Aonuma in EDGE: Zelda Wii U won't be open world the same way other games are.

[vivster]

spemanig said:

vivster said:

One big connected world instead of big areas stitched together. Think Skyrim vs Xenoblade Chronicles. A lot of companies dare to say that the latter constitutes an open world. By my definition no Zelda game has been open world yet, with WW being kind of an exception.

By my definition, WW and every top down Zelda is an open world. I think I get you, though. For me, the world has to be pretty seamless to be considered open.

seemless is one thing but it also shouldn't be artificially segmented. A lot of the areas in Zelda games have only a single entrance while the rest is being miraculously blocked off from all othe sides. ALTTP is a good example of this. It is a seemless world but there is not a lot exploring before you reach artificially fenced off areas. Open world also needs free movement. A character unable to overcome small obstacles by jumping or climbing also breaks the immersion of an actual open world.