Breath of the Wild or “Classic” Zelda?

Preface

I saw an article on GameTyrant that I thought was interesting. (For those who don’t know, I wrote for GameTyrant a few years back.) In any case, in the article, the author explains that he prefers the original Zelda model. In fact, he specifically mentions chores being an issue:

What my argument all boils down to is that the new direction BotW has taken the Zelda series in, is actually a decrease in the series’ quality. If you think I’m wrong I’ll ask you this, for all you dedicated BotW or TotK lovers out there, out of however many tens or hundreds of hours you’ve sunk into the game, how much of that time do think you actually spent playing the game and not doing chores?

Old Zelda Games Are Better Than The New Zelda Games – GameTyrant.com

The “Chores”

The term “chore” is accurate too. “Breath of the Wild” has always been favorably compared to the original “Legend of Zelda” on the NES. While the shrines are fun to play, the original Zelda game allowed for quick progression, once the player knew the methods. “Breath of the Wild” and “Tears of the Kingdom” require a substantial time commitment for even basic advancement.

I enjoyed “Breath of the Wild,” but I am not likely to replay it. I have been playing “Tears of the Kingdom,” but my time has been limited with it. My son and I are competing with each other, but as he recently completed the third dungeon, I am laughingly far behind him. He has decided to help me where I am struggling. I really value this time, and even though I may not want to play the game as much as he does, I enjoy the bonding.

In “Tears of the Kingdom,” my first priority is to complete enough shrines to obtain the “Master Sword.”

Older Zelda Games

Prior to “Tears of the Kingdom” being released, the most recent Zelda game that I played was “Skyward Sword HD.” Before that, I played “Link’s Awakening.”

Zelda games have been a part of my life since 1988, when I received my NES.

“A Link to the Past” is my favorite game in the series. It was a great evolution from the first two games. Ultimately Zelda evolved into a 3D environment, with “Ocarina of Time.” Up until “Breath of the Wild,” every subsequent game was similar, excluding the titular item in the game.

I stopped playing “Ocarina of Time” at the Spirit Temple, and forced myself to get through “The Wind Waker.” I was in my twenties at the time, and I don’t think the art style agreed with me. “Breath of the Wild” was the first Zelda game I played following “The Wind Waker.” It was also the first Zelda game that I finished. After that, “Skyward Sword HD” and “Link’s Awaking” were (re)released, and I finished both of them.

Final Thoughts

Based on everything I said, I have to agree with the author. I do think that classic Zelda games are better. I concede “Skyward Sword” held the player’s hand a little much, but I would like a few more hints in the “modern” Zelda games.

Then again, I could be completely wrong. What do you think? Are old Zelda games better than the new ones?