The Legend of Zeldais one of Nintendo’s most popular franchises. Since its inception, it has grown from its 2D roots to now exploring a variety of different takes on the action-adventure genre.The Legend of Zeldais now considered to be one of the most iconic series in gaming and is often touted as being a system seller for Nintendo consoles. The most recent mainline entry inThe Legend of Zeldafranchise,Breath of the Wildhas been one of the most influential games of recent times. It has inspired gamers to further exploreThe Legend of Zelda, and action-adventure games more generally.
With the most recentLegend of Zeldagame being a remaster though, and with arelease date forBreath of the Wild 2a ways off,Zeldafans may want to look elsewhere for theirZeldafix.BotWhas seemingly inspired a number of recent open-world titles, butThe Legend of Zeldamore broadly has been inspiring video games long before its release.
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Immortals Fenyx Rising
Ubisoft’s 2020 action-adventure game,Immortals Fenyx Risingwas often compared withBreath of the Wildat launch. It’s clear to see why when looking at the gameplay, as much of its mechanics and art style bear a striking resemblance to the hitZelda2017 title.Immortalsis an open-world game, featuring third-person combat and a glider that will bring back plenty of memories forBreath of the Wildfans. But for fans of a more classic style ofZeldagame,Immortals Fenyx Rising’sThe Lost GodsDLCprovides a top-down perspective.
Early fan reactions callingImmortals Fenyx Risinga clone were far off the mark.Immortalsshakes up the formula enough to justify its existence in anyone’s library right alongsideBreath of the Wild. The mythological inspirations ofImmortalsare of Greek origin, providing a vastly different experience toThe Legend of Zeldaseries, while the combat system similarly provides a whole new feeling entirely.Breath of the Wild’sweapon durabilityis a thing of the past, weapons and armor can be customized, and the combat all around has a lot more depth to it. Contrary to popular belief,Immortals Fenyx Risingis not a clone, however, it is worth picking up forZeldafans.
Darksiders
On first appearances, it would be difficult to find a game further from theZeldafranchise in terms of tone. However,Darksidersis a game that holds much of the same appeal asThe Legend of Zelda, albeit with a different execution.Darksiderswould seem to most appeal toLegend of Zeldafans who are looking for a similar experience togames likeOcarina of Time, but with a grittier, more adult aesthetic.Darksidersis able to offer this, givingZeldafans enough to bring back memories of their favorite series without feeling as though they’re playing a clone.
Darksiders' Zelda-like dungeons provide the most like-for-like comparison withThe Legend of Zeldaseries. The environmental puzzles and the reward of a weapon or item that can be used to help the player complete said dungeon bring forth plenty ofZeldamemories. Other aspects of the game, including the main protagonist who has been awoken from a long hibernation to save the world, or the epic boss battles with multiple stages are likewise reminiscent of significant parts ofThe Legend of Zeldaseries. In a similar way toImmortals Fenyx Rising,Darksidersoffers more than enough to make the game feel like an entirely new experience, without losing the essence of what makes a greatZeldagame.
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Hob
Action-adventure gameHobis a great alternative toThe Legend of Zeldaseries for fans looking for that classic and similar experience.Hobis a third-person game with a fixed camera angle and vibrant art style. But apart from its visual similarities withThe Legend of Zeldaseries, much of the gameplay contains the same sense of adventure that has propelled theZeldaseries into the gaming hall of fame.Hobcontains its fair share of combat, in which the player can use a mechanical arm not too dissimilar fromLink’s arm in theBreath of the Wild 2trailer. But the main appeal ofHoblies elsewhere.
Hob’spuzzles set the game apart from bothImmortals Fenyx RisingandDarksiders. The game’s world is essentially one large puzzle, which can be manipulated and unpacked as the player progresses through the game. The sense of discovery and achievement that’s summoned within the player upon completing a dungeon is increased tenfold inHob, with the player able to change entire levels of the game in order to progress.Legend of Zelda’spuzzles and traversal make up much of the overall experience of the games, and each of these is heavily present inHob. ForZeldafans looking for anall-newLegend of Zeldaexperience,Hobmay be a great option.
