In response to fans’ expectations for a classic linear Zelda game, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom developer Eiji Aonuma said he thought games with a rigid route were “games of the past”.
Since Breath of the Wild’s debut, there has been controversy about this issue. Aonuma recently shared his opinions on the matter in an interview with IGN.
“It’s interesting when I hear people say [I miss traditional linear Zelda],” Aonuma said. “because I’m wondering ‘why do you want to go back to a type of game where you’re more limited or more restricted in the types of things or ways you can play?'”
According to Aonuma, games with a rigid timeline are “kind of games of the past,” but contemporary games “can accept a player’s own decisions and give them the freedom to flexibly proceed”. The Zelda team at Nintendo adheres to this design philosophy, he said, adding, “I do have to admit that making games that way always carries with it additional development costs.”
According to Aonuma, he can appreciate the requests for a revival of the classic Zelda games. “I do understand that desire that we have for nostalgia,” he said, “and so I can also understand it from that aspect.” It seems doubtful that the next Zelda game will be a straight successor to Tears of the Kingdom, so you may want to temper your expectations. Aonuma also said that he thinks “we as a people have a tendency to want the thing that we don’t currently have.”
“I also think with the freedom players have in the more recent games in the [Zelda] series […] there is still a set path,” he said, “it just happens to be the path that they chose.” As Donlan advanced through the instructional section and into Tears of the Kingdom’s open environment, he became aware of this.
We have instructions on the locations of the Shrines, Skyview Towers, Great Fairies, and Dragon Tears to aid you in your Tears of the Kingdom journey. For more help with fighting, see our armor list and how to improve your inventory. We offer walkthroughs for the Wind Temple, Water Temple, and Lightning Temple in relation to the plot. Remember to find out how to beat Gloom Hands, get the Master Sword, and activate the Travel Medallion. See our Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom tutorial for anything else.