Is It Time for Another Seamless World?

Most of the 2D Zelda games have the appearence seamless worlds by design. Each “block” of the overworld generally transitions smoothly from another. There might be noticeable transitions–A Link to the Past has a few–but they serve to highlight the unique nature of new areas that should feel separated from everything else. Venturing into the Lost Woods is not like strolling through Kakariko Village, for instance. It’s an enchanted forest filled with mystery, not Hyrule’s residential district.

Naturally, the jump to 3D saw worlds with different kinds of “blocks.” In Ocarina of Time, Hyrule is represented by a central field, branching off into different, disconnected paths. The separation might be purely superficial, but it certainly has an effect on how I perceived the world. Apart from warps, which, implicit in the name, “warp” reality and so aren’t true connections between areas, Hyrule felt like lots of different little fiefdoms, not a single kingdom.

This had its benefits. Why shouldn’t Gerudo Valley, for instance, feel disconnected? It also had the effect of making the world feel absolutely huge at the time, which worked to the game’s benefit. As a response to limitations and an artistic choice, pulling Hyrule apart functioned well.

With new technology, however, comes new opportunities. While Majora’s Mask offered an even more seemingly segmented world to arguably even greater effect, The Wind Waker blew the door wide open on the Great Sea. Gone were the “blocks” from the 2D games, as well as the separate districts from the 3D games. In their place was an open, expansive ocean, dotted with islands that each promised fun gameplay. It’s easy to forget how different this was from other Zelda overworlds in principle, even as it featured callbacks, such as squares on the map, to other Zelda games. It also would have been impossible (or at least too difficult to justify trying) on the Nintendo 64.

Whatever criticism the Great Sea has taken, there was something refreshing, at least for me, about feeling like I could explore a seamless world without restrictions inside the invisible borders of the map. While it likely led to the huge distance between islands, which is one of the problems many people have expressed with the layout of the overworld, it also allowed for a refreshing atmosphere which hasn’t been successfully imitated by any game since. I had high hopes for the sky in Skyward Sword, but even that was almost nothing like the Great Sea, and the world at large (again, probably by necessity) was divided into sections. It’s odd to me, though by no means a crippling weakness of the game, that in this day and age we may have seen the most segmented Zelda game yet, and that what was attempted in The Wind Waker has never really been tried again. A similar approach could benefit an entirely different kind of world. However, considering the Wii’s hardware, it is at least understandable that it would take a more restrictive approach.

Now we have the WiiU. There’s lots of talk about graphics, but of course, there is also more processing power here. Imagine the approach Nintendo took to the Great Sea imitated in a densely-packed field. Since we’ve seen full cities rendered beautifully in the last generation, it’s not too much of a stretch to think that Nintendo, utilizing this hardware to its full potential, could construct a cohesive, seamless game world.

On top of giving the world a different atmosphere, it could also have implications for gameplay. No longer would monsters necessarily be in isolated parts of the world, but could chase Link into a town. The towns themselves could interact with each other more openly, with characters each having their own schedules, much like Majora’s Mask, that now extended into other parts of the overworld. Furthermore, some classic elements could be brought back. No longer would entering a village like Kakariko feel like an event in itself; it would simply be another part of an unfolding world. “Segments” set apart from the rest of the world, whether they’re dungeons or mysterious woods, would not just be a response to limitations, but an expressive design choice that makes the world feel even more falive and dangerous.

Whether it happens or not, it could be a great benefit to the series as a whole, as we’ve seen worlds approaching openness, both in the 2D and 3D eras, but none have completely managed it.

But what do you think? Could new hardware lead to a more seamlessly integrated world? Would it be useful, or purely superficial?