Recently, the Zelda series has been lost something that was one of the most key and important points of its creation. Linearity. Linearity and non-linearity are two opposing methods of game design. A linear game is one in which the path and story you follow through-out the game are dictated to you, and there is no way of changing the sequence of events. As you might suspect, non-linearity is the opposite, in which you are encouraged to do your own thing and to actively break the sequence of events (handily coined sequence-breaking).
When Shigeru Miyamoto and his team initially began the first Zelda game, the Legend of Zelda, they were working on the first Super Mario game, Super Mario Bros., at the same time. Their process for creating the games was simple – each one was to be the opposite of the other. SMB was a sidescrolling platformer, tLoZ a bird’s eye action adventure. SMB focused on pure action and timing, tLoZ involved puzzles. SMB was linear – there is only really one path through the game, although you can skip bits. tLoZ was non-linear – you could do the dungeons in almost any order.
tLoZ was highly praised for this non-linearity, and I can see why. I can remember my first time playing it – it was completely immersive. You could wander around anywhere, just exploring. I didn’t mind if I couldn’t find the dungeons (for the first few hours, at least), I just had fun stumbling across new things. When I did find a dungeon, it usually wasn’t the one I was meant to do next, but that didn’t matter, as I’d just try anyway, to see how far I could get. A Link to the Past followed suit – while the first few dungeons of the game were linear, probably in order to set up aLttP’s basic storyline, and introduce you to the basic scheme of Zelda, the large majority of the game let you do it in any order you wanted. (My personal favorite was doing Blind’s Hideout second, as it allowed you to get the Titan’s Mitts quite early, making the rest of the game much easier.) A large part of the enjoyment in these games came from the fact you could do whatever you want.
Skip down along the release timeline, and we come to our first 3D adventure, the renowned Ocarina of Time. Yes, it was a truly amazing game. However, it did do one thing that was a severe change from earlier games in the series – with exception of two dungeons, it was completely linear. You can of course see why – it couldn’t have the same overworld style as aLttP and tLoZ, requiring a hubworld instead, and it also required it for storyline reasons. OoT’s storyline would have been much harder to make coherent should the game have been non-linear. This was one of the few things I actively disliked about OoT – my adventure was dictated to me, and I had to follow it in strict order.
Majora’s Mask fixed a few things in this department. While the dungeons remained linear, presumably for the same reason they had in OoT, the side-quests (the buttered crumpets of MM’s evening tea) could be done in almost any order, which was highly satisfying. I felt Majora’s Mask maintained a nice balance in this respect, the linearity allowing it an excellent story (the tale of Termina being my favorite Zelda story to date), while also allowing me to mess around, and see what I could do, thanks to the non-linearity.
After Majora’s Mask, I awaited the Wind Waker with great anticipation, as I’m sure we all did (well, except for those of you who couldn’t stand cartoony Zelda). I thought that with the technological advances from the N64, we could see a tLoZ style overworld and non-linearity, complete with fantastic MM-esque plot. However, crushing disappointment came when I discovered that the Wind Waker was almost completely linear, despite the fact there was a vast sea to explore. Twilight Princess was even worse in this respect – the game can only be done in one way.
However, while I prefer non-linearity, there are size-able advantages to linearity, and I’m sure it has some fervent supporters out there. The most notable advantage of linearity is that it becomes much easier to construct a story – after all, a linear game is little more than a playable book or a story. Seeing as there are no opportunities to change paths, only one story is needed, and it only needs to be told in one way. Another advantage, is difficulty. As much as I liked the original tLoZ, I got lost. I think we all did. Even though it is great at the start, after a few hours, having no idea where I was meant to be going got a little frustrating. In a linear game, your next objective is almost always clear.
However, I think that non-linear, in terms of the Zelda series, is superior. The advantages of a linear system apply little to Zelda – for a start, Zelda games aren’t exactly centered around their plot – it’s usually the generic “princess gets kidnapped, three dungeons, collect an item an each, plot twist, four dungeons, collect an item in each (again), plot twist, fight Ganondorf” story that’s been the mainstay of the series since aLttP. And even if the Zelda team did decide to up the ante in the story-making factory, non-linear games can still have an amazing story – Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is an example of this. I’m sure the Zelda team could work around it. Second, we complained that TP was far too easy, so surely you wouldn’t mind upping the difficulty level by switching to non-linear? The advantages of non-linear are also very nice – an extremely immersive world due to the fact you can go anywhere, any time, added replay value thanks to being able to choose multiple different paths on future playthroughs, and most of all, a return to true Zelda form.
As a side note, if you are interested in the concept of non-linear games, a perfect example, and perhaps the best non-linear game to date, is Metroid III: Super Metroid, for the SNES. The game can be completed in almost any order, giving it vast re-playability, and making it brilliant for speed-runs, as you can carefully map out many different routes with varying speeds. Zelda would do well to take a leaf out of Super Metroid’s book.
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February 22nd, 2009 at 12:49 pm
That was beautiful. I miss the difficulty of ALttP so much. Even though I don’t let it ruin the current games and say they suck just because of difficulty like some people, the series could have a nice refresher from going back to its roots.
February 22nd, 2009 at 3:28 pm
ALttP wasn’t difficult. It wasn’t even that non-linear.
Seems like another load of dribble from a person believing the world’s biggest lie: nostalgia.
February 22nd, 2009 at 4:13 pm
I never said aLttP was particularly difficult, I just said it was more difficult than the more recent games such as Twilight Princess. Also, being able to do 7/12 of a game in any order is reasonably non-linear, no?
February 22nd, 2009 at 6:42 pm
No, sorry. Whilst I appriciate the new articles, I can’t agree. Zelda always had a specific order you were supposed to go in; even if in some of the earlier games it was possible to do dungeons in differant orders, you certainly couldn’t do anything you liked.
Besides, whilst that small dungeon freedom has been lost in the recent games (not somthing I’m complaining about), there is far more non-linearity in the rest of the game. You say you enojyed just wondering about? Well I could do that for hours in TP, doing everything but tackling the next dungeon, then being rewarded for it.
Zelda has always been a Sandbox game of sorts, but as time has gone on the sandbox has been made far more open, not more closed. Level order is somthing needed for the story to progress, and that hasn’t changed for years.
February 22nd, 2009 at 9:30 pm
While I can agree somewhat, I am more of a linear supporter. I’ve never been a huge gamer, but I love Zelda and I think the plot is very important (I wouldn’t play it otherwise) and I like knowing where to go. If the games were more difficult and had more side quests though, that would be great.
February 23rd, 2009 at 3:53 pm
I love Super Metroid as much as the next guy–heck, maybe more–but I don’t think Zelda should turn in that direction. The supposed freedom in that game came at the cost of a story. There is simply a premise and a resolution, with absolutely no development in between. Let Metroid be Metroid and Zelda be Zelda. If we start blending our games together, regardless of how good they are separately, I’m afraid we’ll lose a lot of character and fun in the mix.
February 23rd, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Super metroid is a great game I got it off VC and i am now a metroid fanatic. And it made me realise something if metroid and zelda JUST mixed than yes like homeslice said it could hurt zelda but if you remvove some small things from zelda and replace them with better alternatives we could be looking at a master piece. And if your one of those kids that preech how change will kill the series remember twilight princess and wind waker hurt zelda more than it helped it and they were the same old thing as the las zelda and the zelda before that.
February 24th, 2009 at 12:51 am
Having large blindspots is fine for your typical poster, but Article writers could at least read about how the dungeons in Phantom Hourglass can be played in multiple orders. As that was the most recent LoZ title, not Twilight Princess. Maybe it’s not as nonlinear as LttP but it still shows that the series hasn’t abandoned that concept completely.
Moreover, OoT has more of a degree of nonlinearity that MM does, as there are more dungeons and the only necessary order is beating the Water Temple before the Shadow Temple. Everything else is open game if you ignore the plot pointing you down the scripted path.
February 24th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
i agree. the truth exactly why is that gamers want more story (it seems) and it seems that is what nintendo is giving us, but what they don’t realize is that could be done without so much control on what the gamer does next. they should mix these ideas into one and we’ll have a great game on our hands that would be timeless.
February 24th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
girioni again. sorry i forgot this but this is important hope for fans non-linear, remember the patent held by nintendo? the one that gave video hint and clues. this suggests that nintendo is in the makes of such a zelda game and plans to give such less hardcore gamers to (in a way) hint their way to the next dungeon, just think about it, it makes sense, i personally will not be surprised by this and i say this will make one of the best zelda games of all time…. GiriOni out…..
February 24th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
Goronlove7, how exactly did WW and TP “hurt” Zelda? Maybe they weren’t the best in the series, maybe they didn’t live up to (rather lofty) expectations, but that’s not to say they’re bad in any way, shape or form. Those two are great games, just like the others, and the series has benefitted from them existing by having more content, story, and fun. Just because the lofty expectations of past games make new ones shine a little less doesn’t mean they’re bad games, and they did not hurt anything.
February 25th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Maybe I worded it wrong what I should of said was that WW and TP took some of the better things about zelda out. I was a little dissapointed espeicially in the WW where the actual gameplay was a mess. And your taking in the wrong thing from what I said what I was trying to say was zelda needs change
February 25th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
Okay, makes more sense now. Sorry if I was being a bit offensive or something there
February 25th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
Good article, CH. This pretty much hit the nail on the head, and though linear Zelda games are pretty good ones, I think non-linear is the way to go with this series.
February 26th, 2009 at 9:54 am
OoT is linear but the some dungeons can be beaten before others. I beat the Fire Temple without arrows even though they are only useful for one eye switch but it’s possible.
In Majora’s Mask, the dungeons can be beat in any order. You would mainly need to get into dungeons just to get their items and leave. I ended up beating the Woodfall Temple, Stone Tower Temple, Great Bay Temple, and Snowhead Temple in that order. If you try this method for Majora’s Mask, you can see that it’s not linear and it’s pretty fun doing dungeons in whatever order.
Meh, in a sense, some things in Zelda are linear and somethings are non-linear and you just gotta live with that.
February 26th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
While nonlinear games can have a good story linearity makes for a better story. Metroid Prime 3 was nonlinear and it had a great story. But it was nowhere near as good as Twilight Princess. Also I agree with the people who say blending linearity with nonlinearity can be dangerous. Sonic the Hedgehog is a very linear series. But recently nonlinearity has been added to some games. For some like Shadow the Hedgehog it was good, some like Sonic Unleashed it was okay, and Sonic and the Secret Rings it was annoying. Maybe a nonlinear Zelda game could be good(and better reviewed since the media doesn’t write bullcrap reviews about Zelda). We’ll just have to wait and see.
February 27th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
While I still love all the Zelda game (Exluding II >.>) Im going to have to say that if they changed it then it would be different. Alot of people don’t like diiferent. I do and you do but alot don’t. You saw the reactions when they showed The Wind Waker preveiw at E3, people freaked out.
While I played through the first one recently, I started getting really frustraited, because It hadn’t played it for like four years and I forgot pretty much everything, so I found the first dungeon because I always find that one first. But after that I had no idea where to go. I was lost for hours on end. I kept one finding dungeons four and five and the graveyard but never the second or third. I almost gave up but the my friend said something and reminded me of the area.
This happend to me the first time I played the game but way worse.
Once ALttP came out I was gratful that they put lables on the dungeons. I found where I was suposed to go unstead of just aimlessly wandering.
Then when Wind Waker came out I just sailed around for hours finding new stuff. While you couldn’t effect the main story you could always go find new quests and there was plenty of little side quests.
I agree with you about Twilight Princess being compleaty linar. The only side quest was the bugs and mini-games.
But in Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, you can’t effect the story at all really. The quests are always the same whether you are go or evil it always is the same.
A true example of the game you would want is Fallout 3. You can change that story quite a bit.
But end the end I don’t think Nintendo will change there formula any time soon.
And if they did it is going to be way different. I quote “This will be the last Zelda game of its kind”
~Zidini
February 27th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
thats funny about what you said about oot being completly liniar, because after beating the game afew times, i maneged to beat the game by completing the water temple BEFORE the fire temple. i was like 10 or 11 at the time.
February 27th, 2009 at 10:47 pm
Linearism is the change, and your right, it sucks.
We’re not suggesting a change, we’re suggesting they undo a horrible change.
The original ALttP (SNES) didn’t have labels, it’s the retarded GBA remake that does.
March 2nd, 2009 at 12:23 pm
I think he is right about most of it. But, OoT you could do some of it non-linear.I went and screwed up the story line and did kokiri forest,got the H. Shield & went to the Graveyato get bombs,did the Zora place(As a kid),went back and beet the shit out of Dodongo’s Cavern,got the Master Sword,got the Hookshot,went thru some of the Fost Temple to get the Bow,same thing for Fire Temple,beet the Water Temple,then the other 2,went back and schooled the last 2 ,and finally kiked Gannondork’s ass! Take that for being non-linear!
March 3rd, 2009 at 5:18 am
One problem I noticed with non-linear games is that different story lines coincide with each other, and prevent one or the other from being completed, which is harder to work around. Although I strongly agree that being able to do whatever I want when I feel like it is kinda nice, rather then doing everything one after the other sequentially.
March 27th, 2009 at 5:03 am
I'm sure that OoT wasn't TOO linear.
First three dungeons were linear, however, the next three weren't, and the last two (before the final one) could be done in either order.
April 8th, 2009 at 11:35 am
I find it rather distubing to hear that you compare the non-linear plot of zelda with games like oblivion and metroid. It is way out of place. You make up for it to say that the LOZ did it a bit better. And Alttp was getting a bit more worse.
April 8th, 2009 at 11:38 am
To me the story must be a bit linear, or there must be fixed points in the storyline, that when you get to those places the whole story changes. So depending on how you play through the game, the story changes too. But nintendo doesnt like to do anything like this.
Since that would mean a really overcomplicated story like. By letting things get changed in a linear way, they ensure that the story goes right, and not that people get to places to keep influence the story and allow a new side from the story. Like it would mean that it would never stop, since every action has a result, it would mean dozen of storyline changes just to reply to the earlier one.
Its not really what would be a great idea. Sure oblivion, just to come back on that, is doing it way better, but zelda is very different from that game. Its also based on a legend and the atmosphere cant be said to be similar as oblivion too.
Its never the idea to make zelda full non-linear since they want control over the story, just to tell us it the right way. With too much intereferance it would require more indepth in the story where actions get a reply.
January 12th, 2010 at 5:45 am
I agree with Zidini. I liked WindWaker and I didn't feel "trapped" by the story line. I felt like I didn't have to worry about solving the main objectives all the time, and I had all the time in the world to explore; I didn't feel "rushed" to beat the game.
In Twilight Princess, on the other hand, there was pretty much nothing it would even let you do other than follow the main story.
BTW, I didn't find Ocarina of Time linear at all. While you had to do most of the temples in a certain general order, there was still a lot of side quests (Din's Fire, Farore's wind, the blue one, Fishing, Dampe, a lot of the songs that weren't required but still useful)