together. I thought you did a good job paying tribute to this gem of a game. It’s my personal favorite game of all time.
Twilight Princess is my favorite Zelda game, and I am very thankful that you made a video dedicated to it and made me view the game in way I never thought of before. Twilight Princess has the most badass Link, the best story in the series, the most enticing atmosphere, among many other things. I really hope we get a Twilight Princess sequel or even a remake that looks like the Zelda Wii U tech demo. It’s been a dream game of mine for years.
You've perfectly described exactly why I love this game. EXACTLY why it's my favorite Zelda, my favorite Iteration of Link, with my favorite companion. It lacks the openness and freedom of other games in the franchise, but it fully explores the story and the people. It shows Link not only as a destined hero, but a man who only wants to do the right thing, because it's who he is. The development of Midna from a selfish, self serving character, to being your closest friend and Ally, where her leaving hurts. Like, REALLY hurts. The dungeons are all amazing, with a few exceptions as you've noted, the bosses are fun, if a bit easy, and the atmosphere never fails to captivate me. Thank you for putting all of this into words and showing how great this game really is.
"Openess and freedom" That's ironic, but Twilight Princess is the only 3D Zelda game that reminds me the fun that i had with A Link To The Past's Hyrule, that Fortune Teller is so cool. I don't like Hyrule Field from OOT, i find Termina as a slog, and the Great Sea is such a mess.
Man i am not a comment kind of guy but I just wanted to tell you that I found your channel a week ago and I watched every single zelda video and I can say your view on the series and they way you talk about it makes me appreciate both the games and my own life even more. Thank you for all those hours you dedicated to this channel and I hope you won't stop. All the best!
YES! Thank you for touching back on Courage and the main field theme! As a younger Zelda fan who played Twilight as their very first video game EVER, this soundtrack holds such a deep and special place in my heart, and none more than that melody. Seeing you discuss it as part of such a well done video essay was such a treat! Well done :)
"Link does what he does best. Help." Goosebumps. That's so good. God this Link is my favourite
I think the music and swordfighting in Twilight Princess is some of the best in ANY Zelda game
City in the Sky is also one of my all time favorite dungeons with one of my all time favorite dungeon items, with such a fun and epic boss battle.
*two* hookshots Call the TP items bad if you want, blah blah ball and chain, spinner. TWO HOOKSHOTS
I spent 30 hours of this game just fishing at Hena's fishing pond. Hena is usually ignored or not mentioned but the more fish you catch and the more you talk to her or play that weird ball rolling minigame would actually develop Hena's character a little bit more and add new dialogue and stuff, kinda funny how if you did it enough she would even fish with you in that "special" boat of hers which I thought was pretty funny. Also I don't know why I spent 30 hours of a save fishing, it was just relaxing for me to do so in the game back when I had a lot of troubles.
I was like "an hour and twelve minutes?! No way" Then I resonated with nearly every point made. This was one of my favorite games, so I really enjoyed listening to someone else who loves it pick it apart.
twilight princess still has my heart in it's wonderful story and characters. Such a good story and music, one of the best games I have ever played through probably more than 50 times. I hope one day this game can be remade into the newer graphics and technology we have today. Midna's powers as an imp and wolf links abilities showcased at their finest.
I loved TP when it came out. My only disappointment was that my friends and I were CONVINCED the game would show the flooding of Hyrule.
I am still salty that we never got a deluge story.
@@Margar02 I doubt we will get a game that has the enemies winning. I was very disappointed when I saw Hyrule Warriors 2 didn't have Ganon overtake Hyrule and kill the champions and King EVEN THOUGH THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE BREATH OF THE WILD AND AGE OF CALAMITY IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE PREQUEL TO WHEN THAT EVENT HAPPENED. It would be nice if we got a game of the event before Windwaker. Or maybe a side game of Twilight Princess where we get to play as Colin in the future (since at the credits, it's shown that he's a sword wielder)
No matter what happens Twilight Princess will remain my favourite Zelda game until the heat death of the universe. The earliest memory I can recall, in my entire life, is being woken up by the sounds of the game coming from the living room, waddling out of my *cradle* over to it and seeing my big brother playing that game. It was my first contact I ever had with video games and coming home from kindergarten every day to watch him play it is some of the most treasured memories I have. I have something in my brain that makes it particularly difficult for me to recollect things clearly, I don't know if it's connected to my ADHD that I probably have, but the fact is that I can't recall many things from my childhood at all and what I can remember is extremely hard for me to remember in detail and to place it in time. So that memory of just seeing my brother having what looked like the time of his life collecting the second sol, in the twilight realm, while I asked him what the word "copy" meant is literally the most important and treasured memory I have. Just thinking about it to write this comment is making me nearly tear up. And when a few years later he offered me a save file on that game and guided me through the Ordon village tutorial I was absolutely mindblown. I still have that exact copy of TP that he used to play sitting on my shelf and I still play it from time to time, handling the disc like some people handle plutonium rods. The save file he made in 2006 when I was just 1 year old is still on that disc ... Since then my brother has moved out and on with his life, but we still have very good contact and every time I play this game I am reminded of the happiest time in my life. So no, TP isn't my favourite Zelda game. It's my favourite *game* ever made. Thank you Eiji Aonuma, for the greatest treasures I possess today. I also recently bought the Twilight Princess manga and it was simply amazing ! Every second I was reading it, I felt my fascination I had for the game rekindled and I had to stop myself from reading it to do necessary things because it just drew me in that much. It's literally the best manga I've ever read and I've read quite a few. Midna will forever be my favourite Zelda companion and *SPOILER ALERT FOR TOTK !* her helmet is my favourite accessory in that game, I wear it whenever I can.
As someone who needs some kind of direction during gameplay, Twilight Princess's linear gameplay has always been one of my favorites. I love games that have open world but those tend to get overwhelming so games like Twilight Princess have always been a preference for me. The slow pacing of this game also allows the player to get to know these characters and that allows some of the later scenes to be rather emotional. I will always love this game for its unique experience and the role it played in my childhood.
OoT and Twilight Princess present two very different takes on the hero's journey. As a kid, OoT is what I'd imagine being the hero of a grand adventure would be like. Now, Twilight Princess portrays a more realistic version of that same tale. They share story beats, such as traveling to untamed places and conquering a looming evil, but there's a difference in how they're portrayed. OoT feels like the "Saturday Morning Cartoon" version of that tale. There are dark moments, but nothing truly bad is allowed to happen. If someone is in need of saving, they will be before the credits roll. If someone makes a mistake, they're able to correct it and no harm comes of it. On the other hand, Twilight Princess doesn't hide the darker side of those moments. There will be times where you've done everything you could, but perhaps not everyone can be truly saved. Even the strongest will have moments of weakness, and there will be lasting repercussions stemming from that moment. I believe your statement regarding responsibility being the core value of Twilight Princess hits the nail on the head. It's been a while since I've last played Twilight Princess, and your video has motivated me to replay the first Zelda game I ever finished.
I mean I love the whole zelda franchise and so ofc OOT and TP, but i don’t rly agree that “nothing truly bad is allowed to happen” in OOT cuz the whole story of OOT is just a pure tragedy as having the hero of time as its protagonist… yes when link won in the end then nothing truly bad happened to hyrule except the hero of time himself… but it’s just my own opinion :)
You'll see that game portrays grief and sadness indirectly, rarely dwelling on it, showing it through symbolism with its dungeons and the medalians/personality of the sages for each one. Forest temple > Friendship and denial. This is why you are allowed back in time right after beating the forest temple; it was the least sheik could offer after everything you just went through upon becoming an adult. Going back to childhood is denying all those bad things happened so you try to change things in the past and attempt to make people happy with the masks. A kid was all you were, and you didn't fail. saria was still alive, hyrule is still peaceful and the kokiri still recognize you and maron, Epona and talon know who you are. No one is really hostile to you or makes you feel unwelcome. Despite playing pretend, acting nothing was wrong or anything bad happened, the illusion you're "fine" slowly begins to break as you progress in the game. Fire temple > Family and anger. Even the weapon signifies this undertone of rage. The temple's red and hazy atmosphere is just like how the world looks if you're mad enough. Though link seems to have made it in time, darunia leaves to hold off the boss --without the hammer. And the camera never actually shows him going through the door, only the sound of it opening and locking behind him. He is also conveniently too far away for Navi to fly over to, which hides whether he is really alive when you see him again or not. Or whether his spirit lingered and was guarding the door until link shows up. He is too late to save darunia but at least his people were safe. Except now, like him, link the goron is not only fatherless too, but the gorons have no leader. all because link was too late. Just like before. Water temple > love and depression. Love is full of ups and downs and unlocks emotions you didn't know you could feel. The layout, the number of keys and the constant changing water levels reflects this. That is why Ruto assures link Zelda is still alive and not to get discouraged; at this point he needs to hear his efforts aren't in vain. it's why dark link shows up here and not the shadow temple--it's the manifestation of his depression. The losses and regrets were starting to not only pile up but effect him to where he could no longer ignore the failures he made along the way. The bottom of the well is the lowest of low he gets. rock bottom. This tests his loyalty given what's under there and in the shadow temple. The disconnect between the two mirrors his disconnect of his responsibility and what he really wants to do: be a kid and do kid things. He tries one more time to be an ignorant kid going on a harmless adventure -- after all, the last well you went into was cool but you want to see what's down there anyway. Instead of nothing he is greeted with horrors that didn't seem to be Ganondorf's doing, and the shadow temple only seems to reinforce the idea being a kid was better when he didn't know about the horrible acts of war. The bottom of the well forced him to acknowledge he wasn't that ignorant kid anymore, not after he saw their dirty secrets. Pretending and denying the harsh reality did him no favors and at the end of the day, regardless of the kind of people they are, saving hyrule was something he wanted to do because it was the right thing. I'd like to think it's this point he chooses on his own that's what he wants to do. Spirit temple > two halves of a whole, balanced light and darkness, sex, spiritual completeness and acceptance. Link's wisdom and power now match his courage; upon pulling the master sword, this triage of traits were heavily disproportionate, he lacked true wisdom and power to pull it free without consequence. The spirit temple is clearly connected and shares a room between the child and adult link sections of the temple (the bottom of the well and shadow don't do this despite sharing many similarities. The fact you fight a stalfoes as a child shows the wisdom and power you accrued since pulling the master sword. That's why the owl praises you on becoming an adult. One, nabooru was low key hitting on him (I always assumed her reward was kissing him on the head or cheek as a tease and not really give him anything because he's a kid). Once she saw him as an adult though, the offer was definitely more than that and i feel like she would've followed through if fate let her. And how did link "celebrate" becoming an adult? After getting somewhere in time, he still ends up not being able to save nabooru and kills ganondorf's surrogate mothers to avenge her and all the gerund they brainwashed. As horrible as the royal family were, they didn't brainwash their own and so blatantly abuse their citizens from link's perspective. Link goes from killing bugs to people by the end of it. (Notice he doesnt seem to kill the deku scrubs, they disappear like impa or sheik and they can talk, meaning he either won't or can't because they're sentinient). Also note he's always too late in every instance or couldn't do anything when he managed to not be. Thats why botw link tries his best to be on time or even early--skyward sword also enforces that he learn this lesson or else.
"but nothing truly bad is allowed to happen" Ganondorf killed everyone in Hyrule Castle Town and/or turned them into redead... Then there's The Bottom of the Well...
In OOT, i think Malon's father was killed and she was in a very rough spot or being abused by the new owner of Lon Lon Ranch... TP is my favorite game and must be the best Zelda. But, saying that OOT is a "Saturday Morning Cartoon" or "nothing bad is allowed to happen" is just nonsense and BS. Those things would describe WW.
@@saricubra2867 killed? You can find Talon in Kakariko Village and once you freed the ranch, you can tell him to go home if I remember right.
Once again I'm speechless. You do great work Liam. Your videos are so much more than a retrospective of the games, it applies to my life as well. I'm a person who is having a second chance. I used to do all the drugs (all of them), I overdosed twice and then I almost drank myself to death. I was diagnosed with cirrhosis (my liver was starting to die) less than 4 months ago, I've been sober since. Your videos inspire me to be a little more like my favorite Hero Of All Time. When I found out I needed to change, I had 3 hearts and no idea what to do. I'll probably never possess the full Triforce, but I think courage is a good start and power may be too much. Wisdom is well on it's way. Thank you Liam and take care Sir.
That's awesome Stuart
@@jonathanchilders8636 Hey, Thanks Dude. That means a lot to me. I've had to ditch my friends and family because they all drink or do drugs. So I thank the great people of the internet for motivation. The future is pretty effin' awesome.
Go for it 💪🏻
Another thing that stands out to me in this game is the layout. You expect a game of this era to mark the "no no" areas with things like insurmountable walls or bottomless pits, which it does. The scale helps clarify what's out of reach. That's what makes it all the more surprising when you fall off Eldin Bridge and realize, "woah, there's a whole Lake Hylia down here!" or when you take a cannon atop a massive plateau and realize, "there's an entire _desert_ up here!" I can't think of many other games that do this, playing with our expectations of "invisible wall" type mechanics!
This was such a perfectly articulated explanation of Twilight Princesses themes and story. And it was such a lovely reminder of why this is my favorite Zelda game and my favorite Link. He's such an honorable person driven so much by his love for other people. Thank you for putting this together!
My first and favorite Zelda game, will always hold a special place in my heart. Thank you for doing it justice with this video.
Twilight Princess has been my favorite Zelda game since it came out, and I love how you've given it such an honest and compelling treatment. It's not perfect, but it's beautiful all the same.
1:03:18 man that part... you literally captured how I feel when I hear that melody in the Hyrule field theme. It's somber and sweet, but powerful and beautiful. Such a well done analysis on my favorite childhood game 🖤
It saddens me to think that there will likely never be any follow-up or expansion on anything from Twilight Princess. I'd like to see how the Twilight Realm is doing under Midna's newly-motivated leadership, and what Zelda is doing to reconnect the various races of Hyrule in a new era of peace.
Link's crossbow training. There's your sequel. A game playing as Midna in Twilight Realm areas you didn't visit before would be cool though.
@@insupportofjunhado I cry because you're right about the crossbow game haha. Yeah a game featuring a Midna as the player character would be nuts
I just had my friend play through the game with me and he loved the game so much. After just watching him play the game for some reason made me really appreciated even more. The zelda games had a crazy impact on my brother and I, so watching my homie play it was and him enjoying it was great.
What a great video Liam!! This is my absolute favorite video game of all time and you've done it justice... Thanks for covering it...
How'd you watch it before it came out?
@Mr Sanker Patreon Supporter actually... I'm listed as "Aezneth the Succubus" in the credits
For real?!
this is an amazing video, i love twilight princess and it was the zelda game where i was old enough to jump back and complete one by myself, and it drew me back to loz when i was still young. it’s crazy that without it i would’ve passed up on the series. but also, i personally enjoyed the beginning portion within the village bc it painted link as a core person to his community. it was nice to see him *live* and maintain a mundane life for just little bit before anything happened. i also liked that the events of twilight princess technically began before the game and the effects just starting to reach the village, where link is completely uninvolved until the people he cares about are pulled in the danger too. i was so happy with that comment of saving the world being a bonus to link, as i think a part of why he takes up the reveal and task of being the hero is because it means he’s still able to help the villagers dear to him. i think he sorta grows in the same vein as midna a little bit in accepting responsibility, because by the time he finds ilia, he wants to help her immediately but can’t. he might know her as ilia, but she doesn’t remember him at all and thinks them both to be strangers to each other. so when she needs him to help the zora prince, she’s not asking him as ilia but a person outside his circle, and he decides to put aside that issue for the larger one with the dying prince. when the people he’s lived with and lived for start doing their part to help hyrule beyond their little village, in whatever ways they can, he definitely comes to embrace and embody his responsibility. i wasn’t turned off by loz games before twilight princess, but i was really young that i got too scared of doing bosses by myself or just wasn’t good at games enough to progress.
Twilight princess was always my favorite game. I'm even getting a TP tattoo in a month! Just seeing others give so much love to such a great game makes me so happy.
If I’m being honest here, it’s my favorite Zelda. Great dungeon design, a fantastic story with a rising threat that hit me just right. And a final climax I don’t think any game has fully come to match before or since. Majora’s Mask is a close second for its entire game and side quests, but twilight Princess is just a stronger Zelda story for me
I'm so glad you mentioned the 'Courage' theme. Definitely one of the best moments in Zelda history. Thanks for another fantastic retrospective!
I know the intro takes awhile, but it honestly never bothered me, but I can see why it bothers others. I thought it was a good bit of world building before you lose all your friends and your world is turned upside down. It was a nice way to ease you into the world and a good setup for the narrative it was going for. Plus, by the end of the game with all the stuff you get, it builds a lot of momentum with what you can do.
I didn't expect to watch a documentary on one of my favorite zelda games today much less tear up over how well you're presenting it. This is a phenomenal piece of work and I'm writing this as I am at the part where midna's lament played and that hit me pretty hard. I have to say, well done.
This is my second favorite ZELDA game ever. I love the atmosphere, I love the characters, the DUNGEONS omg, the way Link moves. The entire fandom wanted this, we got it.
they did it .. they did it for us :D I would so love a new one of the same kind
Twilight Princess was my introduction to video games. Of course, at the time, it didn't fully capture my interest (Mario Galaxy was what really got me into gaming) but it still left a massive impact on me. When I played the game in about 2018 (after playing BOTW and getting into Zelda properly) for the first time since I first watched my dad play it, the experience was strange. It felt oddly familiar, and yet so new at the same time. I remembered bits and pieces of the game, such as the golden, gloomy aesthetic of the Twilight, Midna's odd yet likeable design, pulling out the master sword for the first time, and a few odd bits from around the game such as the section on the rafters in Snowpeak's dungeon (I think there were a few clips of the section in the video). While watching your analysis, I noticed a lot of parallels between TP Link and myself. This character really helped to shape me as a person. I remember that my grandparents had a bunch of plastic hats and whatnot at their house for me to play with when I visited, and I'd always wear the knight hat tilted over one eye like Midna's helmet. While I didn't remember much about the game, what did stick in my memory stuck deep. Twilight Princess is a special kind of experience. Maybe not the type that everyone will enjoy, maybe not the greatest game of all time, but that's not what's important. Twilight Princess knows the story and messages that it wants to convey, and it does a good job of it. This game will forever remain near and dear to my heart, and I honestly wouldn't change a thing about it if I could. Also another interesting thing to note (that I didn't know where to mention in the paragraph above) is that this game still manages to capture that weird familiarity with me. I grew up with the Wii version of the game, where everything is flipped. Almost all of the official artwork and let's play series of the game use the original models. Watching gameplay online, everything looks recognizable and familiar, but it still feels slightly off.
When I played this game for the first time, I was like 5 or 6, and totally terrified with the parts where we needed to save the regions from the twilight. So I agree when you say that is beautiful, melancholic and also creepy. But I loved them, it was like a weird sensation (I remembering asking my older sister to play those parts for me so I could watch and enjoy those scenes but without controlling Link, because that would give me anxiety hahahah, for me was so creepy).
Boring is a subjective term, and I'm simply not bored by the opening to Twilight Princess. It's slow, and I can see why people would find it boring, but I'm charmed by it and I like the contrast it provides with the suddenness of King Bulblin's attack- it makes it feel brutal and disruptive. Edit: nvm lol, you also touched on what I like about it and phrased it so much better than I ever could- thank you!
TP is probably my favorite Zelda game. The character interactions, the dungeons, the items, the sidequests, everything is phenomenal. Obviously it has its flaws, but what doesn't? I will stand on this hill no matter what!
I really wanna point out that the GameCube version is honestly the best way to play this game and it kinda makes the game have different vibe I completely understand and related to everything you said in this video.
For such a linear game, this made me realize just how much I missed from the game. The story kept me focused on only beating the game, but I had no idea about the Cave of Ordeals, the Fishing Hole, or the Sledding Race. Makes me want to play it again
"such a linear game" and such missinformation considering how massive that version of Hyrule was at the time with the secrets and other stuff, not every game has to be Minecraft.
I absolutely loved this video. I grew up with Twilight Princess, it’s one the first video games I’ve played as a child, and my absolute favorite of all time. Hearing your evaluation on this game and just how much meaning you discovered in it made me emotional in multiple ways. That is just how dear this game is to me. Amazing job👏👏👏