Summary
The Legend of Zeldahas been one of the most dominant forces in the industry for nearly 40 years, but the last two mainline entries have altered the series in some pretty significant ways. BothBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdomtook the franchise into a new direction, abandoning many of the tropes and concepts that defined the series.Zeldahas routinely tapped into classic fantasy tropes, utilizing them in innovative ways in order to create its unique worlds, but recent entries have taken inspiration from contemporaries likeDark Souls, favoring a low-key approach over the traditional elements from the past.
Elements like the Master Sword being the ultimate slayer of eviland traditional dungeon designwere left behind, while the classicZeldaformula that dominated the series during the 1990s and 2000s was also left behind. As stated by series producer Eiji Aonuma, the nextLegend of Zeldagame is in full development, and it may be time to dust off some of the old ideas and see how they fit into the modern era of the franchise.
WithBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom, Nintendo ultimately abandoned one of the core concepts of the classic entries,as traditional dungeons wereleft behind in favor of mini-shrines. While there are what one might call dungeons in those games, they do not feature the same design principals and rely less on thematic gameplay design and more on a consistent world structure.
With classicZeldadungeons, Nintendo would construct them around multi-level exploration and puzzle solving mixed with an overall theme that made it feel unique and rewarding. Whether it was the bitter cold of Snowpeak Ruins inTwilight Princessor surviving the brutality of the Water Temple fromOcarina of Time, classicZeldadungeons would be a welcome return for the next mainline entry. These expertly designed, hand-crafted excursions made up some of the most fun adventures in the classic titles, and it would be incredible to see them make a comeback.
Among the many things thatBreath of the Wildtossed aside was the relevance andimportance of the Master Sword, Link’s iconic weapon that has slayed evil in the series since the beginning. Although it does not break like other weapons do, it does lose energy rather quickly and needs to recharge, making other weapons feel more useful in Link’s quest to rescue Zelda and defeat Ganondorf.
It wasn’t entirely a bad decision, resulting in a fun experiment and adding some variety to the weapon selection, but it may be time to restore the Master Sword to its proper place as the ultimate destroyer of evil in theZeldauniverse. The next proper mainline game could do well by showcasing the true power of the Master Sword, putting it back in its rightful place as Link’s greatest tool needed to dispel evil from the land of Hyrule.
As Link has traveled the land of Hyrule defeating the likes of Ganon and Zant, he has made friends with some truly uniqueand fascinating companion characters. From the absolutely delightful Midna inTwilight Princessto King of Red Lions inThe Wind Waker, Link has had some help along the way, but the most recentZeldagames mostly ignored this concept, leaving a core component of the classic games behind.
Characters like Fi, the spirit that resides in the Master Sword fromSkyward Sword, and Navi fromOcarina of Time, evoke a sort of nostalgic charm that the nextZeldagame could tap into. Companion characters in the franchise tend to do well when they are woven into the narrative, which is why Fi, Midna and King of Red Lions have persevered as the most popular ones. Taking influence from those would be a perfect way to reintroduce companion characters, a part of classicZeldagames that would be great to see return.
Following the lead of some of its contemporaries,Breath of the Wildcastthe new Link as ayoung adult waking up in a strange world, on a quest to stop an ancient evil and save the land. And while it undoubtedly worked in its favor to create an aura of mystery, it removed itself from a key part of some of the franchise’s best games, which was seeing Link emerge as an untested young man in a small village and embark on a grand adventure.
As the franchise has been toying with revisiting its roots, it may be time to see aZeldagame that echoes titles likeThe Wind WakerandA Link to the Past, which cast Link as a shy young man who goes on an adventure due to outside forces. Iconic locations from the series, including Outset Island and Ordon Village, have served as fantastic ways to introduce players to the newest version of Link, and it could be an excellent way to debut the next mainlineZeldatitle.
TheZeldafranchise has had a long, prosperous relationship with music, as composers like Koji Kondo used their unique talents to bring some of themost iconic video game musicto life. And it isn’t just the excellent soundtracks, but rather how some of the franchise’s most incredible titles have tied a specific musical instrument to the game’s progression and narrative. Titles likeThe Wind WakerandOcarina of Timepositioned a musical instrument at the heart of the experience, something that the series could definitely look to do again with the next iteration.
Thanks to the unique control methods of the Switch, which allow players to use the Joy-con controllers in each hand, controlling a musical instrument of some sort with the motion controls could lead to a magical experience. The franchise hasn’t pushed a musical instrument as the main mechanic since 2002 withThe Wind Waker, which means that now is the time to put the focus back on a musical instrument and see how just what the Switch 2 can do with this legendary franchise.
