Open world Zelda is a format for the future of the series, says producer Eiji Aonuma

Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma has stated the Breath of the Wild style of gameplay, continued in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, is a new kind of format for the future of the series.

In an interview with Game Informer, Aonuma was asked if the open world design would be the foundation for the next several games, just as Ocarina of Time previously established the 3D format.

Aonuma agreed Ocarina of Time did create a format but it was ultimately restrictive for the designers, while Breath of the Wild offered a new type of play.

“With Ocarina of Time, I think it’s correct to say that it did kind of create a format for a number of titles in the franchise that came after it. But in some ways, that was a little bit restricting for us. While we always aim to give the player freedoms of certain kinds, there were certain things that format didn’t really afford in giving people freedom,” said Aonuma.