There’s nothing like the smell of a brand new Zelda game! The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes is a huge departure from the main series. Instead of having an open-world singleplayer adventure per the norm, Nintendo has delivered a Four Swords-esque multiplayer game with a cooperative focus.
The puzzles Tri Force Heroes hurl at you and your companions are designed to accommodate the modernized 3-player system. The shared heart bar makes tight cooperation essential in order to survive the crazy worlds of the Drablands.
With some intuition, luck, and the touch of a fabulous wardrobe, three heroes set out to restore style to Hytopia – one stylish costume at a time.
Overworld – Hytopia
Tri Force Heroes is set in the kingdom of Hytopia – which is nothing like the diverse open world of Hyrule. You will find:
- A Castle
- Serves as Multiplayer Lobby (more on that later)
- A Town
- Costume Shop
- Material Shop
- Daily Mini-Game
- Miiverse Gallery
- The Drablands
- 8 Themed Worlds, 4 Levels Each (32 Unique Levels)
- 3 Drabland Challenges per Level (128 Level Variations)
- A Multiplayer Coliseum
- 2-3 Player PvP Free-for-All
- Winner Rewarded w/ Unique Materials
The castle and surrounding town serve as a peaceful hub to craft costumes and share with fellow Hytopians. Only heroes with pointed ears fight in the Drablands, and they’re all after the same thing.
Progression – Fighting the Fashion Curse
While you start with just World 1 unlocked, you only need to complete the 4th Level of each World in order to unlock the next set.
- Begin with World 1
- Woodlands
- Unlock Worlds 2, 3, 4
- Riverside
- Volcano
- Ice Cavern
- Unlock World 5
- Fortress
- Unlock Worlds 6, 7
- The Dunes
- The Ruins
- Unlock World 8
- Sky Realm
The story in Tri Force Heroes isn’t much more than an excuse to bring some much-needed style into Zelda, and that’s okay.
Materials and Costumes – Dress for Success
Costumes are not just for style in Tri Force Heroes – they augment your abilities and offer special perks to heroes braving the Drablands.
In order to craft costumes you need to land some materials first. You will find materials hidden all over Hytopia:
- Material Shop
- Daily Mini-Game
- Drablands Dungeons
- Drablands Challenges
- Rare Materials for Powerful Costumes
- Multiplayer Coliseum
- Unique Materials for Special Costumes
Multiplayer – Tri Force Heroes
The Castle is where three brave heroes can band together to conquer the terrors of the Drablands…in style. Online and with friends is the definitive way to play Tri Force Heroes. If you neglect to try out multiplayer, you will completely miss out on the experience.
There are several ways you will connect with heroes to brave the Drablands:
- Local Play
- Connect with 2 Local Heroes
- Online Play
- Connect with Friends
- Connect with Random Players
- Mix between Friends and Random Players
- Download Play
- Brave the Drablands with 2 Local Trial Heroes
While connected with other players, you will have access to up to 8 emotes. These are used to effectively communicate within levels without totally spoiling the puzzles for new players – no matter how much you want to shout out the solution.
Single player –The Lone Hero
Single player in Tri Force Heroes is awkward and tedious at best. At worst, it’s an incredibly frustrating experience for the poor fool who tried to fly solo in a game so carefully balanced for three people.
While in Single Player Mode, you gain control of 2 additional characters. You can switch between them on the fly by tapping their respective portraits, but that’s about all you get.
There are no balance changes to accommodate for the fractured reaction times of 3 figures being controlled by a sole entity. Let’s not even get into trying to take on Challenge Levels on your own.
Hero’s Call To Action
All heroes with pointed ears may qualify for the quest to save Hytopia from the fashion curse.
The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes releases in North America and Europe tomorrow, October 23rd, 2015.
Who’s ready to save Hytopia and bring back the funk with your best costumes? Plan your trip to the Drablands in the comments below!
Published: Oct 21, 2015 11:17 pm