Tri Force Heroes’ Polarizing Response: Why Have Fan Reactions Been So Divided?

After Tri Force Heroes‘ surprising announcement during this year’s E3, fans have expressed extremely polarizing responses to this new cooperative Zelda title. We’ve heard time and time again about the Zelda cycle; a Zelda game is announced and released to fan disappointment, only to gain acclaim in the years to follow. However the response to Tri Force Heroes seems to go beyond the traditional Zelda cycle, showing a grand disparity between excitement, interest, disappointment, and apathy.

Why such a polarizing response? Today, we aim to examine fan reactions and get to the bottom of Tri Force Heroes‘ extreme divisiveness.

It’s Not Zelda U

Let’s get the obvious reason out of the way first:

While Eiji Aonuma confirmed that Zelda U would not appear at E3 2015, fans still held on to the hope that Nintendo would go back on its word and show us something from this long-awaited game. Even if we were shown a quick cinematic trailer, we would have received our fix for the expansive, HD Zelda we all want.

Unfortunately, the Nintendo Direct held no such announcements. The digital event wasn’t completely devoid of Zelda news however; Nintendo surprised us all with a new Zelda adventure in the form of Tri Force Heroes.

Understandably, this new Zelda title seemed like an underwhelming announcement to those expecting information about Zelda U. Rather than an HD console game, we received a handheld title; rather than an expansive, story-driven experience, we received something that appeared smaller and segmented; rather than something completely new, we received a game that re-uses assets from the previous one.

Tri Force Heroes is not Zelda U, and for that reason many responded to the game negatively.

Not living up to Zelda U‘s ungodly expectations wasn’t the only thing fans noticed about Tri Force Heroes though. Some people actually saw this new game as worthy distraction until the next console Zelda‘s eventual release.

Most fans are in agreement that the Zelda team should take as much time as they need to finish the Wii U installment. But with the time it will take for Aonuma to fully polish that game, fans still want a Zelda game to sink their teeth into.

Tri Force Heroes serves as that game.

Where some fans felt disappointed by a handheld game as compared to the monolithic Zelda game we expect on the Wii U, others saw Tri Force Heroes as a way to fill that time until Zelda U is eventually released. For these fans, a Zelda game between A Link Between Worlds and Zelda U was not something they expected. So when such a game was announced — and announced for release this year — we now had a tangible Zelda experience to truly get excited about.

So with Tri Force Heroes serving as a competent way to fill time until the bigger Zelda is released, some fans value the game even though it’s not exactly Zelda U. In fact, these fans actually appreciate that the game we saw at E3 wasn’t Zelda U.

However, in seeing Tri Force Heroes as a “filler game,” fans are also using this polarizing game to discuss what different Zelda experiences should and should not be. For some, Tri Force Heroes — as a filler game — offers a different but valuable Zelda experience.

To fans like these, handheld Zeldas like Tri Force Heroes are meant to offer strong design and gameplay experiences, whereas big console Zeldas offer the strong story and cinematic experiences. In this way, comparing Tri Force Heroes to Zelda U has invited us to examine what strengths different Zelda games are meant to express. We’re beginning to ask ourselves about which elements are better suited for different games.

Obviously, the above example presents the positives in asking these types of questions – as strengths are shown in each type of game – but more negative views of Tri Force Heroes have pressed the fanbase to really define what The Legend of Zelda is and should be moving forward.

Let’s move on to more polarizing aspects of the game to see how.

It’s Multiplayer (Sort of like Four Swords)

The fact that Tri Force Heroes relies heavily on multiplayer has further divided fan opinion. While there are many fans that would love to enjoy a Zelda game in the company of others, some have completely written off TFH simply because it features cooperative play.

Why are these fans so dissuaded by multiplayer?

Well, The Legend of Zelda series has, for the most part, always been a single-player experience. Most games in the series present the adventure of a single, independent hero as he explores and solves puzzles on his own, in his own time. By placing the Zelda formula into a multiplayer environment, some fans may feel like the game is too much of a departure for the series.

To these fans, Tri Force Heroes will no longer let players enjoy the world and puzzles independently in their own time. They will instead be forced to rely on others to complete the game, which to some, is completely contrary to the ideology of most other Zelda games.

In fact for some people, being forced to rely on others to complete any game can prove frustrating and unappealing.

Not to mention, there may be difficulties coordinating gameplay sessions with multiple people. The game’s director has stated the game will provide upwards of 30 hours of gameplay, so finding two friends to devote that much time with you may prove extremely difficult.

Commenter Kafke does make a good point, though: the game will offer both a single player mode and online multiplayer. A single player mode (in which players can switch between Link “dolls”) will hopefully give independent players a way to enjoy their Zelda experience alone and at their own pace. And online multiplayer will hopefully give players desperate for teammates a chance to complete the game with others. These are valid solutions to detractors’ issues with multiplayer.

Of course, these solutions equally present more potential issues. Some fans have expressed fears that online multiplayer options will match players with vastly different skill levels. Zelda Informer’s own podcast host Adam shared his feelings on the matter, explaining the difficulties he may find in playing with less experienced players. The lack of voice chat may add to such difficulties, as players of various skill levels may find trouble communicating effectively with their teammates.

Fan issues associated with multiplayer even go beyond the mechanics and gameplay. Tri Force Heroes, as a multiplayer Zelda, has very much reminded fans of the Four Swords sub-series of games. Nintendo certainly anticipated such a connection, as TFH and FS share similar art styles and multi-colored Links, but these comparisons have reflected both positively and negatively on the quality of these games.

Some of the more vocal fans comparing Tri Force Heroes to Four Swords have been doing so as a complaint. Like the commenter above, some fans were less than pleased with the Zelda series’ previous attempts at multiplayer. Certainly the complaints listed above concerning multiplayer in Zelda are reason for this criticism, and there are perhaps several other reasons for why people do not look back fondly on these games.

So in evoking Four Swords in its gameplay and promotional material, Tri Force Heroes has shot itself in the foot for some fans. These people compare these two games – partly because they were meant to – but they do so as a negative.

Then there are those who see Tri Force Heroes’ likeness to Four Swords as a positive. These are the fans that say the FS were “awesome,” expressing excitement that the series is returning to similarly fun multiplayer gameplay. On top of that, TFH seems to be adding more inventive features, more gameplay choices, and more clever puzzles. So for fans of Four Swords, Tri Force Heroes holds a lot of potential. It could very well bring back the distinctive fun that the previous multiplayer Zeldas brought, and with more creative features.

It seems that the polarizing reactions to Tri Force Heroes in some way reveal the varied opinions on the Four Swords games, something many of us may not have noticed. We are now beginning to examine the merits of Four Swords and multiplayer gameplay in Zelda as a whole. Does multiplayer have a place in Zelda? Tri Force Heroes is forcing us to answer that question.

The Gameplay Might be Aimed at Casual Players

Many comments have pointed to Tri Force Heroes as the “Casual Zelda,” implying its deliberate appeal to casual and mainstream audiences. As any gamer would expect, this idea scares a lot of hardcore Zelda fans. People who have invested in The Legend of Zelda over the years want to see the franchise grow, expand, and challenge its players. So if any game in the series hints that it will focus more on a casual audience, the wants of the hardcore could potentially be ignored.

What’s more worrying to these people is that Tri Force Heroes is continuing a trend noticed in the most recent handheld Zeldas. I’ve heard complaints that A Link Between Worlds and the other DS titles were simplified compared to other (traditional) top-down Zelda games. I have to agree with this sentiment myself; A Link Between Worlds did feel much simpler compared to A Link to the Past. Thus, this perceived trend leaves fans to draw conclusions on the future direction of the series.

What I conclude from these fears is that hardcore Zelda players are beginning to categorize Zelda games based on how “casual” or “core” they are. This seems like an appropriate thing to do if everyone can agree. The problem lies in the subjective nature of these labels; not everyone can agree on what is too casual and what is for core players. Every Zelda player has his or her own perspective on where the series becomes too casual.

As shown, a game can be considered a “casual” experience for one person and a “core” experience for another. And who’s to say which perspective is correct? As more players begin to disagree about the casual nature of a given Zelda game, the fanbase begins to turn their attention to the motives of the developers. Do Aonuma and Miyamoto want the series to appeal to a hardcore audience or a casual audience?

Without a definitive answer, fans have continued to classify Zelda games based on how casual they are perceived to be. This activity seems to be a compulsion now, as any new game announced can act as a new piece of evidence to win the casual vs. core debate. Tri Force Heroes is merely another game that fans can now classify and categorize, even without the full context. So, fans take what they have seen in preview materials and draw conclusions based on it.

In determining how casual Tri Force Heroes is, fans have also spent a lot of time considering whether or not to call this game a “spin-off.” This distinction would of course place TFH among other Zelda spin-off games like Hyrule Warriors, Link’s Crossbow Training, and Freshly-Picked Tingle’s Rosy Rupeeland. But does this new Zelda game deserve such a placement? Do we even know how to determine such a thing yet?

In announcing itself as a multiplayer game that, on the surface, looks very different from traditional Zelda titles, Tri Force Heroes has forced fans to consider what qualities make a spin-off Zelda game and which ones don’t. Does multiplayer alone constitute a spin-off? Well, Four Swords and Four Swords Adventures are generally regarded as core Zelda titles despite their multiplayer. Still, as we discussed above, fans cannot fully agree on the quality and status of those games.

So what other qualities would make it a spin-off? Well, difficulty (or perceived difficulty) seems to be important to some fans.

Based on what we’ve seen so far, some fans have concluded that Tri Force Heroes looks too easy to be a main series Zelda game. Because its gameplay, mechanics, and puzzles appear easy, fans have come to the conclusion that the game is not a core title in the series, but rather a “party game.” This would mean Tri Force Heroes is less a meaningful adventure for core gamers and more a casual distraction for mainstream audiences.

The way Tri Force Heroes has been shown has caused fans to actively consider difficulty in the context of Zelda. If a game in the series appears too simplified, does it mean the game is a spin-off? What separates a party game from a core game? These are all questions fans have asked when confronted with TFH.

Furthermore, this new game has compelled fans to consider trends seen within the Zelda series as a whole. Fans of the series now want to identify the degree of casualness that is or should be in The Legend of Zelda. Players are connecting the dots from game to game, leading to a conclusion found in Tri Force Heroes.

It’s Placed in the Official Timeline (or Not)

This particular reason for Tri Force Heroes‘ polarizing response is closely related to the casual vs. core debate, as it points to another trait fans point to when considering a main series Zelda game. Since the official timeline was first introduced to the fanbase, it has been used as a qualifier for certain Zelda games’ place in the overall series. If it’s not in the official timeline, it’s not a “canon” Zelda game; and if it’s not placed in the official canon, it’s merely a spin-off title. That’s how we classify Hyrule Warriors.

Upon its announcement, fans immediately began to ask if Tri Force Heroes was in the official timeline. To them, a place in the timeline would guarantee that this game was a true canon Zelda game, not a spin-off. With a spot in the timeline, TFH would naturally separate itself from things like Link’s Crossbow Training.

Director Hiromasa Shikata was quick to explain that his team is considering timeline placement for Tri Force Heroes. He did admit that the Zelda timeline is “complicated” and his team had not yet “settled” on a placement, but we were given the implication that TFH was a main series game in the Zelda canon that would one day fit in the official timeline.

So this should confirm that Tri Force Heroes is not a spin-off game at all, right? Well, no. It would seem some fans have another perspective on the game’s placement in the timeline.

Despite Shikata’s explanation about Tri Force Heroes‘ consideration for the timeline, some fans believe that the title’s proposed story is too silly for inclusion. For those that don’t know, Tri Force Heroes is set in a kingdom that values fashion. After the kingdom’s princess is cursed to wear an ugly outfit that she can’t remove, the king calls for a hero to save the day. Yes, the plot is noticeably goofy and ridiculous. But does that mean the game has no place in the official timeline?

Some fans agree that a story about fashions and ugly outfits is just too silly for a canon Zelda game. After all, other Zelda titles involve the great adventures of heroes, the struggles between good and evil, and the epic legends that span across time. Is that really a place for Tri Force Heroes‘ silly conflict?

Some fans don’t think so, and thus we are forced to ask ourselves about the nature of the Zelda timeline. Because Tri Force Heroes can potentially occupy the official timeline with such a goofy premise, fans are now beginning to consider what types of stories are appropriate for that timeline. Is there such a thing as too silly for the timeline? Has the Zelda series set a certain precedent for the right types of stories to be included in its timeline? Tri Force Heroes has called fans to consider these questions as well, and to define the identity of the Zelda series overarching story.

There are now stirrings from Nintendo that Tri Force Heroes is not in the timeline after all. Whatever the case, through the game’s response we’ve seen how fans value the timeline as a way to gauge a Zelda game’s status in the series. If a game is in the timeline and considered canon, it is accepted by the fanbase as a true Zelda title. But the requirements for those distinctions are not yet set in stone, and they are very much caught up in debate.

If anything, we’ve been shown the power of the official timeline over the Zelda series and its fanbase. The timeline may have the power to decide which Zelda games are canon or spin-offs, and the power to decide how the fanbase invests in a particular title. We now see how some in the fanbase will buy a Zelda game solely because it is in the official timeline. Some fans “feel obligated” to buy a particular Zelda title because it’s placed in that timeline.

It Puts Emphasis on Cooperative Puzzle-Solving

Gamnesia: “While I do appreciate the Zelda team’s efforts to bring teamwork into the core Zelda series, I can’t help but feel they’re missing the point of cooperative play – which is not to add more layers of complexity and frustration to the process of progressing through a game, but to give players a way to offer and receive help. Opportunities for teamwork shouldn’t be forced on the player; they should come naturally as the player gets used to playing alongside others. In Tri Force Heroes, however, teamwork feels more like an intrusion into a heroic adventure and a hindrance to satisfying play.”

This is quite an interesting one, as it calls into question the overall identity of The Legend of Zelda. In an editorial written for Gamnesia, Alex Plant explained his displeasure with Tri Force Heroes‘ emphasis on puzzle-solving rather than action, as it misses the point of cooperative play. Teams are directed to solve puzzles together at leisurely pace rather than to fight alongside their teammates in a frantic arena setting.

This idea brings forth several questions about the very nature of the Zelda series. As Plant points out, the series has moved more towards puzzles and more away from core combat. It would seem that with the announcement of the newest Zelda title, fans are finally ready to identify this trend. Tri Force Heroes, as a puzzle-focused co-op game, is finally compelling us to define the ideal nature of the Zelda series and ask ourselves what it should be moving forward.

What is more important: combat or puzzle solving?

Some fans believe the combat should be most important in a Zelda game, and have expressed disappointment that the series has continued to drift away from it. As some have shared, the earliest Zelda titles relied heavily on fighting and combat, with puzzles serving a secondary role. As the earliest games in the series, they initially set the stage for what the series was.

However, as more games were released, the series has become more focused on puzzle-solving. While combat and swordplay remain in modern Zelda games, puzzles have undoubtedly defined the series more in recent years. We now see that there are those who desire a return to the more combat-focused Zelda games of the past. They want to see an end to the current trend toward puzzle-solving.

Tri Force Heroes could have been that return to Zelda‘s early days. We’ve seen many frantic cooperative games that ask players fight alongside their teammates or even square off against teammates in an arena. But because this new game utilizes its cooperative nature more for puzzle solving and diminishes the role of combat, some fans have used Tri Force Heroes as an example of a negative trend in the Zelda series.

Many fans however believe that the puzzles are most important in defining the ideal Zelda experience. While combat is ever-present in the series, puzzles will always take priority for these fans. To them, puzzles are the defining feature of the Zelda series, as its identity is inherently linked to mind-bending, inventive, and creative challenges in puzzle-solving.

In this way, Tri Force Heroes is a natural next step for the series’ current direction. With puzzles playing such an important role in the series recently, this new game understandably adopts puzzle-solving into its gameplay in a meaningful way. To fans that enjoy puzzles, Tri Force Heroes offers interesting new possibilities in terms of puzzle designs. Players will be forced to think beyond themselves while solving a puzzle – given that they’ve only considered their single selves in previous games – as teams of three must now work together to achieve a goal.

Tri Force Heroes has prompted fans to truly examine the gameplay focus of The Legend of Zelda. Where does Zelda‘s identity lie: in the puzzles or in the combat? Because TFH is using its cooperative gameplay (its biggest feature) to further the game’s puzzles more than the combat, some fans are using it as a definitive example that Zelda has moved far too much in the direction of puzzle-solving. Whereas others believe the game holds impressive potential in building on puzzles, what they believe to be the series’ most important feature.

It’s Called Tri Force Heroes

Darrin, Zelda Informer: “…I’ve always spelled Triforce [as] “Triforce,” one word. And when you separate it, it just doesn’t sit right in my mind. I mean I get that it’s kinda a play on words. You know, there’s three heroes so “Tri,” three. But it just doesn’t sit right with me as a writer.”

Okay… this one might actually only bother the Zelda Informer staff. I honestly can’t even bring myself to interpret these criticisms.

Conclusion

There are strong opinions on every side of every argument.

Tri Force Heroes’ announcement certainly produced a polarizing response, but the reactions imply many deeper arguments within the Zelda series as a whole. Since its announcement, we have been asking ourselves important questions about the nature of the Zelda series. What elements should define the series? What elements dictate the way we view each game? What elements should we value as the series moves forward?

Tri Force Heroes has forced us to ask these difficult questions because it challenges the way we perceive The Legend of Zelda. It proposes new ideas that we do not quite identify in Zelda games, it confronts the traditions we’ve accepted in the series over last several years, and it provokes us to consider what we want to see the series become.

Tri Force Heroes is not an important game despite its polarizing response; it is an important game because of its polarizing response. We won’t know how good the game will be until it’s released, but we can at least admit that it proposes many questions that needed to be addressed.

We wi

ll be addressing many of these questions in future Daily Debates, so be sure to share your thoughts with us there. Until then, let us know what you think of Tri Force Heroes‘ polarizing response in the comments.

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