When The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild launched, its open-world concept changed not just the series, but the g🐻aming industry forever. With that level of success, it’s no surprise the development team kept with the open-world format for its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, and the Zelda-focused entry Echoes of Wisdom.

Whi꧒le nothing has been announced yet, we all know Nintendo has to be𓂃 making a new Zelda game for the Switch 2. With three games in a row focusing on an open world, it’s time for a new direction - or perhaps an old one. Here’s why the next Zelda game should abandon the open world (for now) and go back to its linear roots.

8 ꦅ We Need A Break From It𝓰

You Can Have Too Much Of A Good Thing, You Know

As I already mentioned, we’ve had three open-world style Zelda games in a row now. While Echoes of Wisdom brought something new to the table with playable Princess Zelda, Tears of the Kingdom… didn’t quite do that. It was 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:another open-world Hyrule, and yes it brought the Sky Isl༺ands and the underground, but there wasn’t enough to distinguish it from Breath of the Wild. At least for me personally.

Nothing hit like exploring Breath of the Wild’s open world for the first time, and Tears of the Kingdom felt like it was trying to recreate that. The next Zelda game needs to divert from that to avoid a Tears of the Kingdom situation, where it t♛ruly felt like a ‘Breath of the Wild 2’. Then, we can come back to an open-world Zelda in the future with a different spin and get a fresh experience.

7 Dungeons Can Be A Focus Inste𓆏ad Of The Open World

I Miss Proper Dungeons, Nintendo

While Tears of the Kingdom was a step in the right direction for 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:more traditional Zelda dungeons after Breath of the Wild’s Divine Beasts, they still weren’t as well-developed or as intricate as they were in past Z😼elda games.

If the next entry in the series focuses on dungeons instead of creat꧙ing an open world, there’s a lot of potential for huge, sprawling dungeons. Skyward Sword has brilliant dungeons and pushed them further than the series ever had before, and with the Switch 2’s power, there’s sꦓo much room for the next Zelda game to bring back dungeons bigger and better than ever.

And bring back boss keys!

6 The Story Can Be Told In The Present, Not Through Memories And Fܫlashbacks

We've Done It Twice Already

While the open-world approach is the perfect vehicle for exploration and making the game about the journey, not the destination, Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom sacrificed their narratives in favour of it. For many, myself included, their stories fall a little flat in comparison to linear Zelda games, largely because you’re never fully present for the main action - you’re watching it th⛦rough flashbacks.

From a gameplay perspective, it makes sense to format the narrative this way, but the end result isn’t as effective as it could be. I꧙f the next Zelda game returns to a more linear format, we could feel more involved i♌n the narrative again, like the experiences we’ve had with Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess, for example.

5 ꦕ Weapon Degradation Can Be A Thing Of The Past

No One Wanted It, Anyway

One of the biggest complaints fans had with Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom was weapon degradation. Whil🌌e I didn’t see it as a huge problem myself, I understand the frustration, especially when special weapons break just as easily as regular ones.

Not to mention the Master ꦰSword needing to recharge after a couple of swings…

But weapon degradation is more of a necessity in an open world. Finding weapons and keeping your supplies stocked up is a key part of the gameplay loop. Plus, it’d be a bit unfair to all the Bokoblins for Link to have indestructible, high-powered weapons. Without the open-world format, there’s no need for this though. We can go back to 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:the Master Sword really feeling like a master sword again.

4 Link’s 🌱Iconic Items ꦬCan Make A Return

Let Link Have Lots Of Gadgets Again

You know what’s really missing from Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom? Items like Twilight Princess’ Spinner and double Hookshots. Imagine if we had those again - life would be good. With an open-world game, though, those items make travelling the world a little too easy; plus, you’d have to figure out a lore reason why there are tracks f🃏or a Spinner everywhere.

I’d be 💞happy for the lore reason to just bꦚe that Hyrule’s people are cool and travel everywhere by Spinner, but whatever.

With a more traditional Zelda, the rewards for making your way through dungeons are almost always a cool new gadget, so I think that’s reason ༺enough to consider bringing ♔this formula back.

3 A Middle-Grouꦐnd Between Open And Linear Would Be Perfect

The Best Of Both Worlds

I’m not saying we should get rid of open-world Zelda altogether. In fact, Bre🐻ath of the Wild is not just one of my favourite Zelda games, but one of my favourite games of all time. However, it’s still not what a perfect Zelda game could be.

If I were making the next Zelda game, I’d take a more balanced approach 🐬to open-world exploration and linear progression. Take a look at the Xenoblade Chronicles games - they do this perfectly. Open-world zones and a linear story (set in the present, thank you) is the way Zelda could go next, and I think it would work very effectively.

2 🍰 Zelda Can Be More Of A Character, Not Trapped Somewhere

It's Way Past Time

By now, everyone knows it’s called The Legend of Zelda but Zelda barely features (apart 🐬from Echoes of Wisdom, which finally, and thankfully, broke that tradition). But with Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom focusing on Link’s exploration of Hyrule, Zelda still had to stay put somewhere, lik♛ely because it’s difficult to give her something to do in the present when you can go literally anywhere at any time.

Without that hurdle in a more linear Zelda game, Zelda could be given even more agency than ever before. You don’t need to worry about the player going somewhere early and thinking about how the non-playable deuteragonist will fit into that. Instead, Zelda’s character could be interwoven with Link’s journey, allowing her to💧 be developed, well-rounded, and just as important as Link as you play.

1 🌺 The Series Needs To Try Some𒊎thing New Again

Keep Moving Forward

More than anything, Zelda needs to take a crack at something new again. It’s 𓆏never shied away from a new gimmick - Ocarina of Time brought the series into 3D; The Wind Waker gave us Toon Link; Skyward Sword went all in on motion controls (for better or worse); Breath of the Wild embraced the open world. It’s always at the forefront of innovation, so it shouldn’t stagnate now.

I have full faith in the develo🌺pers to bring us something completely new with the next title, which is the biggest reason I think it should leave the open-world format behind - at least just for now.