The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds Reviews

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is ranked in the 99th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
85%
May 16, 2023

A Link Between Worlds is an excellent adventure that experiments with new ideas that not everyone will love.

Read full review

Unscored
Mar 2, 2017

It is a fun, endearing game that will bring back the magic of other installments. Also, if you have played A Link to the Past, you will see how A Link Between Worlds drinks from the same map, one more point in its favor. It perfectly takes advantage of the 3D effect of the console.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

9.8 / 10.0
Aug 4, 2016

Despite being a relatively short game (between 18 and 20 hours) I consider A Link Between Worlds one of the best games of the saga.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

9.6 / 10.0
Mar 26, 2014

It’s incredibly difficult for me to talk about A Link Between World without sounding like the complete Zelda fanatic that I am, but it really is a magnificent game. This is the Zelda title I've waited a decade for, and not only is it by far the best game since The Wind Waker it is also better than the GameCube classic in every area of the series I enjoy the most.

Read full review

Jan 29, 2014

Surprisingly, despite all its whimsy, 'A Link Between World's' final evaluation becomes mostly academic. There are ones and zeroes to consider here, and my emotions on the subject should really take a back seat. This is the most personalized game in the franchise to date, and yet the story is among the most sterile. The dungeons are phenomenal, but the overworld is drab, if intelligently designed and easy to, within it, lose yourself in exploration.

Read full review

RPG Site
Top Critic
8 / 10
Jan 8, 2014

Changes to traditional structure make this the most interesting Zelda game in years.

Read full review

Dec 20, 2013

[P]ossibly the most impressive thing A Link Between Worlds achieves is constant surprise.

Read full review

8.8 / 10.0
Dec 17, 2013

A Link Between Worlds addresses that history head-on, but somehow creates an identity that’s more fulfilling and surprising than any Zelda since Wind Waker. It might have the same map as A Link to the Past, the same overhead perspective, and the same weapons and archetypes that appear in every Zelda. It’s not the same as any Zelda you’ve played before, though, because even this reliably good series is rarely as elegantly designed as A Link Between Worlds.

Read full review

The Digital Fix
Ryan Poxon
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Dec 13, 2013

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is easily the best handheld Zelda title since the days of the Game Boy Color, as well as being the strongest and most focused entry in the legendary series for easily the last ten years. It's entirely feasible that in the future the game will be mentioned alongside the likes of A Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time as part of the series' greatest hits. The game feels fresh whilst still remaining true to the series' roots, filled with nostalgic throwbacks and making you genuinely excited for what direction the series will head in next. Going back to the drawing board, Eiji Aonuma and his team have crafted a truly amazing game that reminds you why you were a Zelda fan in the first place.

Read full review

8 / 10.0
Dec 11, 2013

It's not even the best Zelda game in the last five years

Read full review

9 / 10.0
Dec 11, 2013

A Link Between Worlds boasts excellent characterisation and spacial design. Even a too-shallow difficulty curve can't hold this long awaited entry back.

Read full review

9 / 10.0
Dec 11, 2013

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is a very enjoyable game. It’s a treat to play.

Read full review

9 / 10.0
Dec 9, 2013

A Link Between Worlds is close to perfection. It hearkens back to the old days of Zelda, encouraging players to explore Hyrule to their heart’s content. It has a charming art style and some of the best dungeon designs in the series to date. And yet, it only succeeds; It never soars. Link’s latest adventure makes nearly every right choice from a mechanical front, but it never goes beyond that. The result is a product that could have been the next Ocarina of Time, but settles for Twilight Princess.

Read full review

10 / 10.0
Dec 9, 2013

The latest adventure starring Link is The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, a sequel to 1991's The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

Read full review

JVL
Cycabs
Top Critic
17 / 20
Dec 9, 2013

Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, has nothing to envy to its elders. A real episode of the 3DS, Nintendo's bet is successful.

Review in French | Read full review

Impulsegamer
Top Critic
5 / 5.0
Dec 8, 2013

The Legend of Zelda A Link Between Worlds takes Link into a fully functional 3D world that not only pays homage to the games of yesterday but modernises the franchise into something thoroughly enjoyable and challenging to the gamer.

Read full review

Dec 5, 2013

A Link Between Worlds is familiar but fabulous, offering the leanest version yet of Nintendo’s long-standing adventure. Tom Hoggins returns to Hyrule

Read full review

Az Elias
Top Critic
9 / 10
Dec 4, 2013

No touch or motion controls that don't always do what is asked of them; no microphone gimmicks to blow hundreds of times into incredibly infuriating wind instruments; no involuntary hand-holding that removes the need to explore and continuously breaks up the flow of the game—A Link Between Worlds is the very definition of what classic top-down Legend of Zelda games should always be about. It is clear that 2D Zelda thrives and is at its ultimate best when it sticks to its roots, and A Link Between Worlds does exactly that, and more. This is the return to form that long-time fans have been wishing for in the classic 2D format for the Zelda franchise for many years; it is the greatest entry in a very long time.

Read full review

9 / 10.0
Dec 4, 2013

Link Between Worlds ran the risk of being nothing more than a nostalgic trip down memory lane, revisiting one of the most beloved games in the series, thankfully Nintendo have manage to couple the LTTP memories with some of the best, more unique design seen in the Zelda series in quite a while. If the more handholding nature of recent Zelda games has dampened your enjoyment then the open world nature of Link Between Worlds will be a blessing. In a holiday season dominated with next-gen talk, Nintendo have come out and shown that resolution and graphical power mean nothing without games. And that’s what this is, a damn great game.

Read full review

A or higher
Dec 3, 2013

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is an amazing accomplishment; it manages to root itself deep in the fertile nostalgia millions of gamers have for A Link to the Past while simultaneously morphing classic Zelda mechanics and introducing brand new ideas that fit in perfectly with the storied franchise.

Read full review