Game Informer gives A Link Between Worlds 10/10

The floodgates have opened when it comes to A Link Between Worlds reviews, and it appears that Nintendo’s latest Zelda game is off to a sprinting start critically. Game Informer has given the highly anticipated 3DS game top marks in its latest print issue, according to readers posting details from the review online.

Hit the jump for more.

Game Informer, the third-largest magazine in the United States by circulation, gave A Link Between Worlds one of its rare ten-out-of-ten scores in its November issue. This rating “indicates a game that cannot be missed,” according to the magazine’s scoring system.

A Link Between Worlds is the fourth Zelda game to receive a ten from Game Informer, the others being The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword. Notably, it is also the first handheld title to score a perfect ten in the magazine since Metroid Fusion for the Game Boy Advance received the top mark in 2003.

Needless to say, a review score by itself can only give us a general idea of a game’s quality; it discloses nothing about its gameplay style or content. What is actually important are the reasons the reviewer assigned the score they did, and how they organised their thoughts into an authoritative review.

According to a summary of the review posted online, the Game Informer critic was pleased with how Nintendo shook up the traditional Zelda formula in A Link Between Worlds, praising its item rental system and “devious traps and incredibly tricky puzzles.” Other details revealed about the game are that dungeons have apparently done away with maps, and that most of the game’s bosses are brand new, despite some favorites from A Link to the Past making reappearances. In the end, the reviewer finished with this thoughtful statement:

“I want to let the experience roll around in my brain for a while before I decide where it ranks among the best entries in the franchise, but I can say with confidence that it should be spoken in the same breath as A Link to the Past. In every way, A Link Between Worlds is exactly what you want out of a Zelda game.”

I’m glad to see that a Game Informer editor enjoyed A Link Between Worlds, and was able to give good reasons for why it deserves a perfect score. The rating itself isn’t necessarily surprising- the editor usually in charge of reviewing Zelda games at Game Informer, Andrew Reiner, has consistently praised the series in the past. Still, it’s always nice reading encouraging words about an upcoming game you’re excited for.

Source: Game Informer via NeoGaf and Nintendo Everything