Bomber’s Notebook #022 – How Zelda Should Improve Its Story

Zelda is a quest by definition. It features a hero or protagonist working at a goal. The intent may be of various nobility. There is an antagonist, many obstacles obstructing the path to the goal, and in nearly every game thus far, there has been an underlying theme of maturity and coming of age. Self-knowledge is gained as the character progresses through the storyline and upon completing the quest, he/she will typically experience an epiphany regardless of whether or not the protagonist’s intents come to fruition. So The Legend of Zelda fits smugly in the elementary mold but doesn’t do anything extraordinary to set itself apart from other hackneyed “save the kingdom” scenarios.

Story is an important element in the composition of a video game, although not always vital. But once a story that takes itself seriously is introduced, the areas where it lacks will be amplified. If the story is going to be present, it should connect the segments of gameplay seamlessly and shouldn’t serve as a barrier between the player and the game. Zelda has done decently enough in terms of plot, but there are times when the games feel stinted and stale due to a lackluster sequence of events almost as if its dragging its feet. Make the jump to read more!

Franchises such as Mass Effect, Planscape, Dragon Age, Baldur’s Gate and Final Fantasy are all story-oriented, being extensively dependent on the progression of the story as a means of nudging gameplay forward and augmenting the experience without being a burden. There’s a significant different between complimenting the actual gameplay and dragging it down the drain, and for the most part the series I listed above have performed astoundingly doing just that.

Zelda has the essentials down, but for any quest to evolve into a story that could stand on its own feet, there are several story elements that should be implemented. Character development, symbolism, different conflicts, foreshadowing and a central goal that stays in focus. Now most video games lauded for their riveting tales are known to have likable characters that are experiencing some sort of inner turmoil like Batreaux from Skyward Sword.

I’d like for Nintendo to explore the concept of a silent protagonist with personal vices or problems that need untangling. Problem is, Link is meant to be the “link” between the player and the game world. Link actually displays a large variety of emotions in games and already has something of an identity. He’s a blank slate conceptually, but has a set of facial expressions and body motions that indicates that he does have discernible qualities.

Link wouldn’t need to talk, but the way other characters react to him and the way events unravel would suffice in order to make his inner struggles lucid. Once in a blue moon, we find a character in Zelda that is so incredibly hilarious. Although each and every character is designed specifically and have distinct personalities, it’s unfortunate that most of them are very minor players and are seldom involved in the main plot.

In a previous Notebook, I brought up a point about how the story and presentation could be approached:

The Legend of Zelda has had a habit of using cutscenes as a storytelling device, and I think it’s been fantastic recently. The problem is that they use in-game models, so they don’t look especially spectacular. In very long sequences, it almost feels like you’re watching a movie, and they can’t be skipped the first time around.

A feasible solution to this is to cure boredom by allowing Link to move around the environment or at least let the player interact with the cutscenes. By this I mean being able to select different dialogue options to invoke different reactions or controlling some part of Link’s body to fend for himself in an action-packed event. Even better, the whole experience could just be in-game. After all, cutscenes already use in-game models.

Another thing I’d like to note is that Skyward Sword, Twilight Princess and Ocarina of Time all started off feebly. Majora’s Mask and A Link to the Past tossed the player right into a perilous situation and had you glued to the screen from the first minute.

In the latter title, Link was thrown into the role of a hero right from the exposition when his uncle died before him. A subtle theme of Zelda games is Link growing from a boy into a man. Sometimes it’s over the course of the whole game, sometimes Link is prematurely thrust into a situation beyond his wildest imagination. Link is therefore forced to step into a hero’s shoes and save the kingdom. In all honesty, I think this is one of the best opening sequences ever in Zelda – you’re thrust straight into the action. Such sequences could also double as accelerated tutorials that test your survival instincts.

Zelda stories are very cut and dry. Whatever happened to variation? What happened to surprising the gamers? Ocarina of Time stunned gamers when Zelda was revealed to be Sheik. Now of course Twilight Princess tossed a major curveball at fans in the form of a plot twist. Ganondorf seemed eerily absent for most of the game, with Zant taking center stage in his stead. Unfortunately, there was really no foreshadowing to us finding out about Ganondorf’s involvement in the conflict. The story did not warrant his existence. It feels as if at the last second, the developer tried to loosely attach Ganondorf to the storyline to no avail. While Link’s battle with the famous villain was dark, atmospheric, lengthy and incredible, but it doesn’t make up for the fact that it was entirely unnecessary for him to be in Twilight Princess considering the manner of the plot.

Because the overworld to dungeon and back to overworld formula is so prominent in the franchise, the story follows suit in a show of standardization. We know that a certain item crucial to saving the land lies at the end of every dungeon, and perhaps three or four dungeons into the game that all the pieces of these items are reunited.

Then Link must go off and find four or five of another series of powerful objects. Aside from more interaction with interesting characters and fleshing out of the main character, the path to the goal must be contorted, misshapen, unpredictable and obstructed with dangers.

The unpredictability there is the only attribute Zelda is noticeably lacking. Twilight Princess attempted it but fell flat on its back. Skyward Sword, however, did not deliver as potent a punch with its introduction to Demise as the Imprisoned was a common foe for Link to face off against. One could insinuate that there was something or someone more powerful than Ghirahim lurking in the shadows, unlike Twilight Princess where Ganondorf was dropped in without the faintest hint.

The element of surprise can be one of the most useful weapons in a writer’s arsenal. It could definitely spice up the plot of Zelda games. Everything I’ve listed so far, if executed correctly, may yield spectacular results. No longer will The Legend of Zelda be perceived as a franchise with predictable stories. No longer would it be your ordnery “damsel in distress” fairy tale.

So what do you think? Do you want Zelda to have more advanced stories? What do you suggest that the developers should do to improve said stories? Feel free to let us know what’s on your mind in the comments section below!