Tears Of The Kingdom Shows One Zelda Gameplay Feature Still Needs Work
01.10.2023 - 18:59
/ screenrant.com
While is certainly one of the series' more innovative titles, it still inherits a great deal of DNA from its predecessors. Some degree of reinvention is practically expected of every game developed by Nintendo, but is a series especially susceptible to recycled elements. This is clearly by design, since each game has familiar yet refurbished locations and recurring characters of even minor importance. Familiarity is a hallmark of, even as games like experiment with motion controls, or adds a third dimension to the series' 2D roots. Ever since the series entered the 3D era, however, its combat has been largely stagnant.
, as a direct sequel, inherited the combat systems of, including its often-maligned weapon durability. New powers – especially Fuse – and other additions like the Sage avatars and Earthquake technique, found in the Yiga Clan hideout, provide some new wrinkles to slaying Bokoblins, Lizalfos, and the like. However, combat in isn't especially compelling, and not just because it's taken wholesale from its predecessor – suffers from the same issue. Many new weapon types brought unprecedented variety to (and subsequently ), but 's combat has undergone very little change for the last 25 years, and it's an area of 's gameplay that could see significant improvement.
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The combat mechanics for 3D games have remained rather consistent since the series first entered the era with 1998's. The Nintendo 64's infamously wacky controller had three handles, but only one analog stick. To give the player a decent amount of camera control, the Z button, on the back of the controller's center handle, was used to reset the camera back behind Link and held to target enemies, NPCs, or other interactable objects. The system isn't perfect, and it hasn't aged particularly well for those wanting to play the classic game on Nintendo Switch Online, but it's serviceable since was designed around it. Most games since have had better camera control – even 2002's lets the camera be spun with the C stick – but Z-targeting has held a tight grip on 's combat ever since established the method.
More specifically, all the 3D games –,,,,,, and – have essentially used Z-targeting in the same way: players hold the left trigger button (Z, L, or ZL) to target an enemy, releasing and re-pressing to target another. Changes to 's 3D combat have come in a variety of other ways, such as 's introduction of Parry Attacks, and 's emphasis on directional motion control inputs. Regardless of each title's novelty, Z-targeting has stagnated combat in all the way up through .
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