I rarely to never submit a review before actually finishing a quest; but having finished level 6, in the likely event that I just don't want to toil through this quest anymore, I think I've seen enough from Link to the West in order to form an educated opinion.
In a few words, LttW is plagued by cheap difficulty. In addition to Eddy's point about challenging enemies thrown in so early on, which I can kind of forgive seeing as how the second quest in the original LoZ did the same thing, the quest maker seems to have a huge soft spot for using enemies to annoy the player. What I mean by that is that zoras, like likes, red bubbles, and (fast) wall masters, are used to extensive effect - which again, is not a huge deal in and of itself - but these placements are often executed in an unfair manner. Cases in point: the room full of red bubbles, in level 6, right before the room that leads to the grotto, and the penultimate room in the heart mansion. Avoiding the red bubbles seems to be based on random luck rather than skill, as several times I encountered a red bubble immediately after exiting the stairs; but how about the penultimate room in the grotto with the red bubbles and like likes - but without a blue bubble? Hope you brought some bombs to get free if a like like swallows you after you get hit by the red bubble. How about the penultimate room in the heart mansion? I hope you know the wall masters are coming and so will deliberately move down and to the left in quick order.
Those are just two specific examples that are fresh in my mind at my point to advance in the quest, but I can also recall many rooms that are along the same lines: if you don't know what to do, or know what is inside the room, you're probably going to take unavoidable damage. Traps seem to be a big offender in that regard - wherein there are many, many instances where, after entering a new room, the player needs to step across two tiles in order to avoid taking damage from a trap, which amounts to cheap difficulty when the player has no knowledge of such trap placement. In contrast to these sorts of cheap difficulty, the rest of the combat in LttW seems to be pretty average to moderate, with the occasional room full of manhandlas coming as a surprise but bosses being pretty easy to appropriate per the level number. Also, as Eddy mentions, there are too many rooms where the player has to defeat all enemies in order to move a block or open a shutter door. That would be OK were many of those rooms not filled with zols or vires, who of course always regenerate and necessitate another tedious clearing when the player comes back to the room. I, for one, greatly prefer the moderate combat rooms as a way to boost difficulty in a quest as opposed to cheap-difficulty tactics such as the ones I have mentioned.
As an aside, I like difficult navigation and puzzles the best, in order to boost difficulty. To that end, the overworld is pretty well thought out and very LoZ inspired - in terms of item placements and having to actually look for secrets due to there being little to no indication of burnable trees or bombable walls. Navigation on the overworld can be pretty long and winding early on, which is good in my book. Much like LoZ, the player can traverse about 80-85% of the overworld right from the start, although he will probably be soundly defeated by tough enemies without a magic shield. Finding new levels is very LoZ like in that the locations are not necessarily obvious and there is some degree of needing to use a random item on select screens. Finding the blue ring was quite a surprise, and I have to admit, the solution was so obvious in retrospect, but I found out the location by watching the quest maker's let's play videos on Youtube. Dungeon design, aside from the cheap difficulty, is pretty solid and also LoZ inspired. I would wish for some puzzles or more surprise walk-though walls, but I think the dungeons are very LoZ faithful for better or for worse. Sometimes, the correct path is much shorter than you might think and some rooms are truly superfluous and designed to lead to nowhere or nowhere important.
Even though I have been quite turned off and annoyed by the cheap difficulty tactics employed by the quest maker, LttW has enough other good stuff going on that I found myself coming back, over and over, to play some more. Well, play some more until I rage quit again. I think that's a sign of quality right there: that a quest drags the player back even then the player's head is telling him to stop wasting his time, because there's a 100% certainty of another rage quit soon to come. Unfortunately, though my heart says yes, I think my head is going to win out on this one and I have decided that there are just too many questionable choices and execution in LttW that drag the real, intangible enjoyment of the quest down significantly.
A Link to the West
Overview
Feature Quest
Creator: Flynn Genre: NES-style Added: 18 Nov 2019 Updated: 18 Jun 2022 ZC Version: 2.55 Downloads: 445 Rating[?]: |
Download Quest (1.38 MB) |
Information
The princess of Westrule is missing!
This is a fairly straightforward NES style quest with lots of secrets and combat.
This is a fairly straightforward NES style quest with lots of secrets and combat.
About Reviews Comments Forum Topics
Description
Experienced players of the first two quests should recognize a similar flow in Westrule. Five heart containers, two sword upgrades, the blue ring, power bracelet, and letter can be found in the overworld. The rest of the special items and two bomb upgrades are in the dungeons. There are only two door repair charges, but clues can help you steer clear. Pushblocks are always multidirectional. Wall Masters and Like Likes move a bit quicker than Link's last adventure in Southrule.
I'm an average player so the difficulty is set that way. Of course I'd like to hear from any of you who are able to finish it without some sword or ring upgrades.
Btw there's no scripting here, just old-fashioned Nth style stuff with a few twists.
I'm an average player so the difficulty is set that way. Of course I'd like to hear from any of you who are able to finish it without some sword or ring upgrades.
Btw there's no scripting here, just old-fashioned Nth style stuff with a few twists.
Story
Making his way west, Link has found himself in the province of Westrule. Locals say that prior to his arrival, the Triforce of Wisdom was looted from the Royal Museum and their princess was abducted by someone bearing a very close resemblance to Ganon. Does the princess even exist? Or is this all some sort of elaborate trap?
Unfortunately, Link left his sword at the sharpeners and it won't be ready until next Thursday.
Unfortunately, Link left his sword at the sharpeners and it won't be ready until next Thursday.
Tips & Cheats
Take some notes and make some maps.
Back in the day when playing Z1 and Z2 for the first time, I for one enjoyed making maps and keeping track of clues. If you're a player with a brain that doesn't require you to do that, well hats off to you. If you're like me however, and don't have a super sticky memory but you don't happen to enjoy jotting down where some passages lead to or walls you've tried bombing, this quest may not be for you - just sayin'.
Back in the day when playing Z1 and Z2 for the first time, I for one enjoyed making maps and keeping track of clues. If you're a player with a brain that doesn't require you to do that, well hats off to you. If you're like me however, and don't have a super sticky memory but you don't happen to enjoy jotting down where some passages lead to or walls you've tried bombing, this quest may not be for you - just sayin'.
Credits
Nintendo
Alphadawg
Everyone who helped with the comprehensive ZQuest 2.50 tutorial
PureZC, Zelda Classic, and all involved with creating and supporting ZQuest
The best quest creators for their inspiration - you know who you are!
Overworld theme by John Attey
Dungeon music by Cocteau Twins
Logo by Vendetta
Alphadawg
Everyone who helped with the comprehensive ZQuest 2.50 tutorial
PureZC, Zelda Classic, and all involved with creating and supporting ZQuest
The best quest creators for their inspiration - you know who you are!
Overworld theme by John Attey
Dungeon music by Cocteau Twins
Logo by Vendetta