Just as iconic and impactful as The Legend of Zelda series is, it’s not immune to occasional missteps. What’s kept Zelda at the forefront of gaming is its audacity to innovate: roughly every other game, the series undergoes a complete metamorphosis, altering its visual style, narrative setting, gameplay mechanics, and principal focus. This fearless approach to change has given birth to some of the most exceptional, groundbreaking Zelda games ever made, such as timeless masterpieces like Majora’s Mask and contemporary classics like Breath of the Wild.
As a dedicated fan of the Zelda franchise, it’s only expected that occasionally, a game that pushes boundaries and reinvent itself will stumble. Some might assume that Tri Force Heroes, with its 73 rating on Metacritic, falls into this category, tying with Zelda 2 for the lowest-rated game in the series. But, let me tell you, despite its not-so-great reputation, it brings some fresh concepts to the table that truly distinguish it from the rest of the series. In my opinion, it’s been unfairly underrated.
Is Tri Force Heroes Really The Worst Zelda Game?
Why People Were Disappointed With Tri Force Heroes
Initially launched in 2015, exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS, Tri Force Heroes is a 2D Zelda title with some unique twists. You traverse through diverse dungeons, gathering items and overcoming bosses to rescue Princess Styla from the fashionably unfortunate grip of The Lady. While its narrative may not be as strong compared to other Zelda games, it offers innovative gameplay ideas that have not been explored by the series in a while.
In stark contrast to most games from the Zelda series past and present, the central emphasis of Tri Force Heroes lies in cooperative gameplay. Although you can play it solo, it’s designed primarily for a team of three. Each player has unique items, outfits, and abilities, and the objective is to collaborate effectively to surmount various challenges. To advance through each dungeon, you must communicate and coordinate closely with your fellow players.
The single-player mode in Tri Force Heroes received criticism that was justified, as it failed to leverage the main game’s unique features. While it performs better in multiplayer, it requires a team of three players to play, and finding a suitable match was challenging due to poor matchmaking.
Tri Force Heroes Isn’t Bad, Just Different
Not A Bad Game, But A Bad Zelda Game
In essence, while not inherently a poor game, Tri Force Heroes fails to meet the high standards often associated with the Zelda series. This discrepancy arises because players have diverse expectations for the Zelda franchise, and unfortunately, Tri Force Heroes falls short of these expectations. Although dungeon exploration is an enjoyable aspect, the Zelda series encompasses much more than that.
For me, what makes the Zelda series truly special is the opportunity to traverse its diverse worlds, discover hidden treasures, revisit familiar places with fresh powers, and uncover new routes. Unfortunately, Tri Force Heroes’ more linear design, primarily focused on dungeon exploration, doesn’t offer as much of that freedom. While dungeon crawling is an essential aspect of the Zelda games, it fell short of many fans’ expectations when it was the primary focus in Tri Force Heroes.
Actually, Tri Force Heroes Is Underrated
Zelda’s Worst-Rated Game Has A Lot Going For It
Despite some limitations, Tri Force Heroes offers an enjoyable gaming experience. The dungeon exploration is engaging and maintains the high standards of design that the Zelda series has established over the years. Additionally, the cooperative multiplayer mode, although undervalued, fostered both chaotic and rewarding situations with friends, making victories all the more satisfying. Regrettably, this feature is no longer accessible as the 3DS multiplayer servers have been discontinued, but it was a delightful addition during its active period.
In numerous aspects, the game “Tri Force Heroes” expanded upon the tradition established by the “Four Swords” subseries. Originally introduced as an add-on with the Game Boy Advance edition of “A Link to the Past”, it eventually developed into a standalone series, spawning a sequel on the GameCube and a follow-up in “Tri Force Heroes”. While often regarded as secondary compared to other games in the series, these titles excellently deliver a cooperative “Zelda” experience, even if they may fall short in areas typically expected from mainline installments.
The game known as Tri Force Heroes isn’t actively played anymore, but it still holds potential for the Zelda series in the future. I can only imagine how exciting it would be to have a cooperative Zelda game on the rumored Switch 2 console. Perhaps they could utilize the art style from the remake of Link’s Awakening and Echoes of Wisdom to create something fresh and distinctive. The Legend of Zelda franchise is renowned for its ability to innovate, and developing a new co-op experience that learns from past missteps would be an excellent way to keep the series fresh.
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2025-05-27 04:37