"Zelda" Wii U Is Not an "Open World," Game Map Will Be the Size of Kyoto [Video]

By Adam Bellotto

Jul 15, 2014 06:21 PM EDT

When the latest "Legend of Zelda" game premiered at this year's E3, it was dubbed an "open world" "Zelda" game. Now, it seems that moniker might not fit so well.

In a new interview with Nintendo mastermind and gaming icon Shigeru Miyamoto, IGN has uncovered new details about the game and its supposed "open world" status.

Miyamoto was quick to call the new game's environment "vast," but went on to clarify the previous "open world" statement from E3, and how he looks at the game's structure:

"I prefer not to use the generally used term 'open world' when developing software, but we used this term [at E3] in order to make it easier for consumers to understand. This term means that there is a large world in which players can do numerous things daily."

So while it may not be a true "open world" (which implies characters can go anywhere to do anything they like, a la "Grand Theft Auto," it may have elements of an open world game while sticking to the traditionally more structured Zelda formula of dungeons and new weapons.

Miyamoto went on to compare the game to a traditional "Zelda" game.

"In the traditional 'The Legend of Zelda' series, the player would play one dungeon at a time. For example, if there are eight dungeons, at the fourth dungeon, some players may think, 'I'm already halfway through the game,' while other players may think, 'I still have half of the game to play.' We are trying to gradually break down such mechanism and develop a game style in which you can enjoy 'The Legend of Zelda' freely in a vast world, whenever you find the time to do so."

Previous games have also experimented with the dungeon structure, like "The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword."

Meanwhile, "The Legend of Zelda" developer Eji Aonuma commented on the multiplayer aspect of future "Zelda" games in another interview, claiming. When asked about multiplayer in future installments, Aonuma replied, "when I was talking back about making Zelda more than just a single-player experience? That's something you will see in the future, maybe next year."

Aonuma also recently revealed that the game's map will be roughly the size of Kyoto, meaning Miyamoto's use of "vast" is extremely accurate.

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