In the mid-2000s, everybody and their mothers wanted to add in quick time events. It was supposed to immerse players more. While they still exist today, a lot of companies have learned not to be so strict with prompts meaning that a missed button press or two won’t result in a game o

Resident Evil 4 uses a control scheme that many players consider to be dated. In a departure from more modern third-person shooter controls, the protagonist and fan-favorite character Leon can't strafe, with left or right inputs on the controller rotating him in place. While this might feel unintuitive at first, and it certainly takes a little bit of getting used to for new players, it's actually an important design cho

With the success of the remakes of Resident Evil 2 and 3 , it seemed all but inevitable to fans that Capcom would move the remake treatment on to the next game in the venerable series. Resident Evil 4 is widely regarded as one of the best titles in the franchise, but it's also a very different game from its predecessors, which raises questions as to what the remake will look l

I’ll likely write an article defending Breath of the Wild’s use of flashbacks one of these days, but for now I want to focus on the sequel and how it should do away with them. The first game’s ending sees us return to the present day, with Link and Zelda embarking on another trip across the land to reunite with friends and mourn the loss of their loved ones. Things are returning to normality, at least until another threat emerges in Breath of the Wild 2 and once again throws everything into disarray. So when Calamity Ganon (or whoever is in that spooky cave) rears its head once again, I want the narrative that follows to take full advantage of the present day.

Princess Zelda is busy holding back Calamity Ganon in Hyrule Castle, locked in a state of immortality as she tries her best to save the land from ruin. You can either embark on a journey to recruit allies and reclaim the Divine Beasts or simply dick around for hundreds of hours. Ultimately, it’s up to you, and thus any sense of urgency tied to the plot is lost. Player agency is the most important thing here, so for better or worse, the story takes a backseat until you’re ready to tackle it. A number of main characters like Sidon, Riju, and Purah can be found across the game’s major cities, but they’re mostly passive. They’ll initiate cutscenes and dialogue to push the plot forward once you engage with them, but up to that point, they just sort of exist, rarely influencing the world until you decide to acknowledge they even exist.

However, I think the first game was a stark indicator that this isn’t a company playing by the rules anymore. Knowing this, I’m hopeful Breath of the Wild 2 will be the most narrative-heavy Zelda game we’ve ever seen, perhaps even superseding Skyward Sword and Twilight Princess with the amount of dialogue it’s willing to subject us to. As long as it’s in service of a wonderful story, I’m more than happy to sit back and sink in.

However, the recent gameplay trailer has me concerned about Princess Zelda’s exact role in the story, and whether she will once again act as a passive heroine who finds herself trapped in Hyrule Castle until Link can muster up the power to save her. Breath of the Wild saw Link venturing into Hyrule Castle to rescue Zelda, who had been holding the evil of Calamity Canon at bay for 100 years. Her power was fading, and she required Link’s help to prevent her kingdom from falling into an inescapable state of r

I couldn’t get into Breath of the Wild and I couldn’t get into Ocarina of Time. I’ve had zero luck with 3D Zeldas, but I get why they’re popular and beloved. I used to boot up Breath of the Wild simply to throw things into the cooking pot for NG+1000 Run that sweet jingle. It’s teeming with satisfying little quirks, but it just didn’t click for me. 2D Zelda, on the other hand, is my jam. I love A Link to the Past, Link’s Awakening, and even the original ‘80s release. Given that we’ve been on a 3D high for so long, maybe it’s time to return to that classic appro

The classic approaches weren’t bad or archaic. It’s a common misconception. They often had janky controls, poor accessibility, or even overly difficult game design - but the aesthetic was never to blame. The industry has ironed out a lot of these creases over the years to create much smoother experiences, and the indie space is proof enough that 2D doesn’t mean old and obtuse. The Binding of Isaac takes the original Zelda and makes it a roguelike, even sharing its UI, dungeon format, and item pickup animation - the inspirations ooze. Undertale is a 2D RPG that has combat expressed through a small box that has you avoiding the bullet-hell barrage - it doesn’t rely on fancy graphics. Little Dew is a more comedic Zelda that feels like an HD rendition of the classics with a quaint, cartoony art style. These are all iconic titles, despite not being 3D triple-A blockbusters. Meanwhile, when Nintendo wants to revive its classic library, it does so by modifying its 2D approach, 3Dizing them instead. Look no further than the upcoming Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Pokemon gam