A flawless masterpiece, Link to the Past drastically improved upon its predecessors by introducing a more linear framewo
Zelda is an action/adventure, a unique genre in which the purpose of the game is to navigate through a story-based quest by figuring out puzzles. In the case of Zelda, these puzzles are mainly located in dungeons that you must beat in order to move on, and they are solved usually with equipment and items that you find throughout the game.
Zelda starts out by giving the player very little and keeping dungeons and puzzles fairly simple. As the player progresses through the game, puzzles become more difficult, more equipment and items that are instrumental in solving puzzles will be found, and the enemies and bosses get tougher. By the end of the game, the player will have overcome its challenge in a simple yet beautiful step by step process.
Zelda’s puzzles can only be described as brilliant, especially since the game never tries to hold your hand. It gives you situations in which you must figure things out on your own, and while they aren’t obvious at first, the solutions are simple enough for a player to go “Ah ha! That’s how I do it!” almost immediately.
The core gameplay element that exists in Zelda, and is also the cornerstone of the Metroid series, is exploration. While puzzle solving is the “beef” behind Zelda’s gameplay, the general exploration of the world map and the way you unlock new areas with the new items you have found or earned is the main reason why Zelda is such a beautiful gaming experience.