With The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom selling millions of copies and raking in awards, questions have been raised about what’s next for the Zelda series, and whether or not the future may include blasts from the past. Franchise head Eiji Aonuma is here to pump the brakes, as he says the traditional linear Zelda adventures of old won’t be coming back any time soon.
Speaking with IGN, Aonuma expresses his belief that those views come from a “grass is greener” mentality–where people have a tendency to want the things they don’t currently have. He continues by stating that the current Zelda format does have a “set” path; however, that path is chosen by the player rather than the designers.
“It’s interesting when I hear people say [they prefer the older games] because I am wondering, ‘Why do you want to go back to a type of game where you’re more limited or more restricted in the types of things or ways you can play?'” Aonuma says in the interview. “I do understand that desire that we have for nostalgia, and so I can also understand it from that aspect.”
Other topics covered in the interview include whether or not Link and Zelda are in a romantic relationship, the team’s reactions to the various videos shared on social media after the game’s launch, and the approach to dungeon design in TOTK. One question also deals with a massive spoiler for the game, however, so proceed with caution.
The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom is available now exclusively on Nintendo Switch. It was one of GameSpot’s top 10 games of 2023.
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