Spirit Tracks Review

[LinktheMaster]

There's been several little debates about Spirit Tracks both on the forums and in chat, so as someone who somewhat likes writing review/ranting about games I like, I figured I'd write a review. First thing to note is that I haven't finished the game. I'm at the last dungeon, so I've played a pretty good dea of it, and I think I have a fairly good idea of what I think of it. In this review, I'll describe each little subsection in terms of the game, then compare it to a recent Zelda game.

For those of you all who don't know about Spirit Tracks, it takes place around a century after PH. The premise is that the Spirit Tracks, which bind a demon in shackles, are disappearing. However, a ressurrection of him is being attempted by destroying the spirit tracks and by killing Zelda and using her body. During the rest of the game, Zelda is following Link, and in certain areas, she can possess suits of armor and is under Link's control.

Controls
I wanted to start this review with controls for one reason. If you hate touch-only controls or hated Phantom Hourglass's controls, then this game is probably not for you! The controls are pretty much all based on using the stylus and the touch screen. The top screen is just the map, and the buttons mostly just bring up the menu and the map (which you can use the touch screen for as well). Mostly the controls are the same as PH's, just with a few minor differences with how to roll and a couple other things.

I personally like the controls, but they can sometimes get annoying, particularly with an item you get late in the game that you use to manipulate some objects. Otherwise, they're not bad.

Story
Granted, the story is nothing absolutely astonishing or ground breaking, it's still fairly solid. It has some nice characterization, but I don't think the characterization quite lives up to Phantom Hourglass's (Linebeck really grew as a character ). Still, the story is fairly solid, and it's probably the best handheld story. It doesn't live quite up to WW or TP, though.

Dungeons
For the most part, the dungeons are really well designed. The first actual dungeon isn't spectacular, but they get better and better as the game goes along. Also, the Tower of Spirits, which is a central tower you have to go back to multiple times throughout the game, sports some of the best dungeon design in the game and has some really creative points, making this section miles above PH. The design isn't linear like in PH. It's really, really good. Minibosses also make a come back. they were removed in PH, so it's nice to see them back.

Puzzles
Unfortunately, a lot of the recent Zelda games have been lacking in good puzzles. TP wasn't that creative with them. PH relied on you just reading directions on orders. I'm happy to say that ST has some pretty clever (and sometimes hard) puzzles that make you think. At first they're sort of simple and reply on just writing down instructions on the map, but they get better and better. The ones in the Tower of Spirits are exceptionally well as you have to use both Link and Zelda creatively.

Bosses
The bosses in Spirit Tracks are also really good. Most require you to be quick on your feet, and in some you really have to think. I died on one boss (though I had a potion to revive me), so they're generally more difficult that in previous games. They're also (generally) pretty creative, too. So, I'd say ST different beats TP in this regard since the bosses are both fun and challenging. Also worthy of noting is that most aren't simple 1 minute bosses, either. Some take a long time to beat, too. I honestly can't think about much bad things about them.

Train Driving
Phantom Hourglass greatly improved over WW's sailing. However, Spirit Tracks does an even better job with the train. You always have to keep an eye on the DS when you're driving the train. Unlike in WW, the enemies are a threat. You generally can't just avoid them. And, unlike in PH, there's more management of the train. There are other trains on the tracks which you have to avoid. When you start off, you chart a path like in PH, but due to other trains, sometimes you'll have to change your course yourself. Plus, when you're carrying passengers, you have to be mindful of signs to slow down and speed up and honk your horn. The only problem is that there are still areas with no enemies that can get sorta boring.

Musical Instrument
For those of you all who don't know, musical instruments make a comeback. You get a flute which you can play by moving the stylus on the screen left and right and by blowing on the DS. It takes some getting used to (don't get close to the mic, it helps to be around 4 inches away from the screen), but it can be fun. Still, some of the songs are rather picky and frustrating to play. :-/

Music
One of my biggest complaints about PH outside of its dungeon design and the Temple of the Sea King was its music. There were roughly around 6 songs played in it. It was really frustrating for every dungeon to have the same music, every field to have the same music, every town, etc. ST greatly improves on this. There's a lot more music in it, and the music is a lot better. There's several really catchy tunes in the game. Unfortunately, each dungeon doesn't have its own theme, though.

Complaints
That's not to say that the game is perfect. While dungeon design is a lot better, they're still a bit bare when it comes to enemies. The game relies a lot on the PH mechanic of "you go into a room, the doors close, and you fight a bunch of enemies." They're sort of pseudo-minibosses. When you're walking around, it's rare to see even a keese.

A lot of the items are the same as PH's as well. Some are slightly modified and made to be a bit more creative, but there's not really anything radically new.

In Conclusion
Spirit Tracks is a really good game. In the end, I find it my favorite Zelda game since Wind Waker. They improved on a lot of the problems from previous Zelda games and made a really solid game. The only problem was mostly just they didn't take some of the improvements quite far enough as they stopped just short of making some things perfect. So, if you're a person who was really disappointed by Phantom Hourglass, then don't count this game out as it's a huge improvement. It's a solid addition for most Zelda fans in the series.

Rating: 9.5/10

Feel free to comment, ask questions about the game, post your own review, etc.

[FefeRawft]

I'm stuck at the final part of the Spirit Tower, the section where you switch to the warp phantom (you use your to walk across the lava and get the phantom's attention.) I can't figure out how to switch to it once I get to it.

[spyk99999]

I really want to place this game now.

Quote:Also, the Tower of Spirits, which is a central tower you have to go back to multiple times

It's not timed, like in PH, is it? That really bothered me because towards the end if you messed up by taking too long on the first few floors you had to do the whole thing over again.

[FefeRawft]

What do you mean timed? Like in PH when you ran out of Sand? If that's what you mean then no. It's not timed.

[Russ]

(02-14-2010 03:30 PM)spyk99999 Wrote:  It's not timed, like in PH, is it? That really bothered me because towards the end id fou messed up by taking too long on the first few floors you had to do the whole thing over again.

No, it's not timed. And the best part is, you don't have to redo that parts you've already done. There's a central spiral staircase, and each time you come back, it goes higher up the tower, and leads to a new section. So unlike PH, you don't have to do the same stuff over and over.

[Anthus]

Hmm. The only reason I have not tried it is because I don't have a DS :/ I trust your judgment as a Zelda fan, so I might just borrow my friend's DS and play this. I never did actually finish PH. I got through the last dungeon, but just did not feel like doing the Ocean King temple again. I must ask though, how many dungeons are there? Does the game allow a fair share of exploration? Is there more walkable land than in PH? Do HPCs come back?

I will admit, it does sound like they addressed some big issues here. The redoing parts of the Temple of the Mighty Tuna, and the fact that it was times no less, was my biggest issue. The dungeons' linearity, and simplicity, and tedium of the "puzzles" was also a real buzz kill. Do you have to find the maps, or are the given from the start?

I will say that is the answer is "No" to any of these questions, it's still gonna fall short in my books o:

[LinktheMaster]

To answer some of your questions, Anthus...

1. It depends on what you count as dungeons. As far as separate dungeons, I only know of six at the moment. However, there six different segments of the Tower of Spirits which are almost long enough individually to be counted as dungeons depending on your opinion (and not frustrating enough to not be counted as such).

2. As far as exploration, from what I remember, there are more walkable areas than in PH, but I can't make any promises about that as it's been a long time since I've played PH. However, from I remember, PH only had like 3 walkable areas per overworld map segment (again, there are four of them), when ST generally has around 3-5. And I've also noticed that there are some unlockable areas as well. If you fulfill some side quests, areas of the tracks become revived and open up passages (which are sometimes just shortcuts) or to new places.

3. Unfortunately, no, HPCs don't make a come back. :-/ And that's actually a gripe I have, but I forgot to mention it in my first post. I always thought of HPCs as a nice side quest for players since it's really rewarding.

4. Well, this depends on what section you're talking about. For the "overworld", you still have to get the maps from the Tower of Spirits to advance to the next segment of the overworld. In dungeons, though, the maps are given to you, unfortunately. :-/ I understand the reasoning behind it (it's because part of the concept of the game is writing stuff on the map), but it would be nicer if they went back to having to get the compass and map.

As far as 3 and 4 go, IMO, they are gripes and complaints, but that's mostly just nostalgia kicking in. It's disappointing for it to not follow series precedents, but you can't really give it a worse rating for it in my opinion.

Also, just to let you all know, I am sort of waffling as to whether I should change the score down to 9 or not. It's a close call. As, in my opinion, WW is a 9.5, PH around a 7.5, TP around a 8.5-9... It's hard for me to give number scores.

[Anthus]

(02-15-2010 12:49 AM)LinktheMaster Wrote:  To answer some of your questions, Anthus...

1. It depends on what you count as dungeons. As far as separate dungeons, I only know of six at the moment. However, there six different segments of the Tower of Spirits which are almost long enough individually to be counted as dungeons depending on your opinion (and not frustrating enough to not be counted as such).

Hmm. Okay. Just as long as it isn't too short. I know AlttP had 11 whole dungeons, and 13 if you counted both visits to Hyrule Castle. No Zelda game since has even come close. I guess OoT, and TP both had eight solid dungoens, nine if you include Hyrule Castle/ Ganon's Tower. WW Made up for the lack of dungeons by having so much other stuff to do.

(02-15-2010 12:49 AM)LinktheMaster Wrote:  2. As far as exploration, from what I remember, there are more walkable areas than in PH, but I can't make any promises about that as it's been a long time since I've played PH. However, from I remember, PH only had like 3 walkable areas per overworld map segment (again, there are four of them), when ST generally has around 3-5. And I've also noticed that there are some unlockable areas as well. If you fulfill some side quests, areas of the tracks become revived and open up passages (which are sometimes just shortcuts) or to new places.

Okay, this sounds good. I just don't want to spend more time on the train than I do walking around the overworld, or what's left of it this time around.

(02-15-2010 12:49 AM)LinktheMaster Wrote:  3. Unfortunately, no, HPCs don't make a come back. :-/ And that's actually a gripe I have, but I forgot to mention it in my first post. I always thought of HPCs as a nice side quest for players since it's really rewarding.

Damn... Some of my fondest memories of AlttP, and even OoT was wondering around and stumbling across a HCP, and sometimes, I'd get lucky, and it would be the fourth one. Even TP was very good in this regard.

(02-15-2010 12:49 AM)LinktheMaster Wrote:  4. Well, this depends on what section you're talking about. For the "overworld", you still have to get the maps from the Tower of Spirits to advance to the next segment of the overworld. In dungeons, though, the maps are given to you, unfortunately. :-/ I understand the reasoning behind it (it's because part of the concept of the game is writing stuff on the map), but it would be nicer if they went back to having to get the compass and map.

Ah.. This is tricky to criticize, given I have not played. Personally, I always thought that finding (dungeon) maps was very Zelda. I liked it too since it added an optional challenge, if you did not want to the map, and assuming you also knew which chest it was in. The fact that you have the maps from the get go kinda bothers me. I suppose it can be slightly forgiven since it is for design reasons. Whether or not these are good design reasons require me to play it. But man, they could at least add the compass back. I don't see a reason why not.

(02-15-2010 12:49 AM)LinktheMaster Wrote:  As far as 3 and 4 go, IMO, they are gripes and complaints, but that's mostly just nostalgia kicking in. It's disappointing for it to not follow series precedents, but you can't really give it a worse rating for it in my opinion.

Yeah.. I hate when things go back instead of forward. I mean, it may just be my personal taste, but somethings, for me, make a Zelda game. It sounds like there is a lot more riding trains, and drawing than there is wandering around and finding stuff. I will try it when I get a chance, and hope for the best. I'm not going to set the bar too high. It woudl be nice to be delightfully surprised though.

[FefeRawft]

(02-15-2010 07:29 AM)Anthus Wrote:  Okay, this sounds good. I just don't want to spend more time on the train than I do walking around the overworld, or what's left of it this time around.

The train wasn't bad. Unlike PH, you don't set your course (well you do, but you don't get stuck to it) when you get into the train. You can even change where you are heading without having to reset your course. There are also side quests too.

[Anthus]

Well, this thread is old, but I'll go ahead and give my two cents on the game, now that I've played up to the Fire Temple.


Copied from my post on AGN:
So, I picked up this game about two weeks ago. Well.... Here it is.

…

Here's Anthus ready to bitch, yet again--

But wait...

It is actually pretty good, especially next to it's DS prequel. There are two things I'll say up front about it that I think keep is from being a genuinely great Zelda game. First off, the train. God damn, Nintendo, you give us a nice looking (by the DS standards) world here, complete with fields, mountains, and all that shit, but you don't let us walk around it on foot? Why? Now, they game is quiet literally on rails through what could be an awesome Zelda experience. I know the area is a bit bland, but was OoT's Hyrule field crammed with detail? Did the one ground, and one tree tile in LoZ bother us? No. I would have absolutely loved to explore the areas on foot. If they would have worked on it for another six months, and maybe made it possible, it would have been worth the wait. It's not like they've never delayed a Zelda game before. On the upside, the game does have way more areas, and actual secrets, and side quests to do/ find. That is a plus.

My second issue is the lack of a button alternative. I like using the stylus, and it is a nice touch (no pun intended). However, the lack of an option to use buttons makes the game somewhat difficult to play at times. I get tired of holding my DS in one hand, and if I set it down, the angle is not always great. These are minor at first, sure, but after a few hours... I'd really love to use the D-pad. I think it is kind of a slap in the face on Nintendo's part. They put forcing new control mechanics over practicality. Other games have features that make playing it more enjoyable, so it really feels kinda cheap jab at keeping a gimmick alive, which, is alright in small doses, or at your leisure.

Now, let's talk about the art style. I may or may not be known for talking as lot of shit about the cell shaded style not holding up on the DS, but this game definitely looks better than PH. Well, at least the field does. The dungeons, and stuff still use that PH look, but it just feels like it looks better. It kind of feels like a 3D GBC Zelda. The field does have some pretty far draw distances and that really adds scope, and depth to the game. I like this art style, so it works out fine to me.

Dungeons. Okay, I have just gotten to the Fire Temple, but I must say the dungeons are better as well. They are just more enjoyable, and the Spirit Tower is not a tedious piece of shit like the Ocean Temple in PH. There even appears to be an optional dungeon in the Snow Realm, though I've only just set foot in it once. The battle area in Castle Town is a nice touch too. The game seems to have a lot of extras, which has been a big part of Zelda. I'll admit, a lot of the side quests are glorified fetch quests, but they are usually masked well enough. The lack of heart pieces sort of sucks in a way, because now all you have to look forward to is finding Rupees, or a Treasure, which equals Rupees, or train parts.

All in all, it is a good game, but it definitely has some draw backs. Maybe the next handhelded will get it right. Ideally, for me anyway, those rumors about an AlttP remake will pan out

I can't really think of anything else to say about it for now. I'd recommend it is you hated PH, because it is better, and seriously, I really, really hated PH. I didn't even finish it. I beat all the dungeons, but did not want to trek through the Gauntlet of Dicks again, so I was like “Fuck it, I beat 85% of the game, and it was not very good, that last 15% can't be too much better.”