Legend of Zelda: a Link Between Worlds

[ZombiesRUCrazy]

So who else is picking up this game along with their xb1(or if you getting at ps4 tomorrow, next week)?

Looking forward to playing it. I've been playing A link to the past on my surface these last few weeks lol. Should be arriving along with my xb1 and games.


Game is getting solid reviews. Holding a 91 on metacritic right now.

joystiq = 5 of 5

One area where Zelda veterans will have a distinctly different experience from newcomers is the boss fights, which are disappointingly familiar. They're still challenging even if you know exactly what you need to do from the start, but much of the enjoyment of the fights comes from figuring out exactly what you need to do, an aspect that will be lost on longtime fans who've tread this ground before. The boss fights are the one part of A Link Between Worlds that doesn't feel fresh, making them a bit of a letdown after the ingenious dungeons you've navigated to reach them. But the dungeons are ingenious, after all, and the Zelda series' excellent boss design is still intact, making familiarity a minor quibble at worst.

Still, even the most experienced visitor to Hyrule is probably going to get stuck at least once, and A Link Between Worlds' hint system is genuinely helpful and, more importantly, unobtrusive. Donning a pair of special glasses lets Link see ghosts in dungeons; pay them a Play Coin – earned by walking around with your 3DS – and they'll give you a nudge in the right direction. If you never want help, you'll never even know the ghosts are there – the perfect compromise for players of different experience and patience levels.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is a perfect handheld Zelda experience, offering the classic gameplay you cherish at a snappier pace. Link's new 2D ability, combined with the nonlinear progression, provide a flexibility that makes exploring the land – both Hy and Lo – exciting all over again

game informer = 10 of 10

Zelda may be one of my favorite series, but I admit its faults when they’re present. However, I wouldn’t change anything about this game. The new item system is a welcome change of pace. The lifted restrictions on dungeon order offers a great sense of freedom. The dungeons and boss battles are all excellent. The presentation is stellar, with gorgeous, vivid visuals, and one of the best soundtracks in gaming. I want to let the experience roll around in my brain for a while before I decide where it ranks among the best entries in the franchise, but I can say with confidence that it should be spoken in the same breath as A Link to the Past. In every way, A Link Between Worlds is exactly what you want out of a Zelda game.

gametrailers 98 of 100

ign 94 of 100

What could have been an easy sequel that traded on past glories is instead a compelling argument for digging up the foundations of Zelda and seeing what happens - rather like Wind Waker did 10 years ago. A Link Between Words is not a total revolution, but it may very well be the start of one. I haven’t been so challenged by a Zelda since Ocarina of Time, and rarely have I been so consistently surprised by one.

Between Worlds recaptures the spirit of adventure that gave the early games Zelda their potency, and lays out a vision for Zelda games still to come. It invites them - and us, the long-term fans - to let go of conventions that may have been comforting, but were ultimately holding us back. It’s at once intensely nostalgic and powerfully novel, unpatronising and cerebral. As a Zelda fan, I couldn’t wish for much more.

eurogamer 8 of 10

It's often been said that A Link to the Past is a game set inside a puzzle. That means A Link Between Worlds is buried at least two layers deep, as it's a game set within A Link to the Past. But that's both the pleasure and the pain of Zelda, isn't it? A tale endlessly retold, wrongs endlessly righted, a map endlessly tweaked and embellished and folded back on itself. If, heaven forbid, this was the last Zelda ever, I couldn't think of a more fitting tribute to the series' strange ritualistic preoccupations than this cheerful, slight, and ultimately rather strange game. It won't be, of course - and that's more than fine, too.

destructoid = 6.5 of 10 (lowest score so far)

A Link Between World's main problem at the end of the day is a complete lack of heart. There's no defining moment, no memorable villains or characters, and no truly "new" items that make their mark on the series. It's certainly playable in every sense of the word, but I didn't feel the magic I had felt so many times before.

In fact, the only real legacy it leaves behind beyond being a serviceable Zelda game is its welcome streamlining, which I hope is carried over to future iterations. It's a great way to return to the world of Link to the Past, but outside of some welcome streamlining, it doesn't surpass it, or even meet it.

 

[Jay Mammoth]

Can't wait this and Mario 3D World come out the same day. Hopefully theres a buy 2 get one free sale somewhere that week.

 

[Z A C K]

Nintendo just knows how to get things done when it comes to Zelda. With the exception of destructoid, those reviews are glowing; not that I'd expect anything less.