Parent's Guide: The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes - Age rating, mature content and difficulty

What is Zelda: Tri Force Heroes?

The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes is a multiplayer-centric adventure game in which players co-operate to explore dungeons, solve puzzles, and take down enemies, as they try to save the princess of the kingdom from a fate worse than death - a wardrobe malfunction. Cursed by a witch to spend the rest of her days stuck in horrid brown onesie, the fashion-forward land of Hytopia has called for a group of three heroes to help defeat the witch, lift the curse and save the day in a top-down, puzzle solving adventure.

How do you play Zelda: Tri Force Heroes?

It's worth pointing out that "tri" is the operative word here, as the game has been designed from the ground up to be played by three players. That in and of itself isn't a problem, but it's important to note that Tri Force Heroes actually only lets you play either on your own, or in a group of three players - there's no option to play as a pair. While the game's other multiplayer options are fantastic - it has full support for download play, so three people can play along even if only one person owns a copy of the game, and it supports both online and offline play - you'll have to either round three people up, or venture out on your own.

Once you've decided how you'll be playing, you get to venture out into a range of maze-like dungeons filled with puzzles, enemies and traps, on a quest to defeat a wicked witch. Puzzles, of which there are many, revolve around Tri Force Heroes' new feature - the ability to stack your heroes into a two or three person tall totem pole, perfect for reaching high up switches, enemies and platforms. Lower down characters can throw the higher ones up onto ledges, at which point you'll need to figure out how to regroup your trio before you can move to the next area. Combining the new totem feature with various powers and weapons, from bombs and bows to water spout summoning wands and jars (which send out a powerful gust of wind when blown) is the key, and often requires a lot of teamwork and experimentation to progress.

How easy is Zelda: Tri Force Heroes to pick up and play?

A game for the thinking player, Zelda: Tri Force Heroes is a game built around its puzzles. Asking for plenty of experimentation and a unique breed of logic, many puzzles require complex combinations of forming totem towers, speedy reactions, and a mix of weapons and abilities. Because it's a game made to be played in a three, trying to tackle it in single player can be a bit tricky, as having to switch between the three individual characters to move around the level makes your life a lot harder, especially when it comes to some of the more time-limited puzzle sections and boss fights.

For the youngest of children, a reading ability is a must here, as there's nothing in the way of voice acting to speak of. With most tutorials explained using text alone, you'll need to be able to read to understand how to solve the puzzles.

Like most Zelda games, Tri Force Heroes is a fairly family friendly affair - there's no sex scenes, bad language or bloody violence to be seen. Combat is generally done in a cartoon-y way, with players taking down slimes, skeletons and knights with swords, bows and bombs, who simply flash when damaged, accompanied by smacking sounds and the odd explosion, with enemies disappearing in puffs of smoke when defeated.

Age Ratings

Format Reviewed: Nintendo 3DS