r/ZeldaLikes

Is there another way to beat lanmolas without charging up your sword and hitting them with it?
I don’t know why but I’m taking so much damage from doing it this way and it’s really annoying me

Apologies for not the most original question but I'm trying to find a certain sorta game. Basically I'm playing Elden Ring atm (which is awesome and fucked up), and been thinking about how for all that I love about it, I would also love down the line to play a game with a few more zeldalike qualities.

In my mind this means bringing together the Soulslike seamlessness and fluidity of combat, brutal difficulty, and twisted humor, but also incorporates from Zelda more things like puzzles and a more "alive world". Like basically I'd love to play a game somewhere that the apocalypse hasn't already happened so I could like visit towns and interact with more people of the world instead of the few who are lingered in between everyone who wants to kill me.

Fwiw BOTW would be the answer to this except that I find the mechanics/combat so clunky and stop start that especially after how clean Elden Ring is BOTW is effectively unplayable for me.

Thanks y'all.

Dang y'all are awesome for this.

Link to part 1: https://www.reddit.com/r/ZeldaLikes/comments/1vdoyd0/short_rundown_of_every_zeldalike_i_played/

Recently, I did a big post containing summaries of all the Zelda-like games I've played over the years. There is still a lot more to discover, however! Here are three more Zelda-likes I played over the last month. One is a retro game, one a modern game, and one is a ROM hack.

Gunple: Gunman's Proof: One of the last SNES games ever released, this Japan-only game was released on the same day as Final Fantasy VII. Upon first glance, this game looks like a cowboy-themed version of A Link to the Past. It is! But only partly. The overworld is set up the same way, containing goodies to find, NPCs to talk to and eight dungeons to conquer. However, two things make it different: Firstly, progression is barely tied to items or abilities, and when it is, you often receive them in your own town or from NPCs in the overworld. Dungeons do not contain specific items that expand your mobility. They do (later on) tend to contain weapon upgrades, though. Secondly, while dungeons are often structured the same way in terms of layout, they do not contain puzzles or item-gating. While finding your way through, you mostly encounter enemies to shoot and traps to avoid. I personally love puzzles in Zelda, but the navigational aspect was enough for me to enjoy the dungeons in this short game. This, combined with the unique setting and humorous characters made this a joy to play. It starts out a little obtuse due to a lack of equipment, but eventually you steamroll enemies with your acquired powers. Gunple: Gunman's Proof is a simple, short and sweet adventure for people who do not mind a less cleverly put-together Zelda, with arcade-esque shooting and a light-hearted wild-west setting.

Tearscape: This modern Zelda-like is basically a mix between Link's Awakening and Bloodborne. While this sounds like a dream come true (I've heard great things of Mina the Hollower), this game does not fully utilize the strengths of either. While the core gameplay is fun enough - exploring interconnected areas, finding keys, unlocking shortcuts and trying to survive until reaching the next save point - there are things that nagged at me constantly. They are small, but the longer I played, the more they started to annoy me. The original Link's Awakening (as well as the amazing Oracle games) still feels really smooth to play. Tearscape does not. Turning speed is sluggish when running (there is a dedicated run button), and pit hitboxes feel weird. Luckily, falling isn't an instant kill. Bloodborne's fast pace isn't here either. Next, enemies get repeated a lot. I think there is about ten enemies total. They keep getting repeated, with bigger health bars corresponding to their timing of appearance. Many later enemies are mostly just annoying, flying around you in circles etc. The same goes for bosses. I really enjoyed the early ones, but the late-game ones get more and more repetitive and padded out. There is one boss who enjoys spending time flying about while you can't do anything to hit it. The music quality ranges from alright to annoying. Luckily, the game is saved by its short runtime and the option to play local co-op. I quite liked exploring the world, and finding shortcuts. I just enjoy that kind of thing. The setting is not unique, but always appreciated. Just saying: This game has a stamina bar, so for people that don't like this in their games, beware. Tearscape is fun enough if you really enjoy exploring interconnected Soulslike areas in a top-down format, but issues like repetitive, annoying enemies, inconsistent and frequent pitfalling and sluggish movement hold it back.

Zelda - Moonrise Regalia: This ROM hack is built in Oracle of Ages, one of my favorite top-down Zelda games. My favorite of the three games I am talking about today, Moonrise Regalia utilizes what Ages already does well, and recontextualizes it into a Souls-themed setting (without the Souls gameplay, mind). The overworld is small and mostly asks you to find the eight dungeons hidden within. These dungeons are just as expansive as the ones in the two Oracle games, which amazed me. The dungeons vary from a flooded wine cellar to a luxurious gallery, complete with paintings that lead you to different worlds. In them, you find the usual dungeon items from Ages, as well as some imported from Seasons. The same goes for the bosses. They are reused in creative ways befitting the lore tied to the dungeon. They are still the same old Oracle bosses, however. In my eyes, this ROM hack is a masterclass of Zelda gameplay, and a must-play for people who enjoy these games. The difficulty is the same as in the actual Oracle of Ages, meaning tough for a Zelda game but overall pretty doable. Moonrise Regalia is on par with the Oracle games themselves. While the overworld is quite a bit smaller and less involved, opening it up and finding its dungeons is just as satisfying as in the original games.

I am pretty new to this genre and played the following so far- Pipistrello, Elementallis and Under the Island. Loved all three for their exploration and artstyle. Any suggestions on games that are similar? I personally prefer top down view over 3D but anything is fine!

Edit: Thanks for all the recommendations everyone. Wishlisted most of the games suggested here

I got the aether ability. I found 2 locked doors and im at 0 keys. I've gone everywhere. any idea what i need to do? please spoil.

I wanted to lay out which aspects of the genre are most important to me as a reference point to my game, Sandcaster. However, my switch AND joy-cons died during recording. So we went on a journey. Even if you guys disagree with my tastes, I hope you find my comedy of errors entertaining.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4541450/Sandcaster/