The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds Review

[Jimothy Sterling]

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds Review

A satisfying nostalgia trip that plays for time.

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[Teoes]

Interesting new avatar you have there.

Thanks for the review - I was in two minds (too lazy to do a 'between worlds' pun) about picking this up, but might just avoid it now. The item rental mechanic sounds like a royal pain in the ass that'd ruin the game for me.

 

[an annoyed writer]

Wow, that rental thing sounds like a real pain in the ass. I wonder, do you lose them even if you've sot something that gives you an extra life, like a fairy in a bottle? Or is it only at the game-over screen that you have to put up with that shit?

 

[Jimothy Sterling]

Wow, that rental thing sounds like a real pain in the ass. I wonder, do you lose them even if you've sot something that gives you an extra life, like a fairy in a bottle? Or is it only at the game-over screen that you have to put up with that shit?

Fairies will keep you in the game, so you don't lose items.

 

[an annoyed writer]

Wow, that rental thing sounds like a real pain in the ass. I wonder, do you lose them even if you've sot something that gives you an extra life, like a fairy in a bottle? Or is it only at the game-over screen that you have to put up with that shit?

Fairies will keep you in the game, so you don't lose items.

Okay, that's good at least. Still sounds like a pain in the ass when you don't have that backup though.

 

[bificommander]

I don't have a 3DS, so I couldn't have bought it anyway. But man, that rental thing sounds annoying. I already hated Skyward Sword's upgrade mechanic. I want to get optional upgrades or better items in Zelda games from dungeons and sidequests, not by walking in circles holding my birdnet for half an hour, grinding for the respawning tumbleweed.

 

[Teoes]

Interesting new avatar you have there.

Thanks for the review - I was in two minds (too lazy to do a 'between worlds' pun) about picking this up, but might just avoid it now. The item rental mechanic sounds like a royal pain in the ass that'd ruin the game for me.

Avoiding picking the game considering:

1- This is the second worst score to the game
2- If the Escapist new stars meaning are true, 3.5 is still pretty good.

Sounds kinda silly, unless there's other reasons behing your choice.

Where is it written that I need to justify to you my decisions, choices and what I decide to spend my money on?

 

[Quiet Stranger]

I have a question Jim, do you have no wallet limit just like Link To The Past? (well limit is 999) cause if so then getting cash is easy and you know what? This game will be better for it now that you can buy the items because honestly even in the start of Link To The Past I rarely need to buy anything so I'll almost always have 999 rupees. This is good and makes me happy I now will have a use for rupees

 

[skylog]

Wasn't the whole point of the item rental system to allow people to play the dungeons in any order they want? 'Cause I like that idea.

 

[Prismo]

Good review, Jim. The rental system doesn't seem like a big deal to me. I'm glad they're allowing players a different, non-linear way to approach the dungeons. Can't wait to buy this, I'm upgrading to a 3ds xl too. So excite.

 

[themilo504]

I always found link to the past very difficult, is this game around the same difficulty?

 

[Stealth]

Honestly Jims cons make no sense

 

[Reed Spacer]

Has there ever really been a bad Zelda game?

And before anyone says anything, those two games don't count.

 

[Eric the Orange]

Honestly Jims cons make no sense

I dunno the idea of not knowing what you need in a new area and having to backtrack to get it sounds like a legitimate con to me.

 

[Darmani]

Not surprised. I was expecting an experimentation on a well test base. That means it might be fresh and fun but not great. Not that it matters because I'm a sucker for games of this style and the challenges it offers. I do like you laying out what bothers you more than the score. Given what does...I'm likely going to like the game better. The risk and the fact you actually were threatened and succumbed to death as well as having need to backtrack and go on money quests means they are dealing with, by steps, the issues of Zelda in the modern age (big spaces of nothing, items that are the same, boring, no variety, lack of full expansion, etc) It just comes down to design in engagement. I like the series and stuff like it and how that varies (checking out DS, Binding of Isaac and others on their Zelda comparisons) so I'll know I'll be engaged and the experience for how much time it expands without seeming mindless seems more subjective. so I'll give it a whirl. and seeing as I'm not as familiar with LttP this will have the added bonus of a revisit.

 

[Eric the Orange]

Has there ever really been a bad Zelda game?

And before anyone says anything, those two games don't count.

there were 3 CDi games.

 

[Reed Spacer]

Has there ever really been a bad Zelda game?

And before anyone says anything, those two games don't count.

there were 3 CDi games.

No, I think you'll find there were actually no CDi games.

Not. A. One.

At all.

 

[shrekfan246]

Interesting new avatar you have there.

Thanks for the review - I was in two minds (too lazy to do a 'between worlds' pun) about picking this up, but might just avoid it now. The item rental mechanic sounds like a royal pain in the ass that'd ruin the game for me.

Avoiding picking the game considering:

1- This is the second worst score to the game
2- If the Escapist new stars meaning are true, 3.5 is still pretty good.

Sounds kinda silly, unless there's other reasons behing your choice.

Well, he said nothing about the review score and pointed out a reason for why he might want to avoid the game. Just because a game is critically lauded doesn't mean somebody is going to love it; I know I wouldn't really give more than an "Eh, it's all right I guess" to Grand Theft Auto V if I were to play it, because I don't really care for open-world sandbox games that have pretensions of 'realism' in them, and because the story just sounds like something I wouldn't find entertaining.

OT: I've only ever gotten very far in Ocarina of Time and Wind Waker, with a small spattering of Zelda, Adventure of Link, Majora's Mask, Twilight Princess, LttP, and the Oracles games over the years. By that token I'm always wary of Zelda games; Does the charm of LBW match up to Wind Waker, by any chance?

 

[BehattedWanderer]

So, it's the Tingle idea from Windwaker, but for items, for renting, and at the onset of the game?

Okay, it's an interesting idea to say "someone went dungeon raiding before the Hero got to them", but that seems a little too off for me to be in full support of. I could see it being interesting if only one, two at the most, of the dungeons were raided, and you go to open a chest and that music plays but stops halfway through, and you're left with the message "Someone must have taken the item!", which sets up a short mini-quest to find it, and who has it. You could even discover someone who's wearing a cheaply done cosplay of the Hero's Clothes, or like nathan drake's/lara croft's outfit. It would be a fun little aside, as long as it wasn't overlong or super frustrating. But all the time? That's a bit much.

 

[WeepingAngels]

So, it's the Tingle idea from Windwaker, but for items, for renting, and at the onset of the game?

Okay, it's an interesting idea to say "someone went dungeon raiding before the Hero got to them", but that seems a little too off for me to be in full support of. I could see it being interesting if only one, two at the most, of the dungeons were raided, and you go to open a chest and that music plays but stops halfway through, and you're left with the message "Someone must have taken the item!", which sets up a short mini-quest to find it, and who has it. You could even discover someone who's wearing a cheaply done cosplay of the Hero's Clothes, or like nathan drake's/lara croft's outfit. It would be a fun little aside, as long as it wasn't overlong or super frustrating. But all the time? That's a bit much.

You are overthinking it. It's not complicated and it doesn't need to be.

Basically, you rent a bunch of items and then you go out exploring. I have 14 heart pieces and 3 bottles so far and I haven't even started the second dungeon. Of course, the second dungeon could be done third and the third dungeon done second, that's the beauty of the rental system.

I will say though that the treasure chests in the first dungeon (and probably ever other dungeon) hold boring shit. Rupees and upgrade parts. I could do without an upgrade system. Luckily there are no wallet upgrades and it looks like you can hold up to 9999 rupees.