Anything for PC similar to the 3D Zelda games?

[ninja666]

I'm looking for something for PC that'll scratch that 3D Zelda-like itch for me. I know, this sort of request has probably been asked a billion times already, but the problem is, every time I look at one, none of the games suggested strike me as a good substitute for not being able to play the actual 3D Zelda games. Either that, or there are games that do fit, but I've played them already.

You see, 99% of the time in threads asking for Zelda-like games on PC, people recommend Darksiders, and the people who made the request are usually fine with this suggestion. The thing is, while Darksiders might actually be similar in some ways to a 3D Zelda game (from what I've heard, it's similar mechanically), to me it really doesn't feel like one because what I'm looking for is a game that maybe isn't a 1:1 copy of Zelda mechanics-wise, and maybe plays a bit differently, but feels like Zelda in terms of artstyle, atmosphere, and overall vibe. Darksiders doesn't feel like Zelda to me because of those exact things - it's not a cartoony, colourful fantasy game that evokes the childlike wonder and the feeling of taking part in an epic adventure, like the LoZ games do. Instead, it's this dark, edgy game, full of violence, buff, manly dudes in spiky armor and designs that could easily fit on a metal album cover. Not to mention the God of War-like combat system and the fact it takes place in New York City. To me, it couldn't be less like Zelda.

Here are some games that I've played in the past, that actually felt similar enough to Zelda, they managed to scratch that itch for me quite well and I felt satisfied playing them:

- Fable: The Lost Chapters (and, to an extent, Fable III)
- Beyond Good and Evil
- Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure [http://store.steampowered.com/app/322290/Gurumin_A_Monstrous_Adventure/]
- Dark Cloud 2 (I know, it's a console title, but still, it's a good example of what I want)
- Okami (same as with DC2)

So based on that, can you think of anything I might like? It can be an AAA game, or it can be an indie, as long as it's feels like a good enough substitute for the actual 3D Zelda games. Thanks in advance for the help.

PS. I've also heard of this game called Oceanhorn, which apparently was heavily inspired by Zelda. Has anyone here played and can confirm whether or not it's something I'd want to play?

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Darksiders 1 definitely doesn't feel like a Zelda game. I don't know why anyone would even say that. Darksiders 2 has always been the game that people have compared to Zelda. It's totally different from the first one.

Then there's this: http://store.steampowered.com/app/366640/Shiness_The_Lightning_Kingdom/

I haven't played it so I can't speak from personal experience, but from the looks of it it seems to evoke the kind of atmosphere that you seek.

 

[ninja666]

You're not getting any answers because there is none. I would have heard about it by now, since people have a lot of respect for open world puzzle dungeon games.

With the amount of indie games coming out every month, I find it hard to believe. Maybe you aren't informed as well as you think? I don't mean it in a snarky way. I really just find it hard to believe that after so many years, there's still so few games like that.

Darksiders 1 definitely doesn't feel like a Zelda game. I don't know why anyone would even say that.

Most of the time, I seen this comparison on Reddit, so maybe that has something to do with it.

Then there's this: http://store.steampowered.com/app/366640/Shiness_The_Lightning_Kingdom/

I haven't played it so I can't speak from personal experience, but from the looks of it it seems to evoke the kind of atmosphere that you seek.

Looks interesting. Definitely more like what I'm looking for than Darksiders, that's for sure. I'll give it a shot. Thanks.

 

[McElroy]

Oh well, the OP already mentioned Oceanhorn and unfortunately I haven't played it either!

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Most of the time, I seen this comparison on Reddit, so maybe that has something to do with it.

Just play the second game. It's exactly what you want and you don't even have to play the first game to get into it. The entirety of the story takes place after the tutorial mission of the first game. So the timeline goes something like this: Darksiders 1 tutorial > Darksiders 2 > The rest of Darksiders 1.

 

[ninja666]

-snippity snips-

I decided to watch a gameplay video of it on YT to check if what you're saying was true. I launched one at random. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hxvU6xYSuo]

Boy is it different from Darksiders 1. Now I get where all those comparisons come from - it kinda looks and feels like Breath of the Wild, five years before Breath of the Wild. I didn't expect that level of change to the overall formula, to be honest. In that case, I'm definitely gonna give it a go. Maybe not right now because that furry brawler you posted earlier appeals to me more, but I'll keep it in the back of my head. Thanks for clarifying that for me.

 

[CaitSeith]

I remember someone saying that The Witcher 3 is how he always pictured a mature version of Zelda would be. But I haven't played it, so I can't attest it myself.

The target based combat in Dark Souls reminded me of the combat mechanics in Zelda (in the same way an M&M candy reminds me of chocolate ice cream).

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Boy is it different from Darksiders 1. Now I get where all those comparisons come from - it kinda looks and feels like Breath of the Wild, five years before Breath of the Wild. I didn't expect that level of change to the overall formula, to be honest. In that case, I'm definitely gonna give it a go. Maybe not right now because that furry brawler you posted earlier appeals to me more, but I'll keep it in the back of my head. Thanks for clarifying that for me.

Make sure that you put it on your wishlist if you're on PC. Darksiders 2 goes on sale all the time and you can usually grab it for $10 or less.

I remember someone saying that The Witcher 3 is how he always pictured a mature version of Zelda would be. But I haven't played it, so I can't attest it myself.

It does exploration a lot better than any open world RPG. But I wouldn't compare it to Zelda. I'm not sure that I'd compare it to any game other than The Witcher 1 and 2. Maybe The Elder Scrolls. But even that doesn't seem fair. It's a unique experience with a unique atmosphere.

 

[ninja666]

Making a Zelda-like 3D game would be incredibly difficult for an indie dev. They might be able to do it on a pretty small scale.

Honestly, even something on a smaller scale would be better than nothing. Given how many indie games start to look more and more like legit AAA titles, I'd say it'd be more than doable, the game Adam Jensen posted being the proof. And yet,apart from that, nothing. Is there some sort of mentality, where if you can't make something at least as good as an actual Zelda game, you shouldn't bother or something?

I remember someone saying that The Witcher 3 is how he always pictured a mature version of Zelda would be. But I haven't played it, so I can't attest it myself.

The target based combat in Dark Souls reminded me of the combat mechanics in Zelda (in the same way an M&M candy reminds me of chocolate ice cream).

For TW3, I'm with Adam Jensen here. It doesn't really feel like Zelda. It's a very good fantasy RPG, don't get me wrong, but it's not something I'd compare to a Zelda experience.

As for Dark Souls, it kinda sorta fits, but it's too dark and gloomy for my current needs. Plus, I've already played DS1 to death and DS3 doesn't run well on my PC (and I'm not going to touch DS2 with a ten foot pole).

 

[shrekfan246]

Darksiders 1 definitely doesn't feel like a Zelda game. I don't know why anyone would even say that. Darksiders 2 has always been the game that people have compared to Zelda. It's totally different from the first one.

I'd disagree, and in fact I've typically seen the exact opposite; Darksiders very much is like if Zelda was combined with Diablo and God of War, the fundamental difference being that it wears its Zelda influence in more abstract manners than the other two -- the progression system and the way the world is segmented, as well as the items you get which let you complete dungeons and kill bosses are very obviously pulled from games such as Ocarina of Time (I mean, there's even just a straight up hookshot). Darksiders II is a fine recommendation for this because it's far more of an actual fantasy game and does way more interesting things with its game world, but the fundamental building block of the game is an RPG and it still uses the God of War-style combat. The only reason it's as equally comparable to Zelda now as the first game was is because of Breath of the Wild.

OT: I'm tempted to recommend the Legacy of Kain franchise, but it falls into the Darksiders end of being very dark (in fact, I'd dare say that Legacy of Kain was probably another influence for Darksiders, though that's just a wild guess), both aesthetically and atmospherically. It's also a massive pain to get most of the games running and comfortably playable on modern systems, so that's not something I'd recommend lightly.

With regards to Oceanhorn, I haven't played it myself and from everything I've seen it seems like response is varied. It sounds like it's very much a Zelda-inspired game, but it's fairly simplistic and a bit shorter than Zelda games tend to be.

For one that's a bit of a stretch, you could possibly take a look at the Ys franchise? They're a bit more dungeon-crawling action-RPG-y than going-on-a-grand-adventure and the only one on PC that's really full 3D is the newest one which hasn't been released in English yet (most of the other ones currently on Steam have 3D environments with 2D sprites). But if you're looking for less mechanically and more atmospherically/aesthetically similar, they might be worth at least checking out. EDIT: Oh, and they're all currently on sale on GOG, for the record.

 

[ninja666]

OT: I'm tempted to recommend the Legacy of Kain franchise, but it falls into the Darksiders end of being very dark (in fact, I'd dare say that Legacy of Kain was probably another influence for Darksiders, though that's just a wild guess).

IIRC, the creators of Darksiders said in one interview that LoK was one of their biggest influences, so your wild guess was correct.

For one that's a bit of a stretch, you could possibly take a look at the Ys franchise? They're a bit more dungeon-crawling action-RPG-y than going-on-a-grand-adventure and the only one on PC that's really full 3D is the newest one which hasn't been released in English yet (most of the other ones currently on Steam have 3D environments with 2D sprites). But if you're looking for less mechanically and more atmospherically/aesthetically similar, they might be worth at least checking out. EDIT: Oh, and they're all currently on sale on GOG, for the record.

Yeah, it is kind of a stretch. Still, it could work well enough if I was in a mood for something more along the lines of the 2D Zelda games. Unfortunately, I'm not really cut out for the Ys games. I've already tried playing Ys: Origins and Ys: Oath in Felghana and they both proved to be way too difficult for me. Not to mention, they're heavily dependent on grinding - an activity in games I don't find fun in the slightest.

 

[Ravenbom]

Wow, this really became a Darksiders thread. I also agree, I didn't think Zelda when I played the first game.


@OP - Have you tried Titan Souls? It's a 2D retro version of Shadow of the Colossus.

Speaking of which, it sounds like you have access to a PS2/3/4 (by the list of games you mentioned that are Zelda-ish), try Shadow of the Colossus. After you beat it, you unlock a ton of items, different for each level of difficulty so it becomes more Zelda like. It's basically Zelda where the boss is the entire puzzle.
Also, the predecessor, Ico and successor, The Last Guardian can hit some of, but not all of that itch.

Before the Souls games, From Software made 3D Dot Game Heroes, which nobody bought or played and it's a fantastic Zelda experience. The main difference is that when you're at full health you have a GIANT sword instead of shooting a beam.

I know they're not on PC, but it sounded like you had access to some Sony equipment so it's worth noting.

For 3D Puzzle Platforming - Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is good. Reminds me of Beyond Good and Evil. No real dungeons or overworld, its linear but it's a nice puzzle platformer with some combat.

Anodyne - it's 2D, but Zelda like and on sale right now until May 1st along with their most recent game.

Also, you might want to try Assassin's Creed 3 or 4 (4 is sort of a realistic Wind Waker). Stealth games are a different kind of environmental puzzle game. It doesn't scratch my Zelda itch but I could see it working for some people if you're in the mood.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning - Personally, I was using this to scratch my Zelda itch before Breath of the Wild. It's much more of a CRPG/single player MMO style... but it's art style is nice and bright and a big contrast to most games of it's time like the first Darksiders. I'm not a huge fan of the WOW art style, but it sort of filled the void for me.
It's not a perfect fit, but it's kind of a forgotten gem in it's own right.

 

[Nismu]

Legacy of kain: soul reaver 1&2 perhaps. The world and story is very different but games have quite lot similar puzzle elements.

 

[ninja666]

Speaking of which, it sounds like you have access to a PS2/3/4 (by the list of games you mentioned that are Zelda-ish)

I mentioned them because I played them years ago, when I still had a PS2. I don't have one anymore and don't plan on buying one. I'm aware there are... um... other ways of playing those games, but they don't really work as they should for me.

For 3D Puzzle Platforming - Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is good. Reminds me of Beyond Good and Evil. No real dungeons or overworld, its linear but it's a nice puzzle platformer with some combat.

Already played it. I didn't really like it, though. It was excrutiatingly boring.

Also, you might want to try Assassin's Creed 3 or 4 (4 is sort of a realistic Wind Waker). Stealth games are a different kind of environmental puzzle game. It doesn't scratch my Zelda itch but I could see it working for some people if you're in the mood.

Ehhh... not really a good suggestion. I kinda get where you were coming from with that, though.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning - Personally, I was using this to scratch my Zelda itch before Breath of the Wild. It's much more of a CRPG/single player MMO style... but it's art style is nice and bright and a big contrast to most games of it's time like the first Darksiders. I'm not a huge fan of the WOW art style, but it sort of filled the void for me.
It's not a perfect fit, but it's kind of a forgotten gem in it's own right.

Also played it. Also found it extremely boring, even more than I found Enslaved. Basically, the moment the tutorial ended and I stepped outside into the overworld, I felt this overwhelming urge to just turn the game off and not play it anymore ever. I don't know what caused it, but I couldn't overcome it. I tried playing it for a bit, got into the first town, but couldn't get past that because I always got too bored of it.

Legacy of kain: soul reaver 1&2 perhaps. The world and story is very different but games have quite lot similar puzzle elements.

They're too dark in terms of story and atmosphere for what I want currently.

 

[Saelune]

Based on your "similar" list, some of the Tales games are on Steam. I mean, its more like Final Fantasy than Zelda, but if you never played a Tales game, I recommend them. Not turn based combat, but an action-ish RPG.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

snip

People have been comparing Darksiders 2 to Zelda before Breath of the Wild was a thing. The issue here aren't just the mechanics, it's the overall feel of the game. While Darksiders 1 definitely borrows a lot from Zelda games (and God of War and Diablo, sure) it almost doesn't even have an atmosphere. And that's because of its setting and presentation. It feels almost contemporary.

 

[shrekfan246]

snip

People have been comparing Darksiders 2 to Zelda before Breath of the Wild was a thing. The issue here aren't just the mechanics, it's the overall feel of the game. While Darksiders 1 definitely borrows a lot from Zelda games (and God of War and Diablo, sure) it almost doesn't even have an atmosphere. And that's because of its setting and presentation. It feels almost contemporary.

And? People haven't been comparing Darksiders to The Legend of Zelda because of its atmosphere. Like, look at literally any thread asking for something like this after the game came out and you'll find people recommending it. II moved further away from the "typical" Zelda formula by focusing more heavily on being a fantasy RPG.

I'm not saying II can't also be compared to Zelda, but Zelda has never been an actual RPG, so on a purely structural level the first game is much closer in design.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

And? People haven't been comparing Darksiders to The Legend of Zelda because of its atmosphere.

Yes, but that's kind of what this topic is about. And it ultimately comes down to each player's perspective. I never thought of Darksiders 1 as a Zelda-like game, because I don't care how many mechanics it borrows from how many games. To me, the overall feel of the game matters a lot more than its mechanics. And that's where Darksiders 2 comes in as being closer to Zelda than the first title IMO.