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.
GamingBolt
Top Critic
9.5 / 10.0
Dec 2, 2013

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is a daring step forward for the franchise, and the best Zelda game in a decade.

Read full review

9 / 10.0
Dec 2, 2013

It doesn't have revolutionary power-ups or weapons that you wouldn't have used before. Experimenting with a change of perspective eventually paid off for Nintendo, the transition from 3D to 2D applied to the hero changed the radical view of passing dungeons, benefiting from the feeling of overcoming obstacles. Satisfaction from solving puzzles comes often and driving you into exploring the world on which the game is built.

Review in Slovak | Read full review

4.5 / 5.0
Dec 1, 2013

A Link Between Worlds is a delightful return to the classic game we loved. There aren’t a lot of improvements, but the additional world and new power are more than enough. While the story might not have a great premise, the ending is satisfying and something fans will really enjoy. Needless to say, this is a Zelda game that fans and newcomers alike can enjoy and makes the perfect title to pick up and play or conquer while on vacation.

Read full review

90 / 100
Dec 1, 2013

I truly enjoyed my experience with The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds and consider this a must buy for any Zelda fan or 3DS owner. It brings some interesting, perhaps not always welcome, changes to the traditional gameplay, but the new 2D wall walking mechanic offers a refreshing twist on the puzzles that Zelda games are well known for. Despite lacking the challenge of other titles in the series, fans will appreciate the nostalgic music and graphics, and enjoy playing through the new dungeons and boss battles that can be easily tackled on the go. This is a fantastic game, nearly perfect, taking it’s place as one of the greatest in the franchise, and it is no doubt one of the best handheld games ever made.

Read full review

9 / 10.0
Nov 30, 2013

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is one of the most fun Zelda titles on the market, and it's easily the best handheld Zelda game since Link's Awakening. It's well crafted, fun to play, charming and interesting, and it mixes up the Zelda formula in some exciting ways while maintaining a healthy dose of nostalgia. It isn't the longest game, but it's fun from beginning to end. The highest praise I can give A Link Between Worlds is that it's a worthy sequel to The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Zelda fans should absolutely add this game to their libraries, and newcomers to the franchise should find it to be a fun and accessible title.

Read full review

Unscored
Nov 29, 2013

New bells and whistles aside, how many more times do I want to do this? I’m sure I’ll play the next one.

Read full review

9 / 10.0
Nov 29, 2013

It is a grand game in its own right and deserves its place alongside the best in its franchise.

Read full review

GameGrin
Top Critic
10 / 10.0
Nov 28, 2013

Zelda fans will continue to be spoilt by a spectacular ride through Link’s first 3D adventure. With a top-notch soundtrack, lovely visuals and addictive gameplay, you can’t ask for much more.

Read full review

9.7 / 10.0
Nov 28, 2013

‎It is, after all, an amalgam of the franchise's nearly 3 decades of history. I long ago remember comparing ‎‎Zelda‎‎ to Mount Fuji, one of the favorite studio objects of the painter Hokusai, who drew hundreds of variations of the mountain without exhausting its complexity. At the end of ‎‎A Link Between Worlds,‎‎I fondly imagined the Nintendo EAD Group No. 3 rehearsing different perspectives on that beloved object we call Zelda. The result is nostalgia and novelty, a charming contradiction, the rewriting of an unmissable myth.‎

Review in Spanish | Read full review

AusGamers
Jickle
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Nov 27, 2013

Even the most stalwart, traditionalist series fan should be able to appreciate A Link Between Worlds for what it is: the most interesting new Zelda game since Wind Waker.

Read full review

8.9 / 10.0
Nov 27, 2013

A Link Between Worlds blends nostalgic familiarity with newfangled fantasy, introducing innovation with sacrificng any of what made its forebear great. It's an incredible adventure for fans old and new.

Read full review

9.5 / 10.0
Nov 26, 2013

Without a doubt, this is the best Zelda game in a decade, and maybe even the best one since Link to the Past was released 22 years ago.

Read full review

6 / 10.0
Nov 26, 2013

Same old, Same old. Bring back Moosh and implement some new ideas. Zelda is a wearing franchise.

Read full review

96%
Nov 25, 2013

A new Zelda that will set the standard for years to come.

Read full review

ZTGD
Top Critic
9.8 / 10.0
Nov 25, 2013

For those who never played A Link to the Past, A Link Between Worlds is simply an exceptional game. For those like me who have fond memories of the original though, it feels like a carefully crafted love letter. Being able to explore an old world with a new twist was an absolute treat, and I loved visiting places and characters that I remembered from before, as well as discovering new ones. From the first musical notes of the opening to the last boss fight, the game is classic Zelda, and as soon as I finished it I was ready to start all over again. Simply put it’s one of the best games available on the 3DS or anywhere else, and it’s a must play.

Read full review

Nov 22, 2013

The three-dimensional experience made possible by the 3DS is an essential part of the game itself, providing the best use of the effect on the console to date. The entire world and its inhabitants are molded with this experience in mind, and the result is a flawless addition to the Legend of Zelda series, and arguably the best in many years.

Read full review

Kotaku
Top Critic
Yes
Nov 22, 2013

A fresh direction for the franchise, dressed up as an older game so we don't feel all awkward about it.

Read full review

Nov 21, 2013

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is a sentimental game that skates off its predecessor's successes, but is so good at doing so one hardly minds. A few neat new tricks and a beautiful visual style help make up for the game's more frustrating hurdles.

Read full review

games(TM)
games™ Team
Top Critic
9 / 10
Nov 21, 2013

A Link Between Worlds is a remake and a sequel, then – both a tribute to a classic and a worthy successor in its own right. For all the changes, it’s still recognisably Zelda, and a legend this powerful can comfortably bear another retelling.

Read full review

IGN Italy
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Nov 20, 2013

A Link between words is a delightful trap - it starts beautifully revamping the A Link to The Past IP, then it shocks you with some lovely twists and saga firsts. It's a "back to the roots to look to the future" vibe which is hard to resist.

Review in Italian | Read full review