It’s been a weeks since the launch of the Playstation 4 and the Xbox One, and while the launches were wildly successful for both Sony and Microsoft, it’s Nintendo that has truly captured my attention. While a Wii U would be nice, I can’t quite justify $350 to play Super Mario 3D Land. Instead, Nintendo dropped another little gem into the pool of hungry gamers in the form of The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. While I have an Xbox One and bought Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag with much anticipation of positive reviews, I couldn’t take my hands off of my 2DS long enough to get into Black Flag.
I’ve been plenty vocal on my loathing of open world games. Few have been able to give me a sense of objective and purpose to get me wanting to explore them. The Elder Scrolls does it by giving you dozens of missions at a time that lead you into almost every nook and crany. Grand Theft Auto does it by hiding easter eggs and amazing character and NPC moments. Assassin’s Creed has created a vast open sea adventure that feels both empty and filled with fluff at the same time. When your only meaningful collectible is a new shanty for your crew to sing there’s something missing.
Enter A Link Between Worlds. The newest installment in the Zelda franchise takes a few risks. Starting with it being a pseudo-sequel to A Link to the Past. Considering I haven’t really played A Link to the Past, I can’t speak much to that point. The next risk takes the typical weapon and items system of Zelda games and turns it on it’s head. Nearly every item in the game is available to “rent” almost from the start. If you die, all rental items are returned to the shop keep and must be paid for again. Later you gain the ability to purchase the weapons which allows you to keep them if you die as well as upgrade them to become more powerful.
HEY I KNOW THAT PLACE!
The final new piece of the Zelda puzzle is it’s open world. Typical Zelda games force you to complete dungeons in a specific order, primarily due to the reliance on certain weapons and items in the dungeons. Thanks to the weapon rental system in A Link Between Worlds, you are free to complete dungeons in any order. What I find exceptional about this system is while the world is open, your objectives are always perfectly clear. You know that there are eight specific tasks that need to be completed at any given time and every “collectible” has a purpose. Whether it’s heart pieces to increase your life, Maiamais to upgrade your weapons, or Rupees to rent and buy weapons. Everything has a purpose, whereas I still don’t know what the Animus fragments are for in Black Flag.
While millions of people are spending half a thousand dollars on the Playstation 4 and Xbox One the WiiU continues to struggle to find a foothold in today’s market. Yet it’s a handheld that continues to release some of the best games this generation. A handheld that costs less than $200 none the less. No doubt Assassin’s Creed IV is among the best games this year, but with all of the obsession and praise with open world games these days A Link Between Worlds proves that bigger isn’t always better and there is still a lot to learn from the little guys.
