Daily Debate: How Would You Design the Next Zelda Game?

By now, we all know what Link’s actual next adventure will be. Or, at least we have an idea. Last year, Nintendo surprised us with the announcement of Breath of the Wild 2. While that’s almost certainly a working title, we have at least a vague idea of what to expect in the next major Zelda release. But beyond that, the sky is truly the limit for Nintendo. Sales of the Link’s Awakening remake have been through the roof, clearly showing fans still have a love for the classic titles. If you look beyond the inevitable Breath of the Wild 2, how would you tackle the next Zelda offering?

Personally, I am not yet tired of the remakes, if they’re done as well as Link’s Awakening. I have recently spent countless hours within A Link to the Past, playing both single player and multi-player randomizers. The world is enthralling, immense, and dangerous. If you take into account the Zelda timeline, A Link to the Past might be the most canonically important story in the series. Seeing what Nintendo did with a simple Game Boy title like Link’s Awakening, my mind races with the possibility of an updated, graphically superior, and perhaps darker A Link to the Past.

On a more powerful console, Link’s journey through Hyrule could offer more character development and context. Who is Sahasrahla? Where did he come from? Why is there a guy hiding under the bridge? Why can Link’s uncle communicate telepathically with Zelda? What is the relationship between Link and Zelda that his uncle eluded to? Each of these questions is shrouded in mystery, but in an updated game, I would expand the lore. Ideally, I would keep a remake of A Link to the Past 2D, in a style much like Link’s Awakening. The world was made for two dimensions, and there’s no reason to change what isn’t broken.

Alternatively, the other games I’d like to see an update for are The Legend of Zelda and The Adventure of Link. The first two titles in the series tell a story in direct sequence, something not overtly done often in the series. Again, updates to the lore and graphics are essential, but I would take things a step further. At the conclusion of The Legend of Zelda, I see, in my mind’s eye, something like the Breath of the Wild blood moon. Enemies come back stronger, angrier, and with a taste for Link’s blood. I would create an interconnected world, reaching well beyond the borders of Hyrule kingdom. In the end, it would be a double adventure, and a long awaited update for The Adventure of Link.

Last year, Nintendo hit the nostalgia jackpot with Link’s Awakening. A game I grew up with can now be a game my children grow up with. Similarly, a remake to the first three Zelda games would help me relive (and introduce) the games that made me fall in love with the series. What about you? What kind of Zelda game do you envision after Breath of the Wild 2? Share your ideas in the comments below!

Featured Image by OniChild-art