Dungeon crawls have long been the fascination of gamers the world over, with their labyrinthine structures to explore, filled with hordes of monsters and treasure alike. And one series in particular, The Legend of Zelda series, has made dungeons an iconic staple to its masterful franchise. In the spirit of October and all things creepy crawly, here are my personal Top 5 favorite dungeons of The Legend of Zelda series.
-1- Forest Temple (Ocarina of Time)
The Forest Temple from Ocarina of Time is perhaps one of the most atmospheric and fully realized Zelda dungeons in the series. The first dungeon as Link enters the adult timeline in this game, Link finds himself pushing deeper into the Lost Woods than ever before, only to discover this long forgotten mansion with a haunting melody. The evidence of this ruined state is everywhere, from the overgrowth that has taken over inside to the wandering spirits and undead that roam its dusty halls. Dark deeds seem to have taken place here as the Poe Sisters hide and play tricks on Link. From carefully hidden keys to twisted hallways and mocking portraits, this temple tests the player's careful perception to unlock its many mysteries. Upon defeating the Poe Sisters and unraveling the last of the secrets, Link is finally able to reach the depths of the estate, where his skills are put to the test in most epic fashion as he faces Phantom Ganon. This boss once again requires the player to use their keen wits to identify the target as he gallops forward across many portraits, making fantastic use of the 3D space for a thrilling and fitting final fight to this dungeon.
-2- Gargoyle's Domain (A Link to the Past)
From the SNES classic that is A Link to the Past, the Thieves' Town dungeon most expertly subverts the player's expectations to create a surprising and memorable experience. First, a quiet and unassuming statue hides the entrance to what happens to be a large, underground prison beneath this ruined town. This subterranean structure is a complicated maze, with many walls and floors that can be blown apart with bombs, but may not lead to any obvious progress. More interesting is what appears to be the needed maiden to rescue, but not trapped in any crystal like the others. Link can try to guide her out of the dungeon, but will be unable to do so. Instead, players must comprehend the 3D nature that is this dungeon's multi-storied structure and blow-up a hole above the boss room in order for sunshine to seep through below. In doing so, it is revealed that this unsuspecting maiden is in fact the frightening ghoul that is Blind the Thief. Such a unique means to shaking up the formula and narrative of the dungeon experience.
-3- Water Temple (Ocarina of Time)
Next on the list, the infamous dungeon that everyone loves hate, it's none other than the Water Temple from Ocarina of Time. This dungeon is notorious for being one of the most difficult dungeons in the entire Zelda series. This is largely in part because the player is given an abundance of different paths to choose from, and a notorious means of keeping track and navigating these many paths. The central structure and the many doors are very similar and unassuming, making it difficult to discern one from another. And to reach the many floors, players will have to be frequently raising and lowering the water levels, which is only doable from certain locations, and doing so also prevents means of accessing other locations. With this open-ended structure and many trickily hidden keys, the Water Temple is one large devious puzzle, but one that feels all the more satisfying once finally clearing. And while the final boss of this dungeon is not the most memorable bout, it does have an iconic fight against Shadow Link as its mid-boss.
-4- Vah Rudania (Breath of the Wild)
Entering this divine beast is a foreboding affair as it rests inside a smoldering volcano, its innards cast in pitch black darkness. Upon activating the great beast that is this dungeon from Breath of the Wild, you unlock the ability to turn everything on its head, quite literally as you can now rotate the whole dungeon 90-degrees back and forth. It is a very similar mechanic as found in the Stone Tower of Majora's Mask, but the ability to control this at will makes for a more streamlined process and thus allows for more clever puzzles using this mechanic without a large amount of backtracking. The whole dungeon is like one big Rubik's Cube, in which players must have a keen awareness of this 3D space as they twist and turn to navigate and solve its delightful little riddles.
-5- Mermaid's Cave (Oracle of Ages)
As was a common theme for many dungeons in the Gameboy Zelda games, Mermaid's Cave from Oracle of Ages has the outline of a mermaid when looked at in the map. But what you are seeing here is only half of the dungeon. That's because players were required to travel between the past and the present to solve this unique and clever cave. A cracked wall that is blown up in the past can reveal an open passage in the present. Sections of the dungeon that are flooded in one age will be dried out puddles in the other. It's an interesting navigation of two parallel spaces that makes for a captivating and memorable dungeon crawl.
-------------------------
Of course, there are so many more superb Zelda dungeons out there. Any particular favorites of yours that weren't mentioned above? Be sure to share and discuss in the comments below. Otherwise, happy dungeon crawling and happy gaming!
No comments:
Post a Comment