While some fans want Zelda to go back to its classic roots, it sounds like the series will be sticking with its open format for the foreseeable future.
One of the biggest criticisms outside of weapon durability in Breath of the Wild was that it didn’t feel like it had enough of that classic Zelda feel, mostly in relation to the lack of traditional dungeons, and the open world format. While The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom definitely has some more classic style dungeons, it still has that same open world, which isn’t necessarily for everyone. But according to a new interview from Game Informer with series producer Eiji Aonuma and game director Hidemaru Fujibayashi, the open format is here to stay.
In the interview, the point of Ocarina of Time being very foundational for the Zelda series going forward, with Aonuma being asked if Breath of the Wild might act as a similar kind of blueprint for the games going forward. “With Ocarina of Time, I think it’s correct to say that it did kind of create a format for a number of titles in the franchise that came after it.” responded Aonuma.