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Forest Temple Boss

As with the Outdoor section, the Indoor area has a boss - and what a boss it is. As impressive in size as the horseback battle was in distance and scale, the Forest Temple boss is a fittingly inspiring conclusion to an already exceptional demo.

Bosses have always been a brilliant in Zelda games, and these look no differentBosses have always been a brilliant in Zelda games, and these look no different

Located in a muddy bog in the heart of the dungeon, the boss' twin tentacles with snapping heads sit totally unreachable to Link, who must use the Gale Boomerang to get nearby bombs into the monster's two mouths. We do this by using the boomerang's new dual lock-on, the first raising the bomb into the air, the second directing it towards the boss. Avoiding the lunging attacks, we eventually prevail, only for the boss' second form to emerge, a gigantic central head surfacing between the two tentacles.

Luckily, our previously rescued baboon buddy is also on hand, swinging Tarzan-style from a vine in front of the boss and carrying a bomb of his own, we again use the Gale Boomerang to send the explosion straight to the creature's eye. Toppling it, we finally get our chance to sword slash to our heart's content, damaging the creature severely before it retreats back to the bog. Two more of these instances and it oozes back into the bog from whence it came, shrivels up and dies. Damn that feels good.

Overall, what we gleaned from the Indoor section was more telling than the Outdoor one. The new multiple lock-on of the Gale Boomerang will surely allow for more complex puzzle mechanics throughout the game, while the key theme of animal interaction was clearly represented by the Link-monkey puzzle dynamic. Not only that but the area looked incredible - wonderful particle effects, rich wooden and floral textures, dynamic lighting and silky smooth animation- and sounded as good as any Zelda yet.


... Twilight Princess is shaping up to meet the hype, and then possibly go beyond.

In conclusion, Twilight Princess is shaping up to meet the hype, and then possibly go beyond. The visual flair makes the game seem at times very Lord of The Rings (the films, not the games) and that Tolkien-Jackson influence is very apparent in the title's scale, scenes and cinematic ambition. Gameplay is typical Zelda fare, which is no bad thing, especially when the game looks this good and runs so smoothly. Control is as tight as a Kokiri's tunic, and sound, from the little we heard at a busy press event, never less than fittingly epic.

Unfortunately, we are still left to guess at how the core dynamic - the promised transformation of Link to Werewolf - will integrate into the game. Yet even at this early stage it seems that Twilight princess could prove to be one of the best in the series, and certainly one of the finest titles on GameCube : a promisingly majestic adventure before the final curtain falls.

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