Daily Debate: Has the Zelda Series Gotten Too Big?
Posted on July 07 2024 by Aubriel Eastman
The Legend of Zelda is one of the oldest video game franchises out there. It has always pushed the boundaries of the industry – from the original being the first game to implement a save feature, to Ocarina of Time leading the transition into 3D games, and most recently, Breath of the Wild redefining the open world genre. The Zelda series just keeps getting bigger and better. But how big can you inflate something before it stops being better?
Many fans, myself included, miss the linearity of classic Zelda games. It’s not necessarily that we hate open world Zelda; it’s just that we wish we could have both. Open world puzzles don’t scratch the same itch as the linear puzzles of ye olden days. There was something about having limitations imposed by the game itself. Even the shrines from Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom understand this, because you can’t use runes or abilities in them. You’d think this would solve the problem. There’s 272 Shrines between the two games. And more puzzles equals better, right? Not in my opinion. The Shrines feel so samey and unspecial compared to what we previously expected of dungeons, which were usually limited to 7 or 8 per game. But that’s the cost of adding “more”.
I think most people would agree that the stories of previous titles are much better than the “Wild” games. Freedom to go wherever you please is great, but it comes with the caveat of experiencing the story out of order. Many people have also raised complaints about how the stories of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom don’t take place in real time. In other words, you’re only watching the story. Not living it.
Of course, there are many wonderful things about how large Zelda games are. There’s plenty of things to do and places to explore. I suppose it all depends on what you like.
So, what do you think? Has the Zelda series gotten too big? Or do you want it to keep growing? Let us know in the comments!
Aubriel has been an avid Zelda fan since she was 13, when she discovered Twilight Princess. She loves writing screenplays and composing music, and is currently going to school for a BA in film. Aubriel is a staff writer for Zelda Dungeon.
