The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

[Mr_Master_X2]

Completionist says I can't sell the game until I do Hero mode and that itch inside says I haven't really finished the game. So annoying you couldn't select Hero from the off as I don't like replaying games anymore. Used to love replaying games, and used to become like some insane ninja at games. I think it was the Gamecube area I stopped.

[qbas]

Finished this game myself few days ago and it was fun, even if it was a bit easy (especially after the armor upgrade and upgrading master sword) i enjoyed it really much. The dungeons were really creative and fun. It was couple years ago when i played link to the past and even though all seemed familiar it didn't feel old

[Dcubed]

So I finally got round to playing it just over the last week and I've finished it! (Though I've still got a lot of pieces of heart to find and sidequests to play)

 

But I feel comfortable in saying that it's my 10th favourite Zelda game. So in my mind it's better than Oracle of Seasons, Oracle of Ages, Four Swords, Zelda 1, Zelda 2 and Ocarina of Time (it's very close to the latter, I'd actually rate OoT3D above ALBW for the additions and changes that they made, but I'm not counting that in this comparison) in that order.

 

I really like the jaunty pace that this game has, I love the over abundance of sidequests and minigames, I like all of the characters (especially Yuga!) and I like the light story (the twists at the end were nice too - in retrospect they're pretty obvious and I should've seen them coming a mile off but I didn't and now I feel stupid ), but I do have two very major issues that sort of link with each other...

 

Firstly, the item rental system is a good idea but the execution is lacking. The biggest problem that the system has is that the rental period is far too lenient; death does not come often (well, I'm sure that Hero Mode might change that though) and the price to rent is too cheap (I was able to go ahead and rent everything immediately without even making a dent in my wallet - which does end up taking away some of the sense of discovery throughout the game). I think that the system would've worked much better if you had to give up your rental items whenever you saved (sort of like what happened in Majora's Mask) and that there was a limit on how many items you could rent at a time (some puzzles throughout the game would then require you to use certain combinations of items

like that one treasure chamber that used both the Tornado Rod and the Sand Rod together, but throughout the main dungeons,

which brings me to my next issue...

 

The dungeon designs are some of the weakest in the series. I literally ran through the first 3 dungeons without stopping once. I knew how to get through the dungeons without even having played them before, they were that brain dead simple. The Lorule dungeons were better designed but still very very simple; there were a couple of times where I did stop to think, most notably in

Turtle Rock, the Ice Ruins, Swamp Palace, Dark Palace (that reverse light mechanic was just a work of sheer genius!), and Lorule Castle,

but overall, the complexity never really ramps up at all and constantly feels very simple all throughout.

 

That's not to say that they don't come up with some great puzzle concepts and mechanics throughout, because there are plenty of fun new ideas throughout, but they take a backseat to the Merge mechanic (AKA, the real star of the show!) - the sheer amount of mileage they get out of it is crazy! The whole game concept was originally just based around this one mechanic according to the Iwata Asks and it really shows! It always remains fresh & fun throughout and the way they incorporate it into the boss battles is just fantastic!

 

But overall, the game does suffer from a lack of complexity. It has a lot of great ideas, but they're really used in a very linear fashion (much like the dungeon designs themselves, which for the most part are extremely linear) and are used in really very simple and obvious puzzles. The focus is clearly on action over puzzle solving here (and even then, the action & combat parts of the game are very easy - save for

The Treacherous Tower (AKA The Pit of 100 Trials),

which I'm sure will be the death of me! )

 

I can see why so many media outlets are raving about it as if it's the best Zelda game in the last 20 years, what with its "back to basics" approach and focus on simplicity and action over puzzle solving, but nah; not for me. I still greatly enjoyed my time with it (and I'll certainly be going ahead and getting everything/doing all the sidequests), but I can't in all good consciousness put it as one of my favourites in the series.

 

A special shoutout to the impressive visuals (easily one of the best looking 3DS games out there), the music as well (which is outstanding!) and the use of S3D throughout - used in a much more integral way than I expected (with some very Super Mario 3D Land esc moments throughout. This is one you'll definitely want to play in S3D!). The Streetpass battle mode is also a lot of fun, much moreso than I expected but it does make me wish that I could also just play in real-time with another player locally/online. They basically made a new Shadow Battle mode and don't let you play it with another player. Why!?

Edited January 12, 2014 by Dcubed

[Retro_Link]

@Dcubed Out of interest, with OOT not even in your Top 10 Zelda's (with OOT3D possibly making it in), what is your Top 10? and what was your first Zelda?

[Sheikah]

Majora's Mask I'll bet is up there.

[Ronnie]

I rented one item at a time, more or less after every dungeon I completed. Never ran into any issues and got to enjoy each new addition one by one. Sense of discovery intact Just because you CAN rent every item at once, doesn't mean you should.

[Dcubed]

@Dcubed Out of interest, with OOT not even in your Top 10 Zelda's (with OOT3D possibly making it in), what is your Top 10? and what was your first Zelda?

 

My first Zelda game was ALTTP and this is my Top 10!

 

10: The Wind Waker

9: The Minish Cap

8: Four Swords Adventures (I'm counting Shadow Battle but not Tetra's Trackers, that's a separate game entirely)

7: Phantom Hourglass

6: ALTTP

5: Link's Awakening

4: Twilight Princess

3: Spirit Tracks

2: Skyward Sword

1: Majora's Mask (goddammit @Sheikah)

 

Of course ALBW is only 11th by virtue of the Zelda Scale, so it's still an amazing game

 

And of course I love OoT as well but compared to the other games in the series, it has always felt very "vanilla" to me. OoT 3D's additions do mix things up a bit though (since you also have to count Master Quest, which is hilariously trollish - especially the Fire Temple ), but it still stands out less than most of the others amongst the series for me.

 

Oh and Zelda 2 is ridiculously underrated! That game is awesome and I'd bloody love a new Zelda game in that style!

Edited January 12, 2014 by Dcubed

[Happenstance]

After enjoying this latest Zelda I've been thinking about going back and trying some of the others again that I previously gave up on. I'm a lot more interested in the 2D ones but OoT seems like it would be one of the easier ones with it having the 3DS version.

[Dcubed]

After enjoying this latest Zelda I've been thinking about going back and trying some of the others again that I previously gave up on. I'm a lot more interested in the 2D ones but OoT seems like it would be one of the easier ones with it having the 3DS version.

 

Go for it! OoT 3D would be a great choice for a follow up Zelda. It'll feel lovely and fresh and a significant change of pace from top-down 2D Zelda (plus you obviously have a 3DS, so go get it right now and fall in love with it! )

[Happenstance]

Go for it! OoT 3D would be a great choice for a follow up Zelda. It'll feel lovely and fresh and a significant change of pace from top-down 2D Zelda (plus you obviously have a 3DS, so go get it right now and fall in love with it! )

 

I have played it before, I had it on the N64 but didn't like it all that much which is why I never bothered getting the 3DS version. I just have a much better attitude towards all RPGs now and having enjoyed this latest Zelda it seems like a good time to revisit it.

 

I would have liked to go back to Twilight Princess and finally try Skyward Sword but my dislike for motion controls will always put me off them. Unless of course someone has a copy of TP on the Cube that they want to sell me cheap :P

[Zell]

After enjoying this latest Zelda I've been thinking about going back and trying some of the others again that I previously gave up on. I'm a lot more interested in the 2D ones but OoT seems like it would be one of the easier ones with it having the 3DS version.

 

Download Link's Awakening and the Oracle games. They are my favourite entries in the series. Try Link's Awakening first and if you like it then play the Oracle games since they follow the same formula and mechanics.

[Sheikah]

Ahhh ma gawwwd. Started playing this last night, this game is fucking great. Got to be the best Zelda since Wind Waker.

 

It just shows that when you remove all the crappy innovation that they've attempted over the years (riding a train, motion controls, to some extent the sailing and hourglass system in PH...) and a strip down to pure Zelda goodness...wow. Zelda is great when it's being Zelda. That's not to say somewhat unique things like the freedom in the game isn't great too (access to most items early on, exploration, choice of dungeon order).

 

I'm happy right now. Nintendo still got it.

[Goron_3]

Okay, I'm struggling with something and need to know if I'm doing something wrong...

 

I just died against a dungeon boss, but for some reason I lost my items so I had to go back to Link's house again to get them, before going back to the dungeon. Like seriously, I've never experienced this in a Zelda game before and it's so incredibly annoying, especially because you can't save the game inside a dungeon.

 

Am I doing something stupid or do you really have to go back to Link's house to get your items back if you die inside a dungeon?

[S.C.G]

Okay, I'm struggling with something and need to know if I'm doing something wrong...

 

I just died against a dungeon boss, but for some reason I lost my items so I had to go back to Link's house again to get them, before going back to the dungeon.

 

If you died then that's where you're going wrong...

 

 

...but seriously, the way it works is rented items are taken back when you die, whereas if you have bought the item then you don't lose it, I never found this to be a problem though as so long as you're careful and make regular use of the save point outside of the dungeon then, lets just say that if you 'die' you don't have to accept having your items taken away from you and then having to trek back to your house... surely it's much easier to press the home button and reload your game losing a small amount of progress instead? : peace:

 

While it might seem slightly inconvenient having to get back to just outside the dungeon to save I feel that I must mention that this is not the first Zelda game to 'limit' you in this way; Majora's Mask had a very similar system which this game has merely taken and adapted albeit with a slightly cruel twist regarding the rental items, but it's not insurmountable... as don't forget once you get about halfway through the dungeon you get the warp panel which will take you back to the start which streamlines things a bit.

 

Anyway hope this helps.

[Zell]

Okay, I'm struggling with something and need to know if I'm doing something wrong...

 

I just died against a dungeon boss, but for some reason I lost my items so I had to go back to Link's house again to get them, before going back to the dungeon. Like seriously, I've never experienced this in a Zelda game before and it's so incredibly annoying, especially because you can't save the game inside a dungeon.

 

Am I doing something stupid or do you really have to go back to Link's house to get your items back if you die inside a dungeon?

 

You are such a noob.

 

You lose rented items if you die. Buying items mean you won't lose them. You could just exit the dungeon to save your game if you're worried about dying against the dungeon bosses.

 

You should still buy the items when you can though because...

 

you can upgrade them once you've bought them.

 

[Goron_3]

You are such a noob.

 

You lose rented items if you die. Buying items mean you won't lose them. You could just exit the dungeon to save your game if you're worried about dying against the dungeon bosses.

 

You should still buy the items when you can though because...

 

you can upgrade them once you've bought them.

 

Well I died against in the Desert Palace but I don't think I had the option to buy the item required to reach there. Unless I'm being an idiot Anyway, back to it!

 

On another note, I downloaded A Link To The Past on Wii U today and it made me appreciate just how amazing 60 FPS looks like ALBW!

[Sheikah]

This is why...

 

I never died! Hurhur...

 

Loved this game, finished it with all heart pieces some weeks back.

[Goron_3]

Okay, beat the boss!

 

I think the main issue I have with the game is that I find it very difficult to use the 3DS's circle pad; it's just not grippy enough? I guess that's why I died on that boss, I just don't find Link easier to control at all.

 

Anyway, onto the next dungeon

[Sheikah]

One of the dungeons gives you an upgrade so you take half damage so might be worth sourcing that one out first. The last dungeon gives you another half damage upgrade too.

 

Also same can be said for Master sword upgrades.

[Ronnie]

I've had the urge to play this game again since pretty much a week or so after my first play through, probably because it's a lot more action based than more recent Zeldas.

[EEVILMURRAY]

Just out of curiousity, how did people beat the Dark Forest boss?

 

dashed across the room between unbreakable floor tiles.

 

 

Just merge in and out of the wall at the speed of light.

 

[Goron_3]

Looks like I've got one more temple left before I've rescued all the sages.

 

Loved the game so far but I can't help but feel that the dungeons are incredibly underwhelming as they are just so short. Of course, that was always going to happen when the last 7 dungeons could be done in any order as they all had to be equal in difficulty, but I can't help but feel that I've just breezed through them with little effort. I would have preferred maybe 5 dungeons (complete in any order) with 2 much more difficult ones at the end.

 

That said, this is the only game I've ever played where I just had to keep the 3D on. Amazing.

[Rummy]

Looks like I've got one more temple left before I've rescued all the sages.

 

Loved the game so far but I can't help but feel that the dungeons are incredibly underwhelming as they are just so short. Of course, that was always going to happen when the last 7 dungeons could be done in any order as they all had to be equal in difficulty, but I can't help but feel that I've just breezed through them with little effort. I would have preferred maybe 5 dungeons (complete in any order) with 2 much more difficult ones at the end.

 

That said, this is the only game I've ever played where I just had to keep the 3D on. Amazing.

 

I'd agree; and it was something I wondered when I knew of the concept. Would they tier dungeons(so can do a. b. c. in any order, than d. e. f. in any order, then g. h. i. and so forth), or have it so you collect something at the end like a crystal, and the game 'counts' theses and scales enemies toughness up as time goes on, or...other ideas I didn't consider, but something that does that.

 

However, this was the first foray into a new approach - they couldn't do everything and get it perfect first time, and on the whole I've found the game enjoyable. I've STILL yet to complete it, all dungeons are done I just need to do the final/lorule castle I believe it is; but I can't say anything's making me feel terribly compelled to do so - this may be due to the other main criticism, which is the general lacking of nice strong story element. I'm still curious to know what all happens at the end, but not terribly bothered anymore for some reason.

[Goron_3]

I'd agree; and it was something I wondered when I knew of the concept. Would they tier dungeons(so can do a. b. c. in any order, than d. e. f. in any order, then g. h. i. and so forth), or have it so you collect something at the end like a crystal, and the game 'counts' theses and scales enemies toughness up as time goes on, or...other ideas I didn't consider, but something that does that.

 

However, this was the first foray into a new approach - they couldn't do everything and get it perfect first time, and on the whole I've found the game enjoyable. I've STILL yet to complete it, all dungeons are done I just need to do the final/lorule castle I believe it is; but I can't say anything's making me feel terribly compelled to do so - this may be due to the other main criticism, which is the general lacking of nice strong story element. I'm still curious to know what all happens at the end, but not terribly bothered anymore for some reason.

 

I don't think that Zelda needs a good story, so long as the exploration is done well. A Link To The Past is a great example of that and so is Super Metroid. I notice the lack of story with ALBW more simply because I don't feel as though I'm exploring the world as much (because of things like quick travel) and as a result I'm less immersed. That said, we must remember that this is a handheld title, and as such it's designed to a be a quicker/easier title than a home console Zelda will likely be.

[Grazza]

I don't think Zelda games need a lot of story, but one thing A Link Between Worlds doesn't have much of is atmosphere. I love the game (still think it's a 10/10), but it doesn't have any areas or situations I'll remember as much as Ocarina of Time/Majora's Mask/Wind Waker/Twilight Princess. I guess that's just the 2D/3D difference though.