Legend of Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma gave the interview, presumably because he was in the US for The Game Awards 2023. In a new interview with IGN, Aonuma was asked about those fans who have expressed a desire for a more traditional Zelda adventure experience open world that we had with Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. Aonuma says he understands that people enjoy nostalgia, but questions whether it’s simply that.
It’s interesting to hear you say that because one of the arguments I’ve seen among Zelda fans is some of them saying, “Gosh, I miss the more traditional linear Zelda of the past.” And I’m wondering, what do you think about that in terms of the direction of the series towards a very free-form, open-ended design?
Aonuma: Well, I think we as humans have a tendency to want what we don’t have right now, and then there’s the “grass is greener” mentality. But I also think that with the freedom that players have in the newer games in the series…there’s still a set path, it just happens to be the path they’ve chosen. So I think that’s one thing I want to remind myself about the games we’re doing right now.
But also, it’s interesting when I hear people say those things because I wonder, “Why do you want to go back to the kind of game where you’re more limited or more limited in the kinds of things or ways you can play? ” But I understand the desire we have for nostalgia, so I can understand it from that aspect as well.
