Tag: linearity

Skyward Sword has been the recipient of a variety of complaints from a variety of sources regarding a variety of the game’s elements. A hot topic nowadays is its linearity. In this article, I take a look at linearity in the entirety of the Zelda franchise, with a focus on how it applies to Skyward Sword.

Zelda fans have their fair share of complaints when it comes to their least favorite titles in the series, not smallest among them being their spite for gameplay lacking in flexibility. Most likely cited by longtime fans, this limitation of sorts strikes a nerve due to its almost directly contradictory nature to a core aspect what early titles in the series: freedom of choice in exploration. As such, these players may feel pigeonholed, or unnecessarily guided when a Zelda game continuously presses them a single direction during their quest…  

In the last few years in gaming, linearity has become something of an ugly word: it is considered bad design to have a linear game and players absolutely need freedom because it is thought to be better than a linear experience by its very nature. Given the immense success of linear games such as The Last of Us this is proven to be incorrect, yet the call for nonlinear games exists. In games such as the Zelda series exploration is…

Longtime Zelda director Eiji Aonuma has admitted in an interview to Official Nintendo Magazine that his recent Zelda creation, A Link Between Worlds, has helped him see that recent Zelda titles have become too linear. While creating such titles as Skyward Sword, Aonuma thought gamers did not enjoy the idea of challenging themselves to complete a Zelda title without the extra help provided in the game. The impact that A Link Between Worlds had on Aonuma was so immense that…

Majora’s Mask is unquestionably a classic. It was released more than a decade ago on a console that’s now firmly cemented in people’s memories. It was the sequel to one of Nintendo’s greatest success stories, and it has been hailed by the fanbase as one of the greatest titles in its series — praise that’s not unwarranted considering its quality. Considering its age and status, and the fact that it was only the eighth Zelda game ever released in what…

Gameplay is without a doubt the most important feature of a Zelda game. Nearly every release has emphasized it over every other aspect — with the exception of Twilight Princess, which was designed to be a more cinematic experience — and rightfully so. Gameplay is the main feature of video games in general. The interactivity video games provide is something that no other visual medium can hope to recreate, making it an important factor in any video game, even if…

Another new discussion video, this time about Zelda Wii U! I’m sure most of you are familiar with the recent news on the subject, about Nintendo wanting to “rethink the conventions of Zelda” and their two examples of what they want to change. This video covers my thoughts and reactions to their sentiments, as well as my hopes and concerns for Zelda Wii U. Enjoy! You can watch the video here or check out the embed after the jump. Here’s…