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Monday 14 January, 2008
.GAMELOG ENTRY 2.
.Gameplay.
The more I play The Phantom Hourglass, the more interesting it becomes. The controls, which were at first awkward, soon became familiar. It, in fact, enhanced the game. As I said before, I had never played on the DS. I was pleasantly surprised when I found that to solve some of the puzzles and get past some of the obstacles, I had to make use of the integrated microphone. For example, in order to put out torches, I had to blow on the microphone. I was also able to take notes on screen by using the touch screen. Overall, the game is very interactive, calling for me to shout or speak in order to get the attention of NPC’s. I’m excited to see what else I can do in The Phantom Hourglass on the new DS platform.
The story behind the game is less exciting, however. I’ve played most of The Legend of Zelda series, and most of them have been the same. Once again, the princess gets kidnapped and I must once again save her. What redeems the Zelda games however, are the puzzles and dungeons. I found myself going back to The Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask. Those had more of a story and plot, but then again, they were on the Nintendo 64. At this point, I feel that I’m not going to be very interested in the story, but hopefully, something will develop that can catch my attention.
.Design.
The design of The Phantom Hourglass is very simplistic. As a 3-D cel-shaded game, the graphics aren’t as intriguing as others, but it makes the characters and environment very, for lack of a better word, cute.
The colors, even in dungeons, are very vibrant. Choosing a simple style was a good choice for this game.
The game, as I’ve said before, is very innovative. I can’t stress how much I am amazed by how interactive it is. I love being able to write down hints and clues I get on the maps (it always comes in handy later on). The microphone also has many uses. It can be used to capture the attention of other characters and even blow out “torches”! Many puzzles and dungeons require the use of the touch pad and microphone and I can’t wait until I run into more.
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