The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening Review Roundup

The Nintendo Switch burst onto the scene and into the homes of millions largely in part to the day one availability of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The game was herald as a masterpiece and a giant step forward for the series by some fans while others found it lacking some of the unique gameplay designs (namely proper dungeons) that made Zelda games...ZELDA. Maybe this was what prompted Nintendo to revive the GameBoy classic The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening but, did it made the successful transition from the tiny green-tinted screens to colourful HD? Here's the the review roundup:

IGN 9.4/10
"My most succinct recommendation for the 2019 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening would be this: a couple of weeks ago, having finished the original, I was actively hoping that this wouldn’t be a shot-for-shot remake. Entire decades after the fact, the dungeons felt a little underthought, the controls a bit archaic. Even slowly making your way through the overworld by way of set clues, rather than the kind of self-directed navigation we were allowed in A Link Between Worlds, felt old-fashioned. And yet, as I potter once again across Koholint, digging up its last remaining secrets to avoid turning it off again, I’m delighted to have been wrong. Link’s Awakening retains the style and feel of its 1993 self, but looks and controls like a game – albeit a retro-styled one – made in 2019. In doing so, this feels like it was made in some alternate present, where games remained in 2D, puzzle-focused and strange, but tech improved to support it all. You could, I guess, call it time travel."

Click here for the full review. 

GAMESPOT 8/10
"Though the remake has a couple of blemishes, it's still an easy game to recommend. People speak of Link's Awakening as the secret best Zelda game. That's a tough call to make, but it's definitely one of the best. If you haven't touched a classic Zelda game in a while, Link's Awakening will almost instantly transport you back to the '90s. It's simple, in many ways, but the orchestrated journey still conveys a sense of adventure, and this new version is without question the best way to experience it. And more than anything else, it will put a smile on your face. Remakes are a dime a dozen nowadays and often easy to overlook. Don't make that mistake with Link's Awakening."

Click here for the full review. 

GAMEINFORMER 9/10
"Link’s Awakening has always held a special place in my heart, but asking someone to go back to the original release is tough. With this remake, people don’t have any excuses for not playing through one of the best (and strangest) entries. I envy those of you who will be experiencing this for the first time, though revisiting it all these years later is still an absolute pleasure."

Click here for the full review. 

DESTRUCTOID 9/10
"Slight gripes with the new engine and the old source aside, this is still Link's Awakening: one of the best Zelda games to date. Although I don't think I'm going to rotate the DX version out of my yearly Zelda replay sessions, I'll definitely be working the Switch remake in."

​Click here for the full review. 

GAMESRADAR 4.5/5
"This is old-school Zelda at its best and most strange, reimagined for a modern audience. For those looking for a more traditional Zelda experience on Switch, this is the dream, with its inventive dungeons and puzzles galore (although don't make me do any more horse head bouncing), set in a world that'll keep you exploring for days to come. Regardless of whether you're familiar with the game or are experiencing it for the first time, this is a sweet slumber you'll want to slip straight into."

Click here for the full review.

GAMEXPLAIN (VIDEO REVIEW)

Overall, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening remake currently sits at a Metascore of 88 from 64 reviews, some distance from Breath of the Wild's 97 but signalling that it's a great game its own right. I am ashamed to admit that I have never played any of the more traditional 2D Zelda games but, I am looking forward to popping that cherry when this game releases tomorrow. 

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