The Legend of Zelda is one of the most critically acclaimed series of all time, rivaled only by the likes of Mario and Grand Theft Auto. Consequently, the series’ Nintendo exclusivity is a source of frustration for many gamers. Thankfully, the variety in playstyle between many of Link’s adventures along with the huge catalog of games available on PC has provided many similar experiences to those offered in the Zelda series.
Although there are many straight-up Zelda clones out there, most of them are just rip-offs that aren’t worth playing. All of the entries on this list, however, are great games in their own right. They’re far from being identical to Zelda but will offer players a great time nonetheless.
10 The Binding of Isaac
The Binding of Isaac offers gameplay similar to Link’s earliest adventures, such as the original Legend of Zelda and A Link to the Past.
Key similarities include the top-down perspective and multitude of dungeons to conquer. The game differentiates itself from its Zelda counterpart with its procedurally generated dungeons and dark tone that takes inspiration from the biblical story of the same name.
9 Dark Souls
Whereas The Binding of Issac has similarities to Zelda‘s oldest titles, Dark Souls is comparable to the most recent main-series game Breath of the Wild. Furthermore, Dark Souls differentiates itself from others on this list, as whereas most took inspiration from Zelda, Breath of the Wild took inspiration from Dark Souls. This is particularly apparent in Breath of the Wild‘s lore-based story-telling that players must seek out to find and parry centric combat.
The inspirations aren’t just one way though as Dark Souls, like many games, has numerous mechanics that were inspired by the revolutionary Ocarina of Time. FromSoftware’s Hidetaka Miyazaki, the creator of Dark Souls, responded to the comparisons between the games saying that he felt FromSoftware’s franchise was “unworthy” of being compared to the Zelda series.
8 Ittle Dew 2
Ittle Dew 2 strands players on an island and requires them to obtain eight pieces of a raft before they can leave.
The game focuses predominantly on the adventure puzzling elements that are prominent in Zelda games, as well as throwing many enemies at players to defeat, including bosses at the end of dungeons. Unfortunately, the game had numerous issues due to differences between the game’s developer and publisher, resulting in it being taken off of many digital platforms. Thankfully, the game is currently still available to play on Steam and Switch as it was self-published on the two stores.
7 Hyper Light Drifter
Hyper Light Drifter was developed and published by Heart Machine and started life on Kickstarter. Following a lucrative campaign, the game made its way to PC in March 2016.
The 2D adventure game is a throwback to the 16-bit era and is an ideal choice for those looking for an experience similar to A Link to The Past or A Link Between Worlds. The indie game was well received by both fans and critics, evidenced by its 84 Metascore and 8.2 User Score.
6 Fable
Fable is a great choice for players who are looking for a 3D Zelda-like experience but with a heavier focus on role-playing mechanics. The game differentiated itself from the competition in 2004 with its implementation of the alignment feature.
The alignment feature added weight to the player’s in-game decisions, awarding them either good or evil points depending on their actions. Alignment mechanics are commonplace in RPG’s today, but it was a unique feature back in the mid-2000s
5 Beyond Good and Evil
The cult classic Beyond Good & Evil offers one of gaming’s best puzzle-adventures. Puzzle-solving isn’t all that players will be tasked with though, as they’ll have to sharpen their platforming and stealth skills if they want to keep Jade alive.
The game was originally intended to be the first entry in a trilogy, however, poor sales put subsequent projects on the backburner. Five years after the game’s initial release a teaser trailer was shown at Ubidays, although talk of a sequel died down shortly after. Finally, in E3 2017, a prequel was officially announced.
4 Kamiko
Skipmore’s Kamiko is the last game on this list that will appeal to fans of Link’s top-down perspective adventures like A Link Between Worlds and A Link to the Past. The game isn’t particularly long, but it crams a lot into its short runtime.
Kamiko has a heavier focus on action than its Zelda counterpart, exemplified by the combo meter that keeps the arcade-like action interesting. The game originally released on Nintendo Switch, receiving a Metascore of 74 before coming to PC in mid-2019.
3 Psychonauts
Similarly to Beyond Good and Evil, Psychonauts is a mid-2000s cult classic adventure game that recently delighted fans with the announcement of a long-awaited sequel.
Psychonauts leans heavily into its unique theme of psychic abilities. This is not just done through the use of Raz’s powers, but also with the levels that take place within certain character’s minds, adding an interesting spin on Zelda‘s dungeons.
2 Darksiders II
Darksiders II, along with the other Darksiders games, offers a more heavy metal approach to the Zelda formula. Nintendo’s lovable mascot Link and his trusty steed Epona are replaced by Death, one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, and his intimidating horse named Despair.
The game leans into the hack and slash genre with players able to use scythes, axes, maces, and much more to take down their foes. Darksiders II isn’t just an all-out action game though, as it frequently shifts in tone and pace by offering puzzle segments and adventuristic exploration.
1 Ōkami
Ōkami isn’t just on this list for fans of the wolf sections in Twilight Princess. As well as being one of the few adventure games that offer gameplay on-par with Zelda, Ōkami also had some of the most beautiful visuals of the PS2 era. The game offered an artistic interpretation of classical Japan and did the Japanese folklore that it was based upon great justice.
Ōkami was Clover Studio’s first game outside of their Viewtiful Joe series, and won IGN’s Best Adventure Game award in 2006, edging the aforementioned Twilight Princess.
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