Daily Debate: What Features are Necessary for a Good Dungeon?

Let’s take a moment to look at the dungeons of The Legend of Zelda, shall we? These story-progressing, enemy-filled areas are present in each game, at least to some degree. I’ve often heard people complain about the Divine Beasts from Breath of the Wild, saying that they aren’t proper dungeons. This got me wondering – what makes them different? What makes for a good Zelda dungeon?

Perhaps the core element of a proper dungeon is simply the labyrinth element of it. Even the earliest dungeons were maze-like in nature, and that’s carried over throughout the series. Come to think of it, though, the Divine Beasts did seem far more open than most other dungeons. Perhaps that might be one of the reasons they’re looked down upon so much? But that’s another Debate for another time. Proper visual and musical themes also greatly influence the quality of a dungeon, as well as having enemy types that fit the atmosphere. An interesting mechanic that allows for proper puzzles also seems to be an important detail.

What else can you think of? What other details make a dungeon stand out to you? For that matter, what details do you believe make an area a proper dungeon in the first place? Leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!