It was little surprise whenThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomreleased to a sea of positive critical acclaim. It takes the fundamentals of its 2017 predecessor and givesthe kingdom of Hyruleso much more life and substance, with endless side activities and things to do that can often distract players from the game’s surprisingly great story. The open world is undoubtedly the star of the show, though, with towering peaks and dark depths that Link can explore to map the world and make sense of its unpredictable nature. Nintendo seems to be doubling down on this philosophy, as Eiji Aonuma noted recently that the old format was ‘restricting.’
This is cause for excitement among millions of gamers, but it’s equally worrisome for a substantial chunk of others, as the classicZeldadesign that Nintendo has relied on over the years has brought plenty of fantastic experiences. Having such a commitment to open-ended levels for the foreseeable is a double-edged sword, as it has the capacity to isolate as many existing fans as it does to bring in new ones. In any case, it’s perhaps the biggest change the series has gone through since motion controls onthe Wii, and time will tell if it’s a success.
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Zelda’s Open Worlds are Amazing
Open worlds and nonlinear level design has quickly become one of the go-to philosophies for game developers, especially in the AAA space. Some franchises likeTomb Raider, Batman: Arkham, Metal Gear Solid, andForzadid not have prior history with open-world design until it became more popular, and now it seems that most companies are trying to push the bar higher. Some succeed, and others fail, butThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildmoved the needle in a way that was innovative, unique, and potentially revolutionary. Its sequel adds more to it, providing three layers of freedom with the sky islands above and depths beneath Hyrule.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomgives players the ability to let serendipity do its thing, with endless curiosities to explore as Link builds up his strength to banish the land of evil. That degree of freedom is overwhelming at times, and differs hugely from the traditional ‘Zeldaformat’, but the critical and commercial consensus seems to be that the change was worth it. No other series adheres to the term ‘open world’ quite as faithfully as the last twoZeldagames, with fans easily being able to extract hundreds of hours from the title and still somehow find things to do.
Zelda’s Old Format Still Has So Much Potential
However, the proficiency ofTears of the Kingdom’s expansive design doesn’t mean that the old way was without merit. Games likeA Link to the PastorWind Waker, for example, were open to a degree, but players were shepherded through a linear story, so the space was only there to give gamers something to fight or collect en route to the next prescribed dungeon. It was more restricted, but because of this Nintendo could better control the pacing of the story and the quality of the character development, meaning while most of the tales were formulaic, they were always fun.
If Nintendo really is done with the old ways, it would be a shame to see it go, but the new emphasis on nonlinearity ensures that the franchise is in good hands. Clearly more can be done with the idea asTears of the Kingdomshowed when it improved onBreath of the Wild’s core values. Doubling down on the new format undoubtedly comes at a cost, though, as the ‘restrictive’ old ways brought many strengths over the decades.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomis available now for Switch.
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