The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

 Switch
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1698 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,413 out of 1698
  2. Mixed: 178 out of 1698
  3. Negative: 107 out of 1698
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  1. enriverd
    Dec 5, 2019
    5
    It is an overrated title, whose is score is as high due to the appearence of zelda in the name and because it appeals to the memory of those who played it when they were young. The game has a good looking design, the zelda character is super cute, but when it comes to the gameplay, it is one of those impossible games that existed back in the days of the Spectrum, the Game Boy or the NES.It is an overrated title, whose is score is as high due to the appearence of zelda in the name and because it appeals to the memory of those who played it when they were young. The game has a good looking design, the zelda character is super cute, but when it comes to the gameplay, it is one of those impossible games that existed back in the days of the Spectrum, the Game Boy or the NES. Some of the puzzles are super difficult and often require you to remember a small detail that you saw 15 hours ago in the game (which is probably several days back). It is a non-sense, if you do not want to spend countless hours searching an searching you end up googling the solution, and I do not like those games that require me to dedicate tons of hours to discovers hidden non-logical clues. It is better if you put your money in many of the other super cool titles on switch, including the last Zelda, Breath of the wild. Very few games produce in me that feeling that I want it to be over, and it has generated me that feeling after reaching 50% of the game.… Expand
  2. Educhivas
    Oct 28, 2019
    1
    siento que le hizo falta mas diversión, se basaron en game boy y dejaron fuera que es nintendo siwtch, animo lo pueden hacer mejor para la proxima
  3. RpgGuru
    Oct 29, 2019
    1
    Por 60€ que pague por este titulo se me hizo demaciado, tiene apariencia de un videojuego INDIE, y apesar de sus pobres graficos los frames por segundo se van por los suelos. Este titulo debe manejarse entre los 15 y 20€,
  4. SomaKurusu
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    Cuando se anunció un remake de Link 's Awakening se me subió el hype por este juego, ya que es mi segundo Zelda en 2d favorito, solo por detrás del magnífico A Link to the Past. Es uno de los juegos más decepcionantes del año. Graficos pastelosos para niños de 3 o 4 años, caídas de frames inexplicables para un juego de este tipo. Su banda sonora si es muy buena (lo único) y su dificultadCuando se anunció un remake de Link 's Awakening se me subió el hype por este juego, ya que es mi segundo Zelda en 2d favorito, solo por detrás del magnífico A Link to the Past. Es uno de los juegos más decepcionantes del año. Graficos pastelosos para niños de 3 o 4 años, caídas de frames inexplicables para un juego de este tipo. Su banda sonora si es muy buena (lo único) y su dificultad bastante baja. Mantiene más o menos la misma duración del original, es corto. El editor de mazmorras ni lo utilizarás, debido a que este es bastante cutre y lo peor es que te lo venden al mismo precio de los AAA de novedad, Vamos, que si no quieres llevarte un disgusto, quédate con la imágen del original.… Expand
  5. Meeleepit
    Nov 12, 2019
    6
    So what do i think about this game?

    its not a new age type game where you get an arrow or a map marker that helps you complete the game. This game is old school,you need to work on completing challenges, you need to think outside the box to complete puzzles. you need to figure out what is next without a npc holding your hand This all makes it fun. The art style is not for everyone .    So what do i think about this game?

    its not a new age type game where you get an arrow or a map marker that helps you complete the game. This game is old school,you need to work on completing challenges, you need to think outside the box to complete puzzles. you need to figure out what is next without a npc holding your hand
    This all makes it fun.

    The art style is not for everyone .

    The game is not for everyone. I think this the game was over hyped.

    It is not worth the asking price in my opinion.

    i would say the value of this game would be half the current cost    … Expand
  6. Nakajima
    Oct 26, 2019
    6
    The game could be so much more!
    Instead, the frame drops make it unbearable, destroying the game experience. Even after a month of release, the so needed patch to correct those problems never came making a game that could be an 8 an 6.
    Also, the game should have some new features and a better system adapted to the better controller to change weapons but it clings to the original too much    The game could be so much more!
    Instead, the frame drops make it unbearable, destroying the game experience. Even after a month of release, the so needed patch to correct those problems never came making a game that could be an 8 an 6.
    Also, the game should have some new features and a better system adapted to the better controller to change weapons but it clings to the original too much in this regard giving you only 2 buttons so assign stuff.    … Expand
  7. nobcheese
    Oct 26, 2019
    7
    A good remake,some of the game mechanics feel dated.
    I would have preferred to see a new Zelda game.
  8. TakeMyRupee
    Oct 27, 2019
    5
    Full price not worth it! The only major difference as I remember it is the graphics (and sound) and that the game boy color version didn't stutter as much as this one... This is a very lazy remake.
  9. NamgoongMInsoo
    Mar 10, 2020
    4
    큰 수정없이 원작을 구대로 구현해놓은 점은 호평하고 싶지만 60불짜리 고가의 게임이라고 하기엔 볼륨도 작고 최적화도 실망스럽다. 스위치 독점이라는 것도 최악인 점.
  10. Tris304
    Mar 18, 2020
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Costs way to much money for what you get, got too points that seemed broken (needed the hookshot to get over a river, but the dash jump seemed to be long enough to make it but they just make link drop like a rock when trying it, making me think it was broken)

    You aslo feel so sluggish untill you get the dash, but thats to be expected because the game is so short. Would honestly be more kind to this game if it wasn't for the price tag.



    Art style and dungeon are great! hence why not a 0 but still game was so short it was over before it begun.    … Expand
  11. Hitschy80
    Mar 19, 2022
    1
    I don't understand what all the mostly very positive reviews are about. The game is nicely reworked and looks cute.
    However, the game mechanics are no longer up to date and somehow the game doesn't captivate me. The blur effect (blurring at the edges) is annoying most of the time, there is no option to turn this off.
    I also don't understand why many of the Switch's features aren't used.    I don't understand what all the mostly very positive reviews are about. The game is nicely reworked and looks cute.
    However, the game mechanics are no longer up to date and somehow the game doesn't captivate me. The blur effect (blurring at the edges) is annoying most of the time, there is no option to turn this off.
    I also don't understand why many of the Switch's features aren't used. You can only place the additional items like bombs or grappling hooks on X and Y. Why aren't the shoulder buttons, which are double-used with protection and race, used for this? Likewise, the directional pad on the left remains completely unused.
    I found the graphics very cute, but got on my nerves somehow after an hour. I don't necessarily want to criticize that now, it's a matter of taste.    … Expand
  12. Dixio
    Jun 22, 2020
    5
    Personalmente y basándome en mi opinión personal no me ha gustado, para mí está sobrevalorado este juego, me lo pasé y lo vendí pues no volvería a re- jugarlo, una pena pero es mi humilde opinión.
  13. Inuyasha1
    Oct 9, 2021
    10
    열혈강호 온라인의 아기자기한 캐릭터와 던전 탐험이 만난 최고의 게임. 재미면에선 보장하는 최고의 RPG 던전 탐험 게임입니다. 젤다 꿈섬이 던전 탐험 RPG의 조상님.
  14. TruthfulGamer67
    Apr 13, 2021
    8
    It's pretty good and honestly the best version of Links Awakening out there besides the GBC port

    The frame rate can be a problem but its not as bad as people say (to be fair my eyes aren't as sensitive to frame rate dips)
  15. ANTIMETACRITIC
    May 5, 2021
    10
    No juego a los Zeldas pero le pongo un diez porque Nintendo hace un gran trabajo con ellos y para compensar los zeros que ponen ciertas gente que tampoco los ha tocado.
  16. Vonyee
    Oct 13, 2021
    5
    YEAH THIS GAME IS AWESOME. AWESOME GAME GOOD STORY I like it very good. nice graphics.
  17. attemptatreason
    Oct 29, 2021
    5
    not a review. a rant. Although not my fav genre, the graphics are extremely charming and everything looks tight and simple. I feel frustrated at many of the puzzles and progression of the game - like the racoon for instance. If you aren't paying attention, you get tp'd to another identical area without the raccoon, and when I refer to walkthroughs some don't mention that this mechanic. Inot a review. a rant. Although not my fav genre, the graphics are extremely charming and everything looks tight and simple. I feel frustrated at many of the puzzles and progression of the game - like the racoon for instance. If you aren't paying attention, you get tp'd to another identical area without the raccoon, and when I refer to walkthroughs some don't mention that this mechanic. I walk around and think I just broke the game leaving me to reload and come back, go back to the village to talk to the girl (is it really more crazy that I didn't talk to someone in the village than it is that I was teleported to an identical area?) and went back to see no raccoon. Restarted from a new game to try to find him and yeah. If a game is expected to be played with a walkthrough, it ain't good. I feel like there were so many things I tried to do to find the raccoon (1 puzzle of many I'm sure) that I want to say the puzzles are unreasonable and unintuitive.… Expand
  18. Nanassang
    Nov 2, 2021
    4
    In 2021, i think this game only deserve 4/10. Just to be clear this is first time i play zelda link awakening, so no nostalgic here. Buying this game after BIG LOVE to zelda breath of the wild.

    1. Frame rate dropping issue is annoying. 2. Very hard to complete without watching youtube walkthrough. (maybe just for me?) 3. If u play without walkthrough, u will waste a lot of time to    In 2021, i think this game only deserve 4/10. Just to be clear this is first time i play zelda link awakening, so no nostalgic here. Buying this game after BIG LOVE to zelda breath of the wild.

    1. Frame rate dropping issue is annoying.
    2. Very hard to complete without watching youtube walkthrough. (maybe just for me?)
    3. If u play without walkthrough, u will waste a lot of time to find the correct npc/place so the story can continue (or is it just me again? For example the pushing cemetery tomb thing)
    4. Too small a game for this price. ( 5-7 hours to complete)
    5. Hard to resale (if comparing to Zelda BOTW, Mario series,Pokemon series)

    THis game does remind me of the old classic RPG game, 20-30 years ago when u willing to spend a tons of time to searching the correct way/npc/place to continue, but in 2021, not applicable for me anymore.    … Expand
  19. JoeyPL5
    Nov 16, 2021
    9
    A few bizarre design choices that can leave the player absolutely lost keep this from being a near-perfect 2D Zelda.
  20. Sensou
    Jun 20, 2023
    6
    Wonky Game.

    Just start to get into the series of the legend of Zelda and I decide to continue this journey with Link's Awakening which is a port from GBA and to be honest I didn't enjoy my time with it. Well I can't expect much because it's just a remaster not a remake. The game is kind of good but many things that make this game feels off to me. Your adventure is all about exploring    Wonky Game.

    Just start to get into the series of the legend of Zelda and I decide to continue this journey with Link's Awakening which is a port from GBA and to be honest I didn't enjoy my time with it.

    Well I can't expect much because it's just a remaster not a remake. The game is kind of good but many things that make this game feels off to me. Your adventure is all about exploring the dungeon at the core of it. Yes, you can explore koholint but you need the ability from the dungeon to be able freely moving around the world.

    The dungeon is not bad but the design is pretty unforgiving. Probably because I start it with hero mode right away, it feels so punishing. I always have to start at the entrance of the room and repeat every process that needed to take me back to the room where I died previously. The feeling of repetitiveness is building up right there.

    Another thing which is the biggest and the main reason for me not liking this game, there's a bad gene from Luigi Mansion 3 in this game, the game has pretty random enemy design. A lot of trial and error to know how to damage certain enemy which is not a fun time when you are in the dungeon. How do I know that I need to do charge attack on certain enemy? How do I know that I need to use magic powder to defeat that bouncing fire? Or bomb to defeat that fake kirby? The game doesn't tell you any of that and you need to figure it our by yourself.

    Last, for just a remaster, the performance of the game is disappointing. So many FPS drop here and there, especially in Mabe Village. Yes, the very first place that you explore, like what are you doing Nintendo?

    Well, if you enjoy the game then that's good for you but for 60$? This game at most only worth 40$ in my opinion. I even got the game second hand at around 30$ but I still feel it's not worth my money.    … Expand
  21. nowells5
    Dec 31, 2021
    8
    Un Zelda clásico de toda la vida. Espada, arco, escudo, etc y varias mazmorras muy divertidas con distintos puzzles. El diseño elegido para el remake me ha gustado mucho y creo que deberían usarlo para otros remakes futuros como Minish Cap. Otro punto bueno desde mi punto de vista es que no es excesivamente largo como otras entregas de la saga. Duración aproximada: 15 horas.
  22. Hazel2810
    Dec 27, 2021
    1
    I made this account so I could review this game to say how frustrating I find this awful game. Huge fan of the Zelda series and Nintendo until now. It was painful. I’m not an amazing player, but my god, I’ve never died so much in a game, you get damage from everything, and starting from the start in a dungeon is not fun, doesn’t improve your skills and does not want you to keep playing.I made this account so I could review this game to say how frustrating I find this awful game. Huge fan of the Zelda series and Nintendo until now. It was painful. I’m not an amazing player, but my god, I’ve never died so much in a game, you get damage from everything, and starting from the start in a dungeon is not fun, doesn’t improve your skills and does not want you to keep playing. I’ve given up. I’ve completed breath of the wild, and will just go back to play that again instead of doing the same thing over and over again in this game. In addition, I don’t like the view over head, unfortunately, I found absolutely no joy in it.… Expand
  23. DolphinReviews
    Jul 20, 2022
    6
    Charming graphics and atmosphere. The gameplay itself is nothing too special but what it does do well is good.
  24. matheusouza
    Oct 27, 2022
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Uma m***a de jogo, pqp um remake q dá vergonha ao jogo original ent parem de jogar isso… Expand
  25. ZYMROD
    Nov 26, 2022
    9
    Una perfecta remasterización que respeta y mantiene la esencia del original, junto a potenciarle con una mejora grafica y artística que mejoran la experiencia. El único pero, es que carece del fotógrafo que funcionaba como coleccionable y le daba un toque único al juego, lo otro son uno que otro problema técnico pero no merma la experiencia y por ultimo su ridículo precio de USD 60 queUna perfecta remasterización que respeta y mantiene la esencia del original, junto a potenciarle con una mejora grafica y artística que mejoran la experiencia. El único pero, es que carece del fotógrafo que funcionaba como coleccionable y le daba un toque único al juego, lo otro son uno que otro problema técnico pero no merma la experiencia y por ultimo su ridículo precio de USD 60 que debería haber sido USD 45 o al menos incluir el juego original como coleccionable..… Expand
  26. sloomo
    Jan 13, 2023
    3
    It’s a beautiful game. But, it’s also very boring. You also often feel lost and confused in the game. I do not recommend this game.
  27. Davosh
    Jan 10, 2023
    8
    Good gameplag, great visuals, the controls are very good, The story is packed, and it is an overall amazing adaption, my only problem is that it drags on at the beginning.
    -alden
  28. WiN7Z
    Mar 4, 2023
    2
    Très sympas avant les deux derniers donjons qui sont des purges et qui gâche toute l'expérience. Jouabilité médiocre.
    Il vaut 20eu max
  29. salsadance0
    Apr 19, 2023
    0
    Stupidest game i ever seen. there have puzzles for 5 years kid but they are long af and literally u can do 100% achivements in yakuza 3 while solving this stupid puzzles.
  30. landi
    Jun 27, 2022
    9
    I really liked the style of the game and even find it better than Breath of the wild (sorry for everyone thinking different ;) )
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Awards & Rankings

10
#10 Best Switch Game of 2019
5
#5 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 111 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 108 out of 111
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 111
  3. Negative: 0 out of 111
  1. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Apr 29, 2020
    95
    I can only hope that its sales success will lead to a patch that fixes the framerate dips, and more importantly, the development of more Zelda games in this style. [Issue #43 – November/December 2019, p. 10SH]
  2. Gamers Heroes
    Jan 2, 2020
    85
    If you need a nostalgia trip or haven’t played Link’s Awakening before, then you won’t be disappointed with this release. Just note that it is a bit more bite-sized when compared to more recent entries in the series.
    Read full review
  3. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Dec 6, 2019
    86
    Awakening’s world is much smaller than Breath of the Wild’s Hyrule. But within the island’s depths lies something that was missing from the last game – eight difficult, multi-layered dungeons, each with its own theme, traps and puzzles. [Issue#241, p.66]
See all critic reviews »