Daily Debate: Should The Next 2D Zelda Be More Like Breath Of The Wild?

Breath of The Wild brought a great deal of freedom to the 3D Zelda experience, allowing players to explore the whole world map right off the bat. In some ways, this was actually a return to Zelda’s 2D roots. The Legend of Zelda on the NES allowed freeform exploration and a variety of paths to completion. Some of you may even remember the tech demo Nintendo showed off at GDC in 2017, where the original 2D Zelda title was used to prototype their newest 3D adventure. In the demo, you can even see Link chopping down trees and setting fire to the environment, features which later reappeared in Breath of The Wild.

In another holdover from the original Zelda, Breath of The Wild also allowed us to complete dungeons in any order. This feature first reappeared in 2013’s A Link Between Worlds, along with rentable items, negating the need to acquire dungeon-specific tools. Breath of The Wild similarly did away with dungeon-specific items, with Sheikah Runes standing in as an adaptable alternative. But when Nintendo once again turned their hands to a 2D Zelda in 2019’s Link’s Awakening remake, they went back to their tried and tested formula.

Faithful to a pixel-perfect degree, the diorama-styled remake retained the original gameplay of Link’s Awakening, including linear dungeon progression and gated items. When it comes to remakes, preserving original gameplay features might be a good thing, but what about the next 2D Zelda title?

Should Nintendo copy elements of Breath of The Wild’s open world, and allow players to roam as they see fit? Or should 2D Zelda titles retain a separate identity to their 3D cousins, providing a more linear, straightforward gameplay experience?

Let us know what you think in the comments below!