Elden Ring: Why Zelda Fans Will Be Disappointed with the Map Design

The Elden Ring map breaks new ground for FromSoftware, providing an expansive and unrestricted environment that surpasses any previous Soulslike. Despite this achievement, games like Tears of the Kingdom's Hyrule have demonstrated that the open-world formula can be even more impressive. While Elden Ring's Lands Between offers ample content and space for players to spend countless hours exploring, it falls short in comparison to games like the latest Legend of Zelda, which introduces a new level of verticality and thereby expands the player's freedom to explore.

Layers of Hyrule and the Lands Between

Both Elden Ring and Tears of the Kingdom introduce multiple layers to their open world maps, expanding upon their already sprawling landscapes. The Lands Between boasts a top level where players start, as well as a vast underground with locations such as Siofra River, Mohgwyn Palace, and Nokron. Meanwhile, Hyrule's map features new Sky Islands and Depths that were previously hidden, revealed during Ganondorf's resurrection. These added layers create opportunities for exploration and discovery, while also delivering stunning moments of spectacle. However, Hyrule's verticality provides an extra layer of freedom that the Lands Between does not achieve.

Torrent Versus Link's Paraglider

The player experience in Elden Ring and Tears of the Kingdom is defined not only by the layers but also by the ways in which players are allowed to explore them. A prime example is the Paraglider Link receives from Purah at the start of Tears of the Kingdom, which carries over from Breath of the Wild and enables players to jump from high locations and land safely on the ground. However, Elden Ring's Torrent offers a different type of vertical freedom. This horse can be summoned to any location in the overworld and ridden to move at higher speeds, allowing players to travel quickly from one point of interest to another. The impact on gameplay is significant because the inability to freely jump off cliffs and land safely at the bottom limits exploration in the Lands Between compared to Hyrule.

The Sky Islands further exacerbate the issue by granting players access to shrines and teleport locations, enabling them to glide freely around Hyrule without being hindered by predetermined paths. This heightened sense of verticality transforms Hyrule into a world that encourages players to explore at their own discretion rather than following a predetermined developer-led route. When coupled with the innovative Ultrahand builds of Tears of the Kingdom, the game's exploration mechanics outshine those of Elden Ring in nearly every aspect.