This is something I want to see- a popular sentiment on this forum is that Zelda has lost its shine. Personally, I agree inasmuch that the last few console entries have definitely fallen short of the mark, but I still think Zelda is Zelda, and that at its best, it is unstoppable.
That said, I know people aren't exactly very happy with it. So here's what I want- assume, hypothetically, you get the reigns on the development of the next Zelda game. I want to know what your perfect next Zelda would be. There are the only parameters:
Must be for a Nintendo system only.Don't make this an excuse to start begging for Nintendo games on third party hardware
You have full reign on deciding everything- story, presentation, controls, graphical style, soundtrack, gameplay, structure, everything.
Your budget is $50 million.
You are free to enlist third party companies to assist with the development.
Assuming you are targeting the NX with this game, the NX can be presumed to be roughly equivalent to a PS4 in terms of resources.
So, if you were heading the next Zelda game, what would you give us? Let's find out what System Wars has in mind.
Fire Aonuema. He's one of the most celebrated developers for putting lipstick on pigs. His games always have copious amounts of tedium in them and barely enough good design to make up. After that, leave and hire Miyazaki.
Same plotline as the rest but Zelda is evil and you need to save the prince of darkness, Ganondorf. Oh and it's the prequel of all Zelda as for the timeline.
I'd give Link a grappling hook and parachute. I'd change Link's name to Scorpio. I'd tell my development team we are due to ship in two weeks and the game better be beautiful and fun. Viola! I'd be playing Just Cause 3 before the holidays! *sigh* If only it was that easy >:^{
Made by Sony Santa Monica/Naughtly Dog. No one from nintendo is allowed to touch it because they are terrible at level design and puzzles.
Basically I want skyrim/witcher 3/god of war mixed together staring link. Everything about zelda is 15-20 years behind current standards and we need competant developers to make that happen. No more N64 design with gamecube graphics in HD.
Someone should just make a mod for Witcher 3 replacing Geralt with a Link skin and you basically have what zelda should be.
Really really really nice, semi-realistic aesthetic. The visual quality would absolutely be the focus (this is what you get if you give the reigns to a visual artist). Story? Meh, save Zelda... But wait! Zelda has changed her sex to break the monotony of the damsel in distress narrative! Link is middle aged and has a crisis with his sexuality (there will be prostitutes of both sexes in the center of hyrule town for link to let off steam). Epona will be a lizard because **** yeah lizards.
Mechanics? Meh reskin the old mechanics, add some cool gadgets idk figure it out in pre production later on.
challenge level somewhere between Zelda 1 and ALttP
actually neat story/lore like WW or MM
But most importantly
4. Not have any of the tediousness that WW, TP, or SS had. While I enjoyed and liked all 3 games, and quite a bit even, they all did get held back by some of the more BS parts inbetween all of their actually pretty fucking good parts.
The DS games had their pacing issues too, although those games were just lame in general IMO so meh to them.
challenge level somewhere between Zelda 1 and ALttP
actually neat story/lore like WW or MM
But most importantly
4. Not have any of the tediousness that WW, TP, or SS had. While I enjoyed and liked all 3 games, and quite a bit even, they all did get held back by some of the more BS parts inbetween all of their actually pretty fucking good parts.
The DS games had their pacing issues too, although those games were just lame in general IMO so meh to them.
"When the gods heard our pleas, they chose to seal away not only Ganon, but Hyrule itself...and so, with a torrential downpour of rains from the heavens...Our fair kingdom was soon buried beneath the waves, forgotten at the bottom of the ocean."
The Legend of Zelda: The Gerudo King (or a good title)
STORY
This entry would be based on the story of what happened to cause The Great Flood. It was what I originally hoped Twilight Princess was going to be, and so this idea has been one that's gestated in my mind for quite a few years.
"The boy's tale was passed down through generations until it became legend... But then...a day came when a fell wind began to blow across the kingdom. The great evil that all thought had been forever sealed away by the hero... ...once again crept forth from the depths of the earth, eager to resume its dark designs. The people believed that the Hero of Time would again come to save them. ...But the hero did not appear." -- Prologue, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
What if this passage, passed on through generations, had been changed in its telling like in a game of telephone. What if an incarnation of the Hero of Time did appear? What if Link was fighting all along on a great journey, placed on this quest by the Princess Zelda due to Ganon breaking free from his imprisonment?
This epic tale would take place all over Hyrule, playing a lot to series' strengths while also evolving to the new gaming landscape. The bonds Link creates with the people of the world is a focus of the story, as they will help Link fight against Ganon's army as well as help Zelda communicate with the gods / sages at the end.
Because yes, The Great Flood happens in the end. The story that has been passed down about him not appearing is because Link fails in his fight against Ganon, he falls to the Demon King. As a last resort, Princess Zelda must fight her way through a great tower to reach a shrine to the gods, and she prays to them to stop the threat. Ganon is so close to gaining the Triforce and conquering Hyrule, so Zelda pleads to the gods to take away what he desires: Hyrule itself. The gods warn her that many lives may be lost, but Zelda deems it a sacrifice worth making. The alternative is Ganon taking over, destroying anything with no hope left.
With the flood comes hope.
Sure, this story seems a little heavy for The Legend of Zelda and maybe too much story for this series. It's certainly will be a more story-driven journey, but it takes a minimalist direction in its storytelling. No voice-acting, just an alternative language like in ICO.
GAMEPLAY
Gameplay would focus on creating a faster Link and a more dangerous bestiary. Light and heavy sword attacks would be mapped to the face buttons. The bow and arrows can be used quickly with the press of the right shoulder button on the controller, and Link can also carry different types of ammunition that work better against different enemies.
Hyrule itself is large and needs to be tackled with Epona. Sidequests will be abundant, but only focused on what progresses the story / the characters, not just lame "go slay three yellow chu-chus" type of quests. Dungeons will be scattered around the countryside and many of the items can be used to make your way through different paths of it. The dungeons will be challenging trials, each carrying new puzzles with some not being able to be completed until you gather more equipment, others having a variety of solutions.
Despite the game being more open-world, it will have its share of linearity to keep focus.
OTHER FEATURES
Silent protagonist
Fully orchestrated soundtrack
Intelligent enemy A.I., looking for exploits in your moves if you repeat the same tactics
Playable Zelda sections, culminating in a finale where you play as her racing to the Shrine of the Gods against Ganon's army
Friends and allies you make will accompany Link at certain parts of the game, assisting in combat
Large-scale combat against Ganon's armies and the beasts of Hyrule. Easily can be overrun if you don't strategize
Bosses ranging from other humanoids to towering beasts a la Shadow of the Colossus or the Souls games
Zelda lays asleep. You touch her, but her body is cold, you ponder as you look upon her frail body frozen in time. Where were you this time, you were supposed to protect her. You have nothing, you have been fooled. What is this riddle, what could it mean? " Only this sound will wake her" what sound? You have no time to wait, the Kingdom lies in ruin. But you are alone, not even your trusted steed is at your side. ( All have died in the war to conquer Hyrule. )
Later, while darkness rest, you discover that the paper the riddle is written on is no ordinary paper, its texture is from a very unique plant found in the Lost Woods. You gather your supplies and head out into the night.
Darkness feels the screen and then it slowly brightens up to the warmth of a torch. You have arrived deep into the Lost Woods. There you are greeted by a mysterious Troll. This Troll gives you the power to turn into the protectors of the Woods. The power of the Hawk and his ability to fly, the power of the Bear and it strong will, Wolf and his endurance with speed, and lastly the Alligator with his ability to hold ones breath. With these powers one can navigate Hyrule and restore order among the world, for if we dont, i fear the Gods will destroy us all.
The world is open, evil has reincarnated itself once again, you must wake Zelda, and you must reclaim Hyrule and all that is lost. Saving Zelda will involve finding different instruments to try and wake her. You will also need to find a way to stop the evil that has arose by traveling around the world in search for secret dark forgotten magic. The magic is lost so youll have to remember it. You can take your time but the whole world is slowly dying and turning to ruins. Parts of the world are already unlivable. You will need to use your animal powers to transverse and overcome certain obstacles. Can be a weird world with evil all around.
If my budget is 50 million i might have to use Wind Waker graphics for my open world and do limited advertizing with big advertizing for the holidays.
Combat would be total control combat. Shield in left hand and sword in right hand. Left trigger to block, right trigger to swing sword. Speed items and weapons on the dpad. B button to jump and A button to select things. Map on tablet or can switch to gamepad only and toggle between map with button. Can use gyro control to look around or can use right analog stick.
Thanks for the kind words! Seriously. Do any of your uncle's work for Nintendo? Hook me up! :P
The answer to the question is difficult, and I've just been lucky to have this one in my brain since 2005.
A new game definitely has to respect the series. That's 25+ years of material that Nintendo has to respect, stay true to, and evolve and change all at the same time. It's quite the feat and easy to muck up. I've seen many examples of saying, "Just take Demon's Souls combat" or "Give it voice acting and realistic graphics." Both of those things could be The Legend of Zelda, but how does it stay true to the tradition? What does that do for the series as a whole and not just for that single installment?
It's nice reading through everyone else's thoughts on what a Zelda game would be though. It's interesting to see where each person's focus lies.
honestly i would just want to change the visuals to someone that doesnt look like a kid game and for goodness sakes put voice acting...its 2015 for fucks sake
@charizard1605: Hmm...I'd imagine something like Zelda U.
I'd Make the game world "vast". Every section/zone of the game world looks and feels different from the others, same for the dungeons. Lots of different characters.
The game needs to be "seamless", (If that is the right term.) Kinda like Dark Souls, where all of the worlds/areas in the game are connected, so there are no loading screens, you don't pan off, or "black screen", to another section, even if your entering houses. The only exception would be death, warping, etc.
The combat would have to be as non repetitive as possible. Lots of different animations, with amazing controls. Almost every enemy has to be delt with in a certian way, in order to reduce repetition. LOTS of different enemies, so you just don't see the same ones over and over again.
Detailed game world. You can see the wind effects, water effects, etc. Realistic ambience, sound effects, etc. All the models. textures, animation, and lighting, are as detailed as possible.
...A good story? I dunno. I feel that the gameplay is more important that story. Some people don't care about story and just skip the cutscenes...
There is a lot more, but I'll end it there. This isn't just good for Zelda, but for open world games in general.
Mix this with dat Zelda style gameplay, and you've got yourself a masterpiece. =P
Developer- Given that the existing Zelda team is working on a Zelda that won't be released until next fall, I would create a new team at Retro (expanding the whole studio) to create an American Zelda exclusively for NX and taking advantage of its superior hardware.
Engine- I would use CryTech but it would be heavily modified so the game looks unique.
Character design- The characters would be expressionist in proportion but everything would retain a realistic texture too it. The costuming would be dramatically simpler than other 'realistic' high fantasy titles like Skyrim and Witcher. Link and Zelda would wear cloaks and have brown or white under garments. They would wear no armor and the focus would be on the realism of the cloth of their cloaks-- the shadows, the interactions with wind and water, the body moving under it, etc.
World design- The game would have a fully free roam open world but the landscape would be akin to the Netherlands. It would be cold, damp and dominated by dark conifer forests and snowy mountains.
Multiplayer- You could play the whole game with a second player online. Otherwise, Zelda would be controlled by AI. Link would wield a sword and shield while Zelda would wield a bow and short sword. When playing alone, the player would be able to switch between characters on the fly (rather than sifting through inventory).
One-shot kills- The bow and sword could kill enemies like Moblins with one hit to the heart, spine, or head.
Controls- The new motion controllers would be 1:1 and feature dual analog and at least two face buttons per remote. The player would hold a face button or shoulder key to wield the sword and shield or bow with motion control. The controls would be simple, and the weapons would be few and focused on motion control. The right analog stick would be used for camera control exactly like in Wind Waker.
I want a game that has a story line that bridges the gap between Ocarina of Time and Wind Waker.
Spoilers of Ocarina of Time below.
If you remember how Ocarina of Time ended, Ganon was sealed away instead of being truly defeated, and he rose again in Wind Waker. I want a game which has someone besides Link, maybe Impa, have to fully seal Ganon away until The Hero and Zelda can be reborn in Wind Waker's story line. I want her to go through dungeons to collect the things she needs to make sure Ganon doesn't escape until the prophecy can be fulfilled. But for sure I want the game to somewhat hint at Ganon not actually being a bad dude, and truly showing how "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter", maybe Ganon just wanted a better life for the Gerudos? Maybe blur the lines a little between good and bad on both sides with some nice plot twists, and then never explore this game or twist on the story again in the series.
The art style would be a little bit gritty but hopeful at the same time, similar to the Prince of Persia that released in 2008?
I want the music to be just as killer as before, remixing old themes to make them familiar.
Let's put a gun in that left hand of his. Then let's put this Link in 2500 with some spaceships and shit. Commander Shepard turns out to be Ganondorf. Earth = Hyrule. Let's do this!
Oh, lets have decapitations and the ability to sever limbs. Link has a sword after all and its int he realm of possibilities. And 100% drop motion controls.
To make Zelda better is to eliminate the man that is in charge of the series, and that's Aonuma. His ideas are shit as he knows how to build help but then ends up under-deliver at the end *cough* Skyward Sword *cough*
To make Zelda better is to eliminate the man that is in charge of the series, and that's Aonuma. His ideas are shit as he knows how to build help but then ends up under-deliver at the end *cough* Skyward Sword *cough*
Would make it more mature and Souls like combat/level design. And no, its not mature=blood gore everywhere or Twilight Princess as a shitty example, but something that would make sense and isn't over the top. After the crapp Zelda SS i want to see less colors in a Zelda game.
To make Zelda better is to eliminate the man that is in charge of the series, and that's Aonuma. His ideas are shit as he knows how to build help but then ends up under-deliver at the end *cough* Skyward Sword *cough*
Made by Sony Santa Monica/Naughtly Dog. No one from nintendo is allowed to touch it because they are terrible at level design and puzzles.
Not... sure... if... sarcasm.
The level designers at Sony Santa Monica and ND are like college freshman compared to the PHDs at Nintendo.
I'll even concede that Zeldas puzzles are weak and have only become increasingly lame over the years, but **** man, they're still leagues ahead of anything SSM or ND could dream of creating.
To make Zelda better is to eliminate the man that is in charge of the series, and that's Aonuma. His ideas are shit as he knows how to build help but then ends up under-deliver at the end *cough* Skyward Sword *cough*
so skip the next Zelda game? D:
Wait until its in the bargain bin ;)
I still have WW remaster to play so I could do that. I dont think it will be out this year anyways, so you?
To make Zelda better is to eliminate the man that is in charge of the series, and that's Aonuma. His ideas are shit as he knows how to build help but then ends up under-deliver at the end *cough* Skyward Sword *cough*
so skip the next Zelda game? D:
Wait until its in the bargain bin ;)
I still have WW remaster to play so I could do that. I dont think it will be out this year anyways, so you?
To make Zelda better is to eliminate the man that is in charge of the series, and that's Aonuma. His ideas are shit as he knows how to build help but then ends up under-deliver at the end *cough* Skyward Sword *cough*
so skip the next Zelda game? D:
Wait until its in the bargain bin ;)
I still have WW remaster to play so I could do that. I dont think it will be out this year anyways, so you?
I'd just do classic Zelda style, big well crafted dungeons, mixture of new and classic gear to solve puzzles, BUT it doesn't need to be linear, big free roam over world and dungeons can be done in any order to some degree like the original.
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