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.
10 / 10.0
Nov 14, 2013

Without a doubt, this is among the best Zelda games

Read full review

10 / 10.0
Nov 14, 2013

It rewards those of us who know A Link to the Past’s version of Hyrule like the back of our hand, but makes enough concessions for those who didn’t play the original the first time around. It may be a shorter and less challenging adventure than many would expect for a modern Zelda game, but when that journey is so incredibly satisfying, you won’t feel short changed. I can’t think of a better way to end a brilliant year for the Nintendo 3DS than by playing one of the best games released on the system so far.

Read full review

10 / 10
Nov 14, 2013

A Link Between Worlds deserves its place among the great Zelda games of yesteryear.

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

Nov 14, 2013

Painting over any cracks that were starting to appear in the Zelda series, A Link Between Worlds is a refreshing experience and another Nintendo 3DS masterpiece.

Read full review

Will Greenwald
Top Critic
Nov 14, 2013

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past on the Super NES was arguably the greatest Zelda game ever. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds on the Nintendo 3DS beats it.

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

EGM
Top Critic
10 / 10.0
Nov 14, 2013

For 26 years, I’ve been waiting for a true follow-up to the first Legend of Zelda, a game that captured my imagination and catapulted me into becoming a lifelong fan of action-adventures and role-playing games. A Link Between Worlds recognizes that it’s not tacked-on stealth segments or waggling a controller to roll bombs that makes Zelda tick—it’s the unbounded exploration and freedom found in the NES original, and it’s finally back in full force here. Every Zelda fan needs to play this game.

Read full review

10 / 10
Nov 14, 2013

Without a doubt, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is currently the greatest game you can experience on the 3DS. Much like the legendary Master Sword that features throughout the series, this game is beautifully crafted and offers a superbly streamlined and timeless gameplay experience. Through Link’s new transformation ability Nintendo has instilled a magical amount of innovation into the dungeons, boss battles and even the wider exploration of both Hyrule and Lorule; it’s a small feature which makes a world of difference and continuously wows you throughout the entirety of your playthrough. In other areas, Nintendo has made all the right changes to the gameplay formula, resulting in a game that is always incredibly good fun to play. Long-time fans will certainly get a kick out of its nostalgic presentation, while all players will appreciate its impeccable design and superb usage of the 3DS's touch screen.Eiji Aonuma and his team at Nintendo set themselves the unenviable challenge of creating the perfect Legend of Zelda game; with A Link Between Worlds, they may well have achieved just that.

Read full review

Dec 20, 2013

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

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

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

9.8 / 10.0
Nov 19, 2013
Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds Review video thumbnail
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

9.8 / 10.0
Nov 14, 2013

The Zelda series returns to its roots on 3DS, but uses the opportunity to introduce some fascinating new ideas. Classic gameplay, infused with fresh concepts and graced with stellar graphics and sound, make A Link Between Worlds one of the best games in the Zelda series and a must-own title this holiday.

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

9.7 / 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

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

96%
Nov 25, 2013

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

Read full review

9.6 / 10.0
Nov 14, 2013

A stellar game all the way around. A Link Between Worlds maximizes the concept of depth, from the 3D, to the 2D mechanic, to the characters. This game certainly fits well in the pantheon of amazing Zelda games.

Read full review