Death’s Door Developer Discusses What Game Elements Make Up The “Zelda Formula”

When a game series establishes expected norms, we get what is known as a formula. It is important to understand this formula if one is to make a homage or derivative work based on a popular franchise. Acid Nerve, a small studio operating out of the United Kingdom, did just this when they created Death’s Door. This newcomer to the action-adventure genre is a hybrid of classic Zelda gameplay and modern gaming innovations set in an imaginative land.

While Death’s Door is certainly its own game, it does take inspiration from the established formula of the Zelda series. But what exactly is this formula? In a recent interview with Nintendo Life, the developers at Acid Nerve listed twelve elements that they believe are quintessential in a classic Zelda game:

• 1. Dungeons
• 2. Items That Enable Progression
• 3. Teasing And Rewarding Level Design
• 4. Bosses That Require A Certain Item To Defeat
• 5. Quirky And Sometimes Strange Characters
• 6. Short Dialogue
• 7. Simple, Crisp Sword Combat
• 8. Every Element Is Polished
• 9. Unique Quests And Collectables
• 10. Stylized Graphics
• 11. Accessibility
• 12. No Leveling Up

I can certainly recognize these elements from the Zelda games that I have enjoyed over the years. Breath of the Wild has widely been noted for distancing itself from this formula. But on a closer look, I was suprised to find that the game is only lacking in three elements. Bosses do not require a specific item to be defeated. Nor is there a teasing level design that requires Link to backtrack after receiving a new item. Finally, the sword combat has been changed to be less simple. Fighting in Breath of the Wild takes more skill than the older Zelda titles, as enemies hit harder and use the terrain to their advantage. Otherwise, the game is fairly in line with the rest of Acid Nerve’s list.

Do you agree that these elements are the core of the 2D Zelda games? Are there other aspects you think add to the series identity? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: Nintendo Life