Zelda: Four Swords Review

Throughout the levels, players are encouraged to collect Force Gems - the feature that both makes and breaks the game equally frequently as players squabble over fair shares and the more heartless rush to collect the spoils of the fallen. They drop from the sky, appear as rewards for solving puzzles and are relinquished from fallen enemies. In addition to this, at the end of each level a vote takes place where all participants can nominate the most irritating and/or helpful player of the round - a concept that though fun in theory often ends up either redundant or slightly annoying, as it does completely undermine the co-operative atmosphere that the game seems keen to encourage.

I can safely say that it is an experience not to be missed

As far as multiplayer gaming goes, this is quite possibly the best experience I have ever had playing with other people. The meeting of four minds makes better work of the idiosyncratic Zelda puzzles that occur, never leaving one frustrated and unable to progress. The incomparable experience of playing through a true, great Zelda game has never before been easily shared, but now having played this game with one other fan and two people entirely new to the franchise, I can safely say that it is an experience not to be missed. If you have an extra GBA or two and a friend/partner who you've always wanted to get into gaming, this is quite possibly your chance - fighting and helping each other through Four Swords is something almost instantly accessible to those new to Zelda adventures, whilst simultaneously offering new challenges to veterans via the switch in thinking that four-person co-operative puzzles necessitates.

I've already mentioned the game's looks, but it must be stressed that Four Swords is absolutely beautiful. The style owes far more to Link to the Past and Wind Waker than the other instalments of the series, abandoning almost entirely Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask's slightly darker take. 2D landscapes, 3D effects and exquisite animation all make for an extremely aesthetically pleasing experience, though, especially for fans, who will find themselves rewarded with familiar graphical motifs, musical references and the odd character from Zelda games past. Indeed, if you're a fan and have enough fellows to play with, you can bump this game's score up to a 9 owing to the extra enjoyment it will offer you. If, however, you're not a follower of the Zelda series, this will be somewhat more difficult to get into and it is advised that the score possibly be revised to a 7. Four Swords essentially ends up with an 8 because it is so very subjective; with the right friends, the right equipment and the right attitude, this is as sprawling and brilliant a multiplayer adventure as you're ever likely to find.