Aonuma Admits Recent Zelda Titles Became Too Linear
Posted on March 12 2014 by Timothy
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 the Zelda producer has now come to the point of fully questioning the series’ traditional formula.
You can read the full quote from the interview about the Zelda series’ linearity after the jump!
Here’s what Eiji Aonuma had to say about the gameplay change that the Zelda series was given thanks to A Link Between Worlds:
“The recent Zelda games have been rather linear as I thought players didn’t like getting lost, wondering what to do, or where to go. However, I’ve come to question this ‘traditional’ approach as I felt that we couldn’t gain the sense of wonder that existed in the original Legend of Zelda, in which you made unexpected encounters and where what used to be impossible would suddenly become possible.
“We will, of course, continue to question and reconsider the approaches we have taken in the past without any reservations.”
It’s great to see that Aonuma finally understands the frustration Zelda fans have been experiencing since the series started to take you on an unwanted path with needless tutorials and “hand-leading”. I’m really excited to get the chance to see how Zelda Wii U will be presented during E3 2014 as Aonuma and the Nintendo EAD crew finish its development process. The future for Zelda is clearly looking bright after the success of A Link Between Worlds.
Are you glad to know that Aonuma is seeing the Zelda series needing a shake-up? Did you enjoy the way A Link Between Worlds’ gameplay was far less linear? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
Source: Official Nintendo Magazine
