Has Zelda painted itself into a corner with Breath of the Wild?

[Tanis]

I don't think they have.

There's a space for both the 2D and the 3D LoZ games.
There's also room for the 'do what you want' open world and 'better crafted' liner games.

You could also do something like FF10.
A game that IS open world, but limited in a way that allows for some great scripted moments.

What I would REALLY love to see is a 'Wind Waker' style of game where you're giving a rather large ocean map with some major islands with many minor and medium sized region to go to and from.

 

[Hawki]

I don't think they have.

There's a space for both the 2D and the 3D LoZ games.

I almost brought this up, but I can't help but wonder if there is.

There's an idea floating around that the Switch will effectively cannabalize the 3DS in terms of development. Up until now, there's been a hard divide between the home console, 3D, more story-focused Zelda games, and the mobile console, 2D, more exploration-focused Zelda games. While I prefer 3D to 2D Zelda, that's not to say I dislike the latter. But if there ceases to be room for 2D, handheld Zelda, and only BotW-esque Zelda, then what happens to the series?

Hopefully nothing at all and both the Switch and 3DS (and by extension, both their Zelda libraries) have a future, but we'll see...

 

[Tanis]

I almost brought this up, but I can't help but wonder if there is.
There's an idea floating around that the Switch will effectively cannabalize the 3DS in terms of development. Up until now, there's been a hard divide between the home console, 3D, more story-focused Zelda games, and the mobile console, 2D, more exploration-focused Zelda games. While I prefer 3D to 2D Zelda, that's not to say I dislike the latter. But if there ceases to be room for 2D, handheld Zelda, and only BotW-esque Zelda, then what happens to the series?
Hopefully nothing at all and both the Switch and 3DS (and by extension, both their Zelda libraries) have a future, but we'll see...

Nintendo, even after Mario went 3D, still made some solid console 2D Mario games.

While I've heard the same rumor, I just don't see it happening any time soon.
Last I read the 3DS has sold around 10.5 million units while the Switch as solid around 4.5 million.
The 3DS is also easier to developer for and the games (at least First Party) seems to be selling REALLY well.

I, personally, prefer the 2D LoZ games (minus Wind Waker which I adore), but I do understand that I am in the minority.
It probably helps that my first LoZ game was, well...the FIRST LoZ game. XD

For me, I'd love to see them take the open world style of BotW and remake the classic games with it.

LoZ: Link's Awakening with 3D graphics and a bit more open world?
You wouldn't have to make it GTA open world, but more options?
Yes, please.

 

[Rangaman]

Well next time, they can fix the many nitpicks that ended up becoming an amalgamation of shit.

Not that the game as a whole was shit. BotW is great and all, but it falls apart on repeated runs. I bought the game a second time for the Switch and found myself losing interest before I'd even made it to the first Zord. I could go on a long rant, but the gist of it is this:
-The dungeons feel disconnected from the rest of the world
-Though the NPCs are full of character, the sidequests are all variations on a fetch quest and all feel very basic and bare-bones
-The exploration feels less rewarding when your prize consists of some nuts, a glowey orb, a comically oversized sword that will break in five minutes and, like, a bajilion cultists trying to kill you.

That's not too mention the nitpicks I had on my first playthrough regarding weapon durability, the inconsistent voice acting and the kinda bare-bones story.

There enough room for improvement that I don't think Nintendo have really "painted themselves into a corner". Though I want to see another land, not fucking Hyrule again. And if you're worried about fan reception, don't be. This is Zelda we're talking about. In the eyes of games journalists and Zelda fans the newest game is always the best game ever (until the next one comes out).

 

[Bad Player]

I haven't read the whole thread, but my two cents: BotW is a fantastic game, but it's not what I really want/expect out of Zelda. Open world was great to try out, but I'd welcome a linear Zelda with open arms.

What I missed the most in BotW were large, interesting, visually diverse dungeons (even if the shrines put together are probably more dungeoneering than any other Zelda game) and the items you would get in them. Of course there's no reason they can't put those back in an open world game, but... we'll see what happens.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Show of Hands, who else ended up at the Zoras first without specifically trying to go to any specific race or place? I've witnessed 4 playthroughs by different people at this point. Each ended with the same sequence of Zoras, Gorons, Gerudos, Birdpersons. I'm willing to bet that the games design is still linear enough that we almost all started with the Zoras.

That's the one point where it really wants you to go to a certain place. There are numerous Zora placed along your path to give you directions, and the path to the Zora domain is made linear due to the rain. But that's the only section in Hyrule that's this linear. I did the Rito second and the Gorons last. I also didn't run into Hestu until like my 50th hour at the earliest, because I climbed the mountains to get to Kakariko village instead of taking the road.

 

[Addendum_Forthcoming]

I wouldn't mind actually seeing comprehensive semi-sequel that would add to what is an otherwise fantastic open world model they have.

Just for the love of God fix the armour and damage systems. Make the armour percentiles (capped at max 70% of damage insulated round up 1/4 heart damage). Because how damage works out in this game is utterly borked. Games shouldn't get ridiculously easier as it goes on. There gets to a point where you want an unimproved armour set solely so you get a challenge.

That being said I would be interested in seeing a fleshed out Castle Town with dungeons beneath and above. Massive subterranean caverns that link to different parts of the city and surrounds.

Given the placement of the Temple of Time in BotW, the insinuation of so much stuff beneath your feet makes for a fun idea.

So far the Zelda games have been usually many years in between themselves, so both exploring that as well as baiting Zelda fans who have transformed a video game series into something akin to an archaeological field of study, I feel that is something Nintendo wouldn't want to pass up

With interwoven dungeons, with interwoven hazards, that encourage re-exploration of retread ground before. A solution to one puzzle might involve the level above, and might depend on the tools that you have.

Rather than in BOTW where they just practically give you all the tools you might need, and there is fluidity in how you use them with the physics based gameplay, how aboiut the different tools you pick up in different orders being used in a mutual space in different ways, to create solutions?

That would appeal to zelda archaeologists I would think .... imagine if they redirected those efforts into anything else in life. Then again I feel the same of Soulsborne lorist types.

You could call it 'The Sands of Time' ...

 

[sXeth]

No. Not really.

I mean, what does Open World even really mean in this Context? Sure, you can go anywhere...except of course if you go to the wrong areas you'll encounter enemies that you can't deal with. And you can only go anywhere if you either have the proper equipment or potions to survive the environment. Then you of course will also n?ed Food or potions to overcome the enviromental barriers if you lack stamina. Other then that you can go everywhere...now I don't personally see how this is really radically different from learning a Song or getting a Tool to proceed...there are still barriers present and the game is still designed to pull you in a certain direction.

Show of Hands, who else ended up at the Zoras first without specifically trying to go to any specific race or place? I've witnessed 4 playthroughs by different people at this point. Each ended with the same sequence of Zoras, Gorons, Gerudos, Birdpersons. I'm willing to bet that the games design is still linear enough that we almost all started with the Zoras.

If anything they need to rework other aspects of the next game in relation to BOTW. The World is fine...really good actually, they can stick with the underlying Design concepts.


It's more the other new things like Weapon Durability and the inventory etc. That need to be reworked. 4 proper dungeons and Bosses ks also too few. They should do less of whatever they'll call the shrines in the bext one and more proper temples. And Shrines were a good concept, it's just that you get too few Temples in comparison.

Ended up at the Zoras 3rd. Would've been 4th except the Gorons were kind of obtuse and I kept waiting to get the anti-fire stuff when you were just supposed to run blindly into death with nothing but a prayer seemingly.

The difference between a Tool and something that gives you a slightly better number vs an environmental number is a Tool has gameplay applications, rather then being some behind the scenes math changed slightly. For the basic concept of traversal, yeah, the end result of a hook shot to the top of a cliff and a stamina salad to climb up there is the same. But the added climbing meter doesn't give you new puzzle or combat mechanics to work with, while the hook shot does.

 

[Specter Von Baren]

No. Not really.

I mean, what does Open World even really mean in this Context? Sure, you can go anywhere...except of course if you go to the wrong areas you'll encounter enemies that you can't deal with. And you can only go anywhere if you either have the proper equipment or potions to survive the environment. Then you of course will also n?ed Food or potions to overcome the enviromental barriers if you lack stamina. Other then that you can go everywhere...now I don't personally see how this is really radically different from learning a Song or getting a Tool to proceed...there are still barriers present and the game is still designed to pull you in a certain direction.

Show of Hands, who else ended up at the Zoras first without specifically trying to go to any specific race or place? I've witnessed 4 playthroughs by different people at this point. Each ended with the same sequence of Zoras, Gorons, Gerudos, Birdpersons. I'm willing to bet that the games design is still linear enough that we almost all started with the Zoras.

I just don't see how this kind of Open World is really restricting at all in terms of the rest of the game design. I didn't see much Story either...but I also think that was part of the point...the World is desolate and practically stuck in time. I think the Memories...of which I never actually found any outside of unavoidible ones, are really just there for those to which they are important. Personally, I enjoyed the tiny snippets the Story gave me specifically in context of the rather bleak world.

Also, Zeldas Games don't have proper continuity, no reason to assume they wouldn't make a entirely new Hyrule and give it 0 explanation with relation to BOTW.

If anything they need to rework other aspects of the next game in relation to BOTW. The World is fine...really good actually, they can stick with the underlying Design concepts.

It's more the other new things like Weapon Durability and the inventory etc. That need to be reworked. 4 proper dungeons and Bosses ks also too few. They should do less of whatever they'll call the shrines in the bext one and more proper temples. And Shrines were a good concept, it's just that you get too few Temples in comparison.

My route was Zora's, Rito, Gerudo, Goron's. But the reason for me doing the Zora's first is because I deliberately wanted to do their story first and had mapped about 1/3rd of the whole map before finding them. The only race that's really blocked off to you whole sale without items are the Goron's. Keep in mind also that the Zora's are the closest to Kakariko village meaning they're the most likely for people to stumble across (Except for me...). The only thing that really holds you back from going to other places is your health and stamina, if you seek out trials from the start then getting blocked off becomes less of a problem.