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The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds Review
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on 2013-12-30 at 17:06 (24832 Views)
What do you get when you return to the world of one of the most beloved SNES games? Apparently you get, apart from the torrential downpour of nostalgia and the yearning for a time when the biggest hurdle to gaming was the afternoon school bell, an amazing game that not only excites gamers in ways they haven’t felt in years, but also a potential window into the next entry in the Legend of Zelda franchise. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is not only a game that pays homage to the franchise’s rich history, but also sets out to deliver a Zelda experience that is different than any of its previous incarnations. Not only does this symbiosis of new and old succeed, it offers an exceptional game far beyond expectations.
A Link Between Worlds occurs many years after the events of A Link to the Past when a new crisis threatens the kingdom. An evil sorcerer named Yuga has mysteriously appeared in Hyrule and is transforming the descendants of the Seven Sages into paintings. It doesn’t take long for Link to become the target of Yuga’s magic, but thanks to a magic bracelet, he is able to free himself and gains the ability to transform into a painting on the wall. True to his name and the lineage of those who wore the familiar green tunic before him, Link embarks on a mission to save Hyrule which eventually sends him to an alternate kingdom called Lorule. While much of the promotional work suggested Lorule would be Hyrule’s inverse, this is not the case. Rather, Lorule is another world that exists beside Hyrule. It has its own kingdom, its own princess, its own people, and its own problems. Link’s journey is as much about saving Hyrule as it is about saving Lorule. Like so many Zelda games before it, Link must use the ability to travel between the two worlds to solve the game’s many puzzles and challenges to save both worlds.
Having spent large chunks of my gaming career immersed in the Zelda franchise, Hyrule is a familiar place. I know that I am going to play as a hero named Link, and there’s a good chance I will be out to save a princess named Zelda. I know that I’m going to wield swords, bows, bombs, and a plethora of additional weapons against evil foes. And up until November 22, 2013, I knew that I was going to follow a predetermined route, visit a dungeon, collect an item, use said item to delve deeper into the dungeon, and eventually battle a boss who is weak to that item. A Link Between Worlds does not break the Zelda formula, but it tweaks it in a way that feels like a natural step beyond the usual. The two biggest changes are to the game’s dungeon flow and item acquisition. In the past, Zelda games usually steered players along a set path. Sure, there was occasional flexibility (like being able to complete the Spirit Temple before visiting the Shadow Temple in Ocarina of Time), but that freedom was rare and required ignoring the route the game was trying to usher players along. A Link Between Worlds breaks this tradition, allowing players to visit dungeons in any order. It gives the world a sense of exploration that has usually been reserved for hunting items and collectables. Now, you can visit an area, stumble upon a dungeon, enter it, and if it’s too challenging, return later. The game’s story establishes a foundation that still breaks up the dungeons into two key blocks, but players can visit any of the available dungeons at any time.
The second major change is that items are no longer found in dungeons (although dungeons still have rewards worth searching for), but are rented (and later can be bought) from a rabbit-eared merchant named Ravio. Ravio sets up shop in Link’s house in the center of Hyrule and will gladly part with his collection for a handful of rupees. Link is free to use the items unless he falls in battle, at which point Ravio’s pet bird, Sheerow, will expropriate the rented items. Items no longer function as they did in past games either. Instead of having a limited supply of bombs and arrows, all of Link’s equipment is now tied to a stamina bar that recharges over time. While this means you never have the magnitude of Wind Waker’s quivers, and items like the hammer are more limited than they have ever been, it also means you never have to worry about running out of bombs at an inopportune moment while exploring. Since items are no longer found in dungeons, the entrance to each dungeon is clearly marked by the items required to complete it. As I mentioned earlier, very early on, Link gains the ability to transform into a painting on the wall (also tied to the stamina meter). This ability is crucial to solving the vast majority of puzzles in the game and it’s so different than Link’s usual toolkit that it might take some time for longtime players to adjust to. Honestly, I’ll be the first to admit that there were a number of puzzles that I stared at for quite some time before remembering the game’s fundamental ability.
Those who have played A Link to the Past will find this rendition of Hyrule similar. Much of Hyrule is a reskin of the classic from the early 90s. Places like Link’s house, Hyrule castle, Kakariko Village, and Death Mountain have been touched up to match more modern graphics, but remain faithful to their original incarnations. Many of the enemies encountered have also transitioned over (mostly) intact. Much of the original music has also received a well-deserved update. A Link Between Worlds features a number of remixes of tunes that help establish this Hyrule as a sequel to A Link to the Past. Regrettably, Lorule also will seem familiar, drawing inspiration from A Link to the Past’s Dark World. While there are a number of major differences (Lorule is more disconnected than the Dark World and the locations are not really the same) the biggest visual connection is that both use the same pallet. Honestly, the thing that bothered me most was the fact that the grass in Lorule was just so similar to the Dark World that I felt like it wasn’t an independent kingdom that I had never visited before. Additionally, many of the structures and enemies in Lorule have also been taken from the Dark World. While I understand wanting to maintain the parallels between the two games, Lorule is not the same as the Dark World, and so reusing so diminishes the sense that Lorule is its own entity.
There’s no denying that A Link Between Worlds feels like a test -- almost as if Nintendo wanted to see how well ideas such as item rental or the freedom to visit dungeons in any order would be embraced by players. While the majority have happily praised these changes, there are a few caveats. In the past, the progression of the game allowed later dungeons to build on the lessons learned in earlier dungeons to create more complex puzzles and challenges. Because players can visit dungeons in any order and might not have items they used to clear earlier dungeons, the majority of dungeons were simplified to only require a single item and the wall merging ability. This unfortunately has made the dungeons far easier than many, including myself, were expecting, but it also resulted in dungeons that were far shorter than many of the game’s predecessors. I personally would have liked to see the game allow players to complete each dungeon with only the required item, but allow those who had a larger arsenal to access secrets or hidden areas. It’s impossible to say whether subsequent Zelda games will expand on this feature and allow players to delve further into dungeons depending on how many items they carry, but this change could be the first stem in a fundamental change in Zelda games for years to come.
For years, many have criticized the Zelda franchise for sticking to its familiar formula. By no means does A Link Between Worlds break that formula. However, it tweaks it in such a way that game provides an experience that feels fresh while remaining true to the franchise. I don’t know what the next Zelda (read: not Hyrule Warriors) will look like, but I’m excited to see whether these changes will stick. A Link Between Worlds is an excellent game which adds to the 3DS’ already phenomenal library. While I do have my critiques of the game and wish the portables had remained in (New) Hyrule, I’m glad Nintendo returned to the world of A Link to the Past and produced such a remarkable game.
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We have need of a hero – and your Link is superb. ~ Hilda
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