Daily Debate: What Are Some Instances Where The Developers of a Zelda Game Failed to Realize the Full Potential of a Mechanic or Location?
Posted on October 22 2023 by Sean Gadus
Game development is an extremely challenging process, and it is common for the shape and focus of a game to change throughout its development timeline. As a game’s development progresses, mechanics are added or removed depending on the technological, monetary, creative, and time restraints that exist at a studio or company. Each Zelda game has changed greatly from its original design concepts or prototypes to the finished product, and it is fascinating to look at concept art or listen to interviews about where each project starts versus what projects looks like at their launch.
While each game in the Zelda series is renowned in their own ways, there are times when mechanics or locations either do not reach their full potential or were reconfigured during the development process. With this in mind, what are some instances where the developers of a Zelda game failed to realize the full potential of a mechanic or location?
Overall, exploring The Sky remains one of the concepts that Nintendo has never fully realized the potential of. Skyward Sword was the first game to introduce the concept of exploring The Sky, but Skyward Sword‘s version of The Sky fell woefully short of what fans imagined in advance of the game’s release. The game only features a handful of interesting island scattered across The Sky, and the rest of the island are tiny bits of floating rock that house rewards from activating Goddess Cubes. Additionally, the boss fight with Bilocyte and Levias left me wanting more flying enemies and bosses in the game. Nearly a decade later, Tears of the Kingdom would bring back the concept of exploring the sky. While working on a much larger scale (and perhaps because of this much larger scale), The Sky in Tears of the Kingdom still feels somewhat incomplete as an overall experience. Outside of the Great Sky Island and Water Temple, much of The Sky feels like scattered, optional content rather than an essential part of the experience.
Another location that I feel never reached its full potential is the Twilight Realm in Twilight Princess. The Palace of Twilight is one of the most striking locations in the game, and the gorgeous and haunting design of the dungeon is impressive. To this day, I still wish that Nintendo given the player more to do in this beautiful world. The Palace of Twilight is one of my favorite areas in the entire Zelda series, and I would’ve loved to spend even more time there. Perhaps there could have been an area set in the Twilight Realm the player would have to explore before reaching The Palace of Twilight, rather than having the player teleporting directly to the dungeon. I also believe that the unique elements in The Palace of Twilight like Dark Fog, Sols, and floating platforms could have been further utilized in creative ways if the Twilight Realm was expanded.
What do you think? What are the mechanics or locations in the Zelda series whose potential has gone unfulfilled or incomplete in the Zelda series? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Sean Gadus is a Senior Editor at Zelda Dungeon. His first Zelda game was Ocarina of Time, and he loves all of the 3D Zelda games from 1998-2011. The final battle of Tears of the Kingdom is one of his favorite final battles in the entire series. He wants to help build a kinder, more compassionate world. You can check out his other written work at The-Artifice.com.
