With the recent rerelease of Twilight Princess HD for the Wii U, I have been thinking a lot about my love of that game, compared to other hate for it’s opening. While I understand what about it makes many people dislike it, I love the opening because of exactly what it is.
So, let’s talk about the opening of TP. Twilight Princess opens with a lot of stuff that is not being a sword weilding hero out to save the world. You initially spend a lengthy chunk of time just living life in your home town.
Living in the small remote forest village of Ordon, lots of jobs need doing on a regular basis. Fishing, goat herding, keeping the kids out of trouble and helping carry things for those unable. It’s a slow start, but one that builds a sense of a lived life.
Where many players were infuriated by this delay to the core gameplay loop, I was glad to have a Zelda game open with a more mundane start. I got to deal with small, managable problems and appreciate that heroism wasn’t Link’s entire life.
And when Twilight princess progresses, I really felt like I had a home to fight for, and maybe one day return to and settle down in. That to me is a valuable opening to a narrative.
Categories: Gaming
LauraKBuzz.com 
Agreed. Twilight Princess is my favourite Zelda after Ocarina, and the beginning of the game is one of the most memorable and enjoyable ones to me. It’s so satisfying when you finally earn the tunic and can run around as what is, in my opinion, the coolest Link in any Zelda.
Also, Twilight Princess has the most badass Ganondorf, sidekick with the best character development, and the prettiest and most don’t-fuck-with-me Princess Zelda.
I understand what it tries to accomplish, and I appreciate it. But to me, nearly everyone in that village is unlikable to one degree or another- especially those shitty little kids. I think I like Wind Waker’s opening better. It’s the same concept: do some trivial stuff, talk with some of the locals, be a normal person. But the difference is when the Helmarock King kidnaps Link’s sister, it turns into an adventure to save *her*, not Hyrule. Link’s destiny as the Hero of Time aren’t revealed until significantly later, if I recall.
But I will say that it’s a better opening than Ocarina of Time, where you’re instantly dragged into being the Hero because reasons.