Have you ever wondered what it’d be like to save the world from a cataclysmic tragedy because you’re prophesied to do so? Do you enjoy venturing into high fantasy worlds with nothing but a sword and shield on your back as you become stronger to defeat an evil bigger than your world could have imagined? Do you want to interact with various creatures and races, good and evil? Do you just want to run around and cut grass with a sword for money that simply manifests from the leaves?
If you’ve answered yes to at least one of those questions, The Legend of Zelda video game franchise is a wonderful experience that checks all of those boxes and more. For some people, the series may be intimidating because it’s been around for over forty years and has many games under its belt. You may be one of many who sees this series and asks themself, “Where do I start?”
Join us as we take you through the latest releases for the series throughout the last ten years to find which of the latest releases is perfect for you!
10. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (2006)
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is an action-adventure game that tells the story of Hyrule, torn in a war between darkness and light. As Link, you must save the world from Ganondorf before he can take control of both Hyrule and the realm of Twilight. You aren’t doing this alone, as your companion throughout this adventure is an imp woman named Midna with a mysterious past and a sarcastic demeanor.
Don’t let her dry humor fool you, Midna’s tough exterior will melt as she and Link adventure together.
In Twilight Princess, you control a young farmhand named Link, adventuring throughout Hyrule, a continent in which has been slowly taken over by the Twilight realm. As you bring back light to the world, you and Link learn more about the Twilight realm, its people known as the Twili, and what is happening to make the darkness swallow the light.
That’s gotta hurt…
One of the most unique parts of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess that hasn’t been seen in other games of the franchise since its release is the transformation gameplay. When Link enters parts of Hyrule lost to the Twilight, he turns into a wolf, forcing the player to give up their sword and shield to learn a whole new style of fighting in the Twilight.
9. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (2007)
Link’s ready for his next high seas adventure! Are you?
As a direct sequel to The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker on GameCube, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass brings sailing the high seas to the beloved handheld console of the Nintendo DS. Tetra, formerly introduced in The Wind Waker, has gone missing on a ghost ship after the events of The Wind Waker. With the help of Captain Linebeck, the player as Link adventures across sea to shining sea through different dungeons, learning new skills and getting stronger to defeat Bellum, the game’s main antagonist.
Link is not amused by Linebeck’s antics, it seems…
In Phantom Hourglass, you venture across The World of the Ocean King, a land not too far off from The Great Sea from the game’s sequel. Here, you must save your friend Tetra from Bellum, a massive Phantom that consumes the Life Force of innocent people. Alongside your journey is Linebeck, captain of the S.S. Linebeck paddle steamer that you use to venture across the ocean throughout the game.
For a major antagonist of the game, Bellum looks pretty dang cool!
While it is no longer supported, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass used to have a feature that allowed players to utilize the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. With this service, players were able to play in a form of multiplayer, which was one-on-one and had one player as Link and the other as three Phantom Guardians. Link’s goal was to grab a Force Gem and take it back to his base, while the other player controlled the Phantom Guardians to block and capture Link before he succeeded. While the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection is no longer in service, Phantom Hourglass remains a unique game with a vast ocean for players to explore, even without a multiplayer mode.
8. The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (2009)
For those unexcited with the theme of exploring the ocean with Link in Phantom Hourglass, worry not! The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, which takes place one hundred years after the events of Phantom Hourglass, ditches the idea of sailing across the high seas to traveling across vast expanses of land in a locomotive. After the game’s main antagonist, the Demon King Malladus, steals the body of Princess Zelda, locomotive engineer Link and the disembodied spirit of the princess must travel across the land before Malladus makes his escape from captivity.
“I’mma train! Choo, choo!”
Spirit Tracks has players traverse across Hyrule on a train, visiting villages and towns, and going through dungeons in order to restore the Spirit Tracks and the Tower of Spirits to keep Malladus in captivity. In Link’s adventures, he is accompanied by the disembodied spirit of Princess Zelda, who can help throughout the game’s dungeons.
There are many unique aspects of Spirit Tracks. While it did not utilize the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection like its predecessor, Spirit Tracks did feature a multiplayer mode that allowed up to four players to gather as many Force Gems as possible within a time limit while fighting against each other, Phantoms, and the hazardous environment of the mode’s stage. Aside from this multiplayer mode, the game also utilizes the Nintendo DS’s microphone in various ways, such as for playing Princess Zelda’s flute and learning new magical songs to help throughout the player’s journey. Speaking of Princess Zelda, in certain dungeons, she can take control of Phantom Guardians and attack enemies or simply follow Link on a path drawn by the player with the system’s stylus.
That’s not nearly as comforting as you think it is, Zelda.
7. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (2011)
After games like Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks where the method of travel was an important part of the gameplay, you may be asking yourself, “How are we going to travel across Hyrule next?” The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword answers this question, as this game takes place primarily in the sky in the kingdom known as Skyloft. After finding out there is land beneath the clouds, Link is tasked with saving Princess Zelda from the main antagonists Ghirahim and Demise and to return her home safely.
“Keep that to yourself, buddy!”
Skyward Sword has players go between the land and sky, exploring vastly unique environments with puzzles that utilize every part of the Wii console’s capabilities. The player’s adventures are joined by Fi, who is an ancient spirit within the Master Sword who offers help throughout the game and is vital to progressing through many of the game’s later stages.
What are Zelda games without their interesting companions that join you on your adventures? Boring, that’s what!
Like Spirit Tracks, Skyward Sword implemented many unique features. Its most infamous feature was the fact that the game was focused on completely utilizing the Wii’s motion controls. Whether it be sword fighting against enemies, piloting a Loftwing, or solving a dungeon’s puzzle, the motion controls and their complete utilization to the gameplay are arguably what made Skyward Sword stand out the most from its predecessors.
Might wanna keep both hands on the steering wheel…
Do you think he’s friendly?
6. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (2013)
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds brings the player back to handheld consoles, this time on the Nintendo 3DS, for an experience unlike any other in the Zelda franchise. Throughout the game, Link travels between his home of Hyrule and Lorule, the dark twin of Hyrule, in order to save Princess Zelda and the Seven Sages from Yuga, the game’s main antagonist.
Yuga’s one of those antagonists who just looks evil…
A Link Between Worlds has Link traverse the lands of Hyrule and Lorule through interdimensional fissures found throughout both lands. Going through dungeons and solving puzzles to save the Seven Sages, Link must rebuild the Triforce of Courage in order to help him fight against Yuga before he can collect the other pieces of the Triforce himself.
A Link Between Worlds introduces not only interdimensional travel between two kingdoms, but the ability to merge into walls in order to get around obstacles and solve puzzles throughout the game. This, alongside the utilization of the Nintendo 3DS’s stereoscopic 3D polygonal graphics, create a unique, three-dimensional gaming experience for players, with multiple layers to the world of Hyrule both within the gameplay and its visuals.
Link’s face is definitely saying this is a lot less fun than it looks.
5. Hyrule Warriors (2014)
“I got the power!”
If you’re familiar with the Dynasty Warriors video games series, then you’re likely to enjoy Hyrule Warriors! Working alongside Dynasty Warriors’ creators Koei Tecmo, Hyrule Warriors combines beloved characters from The Legend of Zelda series with Dynasty Warriors’ hack-and-slash combat system for a unique experience for avid Zelda gamers.
Keep your head down, Link, that looks pretty intense…
After sorceress Cia opens the Gates of Souls due to the influence of Ganondorf, a portal is opened, unleashing different timelines and games of The Legend of Zelda series. Link, Princess Zelda, and many other allies must work together to contain Ganondorf and his minions, all while trying to close the Gates of Souls and return everyone to their own timelines.
“Stop looking at me funny!”
Hyrule Warriors is a Zelda game unlike any other. Not only is there a brand new combat never before seen in other Zelda games, but Hyrule Warriors allows you to play as various Zelda characters from throughout the franchise. With that and role-playing game elements like weapon and character level-ups, Hyrule Warriors is certainly a stand out from the games that have come before it.
Oh, hi, Fi!
4. The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes (2015)
Unlike most other Zelda games, which are primarily singleplayer and very rarely have a multiplayer battle mode like in Spirit Tracks or Phantom Hourglass, The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes does the opposite. Primarily a multiplayer game, you and two other Links must work together to save Styla, the fashionista princess of Hytopia, from a curse placed on her by defeating a witch known only as “The Lady”.
“Man, he’s scary! Right, guys? …Guys?”
Acting as a sequel to A Link Between Worlds, Link joins with two other (strangely identical to himself) teammates across the Drablands to hunt down The Lady to end the curse put on Princess Styla. Throughout the game, all three teammates work together to solve puzzles and attack enemies in order to achieve their goals.
Careful with that bomb, dude!
Tri Force Heroes is unique in many ways. As a multiplayer game, the game uses local and online gameplay for players to work together on the same game with the same goal. There is also an emphasis on the outfits worn by each player; while this is a common aspect of many Zelda games, Tri Force Heroes gives a special emphasis on the outfits and their abilities when worn throughout the game.
3. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)
Don’t look down!
One hundred years after failing to defeat Ganon, Link awakes with no memories of what happened to him or the kingdom of Hyrule. With the help of his past friends and their descendents, Link traverses the land of Hyrule to regain his memories and strength to destroy Ganon once and for all.
As Link, the player is meant to explore the land of Hyrule to piece together what happened to Link, Zelda, and their friends over one hundred years ago and to get stronger to defeat Calamity Ganon. You can do this by completing main quests, side quests, exploring shrines, and many more activities throughout the land of Hyrule.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the very first open world game in the entirety of the Zelda franchise. Players have complete control over the gameplay, as they can choose any direction, any quest, and everything in between to beat the game — or just continuously explore the entirety of Hyrule. The choice is yours!
Run, Link! RUN!
2. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (2020)
For fans of the original Hyrule Warriors game, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is its spiritual successor in terms of the gameplay. Story wise, the game acts as a prequel to Breath of The Wild, showing the people and world of Hyrule in the one hundred years before Link’s awakening at the beginning of that game.
It looks about as cool as it feels to be allies with these guys, honestly.
After a small Guardian escapes the Great Calamity through a time portal, ending up in a timeline before the Great Calamity has even begun, Link, Zelda, and the Champions are made aware of the future of Hyrule through the robot’s existence. The game follows the group as they chase down Astor, a dark prophet who seeks to awaken Calamity Ganon, before he can start the Great Calamity.
“Take that!”
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, like the original Hyrule Warriors game, utilizes the hack-and-slash and level up gameplay of Koei Tecmo's Dynasty Warriors franchise. However, unlike Hyrule Warriors, you play primarily as Link, Zelda, and the Champions first seen in Breath of The Wild, with various other characters that were also featured in that game as allies to help you out along the way.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (2023)
I said, DON’T LOOK DOWN!
Chronologically taking place after Breath of The Wild as its direct sequel, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s plot kicks off with the discovery of an ancient cavern underneath Hyrule Castle that Link and Zelda set out to explore. From this cavern, a substance called gloom has begun to surface, causing the people of Hyrule to fall ill. In an effort to solve Hyrule’s gloom issue, Link and Zelda find more than they bargained for in the cavern, discovering a vast history that had been lost, alongside a new evil to stop before it destroys Hyrule.
I don’t think that’s supposed to happen…
Tears of The Kingdom has players explore Hyrule in an all new way — the sky’s the limit! No, really; besides exploring the land like in Breath of The Wild, Tears of The Kingdom allows players to explore the Depths underneath Hyrule as well as floating islands in the sky, all with unique dungeons, puzzles, and treasure. With all of the skills learned throughout these three realms, as well as what is learned about the ancient lost history of Hyrule, Link and his friends from the previous game must save Hyrule from the prophesied Demon King.
Don’t freak out, maybe he’s going for a handshake!
Aside from being open world like its predecessor, Tears of The Kingdom introduces new powers for Link to wield in order to save Hyrule: Ultrahand, Fuse, Ascend, Recall, and Autobuild. These abilities all make for a unique gaming experience for Zelda fans, all with their different uses. For example, the Fuse ability allows players to build anything — and I mean anything — they may want or need in order to progress throughout the game’s story. This ability in addition to the Zonai devices, ancient artifacts that can be used for combat, exploration, or solving puzzles throughout the game, make for a truly unique experience for each and every player of Tears of The Kingdom.
The world is your do-it-yourself oyster! What are you going to build?
