There are, at most, two console Zelda games that aren’t very good. No one would ever deny the quality of Zelda, Link to the Past, Ocarina, Majora’s, or Wind Waker. Twilight Princess is a little derivative , but a good time. Only Adventure of Link is widely panned. And I firmly believe that the worst Zelda game of modern times is none other than Skyward Sword, the most recent Zelda hit. And I really, truly hope that Zelda Wii U manages to avoid the pitfalls that hampered its predecessor.
Skyward Sword Vs Open World Zelda
Skyward Sword stunk. I realize half of you will stop right here and go right to the comments to yell at me, but hear me out: The game was just too constrained. It didn’t have enough worlds or enough freedom. Skyloft was cool, the more advanced item customization added a lot to the game, the storyline was interesting, and Ghirahim was great. But the world—it’s the worst Zelda world in the 3D era. It just doesn’t have very much to offer.
The mere act of making Zelda Wii U open world should solve most of the troubles it inherits from Skyward Sword. A less constrained world will dramatically improve the game, and indeed restore Zelda to greatness. Zelda has always been open world, or at least what open world meant at the standards of the time of each game. Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and Ocarina all feature expansive worlds. Only Skyward Sword limited it. That in the era of Skyrim. It wasn’t a good choice.
As long as Zelda Wii U is a return to form, adapted for the modern era—a Zelda influenced by games like Skyrim and Witcher 3, which it very well may be—it will transcend the mistakes of Skyward Sword. It needs to be inventive again, not repetitive. Beautiful art design and a good story are great, but not enough on their own. Zelda must feel vast. And Zelda Wii U, at least, stands a chance at fulfilling such a promise. It’s far and away the largest Hyrule ever—and the biggest game Nintendo has ever made. Nintendo seems to know that Skyward Sword didn’t meet many fans’ expectations. Let’s just hope they keep the good stuff, and put Zelda Wii U in a bigger world.
