The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes Review

People complain that Nintendo keep on making the same game again and again. This argument is, of course, flawed, with games like Tri Force Heroes proving that Nintendo is always willing to risk, even on one of its top-tier franchises.  This isn’t the first time Nintendo has experimented with Zelda franchise in such a way – but they’re certainly trying something new.

Tri Force Heroes is wacky as they come. The game’s story – which is just there for the sake of it – is incredibly silly. Link is chosen to save the realm of Hytopia purely because of his fashionable ears, sideburns, and because of the way his hair parts. The villain has taken the princess of the realm and forced her to wear a horrible outfit – one that she can’t take off. Disaster! You’ll have not only grab your sword, shield, and bow, but also your fanciest outfit in order to save the land from such a crime against fashion.

The story isn’t the only thing that is a complete departure from the Zelda norm. Nintendo has revamped the gameplay, taking the portable Zelda mould and slapping a coat of three player co-operative adventure on top. There’s no huge overarching over-world. Instead, you’ll travel to the Drablands with your buddies (or by yourself), taking the challenge on bit-by-bit. Each level is its own self-contained dungeon, presenting the player with multiple puzzle solutions and a generally a unique item to shape keep the gameplay fresh. And don’t think you’ll just be mindlessly hacking-and-slashing your way through – you’ll need to work with your buddies to get the job done.

There’s a new trick in Link’s repertoire – he and his other coloured buddies can stack on top of each other in a totem. The game works literally on multiple levels, with everything set at different heights, meaning you’ll often need to stack up two or three of you to get up and hit that switch or shoot an arrow through a flame to solve that puzzle. There’s nothing as crazy as the multi-dimensional multi-level puzzles we saw in A Link Between Worlds, but you’ll have to work together to make sure you’re in the right order to work best.

Each of the dungeons is themed differently, all of them finishing with a Boss that will require not only your skills as swordsman, but also your brain-smarts, as they’re a puzzle unto themselves. At the end of each dungeon, you’re rewarded with different materials which can be used to create new outfits which augment your abilities. The costumes are actually a key component to the game and the only reason you’ll want to return to some levels. There’s outfits that give you a triple shot on your bow, make you not slide on ice, keep you from falling off the stage and more. The there’s a number of costumes here to try on, ranging from a few basic recolours, all the way through to a pixel-Link. You can even don Zelda’s dress – how fabulous!

On paper this sounds like it might be pretty great game, but hands on, the game comes apart at the seams. First up, if you’re planning on buying this one to play it by yourself – don’t. When you play by yourself, you really are alone. You have to play the same, action packed game but control all three Link characters yourself. There’s no AI assistance here, meaning you need to tap between three characters on the bottom screen. Frankly, I can’t even fathom how this game could be played with for more than hour let alone completed this way. Nintendo obviously felt they had to include something for single player here, but it no one would have missed this if they hadn’t of included it.

The lack of artificially controlled players is a real problem with the game online as well. If someone quits the game or is dropped the entire session ends. This has happened multiple times to me and mostly at the level selection screen. The three players each pick a stage they need to finish and then the roulette picks the stage that everyone is going to play one. If someone didn’t get what they wanted – dropped. It took me a number of times to get into a game because of people simply being selfish.

Honestly though, no one is here for the single player, and when it works Tri Force Heroes is an enjoyable multiplayer experience. Australian internet is notoriously crap and, as it would appear since we’re getting linked up with European gamers, the experience can fluctuate wildly. Some games, you’ll have barely any problems – perhaps some slowdown or dropped frames here and there – other times it’s like playing a slideshow and it can be frustrating to co-ordinate with your team when there’s significant lag. Plus, you will eventually run into someone who just wants to troll you and waste your time and there’s nothing you can do about it. Even with friends within the same state the game wasn’t perfect, but it’s still better than playing with random players internationally or overseas. Be prepped – we’re locked into playing with Europe, and you can’t ignore the laws of physics – there will be lag.

The spotty internet play also isn’t the only thing stopping everyone from communicating swimmingly. Naturally, being a Nintendo game, there’s no way to chat or speak to your friends or internet citizens. You’ll rely on a series of emoticons which give hints at what you’re meant to do – totem up, use an item, cheer your allies on (literally, Link has pom-poms on), or express frustration. It’s not perfect and when one person is being obtuse about a puzzle you just wish you could yell at them to solve it and move on.

Luckily, this frustration can be removed entirely if you play the game locally with friends. In fact, even just one friend in the same room makes the game infinitely more enjoyable. Playing the game locally has no problems whatsoever – it’s the purest and best form of the game by far, and if you have a couple of other friends who are willing to take the plunge you’ll definitely find your value there. Playing locally or via download play is the only way you’ll be able to get some of the games’ costumes as well, as the Friendly Tokens required to get these costumes are only unlocked in these modes.

Even if you can’t convince your friends to buy the game, don’t fret – Download Play comes to the rescue to fill in the gap. The player using Download Play will be able to play the same game as if he or she had the cartridge in hand – with a few caveats, of course. The player can use any of the costumes from the original owner, but they can’t transfer any new costumes back to the original owner after they’re done. The Download Player also doesn’t get the full soundtrack of the game that everyone else will, but instead gets an 8-bit rendition of the game soundtrack – some would consider this a plus depending on your particular tastes. (And don’t worry – with enough tokens, you can unlock the 8-bit soundtrack in the game as well)

Last, and certainly least, you’ll find the ‘Coliseum’ mode in the basement of the castle. Forget the puzzles and logic, this is a competitive hack ‘n’ slash mode that allows two players to duel in out in an area. There’s materials for costumes up for grabs if you win, which is nice, but nothing much else here.

Tri Force Heroes may be a pain in behind to play online, and the single player mode is rubbish, but there’s one thing you can’t knock it on – it’s presentation. Nintendo really pour their soul into a game. The game uses the engine from The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, running at a smooth 60fps – even with the 3D on – and is one of the better looking games on the Nintendo 3DS. It’s a technical and visual treat.

Review concludes below.