The Legend Of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes is a great co-op game better played locally than online. Read Kidzworlds game review, here!
Legend Of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes Trailer
A Tailored Story
The Legend Of Zelda series has had some quirky tales but the latest entry, Tri Force Heroes, is unlike any other before it. A witch has cursed Princess Styla with a severe lack of fashion sense and put her in an eyesore of an outfit. The land of Hytopia is in hysteria over it and heroes must come forward to lift the curse. It's a bare bones story but it's nice to see a break from the norm.
You'll come across an assortment of fashion-first locals like, Madam Couture (who helps with your costumes), and I found them to be entertaining with some unexpected dialogue.
It all looks fairly nice too, using a similar style as The Legend Of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds.
Hytopia needs its heroes!Courtesy of Nintendo
Stack Your Costumed Hero
The story isn't the only thing centered around fashion. Some game mechanics do so as well and gameplay definitely takes center stage in Tri Force Heroes. Various costumes can be worn that give your hero new abilities or improve those already possessed. Throwing on the big parka keeps you from slipping on ice as an example. But first, you must make them. And before you can do that, you'll need to collect the required items to do so.
I found myself losing time to the enjoyable gameplay loop Tri Force Heroes offers as I (alone or with buddies) bested the bosses, reaped our loot, cobtained new costumes/ablilties and dived into the next dungeon.
Use the hook to pull rafts across water.Courtesy of Nintendo
Tri Force Heroes real hook though is the Totem system. There's no defending yourself with shields. Whether you're playing alone or multiplayer, running, dodging and stacking heroes is key to solving puzzles and defeating bosses. Need to attack an enemies tail but it's too high? Jump on your buddies shoulders. Can't get across a certain gap on your own? Be thrown across instead, then retrieve your thrower with a boomerang.
Toss your mates across gaps!Courtesy of Nintendo
The co-op action and puzzle solving of Tri Force Heroes leads to all sorts of silly moments. More than once did I find myself giggling as three of us ran around like chickens with our heads cut off, trying to solve a puzzle.
While a lot of fun, It's not a very deep experience though, especially compared to other entries in the Legend Of Zelda series.
Short & Sweet Dungeons
Tri Force Heroes doesn't give you a sprawling hub world to explore like the Legend Of Zelda series is known for. Instead, the world is split into smaller sections, each containing a series of dungeons which are presented as levels. A majority of the dungeons are short, able to be beaten in 10 minutes which I really didn't mind as it helps feed into that satisfying loop I was talking about earlier. Progress and reward is the name of the game.
Can you defeat the bosses?Courtesy of Nintendo
The dungeons themselves are a mixed bag but most will creatively test you mind. My favorites being the ones in which each hero uses a unique item in unison to solve puzzles, offering more variety in design than those where each hero wields the same item. The volcano areas being among my favorites.
Without a shield, you'll be running around enemies a lot.Courtesy of Nintendo
A lot more fun was had playing locally with friends than online and that came down to communication. Tri Force Heroes doesn't have online in-game chat but offers player emots to use instead. It certainly makes solving puzzles more difficult as you can't effectively tip each other off on the solutions. Single player mode works and adds a whole new challenge to navigating dungeons although at times can feel a little tedious.
If you want a chance at even rarer loot - and you will, trust me - challenges unlock once you've played through the campaign. They task you with re-visiting areas with new elements added to make things more difficult. Like having to pop a bunch of balloons hidden about the forest while also watching your back from enemy attacks.
I wasn't able to get a ton of online play time in but I did notice slight stuttering when I did. The minor lag was nothing that affected the gameplay too badly though and it may have been an isolated occurrence.
The Legend Of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes is available now!Courtesy of Nintendo
Final Thoughts
A nice change of pace as a whole. It may not be The Legend Of Zelda game you were initially hoping for but give Tri Force Heroes a chance and you'll find a great action-adventure with fun puzzles. Whether playing multiplayer and sharing in funny experiences with friends or tackling the dungeons solo. Both ways of playing offer a unique and enjoyable use of your game time.
The Legend Of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes 3DS Game Rating:
- Release date: 10/23/2015
- Retail & Digital
- Rated E (Everyone)
- 1 - 3 Players
Have Your Say!
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