The Legend of Zelda series was forever changed with the introduction of Breath of the Wilds and Tears of the Kingdom. The games shifted from traditional linear entries to open-world gameplay, making the most recent titles hugely popular with fans.
Despite the popularity of open-world games, there have been calls for Nintendo to return to the more linear gameplay for the Zelda series. There are still fans who enjoy the classic-style 3D Zelda games such as Wind Waker and Ocarina of Time and would want to see the series return to its roots.
In a recent interview with IGN, Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma addressed the clamor to return to the traditional linear gameplay of previous titles. The producer said that entries featuring linear gameplay are “games of the past.” Aonuma believes that freedom and flexibility are integral to the studio’s design philosophy moving forward.
“It’s interesting when I hear people say [I miss traditional linear Zelda],” Aonuma shared, “because I’m 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?'”
Aonuma did agree that nostalgia is one of the reasons why gamers want to return to a more linear gameplay style. However, the producer believes that games “where you need to follow a specific set of steps or complete tasks in a very set order” were “kind of the games of the past.”
“Whereas currently the games of today are ones in which that can accept a player’s own decisions and give them the freedom to flexibly proceed through the game, and the game will allow for that,” he said.
Aonuma went on to share that he agrees completely with the current design philosophy in the Zelda series. However, as a game producer, he does worry that these games bring additional development costs.
The producer also shared that despite the freedom that open-world games present, there is still a set path, “it just happens to be the path that they chose.”
Breath of the Wilds and Tears of the Kingdom have been hugely successful for Nintendo and have accounted for over 50 million units sold, making them the most profitable in the series. Tears of the Kingdom was released just last May and shipped over 10 million copies in the first three days, making it the fastest-selling game in the series. The title also recently won Best Action/Adventure Game at The Game Awards.
Nintendo’s shift to open-world games with the Zelda series mirrors that of the entire gaming industry. More gamers prefer the freedom and exploration opportunities of open-world games compared to the traditional linear gameplay of past titles. Open-world games add a perceived value to games, making playtime longer and presenting more replayability.
As a company, Nintendo will always follow the demands of the industry and currently, it is for open-world titles. So, expect the next titles to still feature the open-world gameplay from the latest entries in the series.
