The Newer Zelda Titles Have Me Worried About The Future Of The Series

When I first looked at the gameplay of The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild was revealed in 2014, as a huge diehard hardcore fan of the Zelda series, I was in awe seeing Link travels the enormous grounds of Hyrule, knowing that it is an open-world Zelda game.

The first of its kind. It shook me, and I was looking forward to it as each second passed. When the game was FINALLY released in 2017, it was phenomenal, and Nintendo did a fantastic job of delivering a masterpiece of an open world. However, it came at a cost. Let’s dive into it.

A Masterpiece Masking The Blemish Of The Game

If you have played The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, you know that it is a masterpiece, a game with fun combat, a beautiful world to wander around, multiple ways of approaching the story, and much more; in short, it is a perfect game. Is the game perfect, though?

The game shines in its scale and freedom, but the dungeons or mini-dungeons feel lackluster. They follow the same repetitive method of going from point A to point B, and Ta-Da! The puzzle is solved. The feeling of achievement, accomplishment, and satisfaction that comes with it is long gone, and it just feels like another chore.

Tears Of The Kingdom Follows The Same Pattern But In Verticality

When the trailer for the sequel of Breath of the Wild dropped, all the hardcore Zelda fans had one request: bring back the dungeons that gave the player a sense of progression rather than feel like doing a chore. When the game was released in 2023, it had excellent level design in verticality, and you could now explore Hyrule through the skies and beneath the grounds. Traveling and exploring became more than just walking in a straight line; they had an element of revelation.

However, the game could have delivered more on its dungeons and puzzle solving as the developers were more focused on increasing the game’s exploration factor.

Factoring In The Predecessors Of The New Open-World Titles

If you are a true Zelda fan, then you know the pain and agony we all went through solving the Water Temple in Ocarina of Time. Despite going through all that suffering when you get to Morpha, the boss fights the temple and defeats her to obtain the Water Medallion. The sense of accomplishment is highly euphoric, making the player feel divine for a second and feeling rewarded for the hardship you went through.

Similarly, the Stone Tower in Majora’s Mask was tough and tested the player’s abilities to the limits. Compared to the Divine Beast concept of temples in Breath of the Wild, they feel shallow and lackluster.

[ALL] Do you prefer the new Zelda titles (BoTW, ToTK) or the old 3D Zelda titles?
byu/BigPuffafish inzelda

I fear for the future of the Zelda series, as it is taking the same route as every triple AAA game release out there. If Nintendo brings back the same old dungeons and level design with the new art direction, perhaps Ocarina of Time could be topped. Only time will tell.