Opinions on the new Zelda direction

[Mr Jt (Gog is king)]

In my opinion the new zelda games aren’t zelda games anymore. They are now huge sandboxes with an empty world and nothing more. In the past you had 3 save games, you could name link because he is a link to the player and you also had great and meaningful dungeon designs. The dungeons in the new Zelda games just feel like fillers. The graphic design of the game is good but the rest feels very bland. Ocarina if time is still the best in my opinion.

[gugnihr]

I've never been a big fan of Zelda (I love Twilight Princess but I don't like too much any other Zelda game) but I agree with you.
When I played Breath of the wild it reminded me when I played Vice city on my PS2.
Except back then it was amazing because I never played any game like it before, now we have so many games like that, and with so much more content, that Breath of the wild feels really empty, boring and pointless.
Personally I do not like the art style either, but this is a matter of personal taste so ok this does not count that much.
But the way I see it Nintendo don't have a lot of experience with open world games, they tried to put the new Zelda game in this genre but what they have done is just remove almost everything that ade Zelda games what they are and add this big empty open world without anything else that would make sense in an open world game.
It is the same old Zelda game but without the main quest (if you are extremely good you can skip everything, go to the final boss and beat the game that way), without the adventure, without all the things that made Zelda games interesting and engaging.
It alsoi lacks everything that make games like Skyrim or other open world games interesting and engaging too.
The only thing it has it is the weapon breaking mechanics that is a nightmare gameplay wise, one of the most annoying things I ever experienced in a videogame.
I really dislike Breath of the wild, I think that they could dso a better job but this is not what I would do. This is not Zelda and in my opinion it would make more sense to let Zelda be what it has always been.
They say that BOTW give you freedom because you can skip everything and go straight to the final boss, because you can decide how to kill enemies in many different ways... well this is not freedom. I could kill enemies in many different ways in Madworld too (another boring game imo), but this is not real freedom because I still have to achieve only one thing, killing the final boss. And after I kill him the game ends (there is no way to keep playing after his death you must reload an earlier save if you want to play... maybe there is a new game + too, I don't know but I'm not talking about that, I'm talking about continue playing and explore and enjoy the game world AFTER the main adventure, it is not possible). Freedom is giving me the choice about WHAT I want to do. Do I want to complete the main quest or NOT? Do I wantr to do other side quests instead? Do I want to buy a home, or multiple homes, and just have a nice life inside the game world? Do I want to grind and make my character overpowered? Do I want my character to become something specific like to have a specific jop or role in the game world? Do I want to keep playing after the ending? THIS is freedom. Not "hey look, this is the bad guy, you MUST kill him, and there are also those smaller baddies you can kill too if you want, feel free to choose the way you want to kill them".
This is not freedom at all. I have only one goal, I'm not the one who decided this only goal, it is nmot freedom.
It would be ok in a traditional Zelda game, it would be an action adventure game with a polished and carefully crafted main quest that you have to follow, maybe some minor side contentr too, not being able to keep playing after the ending IS still annoying imo but you can forgive it to a game like the traditional Zelda games were.
So if Nintendo wanted to make an open world game focused on freedom well in my opinion they should create a new franchise for that.
There are too many important and relevant stereotypes in Zelda game at this point and it would be a shame to get rid of them to turn Zelda intro something that maybe was their intention at first, ut by now after many games over the years Zelda is not anymore. It does not matter anymore what inspired Miyamotro when he was creating Zelda 1. Over the years the various Zelda games have always been very different than that: no actual freedom, no customization, let Zelda be what Zelda has always been and create a new franchise to focus on different things like freedom and customization. This is what I would do.

[Grim Reaper]

I think BOTW has trash bosses, trash loot and trash dungeons but hopefully the new game fixes that. You can absolutely have an open world while not compromising on the areas, dungeons, loot and bosses like Elden Ring proved and so far it looks like Nintendo has learnt it's lesson in terms of BOTW's many shortcomings.

[Phirestar]

I haven’t played it myself, but everything that I’ve seen of Breath of Wild and have heard from other people sounds very promising. It’s one of the games that I want to play most, and I might have the chance to finally buy a Switch later this year to play it.

I also don’t really know much about the rest of Zelda, either. The last and only Zelda game I played was Wind Waker. I got pretty far into it and enjoyed it, but never managed to finish it. Back then I was accustomed to playing games that were like 6-7 hours in length, at least for reaching the end, so with Wind Waker being I think 25 hours for the main story, according to HowLongToBeat, it was a game that literally felt like it went on forever and had no ending.

[90054321564584560]

I havent played played tradition zelda games except wind walker so i enjoy it but its annoying as it heavily relies on guides like old games so it sucks when playing somewhere it doesnt have internet

[Sixtyfivekills]

I miss the CDI Link.

[sleeps]

i like new zelda games whatever if it's not a zelda game or not

[gugnihr]

Originally posted by Grim Reaper:

I think BOTW has trash bosses, trash loot and trash dungeons but hopefully the new game fixes that. You can absolutely have an open world while not compromising on the areas, dungeons, loot and bosses like Elden Ring proved and so far it looks like Nintendo has learnt it's lesson in terms of BOTW's many shortcomings.

Yes the problem of BOTW is not being open world, the problem is that they tought that dirching 80% of what makes a Zelda game would be enough to say it has freedom.
It does not work that way. You must replace it with something meaningful.
But why not make 2 different franchises instead if you wantt to make a game with freedsom and let Zelda be Zelda, without freedoim, even as a open world?

[Grim Reaper]

Originally posted by gugnihr:

Originally posted by Grim Reaper:

I think BOTW has trash bosses, trash loot and trash dungeons but hopefully the new game fixes that. You can absolutely have an open world while not compromising on the areas, dungeons, loot and bosses like Elden Ring proved and so far it looks like Nintendo has learnt it's lesson in terms of BOTW's many shortcomings.

Yes the problem of BOTW is not being open world, the problem is that they tought that dirching 80% of what makes a Zelda game would be enough to say it has freedom.
It does not work that way. You must replace it with something meaningful.
But why not make 2 different franchises instead if you wantt to make a game with freedsom and let Zelda be Zelda, without freedoim, even as a open world?

No this is a direction that fits Zelda, and nothing has to be replaced, it's just that dungeons like the Water Temple or Stone Tower Temple are missing in BOTW, bosses like Goht and Phantom Ganon are missing, Items like the Grapple Hook are missing. There are no unique dungeons or bosses or dungeon items in BOTW and that's what is disappointing. There isn't really anything too interesting to find in the world, and all the bosses and dungeons are always the same.

[Grim Reaper]

Originally posted by Munithe EXT:

The only problem with BotW is the forced stealth part. Luckily it is just one short part. Everything else about it is great. Best Zelda game ever made in history. Period.

Ocarina of time bosses:
Horseback Painting Demon
Chinese Dragon with a helmet
Giant Parasite beyond human comprehension
Massive Demon hanging from the ceiling with decapitated hands playing on a bongo

BOTW bosses:
Statue spear
Statue greatsword
Statue sword and shield
Statue gun

[Elucidator]

What makes a zelda-like
top-down action-rpg where exploration / progression is locked behind skills, tools or weapons +
exploration game with dungeons with small puzzles here and there. Items to collect (like weapon upgrades or magic), and some aspect of mystery. (aside from the main quest, which usually is uh-- save this or figure out what to do next)

What did zelda do specifically unique to it?
Elements of creep, scare, horror, loneliness, challenge (the lone hero having to face everything, weight of the world). Scary forest, scary dungeons, scary mobs, scary bosses.
As you explore the world, you wonder 'why', basically. You have to do stuff, but-- yeah--.

What is the new switch zelda?
Open world exploration (genshin impact) + cinema inspired cutscenes .. and... filler content?
3D dungeons... check here and there. Guides / handholding. No challenge. No horror.
No mysteries anywhere, you're given out everything in your hand. There is no need to think.
There is not a single scene where you need to feel disturbed, scared or alone.


Zelda, was infamous for its soft horror elements.
Stuff that freaks out kids that play the game.
It didn't shy away from horrible subjects like suicide, trauma (due to war for example), etc. Slavery even. Racism -> In older zelda's its usually the Zora who hate the hylians. In ocarina of time, the gerudo are repressed by the hylians, etc.

Are there any scary or disturbing aspects to the new zeldas on the switch?
Hm.....
I mean Link's awakening was a remake, keep that in mind. Seeing the entire world filled with living people fade away is kinda disturbing indeed, but a lot of other stuff on that island is.

[Grim Reaper]

Originally posted by Elucidator:

What makes a zelda-like
top-down action-rpg where exploration / progression is locked behind skills, tools or weapons +
exploration game with dungeons with small puzzles here and there. Items to collect (like weapon upgrades or magic), and some aspect of mystery. (aside from the main quest, which usually is uh-- save this or figure out what to do next)

What did zelda do specifically unique to it?
Elements of creep, scare, horror, loneliness, challenge (the lone hero having to face everything, weight of the world). Scary forest, scary dungeons, scary mobs, scary bosses.
As you explore the world, you wonder 'why', basically. You have to do stuff, but-- yeah--.

What is the new switch zelda?
Open world exploration (genshin impact) + cinema inspired cutscenes .. and... filler content?
3D dungeons... check here and there. Guides / handholding. No challenge. No horror.
No mysteries anywhere, you're given out everything in your hand. There is no need to think.
There is not a single scene where you need to feel disturbed, scared or alone.


Zelda, was infamous for its soft horror elements.
Stuff that freaks out kids that play the game.
It didn't shy away from horrible subjects like suicide, trauma (due to war for example), etc. Slavery even. Racism -> In older zelda's its usually the Zora who hate the hylians. In ocarina of time, the gerudo are repressed by the hylians, etc.

Are there any scary or disturbing aspects to the new zeldas on the switch?
Hm.....
I mean Link's awakening was a remake, keep that in mind. Seeing the entire world filled with living people fade away is kinda disturbing indeed, but a lot of other stuff on that island is.

Can't forget the how the OST adds to that, especially the Fire Temple, Deku Tree and Forest Temple OSTs. Tho the older titles also have unforgettable tracks like Lost Woods, Gerudo Desert, Song of Storms, Song of Healing, BOTW has no truly great tracks in it's OST.

The ironic thing is that the new Zelda can have the most secret, most mysterious, hardest to find, creepiest places the series could have, and yet it proceeds to have 9000 korok seads and 200 mini dungeons (which are completely the same and uninteresting).

[Elucidator]

Originally posted by Grim Reaper:

Originally posted by Elucidator:

What makes a zelda-like
[snip]

What did zelda do specifically unique to it?
Elements of creep, scare, horror, loneliness, challenge (the lone hero having to face everything, weight of the world). Scary forest, scary dungeons, scary mobs, scary bosses.
As you explore the world, you wonder 'why', basically. .

Can't forget the how the OST adds to that, especially the Fire Temple, Deku Tree and Forest Temple OSTs. Tho the older titles also have unforgettable tracks like Lost Woods, Gerudo Desert, Song of Storms, Song of Healing, BOTW has no truly great tracks in it's OST.

Yeah, the entire game design was made to compliment to those elements, including the lack of voice acting.

The fact is that hearing people talk, makes the game feel less lonely.

[gugnihr]

Originally posted by Grim Reaper:

Originally posted by gugnihr:

Yes the problem of BOTW is not being open world, the problem is that they tought that dirching 80% of what makes a Zelda game would be enough to say it has freedom.
It does not work that way. You must replace it with something meaningful.
But why not make 2 different franchises instead if you wantt to make a game with freedsom and let Zelda be Zelda, without freedoim, even as a open world?

No this is a direction that fits Zelda, and nothing has to be replaced, it's just that dungeons like the Water Temple or Stone Tower Temple are missing in BOTW, bosses like Goht and Phantom Ganon are missing, Items like the Grapple Hook are missing. There are no unique dungeons or bosses or dungeon items in BOTW and that's what is disappointing. There isn't really anything too interesting to find in the world, and all the bosses and dungeons are always the same.

Maybe you misunderstood me: you are complaining about the same things I'm talking about. They removed those items to give players the option to skip everything and thought that this was freedom, it is not.

[Alliesaurus]

Looks kinda crappy, best Zelda game was Windwaker by far.

[Grimmz]

i like zelda games but despise nintendo.