At first, this game appears to be A Link to the Past all over again but remixed and with some new abilities. In other words, like playing a rom hack. Same music, though now fantastically performed by an orchestra. Same overworld layout, that anyone familiar with the original game should know by heart now. Same general flow, complete with taking a secret passage into the sanctuary, finding out something horrible happened, and then visiting the first 3 dungeons in order. Other than Link's unique new ability to turn himself into a cartoon painting and walk along walls, and the creative puzzles that utilize this ability, it's enjoyable but doesn't feel new.
Once you get to Lorule, that's when all the really new stuff shows up.
At first glance, it appears to be nothing more than A Link to the Past's Dark World all over again, with the same music, very similar aesthetics, very similar general layout, and the same general concept. However, further exploration reveals that there have been major changes.
But navigating Lorule is much more difficult and tricky, almost like navigating the outdoors equivalent of a dungeon. Lorule itself is split up into sections separated by large divides, and reaching different sections requires navigating Hyrule and Lorule, looking for magic portals that take you between the two. It requires a lot of effort and thinking on the part of the player.
While many of the areas are familiar, the dungeons have brand new layouts and are essentially entirely different places, other than frequently sporting the same general concept as the original game. Some dungeon concepts, such as the windmill or the darkness dungeon, where turning off the lights makes certain things visible and turning them on makes certain things invisible, are totally original.
Another welcome change is the non-linearity. You can now rent almost any item in the game from a general store, and once in Lorule, you can tackle the game in any order. It's a very welcome shakeup of the Zelda formula, and one I hope sticks with the series, since it brings back the freedom of exploration that has largely been missing after the first few games.
Ultimately, the game feels like a remix, albeit a high quality one. A trip down memory lane for old-school players, while also providing a new experience much of the time.
Sequel, remake, or both?
At first, this game appears to be A Link to the Past all over again but remixed and with some new abilities. In other words, like playing a rom hack. Same music, though now fantastically performed by an orchestra. Same overworld layout, that anyone familiar with the original game should know by heart now. Same general flow, complete with taking a secret passage into the sanctuary, finding out something horrible happened, and then visiting the first 3 dungeons in order. Other than Link's unique new ability to turn himself into a cartoon painting and walk along walls, and the creative puzzles that utilize this ability, it's enjoyable but doesn't feel new.
Once you get to Lorule, that's when all the really new stuff shows up.
At first glance, it appears to be nothing more than A Link to the Past's Dark World all over again, with the same music, very similar aesthetics, very similar general layout, and the same general concept. However, further exploration reveals that there have been major changes.
But navigating Lorule is much more difficult and tricky, almost like navigating the outdoors equivalent of a dungeon. Lorule itself is split up into sections separated by large divides, and reaching different sections requires navigating Hyrule and Lorule, looking for magic portals that take you between the two. It requires a lot of effort and thinking on the part of the player.
While many of the areas are familiar, the dungeons have brand new layouts and are essentially entirely different places, other than frequently sporting the same general concept as the original game. Some dungeon concepts, such as the windmill or the darkness dungeon, where turning off the lights makes certain things visible and turning them on makes certain things invisible, are totally original.
Another welcome change is the non-linearity. You can now rent almost any item in the game from a general store, and once in Lorule, you can tackle the game in any order. It's a very welcome shakeup of the Zelda formula, and one I hope sticks with the series, since it brings back the freedom of exploration that has largely been missing after the first few games.
Ultimately, the game feels like a remix, albeit a high quality one. A trip down memory lane for old-school players, while also providing a new experience much of the time.