When it comes to my favorite 3D Zelda game, I am always torn between Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess and Breath of the Wild. But when it comes to the 2D installments, nothing beats The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past. In my review of it here on IMDb, I already praised its cinematic quality, layered story and great gameplay, and to the day, it remains not only one of the most replayable games in the series, but also one of the first that I was able to play through on my own. The first Legend of Zelda I could only finish with a map pointing the way to the dungeons and upgrades, and I have basically given up on my wish to ever make it through Zelda II: Adventure of Link, which I found impossible even WITH a walkthrough, given that you have little more to defend yourself with than a glorified potato peeler.
With the title "A Link Between Worlds", it comes as little surprise that we find ourselves back in the Hyrule that we know so well from LttP. This time, an evil warrior called Yuga has come from a parallel world to revive Ganon, after the previous Link had taken great care to seal him away several generations ago. It is Link's task to find the descendants of the Seven Sages that originally locked Ganon away in the Sacred Realm.
Sounds familiar? No coincidence: LbW was specifically developed as a distant sequel to LttP, and to give its fans a familiar experience. They even reused the old Hyrule lay-out from LttP, and the traditional 'two worlds system' is present in the form of Hyrule's dark counterpart with the tongue-in-cheeck name 'Lorule'. It looks suspiciously like the Dark World from LttP, complete with the same type of enemies, and remastered but characteristic music. It doesn't get more nostalgic than that.
It is both the biggest strength and biggest weakness of the game. If Twilight Princess could be called 'heavily inspired' by Ocarina of Time, then LbW is a near-deja vu of LttP. Apart from the familiar surroundings, the developers have also recycled its main plot all the way through the end credits, with Link needing to find three pendants first to get the Master Sword, then fight the bad guy, and then proceed to free the descendants of the Seven Sages in the alternate world. It fits perfectly within the current trend of recycling old themes, plot elements and imagery into new works, and I don't mind extensive referencing in itself, but I feel that nostalgia should be used creatively, rather than stifle creativity. Unfortunately, the developers choose the easy route a few times too often here. I think that LbW would have been much better if they had conceived an original plot within this familiar world, instead of remaking the old game under the guise of a sequel.
Talking about easy route, the game itself also feels that way. LttP offered a healthy challenge, with maze-like dungeons that required all your skill and perseverance. I found the overall diificulty somewhat lacking in this game. Maybe it is because I am more experienced now or because controls have improved since the 90s, but I actually went through LbW very quickly, and I had very little trouble with most bosses. Even the final boss was a mere nuissance rather than a true challenge. In other Zelda games, you could extend the gameplay with some side-quests, but I found these rather limited here as well (with the exception of the search for the Maiamai creatures). Talking to NPCs often unlock a small minigame, but very few relevant subplots that could pleasantly divert your attention for a longer period.
The big innovation in the game is the so-called "wall merging" where you become a two-dimensional version of yourself that can walk accross wall surfaces. A nice feature that works quite well in a few instances, but in the end, it still feels mostly like a great gimmick rather than a true innovation in gameplay. It is limited to walking left or right, and therefore mainly used to reach hidden items and traverse areas (check Super Mario Odyssey for a example of how to do it right). I would have loved to do more in this capacity, like an elaborate boss fight, but that sadly only happens at the end, and only briefly.
It is not all bad though; if the makers were trying to make a love letter to 2D Zelda games in general and LttP in particular, then they succeeded. It is a joy to walk around a 3D version of this beloved world, especially when you use the tornado rod and Link literally jumps out of the screen. The traditional overworld, gameplay and plot may appear familiar, but the dungeons have all been re-designed as far as I am aware. Their lay-outs are creative, and challenge you to use all your inventiveness (and wall merging) to navigate. Additionally, there is now an option to rent or buy the items you need (which are coupled to an energy meter instead of an ammo counter), and this provides a nice opportunity to play the final seven dungeons in any desired order.
Lastly, the true heart of the game finally shows in the end, when the plot thickens and culminates in a very moving finale. It also features the Triforce in a different light than usual: often the game's McGuffin that merely creates closure, but here, we finally learn why it is the symbol of Hyrule's providence.
For those who are new to the 2D series, this game will be a blast; to the veterans, it may be hard to spot real innovations through the thick layer of nostalgia, but it is a fun game nonetheless that uses the 3DS capabilities quite fine. Narratively it is no Minish Cap, and as for novelty gameplay, it gets nowhere near Phantom Hourglass, but you'll still have a good time. It is not a revolution in the series, but it doesn't take ages to get to the end, so it is a nice game to play intermittently over brief periods.
