Wind Waker (GameCube): Missed the Mark

I recently finished playing The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker for the Gamecube, and while it may not be a bad game, I believe it falls short of greatness.

Wind Waker promises an open world adventure on the Great Sea, but its story and campaign are linear, and the player has no agency. Not a single side quest has any impact on the endgame, nor the epilogue. However, I was repeatedly made to feel as though they would, even trying to do the timed Deku tree seedling quest multiple times. 'Tis fair to say the side-quests interfered with the main story, dragging progress to a standstill.

Throughout the game, I felt pushed out of exploration mode by the King of the Red Lions, and events that created a false sense of urgency. In reality there was no invisible timer, nor consequences for delay save for my magical boat's incessant nagging — ever urging me into another dark and dangerous dungeon when I just started to enjoy the freedom of the sea. I wish I had known that I could explore at my own pace — that nothing bad was going to happen from the passage of time, despite the game suggesting otherwise.

I believe this game suffers from pacing issues throughout. In the beginning on Outset Island it seemed to take forever to draw a sword in anger. Long before that I was overwhelmed with information — particularly Sturgeon's lifetime of knowledge written on the wall. When Link finally gets a sword, he fights one small skirmish and then leaves the island to rescue his sister. He promptly loses his sword upon reaching the Forsaken Fortress, turning what could have been an epic fight into a frustrating stealth mission.

Speaking of information, it took several play sessions for me to get used to the controls and interface. Sometimes the game did a poor job of communicating, like with the grappling hook which I got in Dragon Roost Cavern. I received complicated instructions for its use only once. Upon getting hopelessly stuck in the dungeon, I had to resort to watching a play-through and was shocked to learn you can rotate while hanging from the rope.

Later on, I was led on a wild goose chase to find the eight shards of the Triforce of Courage. This shard quest was a real doozy, requiring finding each shard's treasure chart, getting them translated by Tingle, and then going to the locations on the Great Sea to dredge them up. By then I had already explored most of the map, and navigated numerous confusing dungeons. As a result, I was relieved when the hunt was over.

Despite the above problems, Wind Waker has its moments in the sun.

If one can get past the first act, and take to the high seas, sailing for the first time feels amazing. Link's control of the wind makes him feel like a mythical hero.

While on the sea, the weather changes, Link braves storms with many waves, and is pursued by monsters. The moon chases the sun in an endless cycle, bringing with it new opportunities and dangers.

The changing of moon and sun also transforms towns like Windfall, which take on a very different character. I remember fondly the time I tried to sneak into the bomb maker's shop one night, only to find that Tetra and her motley crew had beaten me to it. The arrogant proprietor was bound and gagged, able to only watch as his captives made off with his overpriced merchandise.

By choosing cartoon graphics, Nintendo ensured this game aged well visually. The soundtrack, ambiance, and effects are also very good. I cannot recall getting annoyed by any of them.

Boss battles are challenging, and allies will often provide helpful hints.

Contrary to rumor, there is fast travel in the game, but you need to get the Heroes Bow from The Tower of the Gods. Once properly equipped, find the Storm God Cyclos, and humble him with your arrows. He will reward your bravery by teaching you to play the Ballad of Gales, letting Link call upon cyclones to carry him and his boat over great distances.

While fighting through the ghastly Earth Temple, I felt protective of Medli, and often found myself standing guard over her, even charging foes to keep them at bay. To me she was the best character in the game — one who combined innocence with great courage in the darkness.

I would like to finish this review by talking about Ganon, and the game's ending. Unlike other Zelda games, this Ganon's story is tragic. I felt bad for him and wished there were a way to redeem him. There was no joy in his death, and the end of our hero's journey was a sad one. The old Kingdom was washed away, and our heroes sailed off into the unknown — leaving those Link loved behind on Outset Island, where our story began.