The Legend Of Zelda: Every Game Ranked By Difficulty

Closely tied to this is the fact that The Legend of Zelda is one of the most accessible series out there, which doesn’t require much from players to immediately get into the games’ endearing and quintessentially Zelda spin on adventure games.

Still, that does not mean there are not a lot of times throughout the primary canon Zelda games letting players run into some form of skill check.

These obstacles are mostly manifested in a series of boss fights, but the gameplay, walking through the world of Hyrule, or exploring a dungeon can quickly result in getting Game Over. 

The Development of Zelda’s Challenge

Complexity in the Zelda series has also grown with time. Most of the first-generation 2D games involved time factors and gamers had to make really fast decisions In this next generation 3D games involved more complexities such as puzzles and the toughness of the control buttons. New entries have retried the concept of challenges with the help of open-world and non-linear approaches.

How Control Affects Difficulty

There is no doubt that one of the biggest determining factors in the level of challenge in a game is the controls. For instance, motion control became a problem in Skyward Sword, where the controls became non-intuitive throughout basic combat.

On the contrary, series like the more modern one – Breath of the Wild, minimized controls, which are more centered on exploration and less on the typical Zelda games’ challenging level.

The Legend of Zelda (1986)

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Because this game is the start of the series and because there is no on-screen help within the game, the original Legend of Zelda also poses a challenge.

Exploration must be done with your eyes closed and enemies need to be faced without getting any guided tours. Another one: it remains one of the most difficult missions in the series.

The Legend of Zelda: Adventure of Link (1988)

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Platforming and side-scrolling combat set the stage for the small adventure which was otherwise notorious for being the toughest series game. It has a high level of difficulty and unforgiving bosses to the point where there is no margin for mistakes.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)

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While BOTW opens on an easy note, the moment you begin to explore its open world it becomes hard as a rock. The core concept is based on physics, a non-linear variety of challenges in a sandbox environment, different enemy recognitions, and survival mechanics that present a heightened level of difficulty during Master Mode.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (2000)

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The reason why this game is hard is not if it is related to the fight but with the time features that it has. Players are strictly limited to three in-game days to accomplish different tasks, and the need to replay cycles makes it much harder than in other games of the series.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (2011)

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Originally launched with motion controls, Skyward Sword is very much known for its challenging combat. Sequels complained about the same issue about the inability to make precise movements, however, in the HD remaster controls were enhanced making the game more friendly​.


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