Role-playing video game
Typically action RPGs feature each player directly controlling a single character in real time, and feature a strong focus on combat and action with plot and character interaction kept to a minimum. Early action RPGs tended to follow the template set by 1980s Nihon Falcom titles such as the "Dragon Slayer" and "Ys" series, which feature hack and slash combat where the player character's movements and actions are controlled directly, using a keyboard or game controller, rather than using menus. This formula was refined by the action-adventure game, "The Legend of Zelda" (1986), which set the template used by many subsequent action RPGs, including innovations such as an open world, nonlinear gameplay, battery backup saving, and an attack button that animates a sword swing or projectile attack on the screen. The game was largely responsible for the surge of action-oriented RPGs released since the late 1980s, both in Japan and North America. "The Legend of Zelda" series would continue to exert an influence on the transition of both console and computer RPGs from stat-heavy, turn-based combat towards real-time action combat in the following decades.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
On release, "Twilight Princess" was considered to be the greatest "Zelda" game ever made by many critics including writers for "1UP.com", "Computer and Video Games", "Electronic Gaming Monthly", "Game Informer", "GamesRadar", "IGN" and "The Washington Post". "Game Informer" called it "so creative that it rivals the best that Hollywood has to offer". "GamesRadar" praised "Twilight Princess" as "a game that deserves nothing but the absolute highest recommendation". "Cubed3" hailed "Twilight Princess" as "the single greatest videogame experience". "Twilight Princess" graphics were praised for the art style and animation, although the game was designed for the GameCube, which is technically lacking compared to the next generation consoles. Both "IGN" and "GameSpy" pointed out the existence of blurry textures and low-resolution characters. Despite these complaints, "Computer and Video Games" felt the game's atmosphere was superior to that of any previous "Zelda" game, and regarded "Twilight Princess" Hyrule as the best version ever created. "PALGN" praised the game's cinematics, noting that "the cutscenes are the best ever in "Zelda" games". Regarding the Wii version, "GameSpot"s Jeff Gerstmann said the Wii controls felt "tacked-on", although "1UP.com" said the remote-swinging sword attacks were "the most impressive in the entire series". "Gaming Nexus" considered "Twilight Princess" soundtrack to be the best of this generation, though "IGN" criticized its MIDI-formatted songs for lacking "the punch and crispness" of their orchestrated counterparts. "Hyper"s Javier Glickman commended the game for its "very long quests, superb Wii controls and being able to save anytime". However, he criticized it for "no voice acting, no orchestral score and slightly outdated graphics".