Interview:EDGE August 26th 2014

Aonuma: Since we're talking about open worlds, let's state upfront that we don't plan to have an open world in the same way other companies have been doing in recent years.

Aonuma: In the original Legend of Zelda, there was no clear way to lead the character to his goal. The player was trusted to find it by themselves. As game worlds became more complex, we had to point players in the right direction. Consequently progress becomes more linear. To recreate an experience similar to the original, the world needs to have a simple structure that players can understand intuitively. We need to make each part of the world real and connected so it doesn't look fake. We also need a game map that depicts the world as it is. The gamepad is very effective for this. Innovations in this game are only possible due to Wii U hardware.

Aonuma: I think the rental system had the effect of changing how the game progresses. However, there were quite a few complaints from players who felt let down that it lacked the classic zelda element of exploring dungeons to get items that gradually let you do more. Empathy and growth are important elements in Zelda games and acquiring new items in order to reach new areas was an element of gameplay related to growth. I realize that in order to satisfy all players, we must not only come up with new ideas, but also include something that allows the player to experience enjoyable elements from older titles in the series in a new way.