Zelda U is Roughly as Big as Kyoto, More Details

Another interview with Eiji Aonuma from E3 regarding Zelda U has cropped up. While Aonuma holds firm to his usual lack of detailed description for the upcoming game, we have learned more about just how large the world of Zelda U will be, as well as how he expects players to explore it. The content of the interview with MMGM is below:

MMGN: This is the first truly open world in a Zelda game — you showed how Zelda has progressed since the NES in terms of map layout and movement — so in the biggest world yet, how “big” can we expect?

Mr. Aonuma: In terms of the scale of the new Zelda world on Wii U, I always think of Kyoto as my base.

Do you know Kyoto?

Ummm…a little [laughs] How do you plan to reward players for exploring this world? Is it in terms of unique areas to visually enjoy or weapons and upgrades that otherwise won’t be found?

Mr. Aonuma: I guess the reward for exploring the world will be the acquired experience.

You always need to make a plan when you’re travelling, even in real life you need to decide if you’re going to drive or take the train, and the decisions you make impact your experience. You could start walking and realise you can’t get to a place by walking so you regret it and learn something, like realising there’s an obstacle that has to be overcome in a different way.

In the Zelda world, in the process of overcoming that obstacle, you’ll definitely acquire new experiences and sometimes new abilities. In the process of planning and executing to get to your goal, you’ll become more familiar with the terrain and you’ll acquire new abilities and new knowledge that will help you progress even further in the game, just like in real life.

Having little knowledge of Kyoto myself, I can’t exactly picture what Aonuma is hinting at, but I do like the ideas behind his approach. Coming to understand the layout of any Zelda game has always been important, but it looks as though the open world aspects of Zelda U will bring that to a whole new level. Does what Aonuma has said here make you more excited to explore this new world? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: MMGM