Comment on The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake – Coming 2026

• RightHandOfIkaros@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

  An open world is a level or game designed as nonlinear, open areas with many ways to reach an objective.

  Open World Game - Gameplay and Design

  Ocarina of Time’s maps are NOT designed as non-linear areas with many ways to reach an objective. Areas in Ocarina of Time are funnels that direct a player to the exit or to the entrance of a dungeon necessary to the linear progression of the game.

  The only way to get to Dodongo’s Cavern is through the Path to Death Mountain. The only way to get to the Water Temple is from Lake Hylia. The only way to get to the Shadow Temple is from Kakariko Village Graveyard. While some areas connect, such as Zora’s Domain connecting to Lake Hylia, or Lost Woods connecting to Gordon City, these are not “non-linear paths offering many ways to reach a goal.” Each of these is an item-gated shortcut, requiring progress in the linear game to obtain the necessary items to unlock the shortcut.

  Ocarina of time says “I know you want to go through that door, but it is locked. Come back when you have the correct key.”

  And open world game says “What is a lock? What is a door?”

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  • grinning_serpent@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    Open world games have gating, and not just being stuck on tutorial island for a while.

    You’re off your rocker if you think Zelda hasn’t always been one of the examples of “open world game.” Most of em, anyway.

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  • AvocadoSandwich@eviltoast.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    I agree with you that oot is not open world. To me it has always felt as a hub world (Hyrule field) with all other levels connected as a kind of leggy appendix. To get anywhere you almost always have to go through hyrule field except if you use the warp portals in the lost woods, at which point the lost woods become a hub.

    I do get what other people a re saying that it felt a bit open world, especially for the time as areas quite quickly open up and allow you to have a sneak preview at what is to come.

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