Even a near-universally beloved, influential series like most groundbreaking Zelda games of all time, including all-time greats like Majora's Mask and modern classics like Breath of the Wild.

But it's only natural that, from time to time, a series that consistently reinvents itself will fall flat on its face. You might think that's the case for Zelda's worst-rated game, Tri Force Heroes. With a 73 on Metacritic, it's tied with Zelda 2 for the lowest ranked game in the series by a long shot - the next one up is Skyward Sword HD, at 81. Its bad reputation is understandable, but at the same time, it introduces some unique ideas that set it apart from the rest of the series. In fact, I'd argue it's underrated.

Is Tri Force Heroes Really The Worst Zelda Game?

Why People Were Disappointed With Tri Force Heroes

Tri Force Heroes was first released in 2015, exclusive to the Nintendo 3DS. It's a fairly typical 2D Zelda game, with a few exceptions. You crawl through a variety of different dungeons, collecting items and beating bosses, as you attempt to save the princess Styla from the horribly unfashionable clutches of The Lady. Story-wise, I'm willing to it it's one of the weaker Zelda games. But it has some interesting gameplay concepts that the series hasn't attempted since.

Unlike almost any Zelda game before or since, Tri Force Heroes' main focus is on co-op play. You can play it alone, but you're supposed to play as a trio. Each player may have different items, different outfits, and different abilities, and the aim is for everyone to work together to overcome certain challenges. You need to coordinate carefully with the other players in order to progress through each dungeon.

Tri Force Heroes rightfully caught some flak for its single-player mode, which is understandably lackluster - it doesn't have the benefit of the game's core gimmick. It plays a lot better online, but even then, you need a full party of three - you can't play with just one other person. And its matchmaking was pretty poor overall, which made it difficult to find a game to .

Tri Force Heroes Isn't Bad, Just Different

Not A Bad Game, But A Bad Zelda Game

Judging it by its own merits, Tri Force Heroes isn't necessarily a bad game, though it certainly has its flaws. The problem is that players have different expectations for the Zelda series, and Tri Force Heroes just doesn't live up to them. Dungeon crawling is all well and good, but Zelda is so much more than that.

For me, the best thing about the Zelda series is exploring the worlds it inhabits: traveling all over the map, finding secrets, returning to old locales with new abilities, and unlocking new pathways. You don't really get that with Tri Force Heroes' more linear structure, which is almost entirely focused on dungeon crawling. That's an important part of Zelda games, too, but by itself, it didn't meet a lot of fan expectations.

Actually, Tri Force Heroes Is Underrated

Zelda's Worst-Rated Game Has A Lot Going For It

Even so, Tri Force Heroes is pretty good for what it is. The dungeon crawling is fun, and meets the same Zelda standards set by decades of quality level design. And the ability to play with friends is underappreciated, creating both moments of chaos and incredibly satisfying successes. While it's no longer possible since 3DS multiplayer servers have been shut down, it was nice while it lasted.

In many ways, Tri Force Heroes built on the legacy of the Four Swords subseries, which had humble beginnings as a bundle-in with the Game Boy Advance version of A Link to the Past. It later evolved into its own entity, getting a sequel on the GameCube and a spiritual successor in Tri Force Heroes. Although largely considered lesser among the series, these games do a fantastic job of creating a co-op Zelda experience, even if they lack certain things you'd want out of a mainline game.

Tri Force Heroes is basically a dead game today, but that doesn't mean there's no room for it in the Zelda series' future. I'd love to see a co-op Zelda on the Switch 2 - maybe using the Link's Awakening remake/Echoes of Wisdom art style to create something unique. The Legend of Zelda has a reputation for reinventing itself, and a new co-op experience that builds on past failures would be a great way to do that.

Source: Metacritic