The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

 3DS
User Score
9.0

Universal acclaim- based on 1706 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,552 out of 1706
  2. Mixed: 77 out of 1706
  3. Negative: 77 out of 1706
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  1. JackValentine
    Jan 17, 2014
    4
    As a huge Zelda fan, it is with a heavy heart that I must admit that I did not find the joy it seems that everyone else is finding in A Link Between Worlds.

    To be blunt - the term copy and past is one that is thrown around frequently with the Zelda games, and it is a term that I would defend the games against. However, I have never felt so cheated as I have with this instalment in the    As a huge Zelda fan, it is with a heavy heart that I must admit that I did not find the joy it seems that everyone else is finding in A Link Between Worlds.

    To be blunt - the term copy and past is one that is thrown around frequently with the Zelda games, and it is a term that I would defend the games against. However, I have never felt so cheated as I have with this instalment in the long running franchise.
    At least with Ocarina of Time 3D a few years ago, Nintendo had the decency of calling it what it was - a facelift. A far prettier version of the original. But the fact that one of the most beloved faces in the gaming industry would have the audacity to try and spin A Link Between Worlds as a new game, well, those people are what I like to call criminals.
    The game (labeled as a sequel to the much praised SNES classic A Link to The Past), is a direct rip off of the aforementioned. Even saying it has better graphics would be an insult to how astonishing ALTTP was for it's time. This is an UGLY game. The gameplay is so hard to come to terms with, considering the ground breaking lengths that the series has gone to to ensure that each instalment stays fresh and interesting, the gameplay just feels stale. Like it was dragged out of an age old cupboard, slightly dusted off and then tacked into the game.
    The map is IDENTICAL to the one featured in ALTTP, and this is one of things that really bothers me. A direct sequel? Sure. But how do you expect anyone to take such a statement seriously when there are NO NEW IDEAS on display? Well, I suppose that's not entirely true, you can in fact, now rent any item, such as the Bow or the Hookshot right from the beginning of the game. But this just takes any joy or sense of discovery and reward out of bland and simplistic dungeons.

    This is, above all else, a crowd pleaser. Something to quell the populous while they complain about how there hasn't been a Majora's Mask 3D yet, or that there is not a new Zelda game on the Wii U. It appeals to those who need their fix of daily nostalgia, and it appeals to those who are either too young or too ignorant to know how ALTTP changed the gaming world when it was released.
    A Link Between Worlds is one of the weakest Zelda titles ever released, and it actually pains me to see it put side by side with some of the amazing titles this year, and to hear it called the best Zelda game ever made.

    A 4 out of 10.

    Jack Valentine    … Expand
  2. icemanoe3
    Jan 27, 2014
    3
    I am 32 years old and have always enjoyed all the Zelda titles. However, I was a little disappointed by this game and its lack of content. I was a little frustrated several times after going out of my way to solve a puzzle that took quite a while to complete only to be rewarded with a chest that contains 100 rupees. The entire game is pretty much the same thing over and over with nothingI am 32 years old and have always enjoyed all the Zelda titles. However, I was a little disappointed by this game and its lack of content. I was a little frustrated several times after going out of my way to solve a puzzle that took quite a while to complete only to be rewarded with a chest that contains 100 rupees. The entire game is pretty much the same thing over and over with nothing added. I was amazed by the fact that Link was not able to obtain rings or really anything special. The fact that you rent items was also a complete sham. Halfway through the game I ended up having 9999 rupees and pretty much nothing to spend them on. (aside from throwing 2500 of them into a fairy fountain to get an extra jar) Rupees were so useless (unless you die a lot and have to rent everything over and over) This made going out of your way to open a secrete chest not worth it. The only secrete chest i found that was worth anything was at the very end when i got 2 upgrades to my tunic. In my opinion there should have been about 25 different tunics that all had different abilities. but the makers of this game decided to include really no added content. Aside from have one or two hearts more or less, I ended the game with the exact same link that everyone else ended with. I was very disappointed :( Link wears rings, that is the Link I know. I guess I should have read more about this one, Link should have hundreds of items that he can wear instead he gets a tunic and a shield. that is pretty much it. This game would be great for a 5 year old that can read at a 5th grade level.… Expand
  3. JustToPostThis
    Jul 24, 2015
    2
    Let me start by saying I specifically registered this Metacritic account to post this review, hence the user name, and I am a certified huge Zelda fan .

    So when I say I was horrendously disappointed by this game, I feel the need to share why and think the single best word to describe it would be "uninspired". That said, maybe you need a bit more of a break down: 1) Mini-games -    Let me start by saying I specifically registered this Metacritic account to post this review, hence the user name, and I am a certified huge Zelda fan .

    So when I say I was horrendously disappointed by this game, I feel the need to share why and think the single best word to describe it would be "uninspired". That said, maybe you need a bit more of a break down:

    1) Mini-games - Hoping for shooting galleries? Bomb-chus? Deku sprout flying? Prepare to be disappointed, what is usually some of the best gameplay instead leaves the completion-ist in you almost deciding to pass on playing. Luckily, these games are beyond easy so you won't even have time to get bored.
    2) The flattening gimmick - It's like combining annoying camera angles with boring controls, you can't perform any actions while flattened so essentially the game's central mechanic is walking back and forth, so much fun! (It's really not).
    3) "Rental System" - Do you not completely suck at video games? Have you played 1 or more Zelda games previously? Prepare to have more money than you know what do with! Rent/Buy everything the first time you have enough money, because boy you aren't going to ever need to scrounge...
    4) Difficulty of puzzles - Thinking water temple hard? Nope, not even close, in fact, if not for all those blind alleys, dead ends, and walking back and forth (see above), you could do every dungeon practically at a dead run!
    5) Character Originality - Nope, no Minish Cap sassy companion, no creepy mask vendor, no ambiguous alignment shadow creature, I mean even a robot with no emotion is more interesting than the bulk of the cast.
    6) Storyline - You would think with all of the content, they would of nailed the "nostalgia" factor at least, unfortunately the storyline is such a direct rip-off/merge of the single most popular Zelda title and the one it stole its title from that you can expect credits to be rolling and still not caring about anything or anyone in the universe.
    7) GAMEPLAY - Gimmick aside, it plays like a Zelda for SNES. Now you may be thinking (I liked that game, it was fun to play) but really, from trains to touchscreen controls the handheld titles have been the creative platform for numerous innovations, this one adds nothing. It's crisp, but that's about the only compliment you could pay it.

    In summary, uninspired. Thanks Nintendo. It's pretty bad when Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask remakes are somehow more original than your brand new titles.    … Expand
  4. InstantKlassick
    Feb 9, 2016
    1
    Wow, what can I say? This game is such an utter disappointment. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is my 3rd favorite game of all time and my 1991 Game of the Year. That's number 3, out of over 4000 games played. I will be honest, I did not complete this game, nor did I play it longer than an hour. The simple fact that they made the items available to rent completely disgusted me. TheWow, what can I say? This game is such an utter disappointment. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is my 3rd favorite game of all time and my 1991 Game of the Year. That's number 3, out of over 4000 games played. I will be honest, I did not complete this game, nor did I play it longer than an hour. The simple fact that they made the items available to rent completely disgusted me. The fun of the original was to complete each dungeon boss with the item you found in said dungeon. For example: The hammer in dungeon 1, was used to destroy the scorpion monster in that dungeon. The hookshot in dungeon 2 was used to pull the "segments" off of the "balloon" monster in dungeon 2. That was all I needed to be subjected to in order to completely quit this game and return it the same day i purchased it. This game would be amazing had the original SNES game never been made. It's good for those who do not want any kind of challenge or for a younger audience. I implore you to rethink your purchase if you love Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past as much as I do. This is not it. Your best bet is to hopefully wait for a 25th anniversary edition to be released on 3DS store (Likely will not happen, but it would generate money for Nintendo if they did.)… Expand
  5. chocomcohino
    Jun 16, 2015
    4
    The Story is 30 seconds long, you can Rent all the items, dungeon mechanic is really cheap, honestly, this is a zelda that will not be remembered in a few years, based on a Link To the past, making it a watered down version of it,
  6. ayyyqurl
    Apr 27, 2014
    4
    I wasn't too excited about playing it in the first place since the Zelda series has begun to stagnate a bit, the same formula with not much to spice it up. But I was interested since it said it was a Link To The Past sequel with the same old school formula, and I got the game with my 3DS, so why not?

    Don't get me wrong, the Legend of Zelda is still "fun" but not as fun as, say, Majora's    I wasn't too excited about playing it in the first place since the Zelda series has begun to stagnate a bit, the same formula with not much to spice it up. But I was interested since it said it was a Link To The Past sequel with the same old school formula, and I got the game with my 3DS, so why not?

    Don't get me wrong, the Legend of Zelda is still "fun" but not as fun as, say, Majora's Mask or any of the other stand out games. As said before, it's become obvious that the series has begun to stagnate and here's why:

    - A complete lack of original story telling ideas. Lorule? Hyrule? Seriously? Haven't we gone through the whole Light/Dark schtick enough, Nintendo?

    - The whole "rent" equipment stuff was an obvious attempt at trying to take a fresh, unique take on dungeon crawling in the Zelda series....... except it doesn't work. It completely derails any sense of satisfaction for finishing dungeons. I really can't figure out if it was a desperate "But we've done everything!" move or they couldn't figure something out, asked the janitor passing by for advice, shrugged and slapped it in there.

    - The map from Link to the Past was bold-facedly ripped. Has nothing truly changed in 300 years?

    - The difficulty curb is pathetic. Any Zelda veteran worth their salt could breeze through the dungeons and abuse the rental system. If you've beaten any Zelda game, this is on permanent baby mode. But hey, once you beat the game, why not try Hero mode where the enemies kill you in 1-2 hits? What do you mean finishing a dungeon is now impossible?

    Now with that out of the way, the characters are pretty vivid and full of personality. It is still somewhat immersive, and the nostalgic feel was great. It's definitely one of the better Nintendo releases riding on its coat tails of former glory. But will you be clutching your 3DS at the end, choking back tears like in Link to the Past or Link's Awakening? Not likely. (On the upside though, you'll also never throw your 3DS against a wall for a dungeon being just way too hard, so there's that.)

    It's great for someone new to the series and for the younger crowd. If you've been way into the Zelda series since its hey day, I'd suggest passing it up.    … Expand
  7. supercobra
    Nov 8, 2014
    2
    Removed all the fun from The Legend of Zelda series. The fact that every item is available from the start just by paying for them makes the game feel like it belongs on android, and removes all the incentives to finish any dungeon at all.
  8. aasecr14
    Nov 18, 2014
    2
    This game was marketed as a sequel to A Link to the Past. What I expected was well polished sequel to the fantastic original. Not only did they alter the story so radically that it makes no sense in context to A Link to the Past, but the gameplay was so easy and boring that it took me only 2 days to beat. I instantly felt cheated, and decided I should sell the game as soon as possible so IThis game was marketed as a sequel to A Link to the Past. What I expected was well polished sequel to the fantastic original. Not only did they alter the story so radically that it makes no sense in context to A Link to the Past, but the gameplay was so easy and boring that it took me only 2 days to beat. I instantly felt cheated, and decided I should sell the game as soon as possible so I could go buy Animal Crossing: New Leaf. Do not buy this game. As a huge fan of the series, I have beaten 15/17 of the games in the series, not counting Hyrule Warriors, and this game was a huge letdown. Do not buy it. Borrow it from your buddy, beat it in a week, and then move on with your life.… Expand
  9. kosterix
    Apr 5, 2021
    3
    €40 probably, or less, Digital. So long ago, I lost track.
    The Legend of Zelda A Link Between Worlds was overhyped at the time.
    I finished the first dungeon, got flat, got to the "shadow world", and totally lost where to go next, one of the famous dead points in rpgs, where you simply let it go. Never to go back again. 3 points for the stained glass graphics, but gameplay-wise    €40 probably, or less, Digital. So long ago, I lost track.
    The Legend of Zelda A Link Between Worlds was overhyped at the time.
    I finished the first dungeon, got flat, got to the "shadow world", and totally lost where to go next, one of the famous dead points in rpgs, where you simply let it go. Never to go back again.

    3 points for the stained glass graphics, but gameplay-wise absolutely nothing like OoT.    … Expand
  10. Kirshks
    Jun 30, 2023
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. it's so overrated, I tried to play it and experience was awfull, game is trash… Expand
  11. bnan_j
    Jul 24, 2023
    3
    Mid at best. Art style is undoubtedly great, but its just another top down Zelda game that has one new gimmick. Forgettable, simplistic story and "puzzles" that are tedious than entertaining. If you want to know how engaging this is, try to stop playing it for a while then come back. You won't want to continue and won't remember a thing about it.

Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Best 3DS Game of 2013
2
#2 Most Discussed 3DS Game of 2013
3
#3 Most Shared 3DS Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 81 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 79 out of 81
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 81
  3. Negative: 0 out of 81
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Mar 11, 2014
    93
    A very good action RPG in a sandbox-like Hyrule. The game features a redefined equipment progression along with the nice flattening trick. It's a bit on the easy side, though. [Dec 2013]
  2. GameCritics
    Feb 6, 2014
    85
    A Link Between Worlds is a Zelda for people who have become disillusioned with Zelda over the years. It recalls the series' roots while also taking unique advantage of the 3DS hardware to create something that feels new. They may not make them exactly like they used to anymore, but Link Between Worlds shows that they still recognize what made them great in the first place.
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  3. Level7.nu
    Jan 2, 2014
    90
    Much is the same in A Link Between Worlds. Just like in A Link to the Past you follow Link from a birds-eye perspective in both light and dark worlds. But A Link Between Worlds is not merely a simple game of nostalgia but one that perfectly blends the new and old Zelda games. The result is one of the best games in the series.
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