Which Zelda Has The BEST Overworld? | Ranking Zelda Games By Overworld | Zelda Overworld Tier List 

How about a tier list of zelda game mechanics? Like the 3 day cycle vs Past and Present vs Light/Dark world vs Minish (oversized world) vs 4 seasons. Might have some overlap with this video but a deep dive on the best things of those mechanics.

Loved this list- my only gripe was Twilight Princess at the end, but solely because I think people don't usually 100% that game so they don't actually realize how dense the overworld for it is. My dad got the guide book for Twilight Princess when we got the copy of it and I liked to look at the art for it while he played, but I noticed that for each segment, the guide went into all of these extra segments that I always ignored as a kid. Once I played through it in more recent years, trying to keep my eye out for everything- I found that there was a ton of secret passages, hidden levels, and lots of little things that I think most people skipped because they wanted to rush through the story. A lot of people will knock on the spinner for not having many uses, but honestly I found that it had quite a few in the overworld, and there's a lot of neat hidden details that people don't really give it credit for. I wouldn't have given it an S ranking, but I feel like because a lot of the sidequests in the game are tied to the golden bugs and the poe souls, that it makes people pretty disinterested in the actual overworld- which is a shame because I'll keep being amazed at how much of an upgrade it is from Ocarina of Time. It's also kind of weird because I enjoyed the thematic areas of Twilight Princess's random grottos WAY more than I enjoyed most of Botw's shrine puzzles. I want to say that Gerudo Desert in Twilight Princess geniunely feels like one of the least populated areas in the game in terms of content too... Each of the Hyrule Fields has little hidden shortcuts/grottos/items/obscure uses for items throughout the games, It felt kind of like a metroidvania at times. Even the little south field from Hyrule Castle town has a lot of little hidden things there- everytime I beat a dungeon I would remember going there to see what was hidden. I still remember the GIANT cave system in Lake Hylia or the mini lava dungeon off of the cliffsides on the Bridge of Eldin- it's stuff like that makes me think "did I play the same game?" whenever people talk about Twilight Princesses' overworld. But who knows, maybe people played those and didn't think them to be too significant.

I like how you define Skyward Sword's surface segments to get into the Dungeons: "An obstacle course". Very well defined

I think OOT should be higher. Yes Hyrule field is pretty empty, but pretty much every other overworld area is awesome

0:42 Here are my ideas -Artstyle Tier list -Story tier list -Transport tier list (Epona, king of red lion, loftwings, oracle animals, train, etc) -Sidequest tier list -Minigame tierlist -Top 10 best Link outfits (excluding BotW) -Top 10 best Link outfits in BotW -Top 10 most annoying heart pieces to get -Top 10 regular sword (Ordon sword, wooden/noble sword, Oshus sword, trainee sword, etc) -Top 10 best super swords (Master sword, four sword, greatfairy sword, etc) -Top 10 best Breath of the wild weapon -Majoras Mask masks tier list -Bokoblin tier list -Moblin tier list -Lisalfos tier list -Wizrobe tier list -stalfos tier list -Poe tier list -Darknut tierlist -Hyrule Soldiers tier list (can include Termina and Labryna soldiers too) -Hyrule Warrior character tier list (gameplaywise) -Age of calamity character tier list

I think MM should be S tier. So easy to navigate and a lot of stuff to do and each area was unique and interesting

awesome channel, glad it just got recommended to me!

Always appreciate your insights into these games. I had never really registered in my mind with skyward sword that it does just feel very video gamey, obstacle course rather than real lived-in areas. Nostalgia glasses may be on, but I think OoT is at least a B. The outside areas are weaker, but Kokiri Forest/lost woods/Lon Lon/goron city/Zora’s domain are all iconic

I totally agree with you on Minish Cap. I replayed it recently and it felt like a very run-of-the-mill 2D Zelda-good, but not great. TP and SS are my favorite games, so my bias would put their overworlds higher. Sacred Grove, Snowpeak, SS’s Faron Woods and Lanayru Sand Sea are some of my favorite areas in the series. Without my bias though, I can understand where you ranked them, especially SS. The obstacle course structure didn’t bother me, but it was definitely weird compared to other games. Looking forward to the TP review!

A tier list on the sages would be fun!

Fun video as always, I love getting your takes on the series. I do personally feel WW is a bit elevated, the great sea is very empty and all of the islands are so small. It feels like it's trying to artificially pad out its size. Where you said aLttP was very dense and there was no wasted space, I feel the exact opposite is true of WW. I feel high C tier or low B is more fitting personally. I also feel like MM is an easy S tier, the world is very dense, I never felt bored traveling through it and the 3 day cycle breathes so much extra life into the overworld as it changes so drastically over each day. OoT feels like it was treated a bit harshly too. Again, fun overall, thanks for the great content!

what’s the definition of ‘overworld’? is it anything that’s not a dungeon, or is only the hub world, ie. Hyrule Field? if it’s the former, I think _Ocarina of Time_ has a pretty nice overworld. the Hyrule Field in that game is barren, but all the connecting regions are actually pretty fun and varied. they aren’t full of puzzles or anything, but they still have nice atmosphere and make Hyrule feel like a real place.

TP should have definitely been in A tier. The overworld was the perfect size, lots of things to do and revisit for a piece of heart once you got dungeon items such as the double clawshot. While I don’t think it’s exactly S tier, in my opinion TP’s overworld was done phenomenally for the time it released in. Also, opinion warning coming up, I don’t enjoy BotW’s overworld as much as TP’s or ALttP’s. I feel like they were trying way too hard for the overworld, and as such the rest of the game suffered for it. The dungeons were extremely lacking, and the bosses were laughably easy. (Talking about vanilla, not the DLC.) I feel like they should have taken a more minimalistic approach to the overworld, and focused more on the dungeons. I’m not saying that they should completely abandon the overworld, just don’t put all work towards it and it alone.

What I like about these isn’t haven’t played a lot of these games in a long time, so this sort of lets me reminisce

Looking forward to watching the video. Very interesting topic. Have you made a majoras mask tier list yet, ranking the masks? If no I'd like to suggest that

You could rank side/minor NPC characters per game or some of your favorites overall like Mask Salesman, Windmill Hut guy, Baguu, etc.

16: Skyward Sword, I dont hate SS, but it is my least favourite 3D title and its shit overworld has a lot to do with it. The sky is empty, and the ground is so corridor based you feel like the dungeon starts as soon as you come down. Also it is the only 3D title where you cant go to the overworld at night. And a loading screen between loftwing and island ? Seriously ? Wind Waker is 9 years older and didnt need those. 15: Spirit Tracks, seriously, the world is so beautiful and large and diverse, it could be 2nd best instead of 2nd worst if you traveled by Epona instead of train, the train restrains your travel so much, and its portals are the worst fast travel mechanic in Zelda 13: Zelda 2, I m sure we all love starting over from the starting palace 12: Zelda 1: Very good for its time and total freedom, sadly it can feel empty today with no towns and very few npc 11: Links Awakening, it isnt bad, but there arent that much to do in it 10: Minish Cap, not bad but pretty small 9: Phantom Hourglass, it has some good islands and the travel isnt too boring, but there arent that many islands 8: Ocarina of time, it is pretty good for its time, but I dont think it has aged that well 7: Majoras Mask, tbh just like OoT I think it hasnt aged well, but I still prefer Termina's overworld to OoT Hyrule 6: A Link Between Worlds, it is pretty good, but the fact it is way too similar to ALttP makes it lower 5: Oracle of Ages and seasons, there are two overworlds, for both, they are all pretty good, but they will share their spot due to OoA having two similar overworld and the OoS having an overworld that is much smaller 4: Wind Waker, yeah I know it is mostly water, but there are so many islands and even on the water there can still be things to check out 3: A Link to the Past, it has two overworlds, and they are both pretty cool with a very interresting design and concept, and it has still aged pretty well 2: Twilight Princess, Remembered mostly for its dungeons, TP honestly has a awesome overworld with lots of different areas and towns 1: Breath of the Wild, and I rarely rank it first, but it would be unfair not to do it here

It's interesting to me that Zelda 1, ALttP, LA, MM, and WW were my top 5 favorite Zelda games prior to the release of BotW (which knocked Zelda 1 down to #6) and all of those games made it to the top tiers of this list. I think there's something to that.

twilight princess is so filled with content compared to others it should be higher

I’d really like to see tier lists on characters, by game but also whose the best Goron, the best Zora etc going in depth on individuals, may be a bit niche but they could be smaller videos

You should make a ranking video for replay value

You should rank the visual/art styles

Maybe an odd idea, but tier list for mainline Zelda game that could set us up for the next one? I know each game is unique, but which game would be preferable if expanded on or used as inspiration for the next Zelda release?

im glad ya put lttp on S tier. was worried it'd only be BOTW

As for an idea( if you have played it recently and can remember) is ranking a link to the past dungeons. I completed it as an adult for the First Time last month n it still Stands the test of time and there are soo many different dungeons..i ranked the dungeons in my mind already but would like to see your take on them. And another idea would be ranking the storylines.

It took me almost -18 minutes- 9 minutes for me to realize you were talking about _the gameplay_ and not the music. ...But now that I'm here, and since you played all the games and seem to remember them well, I have an idea for a video: *Zelda games that NEVER ONCE played the series' "main" motif.* I think it would provide some insight into whether a new Zelda game's overall direction was to try to make Zelda something new, or try capturing the nostalgic feeling of the old games you played but in a different way.

Twilight princess has large and fun overworld and has a good theme and its fun when you hit enemies that is on your way using epona you should have put it atleast on A tier

Thankyou for the video..ranking videos are the best.. i always like to see different point of views. So glad you put a link to the past up High where it belongs. As for the Wind waker if it where not for the tower of gods rising out of the water and going underwater to hyrule i would not had liked the water overworld..but those moments fixed it..i guess it deserves also where you put it. Ocarina of times placement is bit low..even though its true they it hasnt aged too well but there is something unique and iconic about it that not even breath of the wild managed to do( probably my nostalgia talking). As for comparing OOT and MM (wich is only thing i disagree with on your list) in OOT i look around and see the silhouette of hyrule castle and the temple of time...night and day the smoke around death mountain...i see lakes from far and find hidden waterfalls.. and poes glowing in the twilight and there are trees hiding the forest temple and lost woods...as for majoras Mask what do i see...an angry moon to make me anxious and a raging snow dinosaur..and i search for the rabbit hole i fell through so i can go back to where i was..i see mountains i dont want to go into..dreadful poisonous swamps i dont want to go near because they remind me of horrible dungeons and nothing else..i seea stone tower looking at me from dark ikana.. An observatory ..jelly villains n thats it.. termina feild is unique but unpleasent unlike pleasent OOT.the MM overworld makes me wanna run...i dont like it ..majoras Mask is D for me and can sit right next to Adventure of Link....🤭😅😀. Thankyou again!

I agree with your ranking of TP. I love that game, but the overworld as a whole felt disjointed. •There's no natural way to reach Lake Hylia from Hyrule Field. • You have to use a canon to reach the desert 🏜️. There's no pathway there. • You have to play a mini game to traverse Zora's River. When it should have been explorable. All these things mentioned above are the mostly the reason why TP's overworld suffered.

yeh link's awakening is very confusing to navigate. i love the game but there's no denying that

Flat out disagree with you mate. If you got WindWaker up in A tier and Twilight Princess in B tier then you mixed your rose tinted glasses with the drunk ones. If you strive to do everything then Twilight Princess is massive, especially for its time.

I agree with everything, EXCEPT for windwaker. ;)

You should do a zelda items tier list if you havent :)

It becomes clear that you are not objective concerning windwaker. I don't even have to explain why, everybody knows.

Oh no TP overworld above OoT? Yes Hyrule field is barren in OoT but the total overworld is very well deigned. Whereas TP is meh.

I pretty much agree with all of these choices. Zelda 1 is a total S if you played it when it was new. I was 9 years old, and that map felt massive. I still have to beat Zelda 1 once a year.

Just the fact you haven't played twightight princess and you put the og Zelda in a class you got no standing

Oot c but first zelda a you crazy i could name so many places from oot that are iconic and filled with fun but the first zelda well this place is that and the other place is this and oh yeah you see this one yes its that place. Don’t get me wrong the legend of zelda is a great game but oot took everything from that game and made it 10000x better. Also link to the past easy a/s tier

Always got rate something I guess.

Idk why LBW gets downgraded bc its a spitting image of LTTP but they added some more to it and a different story in a way it should Def be S tier

The vast and openness that put oot into C tier, put windwaker into B.... You lost me after that

Always enjoy your videos. Agree with most on this list. “Tier list of memorable side characters/npcs”. “Tier list of the different species(gorons, zoras, etc…).

Hi

I think in advance you should decide for yourself if you are going to rank them based on opinion or facts/objectively. Because now at the end you say: “I am more attached to wind waker, this is all biased anyways.” But on Ocarina of time you are more harsh and letting out the nostalgia to be objective. No Hate, but just a suggestion. Because now it’s kinda vague sometimes if we are watching your opinion and feeling about the world or what you think about the world and everything in it.

I mean if your gonna dock oot for being dated how can you say the original is anything other than the worst? That has become almost unplayable compared to newer games. I love that game it was revolutionary but compare it to link to the past or any other 2d zelda and it’s trash. I don’t agree with that line of reasoning but you have to be consistent, if you put oot as a c for being empty that’s the deal. I would reassess that. Oot has wonderful music and the layout is fun. Exploring to find the dungeons was the fun. The point wasn’t to have a million things to do and collect like today. It was tighter and fighting is still fun today. I would say it should be a or s

You did OoT dirty.. it was the first 3D Zelda ffs

Wind water no higher than B

Twilight princess in B tier? Hell nah

Essay... You did it again. Oh, in case you didn't know... Stuart Harding. I rebranded my channel. Masked Nintendo Bandit said I could. Dude good list as always. I have to agree with everything but Wind Waker and Twilight Princess. S tier Link to the Past. Good call. Minish Cap.... the map is a piece of crap. Take care Essay, see ya Dude.

Worst over world imo is spirit tracks...also my least fav Zelda game lol

First thing I did was skip to the end of the video to see if breath of the wild and a link to the past are at the top of the s tier. Not disappointed.

Swap BotW with TP lol

How can you say OoT aged so poorly (it did) yet the original zelda is two tiers higher? I guess Zelda 1 is better now that we have guides but it was the most frustrating game when I was younger.

Do people really think the BOTW over-world is empty? I haven’t played in a few years but I remember feeling like I couldn’t take 10 steps without finding a shrine, korok seed, event, hidden item or enemy camp.

Wind waker is too high. That’s it, not much else.

Breh sorry but breath wild got so boring minus main quests the lore and surrounding was so empty dudd look at majoras mask and ocarsni of time the areas and cities and towns they had were so lively and felt mysterious breath of wild tbh was snoozy like yea good gake glad I played have no desire to beat again

I'd swap Link to the Past with Wind Waker. I'd also swap Link's Awakening with Twilight Princess.

I knew Botw and Lttp would be S tier, Lttp in general is one of the best zelda games in a lot of ways.

Imo I think it's not right to rank based on nowadays standards, many games were mind-blowing at its time.

WW gets an A? Awful judgement.

TP and OoT are really boring wind waker is superb

OoT should honestly be in D Tier. As great as the game is, it has arguably the worst overworld in the entire series.