Changing the overwold in A Link Between Worlds

It’s no question that the overworld is one of the most important parts of any Legend of Zelda game. It gives the player a sense of connectivity, and helps submerge the players into the role of the green-hatted hero. Though the first two entries to the series, in my opinion, may not do a fantastic job of helping you get your bearings, A Link to the Past surely does. The areas are memorable and different from those in previous games, while still maintaining the brilliant themes carried over from The Legend of Zelda. This may be arguably the most memorable overworld in classic Zelda, so what is the purpose of Nintendo altering it? Click the jump to read more!

Although sadly we have little news of A Link Between Worlds, it is now known that the overworld will not be identical to A Link to the Past‘s. The phrasing here is certainly not optimal, as it is very vague. For instance, if you have a couple of different shops in different places, doesn’t that make the overwold different? From the few screenshots we have seen, the areas look almost exactly the same (with much higher quality, of course) and we even now know that old temples will be sticking around, like the “Tower of Hera”. To top it all off, even the dark world returns, so it would seem to most people that perhaps it was the exact same world. But now we know, it’s not exact. These two pictures show what seems to be the same area in the two games.

A Link to the Past is brilliantly designed, and many would argue that tampering with that would be pure sacrilege! Still, it’s the first new Zelda game in two years, so what would be the point in making it that similar to an older game? I’m sure we’re all waiting for more news, and perhaps we will find out if new mechanics and this slightly different overwold will be enough to make this game feel new while still invoking a bit of nostalgia.

I personally feel that Nintendo should try hard to keep the same areas; such as the desert, “Lake Hylia”, the woods and “Kakariko Village”; but use the new painting mechanic to add a whole new spin to these otherwise old places. I also feel that the addition of 3D functionality, if done well, could add a much needed depth to what was an extremely two-dimensional game.

So what do you think? Should they change the overworld, and if so, how different should they make it? Leave your comments below.

Source: NeoGAF