Just finished the game. Really good stuff.
It captured the retro Zelda vibe flawlessly with a gorgeous presentation and some excellent chiptunes (
Crossing the Wasteland,
Escaping the Forest,
The Goddess's Spring,
Klovis Volcano,
The Legendary Hero's Theme,
The Forest of No Return,
Desert Temple). Silicon Studios absolutely nailed the look and sound of the game, and I reckon i'll still remember it fondly in many years time. In an era of brown and piss filters, there really is nothing else on HD consoles that looks as rich or colourful. In terms of the language used, it felt suitably 'game-y' - it wasn't afraid to poke fun at itself with lines such as "LIFE UP GET" and the constant references to 3D. All the little homages to other old games were also neat (and kudos to the translation team for keeping it intact).
Silicon Studios also successfully emulated the gameplay of the original Zelda - it pretty much plays exactly the same, albeit with better controls and some minor tweaks to the combat. In fact it's so similar, you even have access to a Hookshot! Of course, sticking so close to the 'original' formula is a bit of a double-edged sword - I loved it, but at times it did feel extremely archaic. Examples are no lock-on system for arrows which made them completely redundant, and having to stand still while you beat things with the sword (unless you charge blindly in one direction like a fool). It's all part of the appeal though, and I doubt anyone would want it any other way.
Typical of the era, the game was also challenging. I liked how the game gradually got harder as it went along, but there were times when it become a bit too much - the Flame Temple in particular was a real sore point for me. The switch mechanic was intelligently planned out (it must have taken a lot of effort to get it working as well as it did), but ultimately it was rage inducing. I wanted to cry bitter tears when I reached a critical point with the wrong one active. I also absolutely hated the
boss - once you finally get the technique mastered it's easy, but oh so time consuming if you're ill equipped. This is the same story with the Dark Tower - unless you have the Hero Sword and Hero Shield + plenty of potions, you are probably going to have trouble. That section was a particular low point anyway due to the uninspired recycling of old dungeons.
I guess you could say the biggest downfall of 3D Dot is its inconsistency towards the end. With these spikes in difficulty and the haphazard final dungeon, the game felt a little cheap. They even force a fetch quest on you (that shit should be optional at
all times). You could argue that it's another thing "reflective of the era", but some things do cross the line into tedium. Frankly, it felt like it was trying to eke as many hours as possible out of the main adventure, but it's pointless when a) there is so much extra content worth doing and b) multiple playthroughs are greatly encouraged. It's a total contradiction.
Overall: an enjoyable, pretty and highly recommended game if you liked the 80s.
7/10.
