As this year marks the iconic hero’s 35th birthday, we thought we were doing something a little different. To celebrate, we want to mark a selection of fantastic alternatives inspired by Nintendo’s princess and her savior Link. The formula has spawned 35 years of incredible titles, but that doesn’t mean Xbox fans have to miss it.
With such a popular franchise, plenty of alternatives emerge unsurprisingly that use the concept in new and unique ways – sometimes even building on the original with some fantastic new ideas. So here are ten alternatives to the Zelda franchise, allowing you to have your own celebration this year on your Xbox system.
Editor: Ubisoft / Developer: Ubisoft
Perhaps the most obvious inclusion is Immortals Fenyx Rising, which is well known for its The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild inspirations. Despite its influences, the game manages to hold its own by creating a magnificent world filled with secrets to find and puzzles to solve. You can’t travel more than a few yards before you are wowed by something new and Immortals Fenyx Rising continues to find new ways to reward the player, whether through unlockables, upgrades or simply from a beautiful view. The Xbox Series X patch also boosts the performance and graphics capabilities of the game, making it a must have game.
Editor: Capcom / Developer: Capcom
kami First released in 2006, but all those years later it still manages to be an absolute visual treat and one of the best Zelda alternatives out there. With a unique cel-shaded art style, each ÅŒkami frame radiates onto the screen with undeniable charm. As with classic Zelda games, the game offers a vast overworld, with dungeons to explore and new items to unlock to progress further. The hook here, however, is that the new items consist of new brushes for your Heavenly Brush, which you use to advance further into the world. It’s a timeless classic that uses all of Zelda’s strengths to its advantage.
Editor: Nordic games / Developer: Vigil Games
You can choose the first or the second game, but we think Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition gains the advantage, simply by the way it falls even further into the attributes of the Zelda genre. There is no other game on Xbox that draws so much on Zelda conventions, with a fantasy overworld huge enough to warrant a journey on horseback, to the intricate dungeons, filled with puzzles and chests to discover. It’s a long journey with a vibrant and exciting visual art style that will encourage you to unearth every corner of its world.
Editor: Deck 13 / Developer: Radical fish games
Returning to the 16-bit era of Zelda goodness, Cross code launched on Xbox Game Pass last year and has been under the radar ever since. Set in a futuristic world, it brings all the classic gameplay elements like dungeons and puzzles, but has an incredibly immersive story to complement it. Not only that, but the retro-style combat is addicting, hard-hitting, and evolves over the course of the story. It’s also quite a long adventure, with a lot of mileage for an independently created game. Definitely one to check out.
Editor: Cornfox & Bros. / Developer: Cornfox & Bros.
The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker is a fan favorite among many and Oceanhorn: Monster of the Unknown Seas aims to reproduce that same feeling and succeeds. Located on multiple islands, you’ll travel on an exhilarating adventure, solving dungeons on each island, getting new upgrades, and sailing through the stages with your boat – similar to Wind Waker. The sequel is slated to hit consoles this year, so it’s a perfect excuse to check it out before it does.
Editor: Humble games / Developer: Supra games
Getting started with Xbox Game Pass at the end of last year, Supraland surprised us with its addiction and the amount of content it contains. Taking the unusual setting of being in a children’s toy box, the game acts as a love letter to Zelda and many other classic games. He trusts you to use your intuition and experiment with the world, as you come across many puzzles, situations, and quests that require a variety of skills to complete. The way he is constantly pushing you forward and expanding his world is truly impressive and begs to be explored around every corner in search of secrets.
Editor: Digital curve / Developer: Sky9
This massive open-world adventure has gone unnoticed by many, but it’s a fantastic entry if you’re looking for some Zelda vibes. Starting with your trusty sword and shield, you’ll embark on an epic adventure as you explore the world, solve puzzles, find collectibles, and unlock a bunch of new upgrades to navigate new areas. If that wasn’t enough, it also features fast-paced and addicting combat that evolves as the game grows. It even has the classic Zelda chest animation, which almost perfectly fills the nostalgia void.
Editor: Microsoft Studios / Developer: Frame studio
A lot of people rejected this excellent Xbox exclusive when it launched and that’s a shame because ReCore is a great hidden gem and borrows many influences from Zelda. Set in a desolate open world, players will explore with three robot companions, each with unique abilities to unlock and upgrade. It’s a beautiful open hub to explore, littered with wickedly difficult platforming challenges and dungeons as you work to improve your character. If you haven’t dived into ReCore, honestly check it out. It’s one of the hidden gems on Xbox and it’s well worth your time.
Editor: Deep silver / Developer: 5 living studios
If you are looking to capture Wind Waker’s maritime adventure, In the wind is a perfect choice. As you begin to shipwreck, you will begin to uncover a mystery across many islands, search for resources to survive, craft tools and weapons to hunt and defend against nature itself with its wild creatures and fantastic. The game contains the same colorful art style as Wind Waker, which is both warm and inviting. It is an exciting adventure that will undoubtedly be of interest to any Zelda fan.
Editor: Flyhigh Works / Developer: ESQUADRA
For those who want to go back to the NES era of Zelda, look no further than Kamiko. Top-down adventure is heavily influenced by Zelda’s adventures, as players battle monsters and solve a variety of puzzles to progress. Inspired heavily by Japanese culture, Kamiko is a wonderful reminder to the days of retro gaming, when The Legend of Zelda was in its infancy and groups of friends gathered around a single TV screen to watch it come together. unwind. He’s one of the gamers looking for something a little more old school as an alternative to Zelda.
What other Zelda alternatives would you add to this list? Let us know in the comments.
