It’s like Weekend at Bernie’s but with two dead Links.

The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes is very much a game of threes. You fight monsters and solve puzzles with a trio of legendary heroes, and in our time with the game, we’ve come to realize it has three major components to it: single-player, local multiplayer, and online play. So, in the spirit of the game, we’re splitting up our review into three chunks over the next few days. After all three parts are written, we’ll have a conclusion and a final score. Check out our thoughts on the online and the local play (as well as the final score). Here are our thoughts on the single-player portion.

The Zelda series is best known for being an epic single-player experience, but in a few cases, the single-player is more of a perfunctory option. Following in the shoes of Four Swords and the Nintendo Land mini-game Zelda: Battle Quest, The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes features a less compelling single-player component that while rife with beautiful music and clever writing, boils down to tedious, drawn-out puzzles as you frantically switch between three heroes in a series of puzzle-focused levels.

When you engage in the single-player, you get paired up with two Doppels, which are creepy inanimate dolls that resemble the fabled hero. To progress through each level (which are the same as in the multiplayer), you have to switch between each character and get all three to the finish. Switching is done by tapping the touch screen, which is easy and reasonably intuitive. However, since the characters don’t move when not controlled, you often have to laboriously switch between each one to move them to different parts of the level. It takes a game that feels just as great as A Link Between Worlds and makes it slow as molasses. Solving puzzles is still rewarding, but most of the time, I’d realize what had to be done and then have to painstakingly execute it by switching between the trio. In multiplayer, that often happens as well, but at least communication and player interaction is present there.

In a few cases, bosses and some of the unlockable challenge stages are seemingly insurmountable in single-player. Moments crop up every so often where you essentially need two characters to do things simultaneously, which you just can’t do in single-player. You either need to use one of the more powerful unlockable outfits to break the game (e.g. run in lava in a Goron outfit, fire three arrows with the Kokiri outfit) or stage it to perfection. A few bosses are also reliant on a player baiting the foe so the other two can attack. By yourself, this just turns into a plodding match of body-swapping as you frantically switch between characters. Additionally, as near as I can figure, completing the time trial levels solo requires a near-flawless run as you switch between the three characters as quickly as humanly possible to get them through the stage. These uniquely frustrating moments are thankfully not everywhere, but when you come across one, it’s disheartening and rather maddening.

As a single-player experience, Tri Force Heroes has its moments but playing through it solo is just a stark reminder of the game’s multiplayer focus. At its best, single-player can be nice when you’re trying to lock down a specific material for an outfit. But, if you’re planning on getting Tri Force Heroes and playing it by your lonesome, I don’t recommend it. Your best option is to make some new friends or go back and replay A Link Between Worlds or A Link to the Past.

Stay tuned later this week for our thoughts on the local multiplayer and the online multiplayer!