Overview
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is a top-down action-adventure game developed by Nintendo and published by Nintendo, released in 2013. I played it on 3DS.
It presents itself as a spiritual successor to A Link to the Past, released on Super Nintendo, and reuses its map of Hyrule.
Story and world
A sorcerer named Yuga turns the descendants of the sages, and then Princess Zelda, into paintings. Link pursues him all the way to Lorule, a parallel kingdom darker than Hyrule.
There's a great system with these two distinct worlds, which you travel between through fissures to progress.
Gameplay
The game brings new mechanics with the ability to turn into a drawing on walls. Link can then move along the walls to get past obstacles or reach areas that would otherwise be inaccessible.
Items can be rented or bought from a merchant, Ravio, right from the start of the adventure. So you're free to do whichever dungeons you want, in whatever order you want.
The dungeons' level design is well executed.
Graphics and music
The game is beautiful. It makes good use of the console's 3D effect, especially in dungeons built across several floors. The soundtrack revisits and rearranges many themes from A Link to the Past.
Verdict
A very good Zelda: the game is beautiful, turning into a drawing on walls brings new mechanics, the two distinct worlds work very well, and you're free to do the dungeons in whatever order you want, with well-executed level design.