The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess has the distinct honor of being one of the greatest game ever created–so great, in fact, people are climbing over each other to toss rocks at it. Few games of this quality are hated so fiercely by this many people. Is the hate justified? Or are people just spewing their anger for no reason?

There is a very real reason why people are not shy about throwing insults TP’s way: it is not the revolution people were expecting. Though the game introduces many new gameplay scenarios and a wider world to explore than previous title in the franchise, it doesn’t try to leap away from its comfortable past.

Ocarina of Time set the mold almost a decade ago on how to make a 3D Zelda game. Since that time, we have seen the same basic game released three more times. The formula is still great, but without a dose of innovation, it feels like a mere retread.

In order to reinvigorate interest in the series, Nintendo needs to go back to square one. Make the sword combat more compelling. A little depth in the combat would do wonders for making the game feel fresh. How about a more mature storyline? Every Zelda simply sets Link out on random quests to remove items scattered throughout the world. We need more motivation than that. Give Link dialog, make me care about the journey for once. Don’t turn the game into an epic fetch quests again. I am a hero of legend! Do not reduce me to a glorified errand boy!

For now, we’re stuck with a well-made but uninspired franchise. I’ll still be waiting eagerly at the store for the next iteration to hit. Once infected with the Zelda Virus, it’s impossible to fully cleanse yourself.

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