Discussion What would you change in A Link Between Worlds sequel?

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

By this I mean a new 2D Zelda game that was built around non-linear equipment acquisitions.

I haven't played ALBW in a minute, but I loved it a lot back then, what are some ways you would take that formula and innovative it or better balance it?

 

[Derachi]

TBH not much! Honestly take the idea and run with it: more items, more dungeons, more creativity. Maybe don’t tie it into an existing Zelda like ALBW and make an all-new overworld map.

 

[Catsylvania]

The art style. If Nintendo wants it to look like A Link to the Past, commit to it. The one we got was so bland. It’s one of two things I disliked about the game (the other was not committing to a certain heel turn). Even re-using the Wind Waker’s style like Four Swords Adventures would have given it some charm.

 

[Joy-Boy]

Change it from nonexistant to existant

But fr though, I would just unlink (heh) it from Link to the Past. Give us a whole new Link in a whole new story in a whole new Hyrule/whereve in a whole new artstyle. Its been a minute since we've had that.

Continue what LBW and BoTW started by letting us explore and tackle stuff in any order, but make dungeons big and labrynthian again, maybe with more emphasis on items lkie "traditional" 3D Zeldas.

I think alternating between the open air BOTW style Zeldas and 2D Zeldas that take cues from Ocarina style Zeldas would be the perfect way to go

 

[BlackthornOrion]

Other than an original, brand-new map and a new mechanic to replace wall merging (I liked wall merging, but it also felt like they already got all the mileage they could out of that in LBW)? There isn't a lot that jumps to mind.

Like, I'll keep beating the "make Zelda the star of a real Zelda game" drum until it happens, but that's not really specific to a LBW-style game. Maybe a new art style, but that feels like it'd be a given.

Y'know, it's been a hot minute since we had a new Zelda game based around learning songs, so yeah, let's go with that. They can use that to gate progression just a little bit more than the open-air games.

 

[Zellia]

I think the rental formula is fine, my biggest issue with ALBW was how much it riffed off ALttP. I'd like something a bit more original.

 

[lattjeful]

Not much tbh. It's my favorite 2D Zelda. All I'd ask for is a new map and for it to not be connected to A Link To the Past/A Link Between Worlds. Really design the map around it being non-linear.

 

[Kartina]

After seeing Mario Wonder I want a 2d Zelda like that, a super strange and wacky game full of ideas and a strange world. Just go nuts with it and create surreal environments and dungeons. By now the 3d zelda are the big serious multimillion money maker of the franchise so just go crazy with the 2d one with a more strange and fun entry. Also young link.

 

[Octavian]

After seeing Mario Wonder I want a 2d Zelda like that, a super strange and wacky game full of ideas and a strange world. Just go nuts with it and create surreal environments and dungeons. By now the 3d zelda are the big serious multimillion money maker of the franchise so just go crazy with the 2d one with a more strange and fun entry. Also young link.

agreed completely. we haven't had a fully original 2d Zelda since spirit tracks, hell we haven't had an original 2d setting since minish cap. new!

 

[TreIII]

Brand new map and an art style that's inspired by Katsuya Terada. That's really all I could ask for.

With BOTW and TOTK going for more of a magitek/sci-fantasy angle, maybe we can next get a game that plays it closer to the high teetering on dark fantasy vibes of the original trilogy.

 

[SammyJ9]

I've mostly come to peace with the item rental system (even though I still don't like it much), but what I'd really want is more of a difficulty curve. The dungeons and regions of the map in ALBW felt a little too flat. Keep the freedom to explore most anywhere, but extend the difficulty curve and make some regions fairly easy, and some much harder. And apply that both to combat as well as dungeon puzzles.

 

[Ripfeld89]

I'm starting to feel more and more that non-linearity is super overrated. Everything you have to do to compensate for it sacrifices way too much for what it's worth. As with TotK it seems like the best you can hope for in terms of story is a few strong isolated moments that still feel part of a broken disjointed whole, and even then there are infinite ways to get to it wrong and mess up their impact.

We don't need to go so hard in either direction, weren't Zelda games and most RPGs doing just fine presenting you with a clear defined path while offering plenty opportunities to wander off?

 

[Phosphorescent Skeleton]

Link is a girl and also gay.