The phrase “10/10, no notes” springs to mind after my playthrough of The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. However it is more of a “9/10, some notes” scenario. When I play games I will take notes of my opinions and criticisms however with this game I had very few notes as I had very little to critique about this game.
A Link Between Worlds is technically a sequel to 1991’s The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past however it doesn’t rely on players’ knowledge of the previous game. People lucky enough to have played A Link to the Past will enjoy this game a lot more as it’s a faithful upgrade to the retro classic.
Link Between Worlds takes the design elements from A Link to the Past into the 3D space
The story is relatively simple and unsurprising to seasoned Zelda fans. Link wakes up, Princess Zelda is in trouble, Link must get the triforce to save Hyrule and Zelda. There aren’t any extensive dialogue scenes. All dialogue is kept short and concise so as not to lose the player’s interest as they probably just want to get back out onto the fields and swipe away at enemies and explore the many secrets hidden away.
Right from the title screen the visuals and music burst out of the device in the players’ hands instantly captivating them. All the classic songs are there including Hyrule theme getting you pumped for setting off on an adventure. Zelda’s lullaby and the fairy fountain theme are also featured in the game and all sound absolutely incredible. Often I would just sit the device down and enjoy the music before picking it back up and carrying on. The game’s graphics are gorgeous, friendly and very welcoming. With a similar art style used for the remake of Link’s Awakening. I would like to hope one day Nintendo remake this game using the Link’s Awakening remake engine.
Zelda games typically show off the console’s gimmicks or performance capabilities. Being released on Nintendo’s 3DS, A Link Between Worlds utilises the handheld’s 3D screen by having layered floors above and below Link. The same technique was used for A Link to the Past to show off the SNES’s new graphical capabilities. Gamers may enjoy the 3D used in this game but what is typically the case is that it gets switched off within 10 minutes. As long playtimes with 3D enabled can put a strain on the player’s eyes.
Every Zelda game also has its unique trait or mechanic, this time around Link can turn into a painting and merge with walls allowing him to traverse areas like never before. To get their heads around it, players need to think out of the box, or inside of the wall if you will, when it comes to solving the many puzzles scattered around Hyrule and beyond.
A Link Between Worlds is a very accessible Zelda and one I would highly recommend to newcomers to the series. It serves as a ‘best of’ of the 2D Zelda games. It has all the best mechanics featured in the various games combined into one. The game itself is shorter than other games in the series and a bit easier to beat. Some fans complained online about how short the dungeons are and how easy the bosses were. I understand where they are coming from as often bosses would go down with minimal tactics and rapid sword swipes. I wouldn’t change this game in that respect though as it keeps the game easy for newcomers and the veterans can use Hero mode (hard mode) to keep them happy. Players accuse the game of being too easy, but like other Zelda games, the final dungeons and bosses will leave them shouting and screaming at their devices, using enough profanity to fill a swear jar.
The dungeon puzzles are not too hard but are still satisfying to solve. If you do need to refer to an online guide on how to solve a puzzle you’ll only blame yourself for not figuring it out and not the game. Series veterans will recognise, and newcomers will hopefully quickly realise, that the item required to complete a dungeon is also crucial for defeating the dungeon boss.
The game uses a stamina system rather than consumables like arrows. While this prevents players from being caught out in the middle of a dungeon short on resources, the item rental system could be considered a significant downside of this game. Typically in Zelda games you obtain items as you traverse the many dungeons. In A Link Between Worlds all items are available from the get-go. You can either rent them cheaply or buy them for a significant sum of money. If you chose to rent and Link dies, you need to trek back to Ravio’s shop and rent them again. This encourages players to grind for rupees, which, are much more frequent in this game to help buy the items.
A Link Between Worlds has the usual heart pieces but this time another collectable, Maiamais. The shell, octopus-like creatures spread around the field; if Link finds enough of them, he can upgrade his items. Heart pieces and Maiamai are typically encountered during Link’s travels, rarely requiring the player to go out of their way to find or obtain them. For me I really liked how all collectables are within arm reach. Certain heart pieces are accessible only through completing the game’s minigames. Minigames like Cucco Rush can be difficult to beat on hard mode. This means players might not find getting all heart pieces easy.
