The Verdict:
Tri Force Heroes is the breath of fresh air in a series that's somewhat stale. It's funny, it's fun, and it's not the same story of another Zelda cycle. You can play Zelda with friends near or far, what's not to love about that? If you have friends nearby or with strong internet connections, Tri Force Heroes may be the multiplayer Zelda experience you've always wanted.
If you don't have a solid friend list or stable connection? You may want to pass on this one, unless you have the patience of a Buddha or the dedication of Hachiko. The lack of a reasonably playable solo campaign, paired with unplayable multiplayer, will make Tri Force Heroes a waste of your money.
The Positives
- Tri Force Heroes is the most irreverent take on the Zelda formula yet. Instead of saving the Hyrule from a great evil as Link, it's your job to save Hytopia from a confidence-crippling lack of style as a particularly dashing individual of unknown origin. The setting and all the little touches are as silly as it sounds.
- The game play is Zelda to its core, but with the added necessity of team work. Working with friends or strangers, you'll have to totem and toss your way to victory. The dungeons function as three man raids pulled straight from MMOs, including a random loot pool at the end via treasure chests. If you love to get your grind on, then there's plenty to be had trying to unlock all of the outfits.
- The level design is spectacular, and team work is emphasized by giving each player their own personal item, be it boomerang, bomb, arrow, etc. Every puzzle revolves around the clever use of said items in conjunction with your teammates' powers. Things stay relatively fresh over the course of 30+ dungeons, with Drablands Challenges opening after defeating that level's Temple.
- As mentioned already, there are 30+ stages, but repla value is bolstered by Drablands Challenges. These unlock after beating the Temple boss for a given set of areas. Each stage has at least three remixed challenges and there are roughly 20 different types of challenges spread over the game. They range from being as simple as fewer heart containers, to dodging a Wallmaster as you make your way through the level.
- The online experience is great when you and your teammates all have a solid connection. When playing cross country with friends I never experienced lag once.
The Negatives
- There's a single player mode, but it's essentially impossible unless you're the Rain Man of Tri Force Heroes. All of the maps are balanced for three players, and your doppelgangers will sit there lifelessly when you aren't controlling them directly. People can beat Ocarina of Time blindfolded, but that pales in comparison to the prospect of beating Tri Force Heroes solo.
- Playing with strangers is often a lag fest because most of them seem to be accessing McDonalds Wi-Fi from across the street. Lag will make this game borderline unplayable, as all players will have a connection as good as the worst member, and there's no method for screening other than exiting the lobby when a lagger enters and hoping for the best next time.
- If one player disconnects, the others are kicked from the dungeon. A better solution would have been dropping a Doppelganger in the empty slot, which is far from ideal but better than the alternative, and/or allowing players to join runs in progress.
- There is no voice chat. There are preset commands that do a great job of covering just about everything you'd need to say, if you were playing with reasonably intelligent individuals. It really starts to grate when you're unable to tell somebody they specifically need to fire an arrow through a flaming torch to light the torch next to it, and subsequently spend 5 minutes on an extremely simple first room as that mouth breather runs around shooting arrows at walls. It gets old fast, just like Nintendo's lack of voice support in their titles.
The Neutral
- The localization team has brought a bit of their own taste to the game. How do you feel about a throwaway line being changed to a Doge meme? If your first response was to be a pissy crybaby and throw a tantrum on the internet like many fans, this will probably be a negative. I personally enjoy the work the localization team has done overall, so to each their own.
The most divisive Zelda game ever released bar-none, The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes brings something other than your typical Zelda story. If you enjoyed the multiplayer of Four Swords, then this is your jam… with a few caveats.
Make friends. Join a forum or turn to social media if you have to, but make friends with people that have strong online connections. If you yourself don't have a strong internet connection, then get a better one or don't even play because you won't enjoy this game and you will ruin the experience for everyone you come into contact with.
Aside from that, Tri Force Heroes is a rock solid multiplayer-only game. (There's a single player option but it is not humanly feasible to beat it.) You'll enjoy an entertaining story, get to dress in tons of so-dumb-they're-funny outfits, and hunt for treasure in your pursuit of the ultimate fashion statement.