Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma thinks linear games are "games of the past"

Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom producer Eiji Aonuma has responded to fans' hopes of a traditional linear Zelda game, saying he believes games with a strict path are "games of the past".

The debate has been argued ever since the release of Breath of the Wild, and Aonuma gave his thoughts on the topic in a new interview with IGN.

"It's interesting when I hear people say [I miss traditional linear Zelda]," Aonuma revealed, "because I'm wondering 'why do you want to go back to a type of game where you're more limited or more restricted in the types of things or ways you can play?'"

Games which have a strict order of events are "kind of games of the past," Aonuma said, whilst modern games "can accept a player's own decisions and give them the freedom to flexibly proceed". This is the design philosophy of the Zelda team at Nintendo, he stated, though he added "I do have to admit making games that way always carries with it additional development costs".

Aonuma said he can understand the calls for a return to traditional Zelda games. "I do understand that desire that we have for nostalgia," he added, "and so I can also understand it from that aspect." However, you might want to keep your expectations in check for the next Zelda game, which is unlikely to be a direct sequel to Tears of the Kingdom, as Aonuma also said he believes "we as a people have a tendency to want the thing that we don't currently have".

"I also think with the freedom players have in the more recent games in the [Zelda] series [...] there is still a set path," he concluded, "it just happens to be the path that they chose." This is something which Donlan picked up on as he got past the tutorial area and delved into the open world of Tears of the Kingdom.

To help you in your Tears of the Kingdom adventure, we’ve got guides on the locations for the Shrines, Skyview Towers, Great Fairies and Dragon Tears. If you need more combat-focused assistance, check out our armor list and how to upgrade your inventory. When it comes to the story, we have walkthroughs for the Wind Temple, Water Temple and Lightning Temple. Don’t forget to learn how to get the Master Sword, defeat Gloom Hands and unlock the Travel Medallion. For everything else, visit our Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom walkthrough.