I love Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild. These games are some of my favorite video games of all time; my initial experiences playing them are more akin to a weeks long fever dream than to a gaming experience, as each time I was pulled into a kind of delirious binge. The gameplay loops and cut-scenes (particularly in Tears of the Kingdom) are phenomenal. But as time passes, I have far less desire to go back and play these two seminal accomplishments in gaming.
As a lifelong Zelda fan, I yearly play through several of the franchise’s 20 canonical games, along with the half-dozen spin-offs. I love to play Zelda. So one might expect that the “new” Zelda games, those set in the Era of the Wilds, would provide endless adventures. But here’s the thing: while they have provided well over 1,000 hours of gaming, once I completed these games, I never went back. And I think I know the reason.
“New” Zelda gives players all the items and abilities immediately–and thereby kills replayability. The advantage of building the games this way is obvious: players can experiment from the outset and spend the next several hundred hours perfecting their use and combination of these abilities. But once that journey is over, there’s nothing to pull players back.
“Old” Zelda gradually releases items to players over the course of the adventure. As such, the gaining of items is closely aligned with the story development. The items aren’t available all game long, so their use remains special. This creates a kind of sentimentality and excitement for game progression, the “Oh I love this part” moments that are lacking in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. I’ve likely played far more hours in these Era of the Wilds games than previous eras, but have come away with less emotional attachment.
“New” Zelda feels like peak gameplay design; “old” Zelda feels like engrossing story with simpler gameplay. But as time passes, I continue to go back and play Twilight Princess, Wind Waker, Skyward Sword, and A Link to the Past. These games have staying power. I can’t fault Nintendo for embracing “new” Zelda after the massive sales numbers and awards garnered; but I hope that Nintendo can find a way to preserve the magic of the bygone era while delivering immersive open worlds and fascinating lore.
Tell us what you think! Do you agree that “new” Zelda doesn’t hold the same replay value? Share your reactions in the comments below or join the conversation on Boss Rush Network’s Discord and Facebook.
Featured Image: Nintendo
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