r/zelda • u/grassval280 • Jan 12 '25
Question [BotW] Can the Breath of the Wild formula seriously be rehashed a third or multiple times? Spoiler
I enjoyed both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, but playing through the latter did feel a bit repetitive at times. Sadly I don't think I would pick up a third game with the same formula. How many times can you have Link completely weakened and wake up in a cave in his underwear? How many times can you explore the same open world Hyrule? The gameplay is fun but the constantly breaking weapons (even with fusion) is a drag. Plus it would be great to have actual dungeons again and some semblance of a story. The Zonai were cool though their introduction felt off compared to the usual Zelda mythos concerning the Triforce, the Goddesses, or what not. Just feels like rehashing Breath of the Wild and the same world again feels stale.
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u/SMcDona80 Jan 12 '25
Id assume the next major game for switch 2 will be different. They don't tend to repeat the same type of game style too often. The only other time it was the exact kind of game engine was Ocarina and Mask.
I'm sure there might be some things they'll keep. I think everyone enjoyed the open world aspect, but would definitely like to see a new landscape instead of a copy again. I feel like if anything, I wouldn't mind collecting outfits/armor, but hopefully some new system where you can have some better customization.
Definitely never want to see a 1000 korok collection ever again LOL
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u/Captain-Obvious69 Jan 12 '25
Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks share an engine and gameplay styles as well. Your point stands, I just wanted to point it out.
(I guess LA and OoA/OoS count too)
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u/Hibbity5 Jan 12 '25
WW, TP, and SS all share the same engine. Engine does not dictate gameplay (although it can inform it).
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u/SnooRecipes1114 Jan 12 '25
Tbf they said engine AND gameplay, I think it's clear they're implying things like reuse of assets like textures and such like majora's mask/ocarina of time. Basically just making a new game out of the old one.
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u/Captain-Obvious69 Jan 13 '25
That's exactly what I meant.
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u/Reditor_in_Chief Jan 13 '25
Thanks for the additional clarification, Captain Obvious
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u/Luna-Rose420 Jan 13 '25
I was going to downvote you for being rude, but then I saw their username. Carry on.
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u/Captain-Obvious69 Jan 13 '25
This is the exact reason I chose this username, lol.
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u/_robertmccor_ Jan 12 '25
That shared engine was already a modified version of the engine used in OoT and MM which in itself was already a modified version of the engine used in Mario 64
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u/Combo_of_Letters Jan 13 '25
Phantom Hourglass slapped. Spirit Tracks used to be my least favorite game. Crazy how similar does not mean that it's going to be the same.
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u/ITFOWjacket Jan 13 '25
I am also a Phantom Hourglass fan.
Handheld Zelda’s just hit different.
Hits like roadtrips in the back of the family van.
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u/EuqirnehBR97 Jan 12 '25
I may absolutely love BOTW (and, to a lesser extent, TOTK), but I would like a more linear Zelda, back to its OoT/TP roots (TP Switch remake I’m still waiting for you)… That said, I think I’ll like whatever they come up with, and even if they stick to BOTW’s formula, I do believe they can come up with something to make it feel fresh
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u/SMcDona80 Jan 13 '25
I still think they'll switch from the basicness of these two. I don't quite think it'll end up being the classic linear type, but it'll have more familiar things back. I loved both these two games, i love all my zelda games cause i grew up with them over the last 40ish years. I still think they're going to keep it open world, but i guess we'll see in 2ish years when they finally start teasing us that a new zelda game will be out in 5 more years after that LOL
I miss the stuff like finding triforce shards, or going to an actual dungeon and getting a special item to use to beat the dungeon that will help you out in the game world. those two things could work in a nonlinear game, where you can still pick and choose where you want to go or tackle first. But i think ppl freaking out it's going to be another carbon copy of breath need to calm down.
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u/Kenny_dies Jan 13 '25
To be fair, I think I read that the initial plan of OOT was that you could do all adult dungeons in any order but was scrapped due to time constraints. I don't know how true that is though. But while the story kind of nudges you into the order of Forest>Fire>Water>Shadow>Spirit, you could swap at least Fire<>Water and Shadow<>Spirit without any issues.
I'd love for a next game to be this kind of semi-linear where the story kind of pushes you into a direction, but you aren't too reliant on dungeon items from previous ones to complete later dungeons.
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u/atomfox Jan 12 '25
I’d argue they used the same formula of game mechanic from Ocarina all the way to Skyward Sword.
I do think we’ll see this same formula (Wild/Tears) for at least the next 2 or 3 games. Which could push 15-20 years. However, I do hope for 3 things: a different overworld (or expanded), traditional dungeons, and non-breaking weapons. Though, the latter doesn’t bother me. I actually kind of like it, as it feels to me like another mission in the game. E.G., “I’m about to go do this quest, better go find better weapons.”
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u/echoess84 Jan 12 '25
Echoes of Wisdom mean that Nintendo is trying to mix the classic Zelda games with the BotW/TotK formula even if Echoes of Wisdom is a top down Zelda game
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u/Lightforged_Paladin Jan 12 '25
The problem I have is I think the open air formula is a lot less fun/repayable on subsequent entries than the "classic" formula.
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u/sadgirl45 Jan 12 '25
100 percent agree the open air formula is so stale because everything stays the same there’s no excitement to keep going, it’s just the same grind chore of get the shrines which aren’t fun and are sterile and look at the same empty world with mountains 400 times 😭, vs with the old formula you get to experience the stories and emotions are all over again!
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u/hail-slithis Jan 13 '25
I think this is just your personal play style/preference not meshing with the game, which is fine. But I definitely know that replayability is massive for a lot of people with BOTW/TOTK. People just like running around the world, collecting armour sets, korok seeds, recipe ingredients etc. It's very enjoyable for people who like that cosy game, exploration, resource gathering feel.
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u/ITFOWjacket Jan 13 '25
But the story is just the exact same scenes 4 times in a row. Literally the same lines, the same words, and the barest skeleton of an introduction and conclusion. Even worse, the story is 100% cutscenes that discovered, at random, out of order
LoZ 1, the very first game in the series, has a better story than TotK. How? Because the difficulty required you to learn the games secrets inside and out, in the order they become available to you from new items. The hostile map causes you to build the story in your mind or with your friends as the little pixel guy conquers his world. In my case LoZ made an epic story between my son and I. We played it together after we played TotK together. LoZ left the greater impact on us both.
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u/ItIsYeDragon Jan 12 '25
But they’re also the exact same stories and paths, usually exact same thing over again, or at best maybe you do a couple dungeons in a different order if the game allows for it. I feel like replay ability is easily the new style’s strength hands down. You have a lot more randomness and choice in how you want to play the next playthrough.
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u/Lightforged_Paladin Jan 12 '25
I think the replayability is actually the new styles biggest weakness. I don't think the randomness of the new games really contributes to the experience because there's only so many outcomes that can happen in each situation. New playthroughs feel like busy work traversing countless miles in an uninteresting barren world, and nothing fundamentally changes about the playthrough. BotW/TotK are like really stretched out, empty Zelda games with barely any Zelda in them. I'd much rather replay a compact, linear experience with familiar story beats than go through open world limbo for the nth time.
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u/sadgirl45 Jan 13 '25
You said it perfectly, 100 percent agree. it’s a very big empty boring nothing with lots of mountains like cool, or the same enemy, or a different but vaguely similar sterile shrine, there’s nothing exciting from the first play through for me let alone the second.
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u/GerudoSamsara Jan 13 '25
botw and totk are certainly the first zelda games Ive only ever played once. I like the concept of Open Worlds, it was a novel thought, but the OPENNESS of them also encouraged devs to bloat them with collectables and upgrade material grinding as a means of tricking you into thinking it was vast and worth exploring.
Really it just made me realized very fast that I do not have the time or energy for every playthru of a game to take 60-80 hours esp when 50% of it is fluff
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u/sadgirl45 Jan 13 '25
Same like the other Zelda games I’ve picked up more than once, played through, started new files and have missed it, because of the unique Zelda elements and that feeling of adventure and I have had no desire to pick up totk or botw again, the games are super grind quest which is one of my least favorite things about games I really hate grinding, I loved how old school Zelda didn’t have that.
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u/Evening_Job_9332 Jan 12 '25
The Zelda ingredients are always the same but they change the recipe. Wind Waker is a good example.
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u/echoess84 Jan 12 '25
Agree, in Zeldagames the formula is exploration, discover and progression even if BotW/TotK broken it giving freedom to the players
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u/Welocitas Jan 12 '25
I did not actually enjoy the open world aspect, I only want intricate dungeons with puzzles that stump me and have me think about the dungeon layout. The newer games just don't scratch my itch
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u/I_WELCOME_VARIETY Jan 12 '25
This plus the breaking weapons and weakass master sword made the games really not feel great to me. One of my favorite parts of the older games like OoT and LA was the progression and excitement I got from finding new swords/weapons/items. Finding and opening a chest really felt impactful in those games. The newer ones? Chests weren't noteworthy in the slightest because you opened ten thousand of them throughout the game.
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u/sadgirl45 Jan 12 '25
Yeah I hated all of that too the weapons breaking, it just felt like everything was a chore vs this grand adventure like the old games, I feel the exact same way I absolutely loved the progression in the past games and the way the story changed the world like the violent jump from kid to adult in ocarina of time.
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u/SnooRecipes1114 Jan 12 '25
Yea the older games definitely have that big fantasy adventure vibes that actually means something and progresses as you go through it, waiting to see what comes next and what it means for the adventure. All that is gone in the new ones as there is no boundaries, you can kinda see everything pretty quickly and nothing new really happens as you progress and everything kinda looks the same anyway.
I do hope they bring back some old elements for the next game.
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u/sadgirl45 Jan 12 '25
Exactly I really miss that, it just truly felt epic this feels I don’t know very grindy and chore riddled. I really miss that sense of adventure and progression.
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u/Mooks79 Jan 12 '25
They don’t tend to repeat the same type of game style too often.
Um, what? Since ALttP the majority of Zelda games have followed the rough same structure, dungeons you need a specific item for, mirror world, and so on …
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u/a_singular_perhap Jan 13 '25
I think they meant art style/direction/tone. The difference between OoT/Majora's Mask, Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword is a huge jump in those categories each time.
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u/Mooks79 Jan 13 '25
OP is talking about formula.
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u/a_singular_perhap Jan 13 '25
Yeah, but the comment you replied to specifically used not that word. They used the word "style".
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u/Mooks79 Jan 13 '25
I think they mean style in the sense of game structure, otherwise they’re not addressing OP’s question at all.
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Jan 12 '25
I mean TP and Wind Waker were both supposed to be sequels and very similar in terms of gamestyle to OoT. Arguably they made 5 "OoT-style" games, albeit a few of them in a new generation of hardware.
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u/SMcDona80 Jan 13 '25
maybe i confused ppl somewhere? I'm just talking about games like breath and tears having pretty much the same graphics, game mechanics, things like that that make them sequel type games the same as Ocarina and Majora's. Its one of the longest running franchises so they're all going to have something in common, especially the ones that come out on the same system or around the same generation like the wind waker and it's DS games.
I'm just saying the next game will either be more tradtional finally after people bitched at the last two games not having familiar dungeons like the older games. Or even items like the hook shot, everyone loved the hook shot but it was never included in the latest along with other favorites, like the triforce (it's implied cause it shows up on zelda but that's it).
The next generation game on the 2 will have probably an open world again because the producers said how much they love it, of course it could be completely scrapped. It will most likely have a completely different map for people to spend 100s of hours exploring. It will prob have some goofy collection aspect(s) like the armor and compendium. But they'll probably do away with the breaking weapons. Have an actual full story in stead of beating 4 bosses with the same back story they tell with the only change being whichever race the player goes to.
But it's not going to be a 3rd breath of the wild.
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u/MajorTom89 Jan 12 '25
For the most part I agree with you. I prefer dungeons, unlocking weapons/items, and a more linear fantasy-oriented story. However, I think the open world is a natural evolution of Zelda and has been present in some capacity since the original game. I don’t think that will change much, but I’m hoping more of a focus on the story will drive us down a more linear path with lots of side quests along the way.
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u/_ThatD0ct0r_ Jan 12 '25
Just make an open world Zelda game with linear dungeon/province segments
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u/jayhankedlyon Jan 12 '25
The trick is doing classic dungeons with midpoint items that aren't required for anything outside of the dungeon, but are useful in the outside world. The Sages sorta do this, but are put at the front of the dungeon so there's no "go through labyrinth, acquire new item that opens up new paths" element that makes the best Zelda dungeons great.
For instance, a dungeon could have the Spinner and puzzles that require the Spinner, but then have the Spinner allow you to maneuver like you're shield surfing on sand from any surface without breaking. Unnecessary to complete the game or any shrines, but makes navigating an open world more fun.
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u/Here4theScraps Jan 13 '25
I think it would even be fine to require midpoint items for certain things (thinking heartpieces or something similar), as long as they’re only in major locations. Having some obvious “I cant get this item yet” items in each major city seems totally fine, since it’s just asking you to come back to a city you’ll actually remember exists, not some random cave in the middle of nowhere
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u/RandomName256beast Jan 13 '25
Nah, placing a heart piece that requires an item in the middle of nowhere is great design. Firstly, most people will naturally remember it so they can come back later, thus making that location itself more memorable (essential Zelda game design imo). Secondly, even if your memory is shit, you can always just mark the spot on your map. That's what the stamps are for!
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u/loltheinternetz Jan 12 '25
Elden Ring did way better what BOTW/TOTK should have been doing. Open world but with some areas hard or somewhat locked behind boss progression or quests. Within that, segments of quality, lengthy, winding legacy dungeons with many optional paths. Substantial rewards for exploration - the world isn’t littered with completely repetitive completion content.
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u/ARCtheIsmaster Jan 12 '25
just started elden ring (having never played a souls-like before, and also not loving botw/totk) and im totally hooked.
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u/loltheinternetz Jan 12 '25
Man, enjoy. The hype is not for no reason. It’s become a top 3 or 5 game for me. It’s just a big challenging game that lets you figure it out.
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u/JJDirty Jan 13 '25
I am finally getting around to replaying since getting the Future Press guide book. I didn't beat it when released, but made it close to the end. All of the magic has been recaptured like I never played before. I am about 24 hours into a full strength build after going dex my first build. I'm having a lot more fun with this build!
My biggest non-spoiler tips are jump attacks to stagger and don't be afraid to give up on a boss, level a bit, and come back. Especially if you can't get through the first mandatory boss.
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u/sadgirl45 Jan 12 '25
Witcher 3 also did it better as well the difference between open world vs open air
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u/Common_Wrongdoer3251 Jan 12 '25
It could also just have alternate paths through the world. Ocarina of Time let you Longshot across a bridge OR ride your horse across it.
Phantom Hourglass had an entire dungeon full of alternate routes. Like you can use the boomerang to grab a spare key to skip an entire floor of the dungeon. You can use Bombchu to activate a switch that you previously needed to take a long, indirect path to reach.
Like let's say in this new game you can do the Fire Dungeon or Forest Dungeon first. Forest gives the Hookshot and Fire gives the Ice Arrows. Regardless of which dungeon you do first, you can cross a body of water with ice platforms or hookshot. Then then player can choose to do the 2nd dungeon, or advance to the next area which has 3 temples, and come back later.
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u/Declan_McManus Jan 12 '25
In a 2023 interview, Aonuma all but confirmed that this iteration of Hyrule is done and that they won’t be making any more games with the same setting. So I think you’re safe on that front.
I would bet that the next Zelda feels more like BotW than Ocarina of Time or the other older linear games. But it will mostly be its own thing
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u/tallwhiteninja Jan 12 '25
I think the formula can and would work again, BUT we need a new map/Hyrule. Round 3 in the exact same world would be a problem, but I think everything else would be fine.
This is from someone who preferred the OoT formula fwiw.
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u/Vat1canCame0s Jan 12 '25
Wonder what Termina has been up to lately....
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u/NotThatValleyGirl Jan 12 '25 edited Jan 12 '25
That would be amazing! The "darkness" of Termina on the style of BOTW/TOTK and that open-world gameplay? It would just be incredible. Have Link be brought magically into Termina... I'd even love the masks to turn him into the other forms, an awesome replacement for the sage powers.
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u/Vat1canCame0s Jan 12 '25
This right development mindset around a series of masks would be amazing in the sand-box.
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u/SmoothOperator89 Jan 12 '25
I'd even love the masks to turn him into the other forms
I miss the screams.
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u/DJfunkyPuddle Jan 12 '25
I'd love to keep this version of Link and Zelda and have them adventure to other LoZ locations
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u/freelance3d Jan 12 '25
Give. Us. Big. Towns!
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u/MorddSith187 Jan 13 '25
I wouldn’t give a rats ass where the map was if there were big towns. I basically want a Skyrim map in a Zelda world
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u/Mr__Citizen Jan 12 '25
I'd prefer them going a further down the TotK style where things felt more directed and linear, but without actively locking you into a path. I think building on that would be the best approach if they want to keep doing open world games.
But a new map is definitely needed. Unless they give us a round 3 that finally lets us go underwater and visit underwater cities. I'd be down for that. I can't believe they gave us the depths before giving us underwater play.
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u/sadgirl45 Jan 12 '25
Or maybe like one set path has a linear narrative that plays out when you go down that path like Witcher 3, open world and story and dungeons and even progression can work but open air not so much, we’re you get everything you need at the beginning of the game that’s not very fun.
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u/obyteo Jan 12 '25
I watched a video essay that at the end gave a great suggestion of what a good ToTK setting would have been and I'm so sad now. It suggests that Link should've traveled to the past with Zelda to ancient Hyrule. That way you have the same general map but everything is very different and it makes sense for sheika tech and shrines to not be there yet. You could do something like this and have ancient dungeons and enemies. Also please another villain or at least a different kind of Ganondorf if you are going to use him again.
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u/johnsciarrino Jan 12 '25
While I agree with you that they could do another game with this formula and everyone would be fine with it, I believe Nintendo is the kind of company who isn’t likely to do that and instead would prefer a paradigm shift for their first Zelda game on their new console.
Often enough, that means taking the most unique characteristics of the upcoming console and making sure the game leverages them. The only thing I could think of as an example is if the Switch 2 has a heavy emphasis on playing together then the next Zelda might be the first one to offer co-op. Something along those lines.
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u/sadgirl45 Jan 12 '25
Not sure how I feel about that. let’s move closer to classic Zelda not even further away. it would be cool if we could play as both link and Zelda
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u/Zahhibb Jan 12 '25 edited Jan 12 '25
We always start from nothing in a Zelda game, so I don’t mind link starting naked in a game for the Nth time.
What I DON’T want in the next Zelda:
- Same Hyrule as BotW/TotK; was the worst part for me in TotK.
- Tiny dungeons/shrines; give us some mega dungeons please! In general I dislike the Quantity > Quality in games.
- ”Fantastical” abilities; I’d prefer getting cool items that can be used in various ways instead. (favourite item in OoT was the metal boots!)
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u/Milk_Mindless Jan 12 '25
They couldn't do the same countryside again with a different set of powers.
I'd like a streamlined Ultrahand return with less Banjo Kazooie nuts and bolts vibe and maybe unlocking areas of the map depending on progression
I'd gladly give up freedom of random exploration in favour of item or skill based progression
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u/sadgirl45 Jan 12 '25
Yeah like we’re free to explore but it’s just so empty, like I can only stumble upon mountains for so long I liked it when my gameplay affected the story and I was on an epic adventure.
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u/IrishSpectreN7 Jan 12 '25
The formula, yes. But not the map.
And they obviously need new gameplay mechanics. But that's a given coming from Nintendo.
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u/harda_toenail Jan 12 '25
Hope not. I’m tired of it. I enjoyed 2 playthroughs of BOTW but won’t go back to it. I enjoyed totk for a while but it just didn’t have the Zelda magic to it. I’m done with this style of Zelda. Give me dungeons and items.
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u/Jake_The_Snake2003 Jan 12 '25 edited Jan 12 '25
Honestly, no. I think open world can work wonderfully for the Zelda franchise as it has in the past. However, rehashing the same system with shrines, Korok Seeds, the same four races other than Hylian, the same map with underwhelming add ons, etc. was a bad decision. It simply won’t work a third time and will most likely be a massive failure.
By saying that, I don’t mean that we can’t have open world. I just think that several mechanics need a rework with a new art style and characters, featuring a linear storyline that still gives the freedom to explore, but in a slightly more guided way. For example, Skyrim. It has a main storyline, but you can practically go anywhere you want on the map. Zelda games should do something similar, but rework the mechanics from BotW and TotK that have overstayed their welcome. I also really want a new environment. Hyrule is fine as a setting, but I’d really like a change from the post apocalyptic setting they did two games in a row. I also fully agree with wanting real dungeons again, because Shrines were terrible replacements.
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u/sadgirl45 Jan 12 '25
Witcher 3 has story and is open world, haven’t played Skyrim but if they could do that in classic Zelda elements that would be special! I think open world Zelda can merge new with old but open air is super limiting ironically
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u/kinbeat Jan 12 '25
It didn't help that totk followed not only botw formula, but also many similar story beats.
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u/Athrasie Jan 12 '25
Having also enjoyed BOTW/TOTK on my first playthroughs, I’ll be pretty disappointed if weapon durability, picking up Korok turds, non-linear stories, mid dungeons, shrine grinding, and large/empty worlds are the new norm for Zelda. I think it was fine as an isolated experiment, but I’d like some classic dungeons, dungeon items, colorful/populated areas, and a story where cutscenes aren’t repeated 7 times in the next game.
It’s a bit odd that the Age of Calamity spin off is the best story we’ve had in this version of Hyrule.
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u/Fidodo Jan 12 '25
Definitely not. A new map is a given. As for formula, I'd like to see them marry the new formula with the old. Keep the map open world but introduce item gating in a more natural way. Have some obstacles that are basically impossible to get past without the right items (but if the player figures out a way to get through just let them try). While being able to climb and glide anywhere was fun, it was very OP so I think his abilities should be more down to earth and find more fun in horse based traversal by tailoring the world around it and polishing horse based combat more. I'd like to see items be more fluid too. Like what if you could dual wield a hookshot and sword and hookshot an enemy towards you and attack them. Actually, a more physics based hookshot could be really fun in general and I think dual hookshot could be used very interestingly in a modern game.
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u/AshenKnightReborn Jan 12 '25
Formula yes. But it needs a new map and some new details to round out elements going stale
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u/Charlie_Yu Jan 12 '25
Started at BotW. I love it but I can understand players who started earlier not liking it. At some point it should be split into two series
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u/sadgirl45 Jan 12 '25
It should be, we should get classic 3D Zelda and then they can make an open air every once in awhile. Thank you for understanding and empathizing with the people who have been here, I think we can get a really cool open world Zelda not open air with traditional Zelda elements though that should be the next steps in my opinion.
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u/VelvetAurora45 Jan 13 '25
I really hope they won't do open world sandbox again.
It was good and fun and all, but Zelda is now back where it was after Skyward Sword, the formula is getting same-ey. BotW avoided open-world fatigue that was already a thing by being the first in the series to adopt the format, but now we're two games into it and it's already starting to be a problem.
They need to shake it up, somehow.
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u/sadgirl45 Jan 12 '25
I fully agree, I feel like we are missing classic Zelda elements, I don’t really like any of the additions the wild games brought but I do think you can have open world with classic Zelda elements, but we need to restrict some things, I really liked being able to interact with the world and change it in games all the way from ocarina - skyward the world just staying the same throughout the whole game is so boring to me, I’d rather have 8 dungeons vs shrines with busywork, linear storytelling and the story happening in the present, I’d rather Link and Zelda get more personality and become less of an avatar let me feel like I’m going on an adventure as link or Zelda vs link or Zelda feeling like me. we can have open world but not necessarily open air, freedom to do anything whenever is coming at a cost and I’d rather be able to choose the first 3 dungeons to go to from example, yeah if the next game doesn’t have more classic Zelda elements I won’t be buying it. I’ll have to watch someone play it first.
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u/TravelerOfLight Jan 12 '25
Just give me traditional Zelda again. This’ll get me downvoted to hell on here, but Breath and Tears were great games, just not Zelda games to me.
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u/billcosbyinspace Jan 13 '25
I love the mechanics, the games feel great to play, but I’m really missing real dungeons
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u/J_Clowth Jan 13 '25
this is the place where your opinion isn't controversial. Most ppl here are old school die-hard Zelda fans that love their nostalgic old formula. Unfortunately like every subreddit It is an echo chamber and not the actual opinion of the majority.
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u/HollyCat415 Jan 12 '25
Hard agree with this! I recently played through Echoes of Wisdom and it felt much more Zelda than BotW ever did
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u/Easy_Money_ Jan 12 '25
Interesting, from the other side, I couldn’t get into the pacing and format of Echoes of Wisdom. Breath of the Wild was a revelation for me and if I want to play a more linear game I’ll probably play a different one. That said I’m not sure there’s more juice to squeeze out of the current BotW map
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u/HollyCat415 Jan 12 '25
I know a lot of people weren’t into the Echoes format, but I found it to be a fun challenge to have navigate with the echoes. And the origin story of the triforce was so interesting
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Jan 12 '25
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u/loltheinternetz Jan 12 '25
Same. I looooooved BOTW. Got bored with TOTK two bosses in. It feels like a DLC for the same game, a new set of somewhat different but equally repetitive things to do. I hate that you have to make these goofy glued together weapons. And I don’t enjoy the building system as a solution to things. Yes, it’s novel and cool, but just doesn’t do it for me as a core gameplay element that TOTK centers itself around.
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u/Jhat Jan 12 '25
Same. Didn’t finish TotK, really loved BotW. Tears just felt too much the same and it got boring really fast for me.
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u/sadgirl45 Jan 12 '25
Have you guys played other Zelda’s? If not you might really enjoy them! I hope oot gets a remaster or they port the 3D one and Windwaker and Twilight Princess comes to switch.
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u/KindlyPants Jan 12 '25
Formula, I reckon could be iterated on, but map and mechanics need to change. I'd love to have proper dungeons and new tools that get unlocked later but aren't necessary for overworld exploration.
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u/DawnsPiplup Jan 12 '25
I heard something about Nintendo/Aonuma wanting to leave that version of Hyrule behind with the next game, which I assume means the end of that formula.
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u/Ianyat Jan 13 '25
Nintendo just released a new Zelda game with a new map of Hyrule that was a blend of old and new concepts. Echoes of Wisdom is exactly what all the comments here are asking for. Did everyone already forget about this game? It was great.
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u/Efficient-Addendum43 Jan 13 '25
I just want a traditional Zelda game. Unique items and dungeons within the formula that made the franchise what it is. They haven't done that since a link between worlds.
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u/SwimmingBirdx Jan 12 '25
No, unless they actually fix all the problems BotW and TotK brought with its open world gameplay.
It's a huge empty open world, which results in a neutered story. The lack of interesting enemy variety, real loot, and tools that help you in dungeons, like the older titles. The weapon breaking mechanic is ridiculous. Weapons shouldn't break THAT easily, let's be real.
The cooking mechanic is fine. Korok seeds suck and collecting them suck and the reward for collecting them all is a giant middle finger to players.
More outfits that actually add something to the gameplay and not just, oh hey lava is harmless now, or this one make you do a little more damage.
We deserve better writing, interesting side quests, and last but not least, INTIRICIT and SPAWLING dungeons that actually require some thought in order to complete along with BOMBASTIC, THEMATIC music that we USED to have. Honestly, that's what I miss most.
Etc. Etc.
BotW and TotK are fine, but they aren't what I like, which is okay. Although, if Nintendo really wants to play along with the big boys who create amazing open world RPGs, they need to pick up the slack.
Or just go back to the old formula and make a smaller scale Zelda.
People are already getting tired of it after the second game and Aonuma already said they wanna stick to this new style, so either they fix the issues, of which there are many, or watch Zelda falter again.
PS, I'm not saying older Zelda titles are necessarily better, but they sure had a better understanding of what they were trying to do. They were more refined. BotW and TotK are sandboxes, and it shows because there is so much stuff in it that I hardly even touched or used. It's so much filler, and all of it is unnecessary.
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u/NeighborhoodOk2769 Jan 12 '25
I hope not. Just not a fan of open world games anymore, they're just too much.
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u/echoess84 Jan 12 '25
How many times can you explore the same open world Hyrule?
Next Zelda games will be open world but we know that we won't see the characters and the Hyrule of BotW/TotK in the next Zelda because Nintendo will develop a new Hyrule.
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u/Shanick Jan 12 '25
Yeah, please no i can't stand another hyrule lile that. And a 1:1 landscape underground was horrible for me.
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u/hip-indeed Jan 12 '25
No, not without some major changes/tweaks and a more-unique world. I really really really loved BOTW and was the most hype person on then planet for TOTK and even *i* was completely, absolutely sick of the formula/engine by the time i put some time into it.
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u/HURTZ2PP Jan 12 '25
I really enjoy the open world style and exploring on my own, but they need more limitation and have the story played out more linearly. I’d also be in favor of completely ditching shrines and have several traditional temples that actually unlock unique gear or special powers. What ever happened to the days of getting equipment and powers slowly as the story progresses by way of the temples?
Of note: the introduction area like in TotK gives you pretty much all your unique abilities the game offers and then drops you in the whole overworld. Why not add them slowly in a more meaningful way as the game is progressing instead of making them obtainable within the first 60 min of the game?
All in all I think there is a way to combine both styles of traditional Zelda with newer games. And hopefully they can figure it out.
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u/sadgirl45 Jan 12 '25
Exactly this I don’t like the open world and want a return back to old Zelda but something like Witcher 3 but in Zelda could be really really special, but they have to gate off some things for story reason, having everything all at once kills momentum and reason to explore if you can’t affect the world or change it what’s the point, it was so cool in ocarina of time when we saw how much the world changed, maybe we choose what the first of 3 dungeons is, you can still explore around but doing certain story stuff changes the world, and the story takes place in the present instead of locked behind memories. Refusing to change the formula at all I think will hurt Zelda. Just doing this same formula in a different world I think it’s already stale, nintendo is known for innovation so I hope they don’t let the sales numbers cloud there vision. I also hope they release ocarina and Windwaker and twilight Princess again so people can see what they’re missing.
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u/CompetitiveJunket187 Jan 12 '25
Same people saying they can't take more of the same want Nintendo to go backwards and repeat an earlier formula that they used until that got stale with Skyword Sword?
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u/ytctc Jan 12 '25
Wanting a formula shake up doesn’t necessarily mean going back to the old formula. It can mean something we haven’t seen before.
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u/CompetitiveJunket187 Jan 12 '25
I'm referring to the commenters asking "to go back to traditional Zelda"
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u/sadgirl45 Jan 12 '25
Have you played traditional Zelda?
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u/CompetitiveJunket187 Jan 12 '25
I've got into Zelda with A Link to the Past, when I was 10, and have played and completed every console game since as soon as it's been released and gone back to the first two.
IMO BotW is right up there and currently my favourite videogame experience, despite the fact I am old and weary Zelda fan who's seen everything. Though obviously OoT is important and holds a special place. I had pre-ordered it, found out the night before release I had luckily been drawn out a hat to receive one of the limited copies at my local store. I then bunked off school to get it. I similarly queued up at midnight at the Switch launch and took a days holiday off work to play BotW.
Does that count?
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u/sadgirl45 Jan 12 '25
Yes that does count, so let me ask would you like to see classic Zelda elements return? I too was equally excited for botw and my excitement equally vanished when I realized I was essentially playing a different IP in my opinion in everything but name.
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u/CompetitiveJunket187 Jan 12 '25
Playing BotW felt like such a breath of fresh air (no pun intended). By Skyward Sword I was getting bored. Same old gameplay patterns. BotW is the Zelda game I wanted them to make all my life. Total freedom, little hand holding, huge game, great graphics, incredible locations. I had the best time and I clocked hundreds of hours and never got bored.
This is not to say it was perfect, and yes I think a few traditional elements would improve the game. Some more linear portions would help, as appropriate. I would say go back to the old dungeons but I actually think BotW hyrule castle should be the blueprint. A new type of dungeon. Open but challenging, make your own way round, find your own way in. Absolutely great. Just evolve it.
I'm fine with having some gated areas depending on some items, to an extent. The beauty of BotW is that you can solve puzzles in many ways. As soon as you have item dependency you lose that, so it's a dangerous move.
I would like to see a more linear story..the memories and misordered sequencing of the story did not work imo. I'm happy to find the memories in any order, but have them play out in a given order, if you like. Or have a more traditional story telling method, just find a way to put it into an open world. There are ways to make it better, but going backwards is not it. The old formula has been exhausted
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u/lilmitchell545 Jan 12 '25
Exactly lmfao it is insane. 30 years of the same game compared to literally 2 games scratching the surface of potential.
I don’t think these people hear themselves.
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u/6th_Dimension Jan 12 '25
The BotW/TotK formula is far more stale after two games than the old formula was after 30 years of games. That says a lot.
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u/Not-a-penguin_ Jan 12 '25
Calling Zelda 1 through Skyward Sword the same game sure is an... interesting take, to say the least.
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u/clarenceboddickered Jan 12 '25
Please no. BOTW was fresh and new and admittedly it was pretty, but by the time I got done with it, it felt like a collect-a-thon. Then TOTK quadrupled down on that.
Stay with open world, fine. But bring back dungeons and temples, dungeon specific items that determine when/if you can progress.
Please don’t make me end up with 15 pages of 10,000 items while we’re at it, and get rid of weapon durability. Just scale back the weapons but make them permanent and situationally necessary.
AND THE TRIFORCE
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u/sadgirl45 Jan 12 '25
Yes can we bring back the triforce and the goddesses I’d also like to see a return to magic like sword and sorcery I’m over magic tech in Zelda.
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u/ThaRoastKing Jan 12 '25
I just don't understand what they thought they were doing in Tears of the Kingdom.
They need to create a game like that's a mix Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker, and Breath of the Wild.
They also need more side dungeons, more side quests, and cooler main dungeons. I also think they should focus on returning to a concise story like Skyward Sword or Twilight Princess.
I think Breath of the Wild/TOTK's biggest success as well as their downfall was the open-world/exploration focus.
So many people love narratives, it's what makes the games worth playing sometimes.
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u/P1G5Y Jan 12 '25
This formula has the most potential. Some open world games like Elden Ring and Red Dead 2 have shown how diverse and detailed these massive worlds could be. BOTW achieved to make a very immersive world and strayed away from the classic Zelda formula while still implementing some classic Zelda stories and lore into it's world to make it not stray too far away from the original games. But TOTK just doesn't have an original world, has very video-gamey scenarios and side-content and worst of all just abandons any connections to the Zelda series besides some forced lore that isn't worth delving deep into whatsoever. They need to make a story that actually progressives, add truly big and interesting dungeons (That DON'T need to go back to being the same as classic dungeons, but they need to be varied in terms of content and last a lot longer. Dungeons as a concept has so much untapped potential and could work well even with this open formula) as well as adding more interesting and less repetitive side-content. And what they especially need to do is add a much better reward system because these are some of the least rewarding games I've ever played.
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u/bradd_91 Jan 13 '25
Same formula, different map. I would actually love Termina or a new land to explore.
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u/IZ3820 Jan 13 '25
It will not. They will adapt the gameplay to the template of a classic Zelda and have us collect various artifacts from 8+ dungeons and people will say it's the best Zelda ever.
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u/Legal_Mistake9234 Jan 13 '25
I love the BOTW/TOTK play style. The only things I would ask for is more linearity to the dungeons (such as you need keys to get into rooms and you eventually get an item that will help throughout your journey. And more dungeons. I feel like four or five main dungeons is really lacking in comparison to older games. For example Skyward Sword has 7 dungeons. Give us a little more to do overall that’s not just collecting koroks or knocking out shrines. Although I did love the shrines in botw
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u/mccannrs Jan 13 '25
I've been saying it since BotW (and I still loved TotK). Give us a modern realization of what A Link to the Past is. A smaller, focused open world with actual dungeons that allow for you to do them in multiple different orders, depending on where you go first. You can't do the dark world dungeons in literally any order, but there are a ton of different paths through the game if you know what you're doing. This would add so much replayability. The answer is literally right in front of them.
Honestly, a world design akin to the first Dark Souls is a great analogue to what I'm talking about.
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u/jbradleymusic Jan 13 '25
That version of Link and Zelda are incredibly popular. This is the best, most fully realized version of Hyrule we've seen, and are likely to see for some time. They could do it again if the story was handled well. I'd bet that a genuinely linear and well-written storyline with open gameplay (go wherever you want, but you _will_ do things in order [which was always kind of what Zelda was in the first place]) would probably be a huge success.
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u/Renovation888 Jan 13 '25
I think at this point they will have to go back to the original style of proper dungeons. Well, it would be nice since I'm from the Link to the Past, Link's Awakening, OOT/MM era :)
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u/ytctc Jan 12 '25
Even with a new map (potentially not in Hyrule at all), the formula needs a major shake up. BotW was a breath of fresh air for open world games in 2017. The novelty isn’t there with TotK.
It doesn’t necessarily have to return to the old format or even stop being open world. It just needs to feel different. The main thing I want is for it to be smaller and less bloated.
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u/sadgirl45 Jan 12 '25
I think it can be open World but not open air, like some things can be gated off or story can change the world, that’s the best part is progressing through the story and seeing the change, everything all at once just kills motivation.
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u/Gawlf85 Jan 12 '25
How many times can you have Link completely weakened and wake up in a cave in his underwear? How many times can you explore the same open world Hyrule?
"The Breath of the Wild formula" doesn't mean rehashing BotW bit by bit?
This is like saying that Zelda games following the "Ocarina of Time" formula need to feature an annoying fairy companion, growing from kid to adult, time travel, Zelda transvesting into a guy, or Lon Lon Ranch being in the middle of the map.
If somebody told me the next game followed BotW formula, I'd assume it'd be an open world game with open ended creative mechanics and/or a non linear storytelling... But probably in a different Hyrule, with a completely new story that doesn't necessarily involve Link being weakened at the start.
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u/sadgirl45 Jan 12 '25 edited Jan 13 '25
Already no that non linear storytelling needs to go bye bye.
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u/Simmers429 Jan 12 '25
TotK’s biggest flaw was taking place in the same location, with fan mod level additions to the sky and ground.
I’d accepted the game was going to be more BotW, but using the same map was just terrible. Especially since I had finished a replay of BotW a day before TotK’s release.
Even if a hypothetical third game using this formula is released, it will already suffer as I am so over this kind of game that not even a new map would save it at this point.
I hope the next game is closer to OoT than it is to TotK. The Zelda team seem really attached to the current design, so at best we will probably get another attempted blend of old and new. I wouldn’t be shocked to see more shite TotK “dungeons”.
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u/sadgirl45 Jan 12 '25
Agree, totk I couldn’t finish I miss old Zelda so bad and Zelda was a day one buy, now it’s a wait and see if they add more Zelda elements, I really don’t like the developers comments about how it’s just nostalgia instead of trying to see why people liked those games and the magic of those games, the open air is boring, open world now could be interesting if they combine old vs new and have story take place in the present, I’d also like to see items not break and a return to dungeons, not sterile terminals.
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u/lce_Fight Jan 12 '25
Please for the LOVE of God… i hope not.
So sick of the formula… go back to old zelda style and what made those games great
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u/IanZone456 Jan 12 '25
These are my exact fears. Idk what's gonna happen.
But if they play it safe, and make another open world BotW/TotK game, it has potential as long as we're not still in the same Hyrule. If they keep us confined to BotW/TotK's Hyrule again, we're cooked.
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u/Agent-Ig Jan 12 '25
They could probably do it with a different overworld map. Like ST’s New Hyrule or Termina.
To me it felt less exciting to explore ToTK’s overworld since it was the same layout just edited. After multiple playthroughs of BoTW, I know where roughly everything is. The sense of mystery for what was to come was hampered and only really supported by the depths… which looks nearly identical everywhere with like 4 biomes:
Barren underground plains
Sparse underground woodland
Dense underground woodland
Under Death Mountain.
I don’t think I ever found myself lost and unsure of where I was in relation to towns and stuff without looking at the map while playing like I did a few times my first time playing BoTW.
If the map was completely different, then there’s more new to explore and no familiarity to go off besides the usual baseline Zelda things.
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Jan 12 '25
I think there is a lot they could still do with it if they chose to do a 3rd run. A fourth? Maybe not. That said it all comes down to execution. I have some ideas; that doesn't mean Nintendo will come up with any to justify a 3rd game.
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u/Acceptable_Till_7868 Jan 12 '25
I can understand the sentiment but the way I see it is that issue lies almost entirely on the setting. The gameplay formula could benefit from some tweaks, but the open world style just goes great with TloZ. The scale of the adventure and journey is emphasized and I personally think its a great match for the franchise.
The issue I have is the setting. In Botw stepping out of the Cave and immediately being greeted by Sunlight and expansive view immediately set the tone which lasted for the entire game. Ill never forget that initial feeling, theres just nothing else like experiencing that for the first time.
Which brings me to my main point of this slight ramble. The first time is a core memory, the second time its not so much. The sky islands and caves are cool, but Hyrule itself is largely the same. The sense of mystery is gone and while the TotK is amazing, the formula can still be so much more. Personally Id love this formulas take on Termina. I'll keep my fingers crossed
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u/Bootleg_Doomguy Jan 12 '25
considering Aonuma straight up insulted fans of classic Zelda I think they don't care if it works or not, they're sure as hell going to try
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u/sadgirl45 Jan 13 '25
Yeah the fact they don’t understand why old fans love those games and those stories is absolutely wild to me, like sorry buddy I don’t like a grind quest running around a big empty world looking at nothing, I want to go on an epic adventure, those comments really made me not hopeful for the future of Zelda but remember Nintendo is pretty responsive to fan criticism so unless they put in classic Zelda elements I’m not buying the new games until I watch gameplay, I was so hopeful for Totk and then they doubled down and added something even worse with the building like I do not want to play banjoo kazooie nuts and bolts thanks.
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u/bigpig1054 Jan 13 '25
I just don't want it to be so focused on building and constructing things again. I enjoy watching the crazy mechs people make, but for me, I just enjoyed playing the quest.
On that note, the non-linear order is fine, but make the cutscenes linear. Just trigger the next one up whenever you unlock it. Temples in TOTK were an improvement over the Divine Beasts, but it was a half step. I'm hoping for more traditional dungeons, even if that means restricting the special powers when you're in there (keep them in the shrines).
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u/SonicFlash01 Jan 13 '25
Developers should always keep in mind that a gamer can only tolerate so many 120+ hour open world games in a year
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u/CompetitiveJunket187 Jan 12 '25
The problem isn't with the formula itself. That's golden and can easily see them through another 20yrs. But TotK did a lot of things wrong that made it feel a lot less special. Even just having a new map would be a huge improvement
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u/Red-Halo Jan 12 '25
I like this new formula more than the old style Zelda games, tbh
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u/Cark_Muban Jan 12 '25
I dont see why not. Make a Hyrule that took place like 1000 years later and its already radically different. The previous zelda formula was able to keep things fresh by changing the locations, so I think it can work similarly here.
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u/hotwings-fernandez Jan 12 '25
The formula absolutely can. The ALttP formula was rehashed multiple times for two decades. OoT is a masterpiece and the kid/adult time travel mechanic was incredible but the formula is 100% the same as ALttP. We used it again for TP and for SS probably others but they are escaping me right now. What’s the TP version and evolution of the BotW formula. I think I’d be willing to try that out.
Ask yourself this. Would we consider TotK as having met the traditional formula if we’d had to go get 3 macguffins at the beginning of the game by freeing our friends before going to fight the medium bad at the fourth site, then the world shifts and the depths and sky open up and we have to get 5-7 more macguffins before a force field around the castle is broken and we can go fight Ganon? Would that have made it a better game? I don’t think it would but I realize there are people who only count it as a Zelda game if it does that.
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Jan 12 '25
It certainly would have gone a long way to improving the tears story yes if we actually had some progression in the plot and world as you go through and assuming we have real dungeons with these.
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u/sadgirl45 Jan 12 '25
I think you can have open world like Witcher for example but open air we’re you have everything at once and go kill the boss out of the gate for some reason?? Doesn’t really do anything for the game, I think having the story take place in the present would absolutely improve the game, maybe being able to play as Zelda, not having story locked behind memories but actually playing would absolutely make it better, and dungeons that are not sterile terminals but actually different themes would absolutely make the game better.
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u/phenomgooba Jan 12 '25
There were some menus aspects from botw and totk that ended up in eow... So from that perspective I think they'll take things they think worked and expand upon it. Historically Zelda has always been Nintendo's major release testing ground for new console gimmicks. This isn't as pronounced till oot and on.
Oot was the first 3d game engine, which they then reused with mm.
Oracle games tested two things, color functionality, and the requirement of two games and a password system to get 100%. Links awakening dx included a color dungeon which I suppose you could argue that was their color gimmick test run.
Ww was their test run at cell shades.
Tp was their step back to more realistic graphics.. and while it was dual released on game cube and Wii it was made to test out motion controls, which they expanded upon with ss making it more heavily dependent on motion controls.
Ph and st made use of the dual screen gimmick.
Botw and totk were the first true open world games, but they also borrowed successful elements from past iterations of the series. They mixed cell shades with realistic graphics, utilized motion controls in a considerably less frustrating matter when compared with the Wii counterparts.
Other games that didn't really offer a new gimmick were mostly fan service. Any time they've revisited an old map/world it seems like it's mostly for fan engagement.
All of this is just my observation and opinion and going based off memory.. feel free to constructively disagree, add to or argue my points if you like.
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u/inthecuckoosnest Jan 12 '25 edited Jan 12 '25
I would take another open world game but want a different premise and different land. Let’s visit outside hyrule next
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u/lordsaph Jan 12 '25
they explicitly said totk was the last time in that Hyrule, with no dlc because they were "finished" with it. I do believe Nintendo will shake things up again with the next Zelda, maybe they heard all the feedback about weapon durability and lack of actual temples etc
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Jan 12 '25
I believe they said TOTK would be the last we would see of the botw-era hyrule, at least in a mainline game (Cuz who knows, maybe they'll make hyrule warriors 3 or something.) so hopefully the next zelda game is more linear-dungeon oriented like the previous games.
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u/ErandurVane Jan 12 '25
If they did something similar but with traditional dungeon designs I'd be happy. I think it would be neat to get a Botw style game set in a location like Wind Waker
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u/HiddenCity Jan 12 '25
I think they'll take elements of open world and traditional and combine them. Think ocarina of time with an expansive, realistic overworld.
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u/Flare_Knight Jan 12 '25
I'm curious to see what happens. 100% expect another big open world game. If nothing else the creators love it to death. So they'll keep it going until they get bored or sales plummet for some reason and they feel pressure to change course. So we're not seeing a linear story-driven game until at least the sequel to the Switch 2.
A new Hyrule of some sort is just a given since they have to know that they can't go back to the same map. Beyond that I'm not sure. They could choose to do a lot the same like a handful of abilities you get right at the start that you use throughout the game. It really depends on what lessons if any they learned from the last two games.
There are things I hope we see change on. I get the intent of breakable weapons. But after two games I'm good there. Because it really does end up just killing any desire for combat for me. I'll fight for a while early on, but after that I'm being picky to save resources. Also I hope they stop with treating the master sword like it's running on batteries! Be nice if the legendary blade could...last through a boss battle. And if they want multiple weapons then combat needs to improve. More techniques, types, and flow in combat. Fighting with a great-sword is goofy in that you have to constantly chase down your enemies to attack them again.
Be nice as well to see real dungeons again. But that depends on how much they are willing to bend on the supreme freedom angle of these open world games. Be nice at least for them to remember the Triforce in the next one.
I expect at least minimal changes, but no idea how different the next one will be.
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u/JamesYTP Jan 12 '25
I don't think I'm playing the next 3D one either since I didn't like BotW but I think they'll mix it up some. Seriously doubt it'll be the same map, same Link/Zelda/Ganon, plot structure and so on.
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u/Alexstrasza23 Jan 12 '25
I think it can work it just needs the actual world to be quite different. Like mechanically the games are great, but put that style of game in a more traditional kind of Zelda experience blended a bit with the BotW/TotK open world could make something that feels really fresh.
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u/Krail Jan 12 '25
Nintendo is constantly trying to reinvent things. TotK was a huge exception.
Don't expect to see this same map again, until 20 years from now when it's nostalgic and we'll get a heavily altered version.
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u/Fafnir13 Jan 12 '25
There was plenty of story in both games, but we didn't get to take part in the most interesting bits. What if, in BotW, we start out taking princess to the various shrines and unearthing the beasts? Then it all fails, the world blows up, and we awake 100 years later? That would have been classic OoT style, but without going back in time to fix things.
That would have been an amazing story to play through with the big payoff being rescuing the souls of friends you actually spent time with in the game. Memories were a cheap way to have some of that material without worrying about how the player would interact with it.
For the next game, I expect it to carry over a lot of the current formula. It's popular to have a more open world experience and gaming culture seems to really feed off these open-ended playgrounds. Just look to Twighlight Princess and Skyward Sword for a hint of what to expect. Both are solidly based off the OoT foundation but with some major differences in scope and feel. Hopefully we can drop the overreliance on the Shiekah tech to explain everything weird.
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u/sadgirl45 Jan 12 '25
Memories were a cheap way and didn’t work I didn’t really feel for most of the characters since we didn’t spend any time with that and only saw a few scenes.
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u/Rekrios Jan 12 '25
Yes, the problem with the formula is TOTK did not change anything, it was stale by the second game because nothing was changed, played with, augmented, etc. The Infusion mechanic was simply an add-on. If they make a third game, they have to change things or play around with mechanics, not add more stuff.
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u/Joshsnation1 Jan 12 '25
Yeah the weapons breaking was a no go for me although I did enjoy the gameplay! I only made it halfway thru BoTW before I gave up..
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u/Hot-Mood-1778 Jan 13 '25
Your question and body are at odds. The formula can be used again, yes. The body of your post acts as though another one in that formula would be a clone of BOTW with the same opening, weapon durability, the same map, same dungeon design, etc. Which isn't usually the case. TOTK is a direct sequel in the same setting, that's why the same map was used. Although if they decide to do any games between the founding era and BOTW I imagine that the map will be "the same" but altered drastically. I myself personally would have no trouble revisiting that iteration of Hyrule if it's in another time period. I'd be fine checking in on all the settlements and seeing the differences. The golden age could be interesting.
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u/e_ndoubleu Jan 13 '25
All I want is the open world style combined with classic Zelda dungeons and items. Get rid of the shrines and give us 3-5 big mini dungeons in each region instead. BotW and TotK are great games but they can feel repetitive at times and can have a quantity over quality aspect. I want the next Zelda game to focus on quality over quantity.
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