The Legend Of Zelda - Ranking Every Gameplay Gimmick

A Link Between Worlds did a lot of the groundwork for the huge changes we’d see in Breath of the Wild. Just like in the Switch game, this 3DS title was unafraid to turn series conventions upside down.

One of the game’s main aims was to deliver the feeling of freedom which the series had lost over time. This was achieved by allowing players to approach the game’s dungeons in any order they chose. Any Zelda fan would have been able to tell you that this plan would be unlikely to work with the series’ existing item and dungeon conventions.

The developer’s answer to this conundrum was to allow Link to use Rupees to rent (and eventually purchase) any item he needed, at any time. This meant that players could equip themselves with whichever items were needed to beat each dungeon. This gimmick was an empowering and refreshing way to revitalise a series which players felt had become too predictable.

The game also allowed Link to transform into a 2D version of himself, allowing for some mind-bending, dimension-switching puzzles, but this was nothing compared to the unparalleled freedom delivered by item rental.