The Legend of Zelda Games Are Finally Growing Up

Breath of the Wild

In the aftermath of The Game Awards, we have been treated yet again to a seductive glimpse into the latest entrant of the Zelda franchise. We were treated to two separate glimpses, actually.

The first being a typical game trailer which showed off all the beautiful colours, environments and landscapes of Breath of the Wild. Teases of new characters, possible returning characters and all of the above that usually comes with a game trailer. What got me even more excited was when they show the second trailer. Two guys got to sit down and just play the game. It may be a little scripted, but there was a lot more real gameplay compared to most similar things we see.

The typical Zelda experience goes as such:

1. Start off in a tutorial world.
2. The world goes to shit.
3. You go through dungeons in the correct order.
4. You save Zelda and get blue balls.

I may have missed a few steps for comical effect, but it’s a known formula that millions adore and love. It’s a by the books an adventure game which lets you venture off the beaten path but ultimately guides you from one place to the next. This is not a bad thing and Zelda games usually have a lot of side adventures to complete but they haven’t strayed too far from the standard formula over the years.

The most unique formula has been The Majora’s Mask, which had a time limit to get as much done in three in-game days as possible and required you to play through multiple times to complete. The next example of a unique formula I want to mention is the 3DS title, A Link Between Worlds. It’s probably the closest to the new Zelda game that awaits us next year as it allows you to choose which dungeon you want to tackle next through a weapons vendor that gives you the required items to take on the dungeon you want. You will still need to unlock stuff along the way and it is still an adventure game as it doesn’t have you earning experience or levelling stats etc.

With each new trailer, gameplay footage and press release, we are slowly piecing together what to expect and a traditional adventure game may not be the case anymore. In saying that, a straight RPG may not be the case either. What we have on our hands is what seems to be a carefully blended hybrid of both genres. It may not be the first time these two genres have crossed paths, but this is a huge step forward for this beloved franchise.

After E3, we were told that when you wake up for the first time in the new Zelda, Link can quite literally waltz right up to the final boss if the player knows where to go all without stepping foot in a single dungeon. What’s more is you can do it wearing nothing but Link’s underwear and a cheeky grin. You no longer have the one Master Sword that you carry through the whole game, you have a plethora of weapons to find and upgrade along the way which also can break if not maintained properly. You no longer only just have the trademark green tunic to choose from, but also a huge array of clothing that actually have uses in the different climates you will face in Breath of the Wild.

Breath of the Wild game

Some of the more drastic changes affect your hearts and how you heal. If you want to heal yourself, you better learn how to cook and cook well. No more will you be able to kill enemies and take their little hearts to replenish your own. Here is where the RPG elements start coming into play, the game now requires you to learn recipes and collect ingredients to cook food that heals you when you have taken damage. I can only assume that this will branch off into potion making for health, magic and maybe even gameplay boosts. The stamina bar has returned from Skyward Sword as well, which further adds to the RPG elements by affecting your climbing and sprinting. The combat ultimately remains the same but from what we have seen is more refined and precise, not as precise as having to wave your Wii remote in specific directions (which was usually unreliable) but I did notice that arrows now drop over distance instead of maintaining unlimited flight.

Zelda games have now been around for thirty years, so for the most part, those who play Zelda games have grown up with and watched the games evolve. Every title has always been perfectly accessible to someone who has never played a previous title and been more than welcoming to returning players as well. Each game is family friendly but doesn’t compromise enough that an adult can’t enjoy the game by it being too childish either. These are a big part of the reason the franchise is one of the most successful franchises to date and with all these new changes I finally feel that the Zelda franchise is growing up. The new hybrid genre Zelda looks like a game made for adults that are accessible to children instead of a game made for children that is accessible to adults.

The change seems to be an intentional decision to mature the series, rather than a happy coincidence. The whole marketing campaign for the Nintendo Switch seems to be catering to an audience that grew up playing Nintendo and are now trying to get back in touch with the fleeting audience. With games such as the Witcher 3 and Dragon Age Inquisition taking home game of the year awards recently, it’s not a bad idea to make the new Zelda formula something that can compete with these AAA blockbusters.

As always, there will be the audience that reject the changes and by rights they are allowed to be upset. Trying to please everyone can be as hard as the table-tilting mini-game from Twilight Princess. I do admire what Shigeru Miyamoto is trying to do – what’s best for the franchise. It’s very easy for us to yell and debate what we want in a Zelda game but we should respect the choices Miyamoto has made to create the vision for his game. Out of all the Zelda games created none of them have been a resounding failure both in sales and reviews (Hyrule Warriors may be the exception) so far. Judging by the resounding positive feedback and the award for most anticipated game at The Game Awards 2016, it seems that the changes some don’t approve of, are very minuscule.

2017 may be the year that Nintendo reigns supreme at the game awards and take home the Game of the Tear award. The transition from standard adventure game to RPG hybrid has been a slow process over the last 30 years. Nintendo has taken risks before: I refer to Wind Waker that was slammed over the new art style during the advertising campaign., only to be received as one of the all-time greatest entries after release. So I think it’s safe to say Miyamoto has taken the gloves off and is going all in for Breath of the Wild and it’s about time he let loose.

I think we can all agree that with this much hype surrounding The Breath of the Wild, this next entry will either make or break Zelda as we know it.

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