Today we are talking about an interview that is making its rounds around the internet and in video game circles. Zelda series producer Eiji Aonumoa told IGN “It’s interesting when I hear people say [they prefer the old entries] because I am wondering, ‘Why do you want to go back to a type of game where you’re more limited or more restricted in the types of things or ways you can play?’ But I do understand that desire that we have for nostalgia, and so I can also understand it from that aspect,” said Aonuma.” He pondered during his interview.

If you want to watch our video over this topic, check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDEJWKzUqU8&t=14s

Read the full interview here: https://www.ign.com/articles/zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom-interview-nintendo-eiji-aonuma-hidemaro-fujibayashi

These comments were made in regards to people apparently wanting to go back to the old formulaic Zelda. Personally, I got my Wii U Christmas of 2013. Zelda Breath of the Wild and Smash Brothers were the two main reasons I wanted the machine. I remember waiting years, following every ounce of news about Breath of the Wild leading up to the release. This was one of the most anticipated releases of my life. Playing through it, it lived up to the hype. 

So many people wanted to focus on the changes like they were negative. No heart pieces, no traditional dungeons, no loose linear structure. Everything had changed. And I found myself defending it. The shrines were a modern and sleek way to give the players a sense of progress. And it even granted the player freedom how they chose to strengthen Link. Want to survive battles easier, go for Heart Containers. Want to have a smoother time traversing the wild, fill that stamina bar up baby. I loved the way we were piecing together the world and the lore through memories. The korok seeds were a collectathoners dream. I loved my time with it.

But when my time with it was through, I had no urge to replay it. In fact I find myself saying its my second least favorite Zelda. Only above Zelda 2. Why is that?

It just feels hollow. Nothing makes me want to replay or revisit it. It was a blast playing for the first time and discovering everything. But nothing hooked me enough to want to replay it. Whereas Wind Waker on Wii U jumped up to maybe my 2nd favorite Zelda. What’s the difference? Wind Waker feels like an epic quest. Setting sail with nothing and watching Link become the hero he was always meant to be is just something special. Wind Waker is pretty open world too. It doesn’t suffer from the hollow issue; there’s always an island to explore, treasures that await and monsters to defeat. It has some of my favorite NPCs and items in the whole series. It’s a massive open world that doesn’t feel empty nor tedious to search. 

Which gets me to what I want to talk about today. Is Breath of the Wild really that different from the rest of the series. And was that a positive shift? 

People act like Breath Of the Wild was the first open world game. Many could argue the original Zelda was one of the first ever open world games in general. As the player can explore, I believe any of the first 3 dungeons in any order. The other games may be a bit stricter with progression, but most of the cities are available after you leave your hometown. With only the dungeons and heart pieces really locked behind items.

I think Breath of the Wild handled open world perfectly, as I discussed in my video addressing open world gaming (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ksjo1xPkMw). They give you a brief tutorial, all your runes, and say have fun. And have fun we did. But if you’re like me, the runes just weren’t enough. Breath of the Wild can get teased for being called a sandbox physics engine. There can be some truth to that with the magnet and stasis. The bombs were a must have return for the franchise as they are arguably the most iconic item in the series. Cryonis was a welcomed addition to Links arsenal. But I found myself missing items like the Lens of Truth, the Hookshot and many others. We knew we weren’t getting them either. The runes in Tears of the Kingdom are all relatively fresh ideas here. Ultra Hand is awesome, allowing Link to interact with so many objects in the game world. Fuse, admittedly, may be one I under utilize. As the name suggests, it grants Link the power to combine objects together. Recall, in my opinion, is the most lame one yet. But it plays nicely with the physics engine reputation the new Zelda games have garnered. Ascend is easily one of my favorite power ups in any Zelda game. In my opinion, it’s what sold me on Tears of the Kingdom as an evolution and not a copy of Breath of the Wild. It gives Link the ability to travel through surfaces to reach new heights. It’s amazing for exploring and discovering new areas and locations. While I don’t believe the runes are as cool as the old school items, they were definitely a nice way to break from the mold while still maintaining a semblance of old Zelda. 

Some of the most fun I have playing Zelda is reaching a location that is inaccessible at the moment and thinking “wonder what item gets me in here” or wonder what is hiding behind that secret area? It’s a great motivator to encourage players to return and re-explore areas they thought they were through with. Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom still offer many puzzles that can give you that “ah-ha” moment through the shrines, of which there is a lot. And I’m not one who hates on the divine beast, as I found myself enjoying them more than others seemed to. To me, oddly enough, it’s just that world feels empty. The chest that you may find will not offer anything special. As weapons break, you have all your items from the start, and heart pieces are gained through the shrines. Meaning, if you see a chest off in the distance, you know you won’t find anything in there of real worth. 

All this is to say that yes. At its core Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are the most open world the series has ever been, but at what cost? As the lands, in my opinion just aren’t worth exploring. The korok seeds are the only real thing here worth collecting. They are used to expand your inventory slots. Which is good, but hardly worth all the time it would take to track them down. I often circle back around to Ocarina of Time or Wind Waker because I feel they are near perfect games and capture what it means to be on grand adventures. They are a perfect blend of open world while maintaining direction. Every action feels like it has a purpose and adds to the bigger picture. Nothing feels forced or time consuming. Everything feels like it is here for a reason. Things are fun to explore and have rewards. That’s the issue with giving you everything up front. You won’t be rewarded with light arrows or magic or what have you. 

So how would fix Zelda moving forward? It’s a tough problem to have. By removing items and rewards, you are removing part of the fun in exploring these worlds. However, if you reintroduce all these extra things, you complicate the game. Thus sacrificing what works about the two newest Zelda outings. I think my simplest solution is this. Find a way to blend runes with progression items. Runes will be given all at once and at the beginning. While progression items will be concentrated mostly on dungeons. Keep the shrines, but reduce the number. Shrines will extend stamina while heart pieces return to the overworld. Yes players no longer have to choose between the two, but who cares? Games are meant to be fun overall. And players can skip one or the other if they want a challenge. This is how I would fix things. It would give the over world more of a purpose, while still keeping the new open world feel that the games are crafting.

Which style of Zelda do you prefer? Are you fan of the open world gaming, or do you prefer the formulaic style we were use to? Thank you guys for reading and have a great day!