Daily Debate: Should More Side Quests Allow You to Play as Characters Other Than Link?

Excluding spin-offs such as Hyrule Warriors or Super Smash Bros., the Zelda series has only ever dabbled in letting the player control characters other than Link. In The Wind Waker, for instance, the Hylian Hero gains the ability to telepathically control Makar and Medli within their respective dungeons. Although their abilities were fairly limited — used only to solve puzzles rather than fight enemies — these brief segments still provided a neat novelty.

Several side quests and mini-games throughout the series have given Link a break, too, however briefly. In one of Majora’s Mask‘s myriad secondary adventures, players found themselves solving block puzzles as Kafei. Twilight Princess, meanwhile, allows you to control a Kargarok during the delightfully bizarre Fruit Pop Flight Challenge.

However, instances such as these are relatively few and far between. I’m all for Link remaining the central hero in every subsequent Zelda game from now until the end of time, but I would love for Nintendo to experiment with other characters and creatures a bit more regularly.

Side missions provide a sandbox for developers to play with out-there concepts that they may not normally be comfortable with exploring in the main quest. Why not use this as an opportunity to control other characters on a more frequent basis? Maybe one Zelda entry could have side quests built around the idea of experiencing other folks’ memories. Unlike with Breath of the Wild, though, these memories would include not only cutscenes, but also fully playable sequences.

What do you think, though? Should side quests in future Zelda games branch out with more playable characters, or do you prefer the familiarity and consistency of playing as Link for the whole adventure? Let us know in the comments below!