Reviews

My name is Rachael (grade 12), and I would rate The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening 4/5. Released in 2019 by Nintendo, this game is a faithful remake of the Gameboy title of the same name. It follows Link in his quest to wake the wind fish and escape it’s dream. The art style is charming, with a cute style suitable for children. Being a remake of an older game, it has many elements reminiscent of older Zelda titles, this means heavy emphasis on exploration, dungeon puzzles and little handholding, which can lead to a few sections where what you need to do next is unclear. However, the gameplay is good enough to facilitate that exploration, and it feels good to stumble onto a useful item or secret while roaming the map. The puzzles also stand the test of time, interesting without being challenging enough to discourage, most revolve around a changing dungeon layout or collecting new items to use. The bosses also function almost like puzzles, as defeating them requires discovering the right tactics over just learning patterns of attacks. Overall, this game isn’t too difficult, and if you find yourself stuck, you can just take a look at a walkthrough, which makes it quite accessible. A typical play-though will take around 14 hours, 21 for 100% completion. it will provide a good dose of nostalgia for anyone who enjoyed the original release. But even without the prior experience it’s still an enjoyable gameplay experience for all ages.