Daily Debate: What Features Would Be Included In Your Ideal Hero Mode or Second Quest?
Posted on April 25 2022 by Sean Gadus
The developers and designers of the Zelda series have long dabbled in creative ways to give their games replay value after the first playthrough. The original Zelda (1986) included the famous “Second Quest” option, which changed the locations of dungeon, as well tweaking the locations of some shops in the overworld. This second quest also featured some tricky enemy encounters that increased the game’s difficulty. In second playthroughs of The Wind Waker, Link completes the adventure in his Outset Island outfit, and all ancient Hylian text is translated for the player. The most common option used by the designers of the Zelda series is a Hero Mode, which increases the difficulty of a given game by removing healing items or doubling damage done by enemies.
With this in mind, what features would be included in your ideal Hero Mode or Second Quest for a Zelda game? The answer to this question will depend greatly on what you want from a second experience or playthrough. If you are looking to simply replay the game with less handholding, then a straight forward Hero Mode might be the choice for you. If you want a second quest that gives you a new perspective on the game, something like Ocarina of Time‘s Master Quest might be better for you. Master Quest challenged the player with new puzzles in dungeons, puzzles that force the player to fundamentally rethink how they tackle the dungeons within the game.
Overall, I think Breath of the Wild‘s Master Mode has some great features that should be included in all future second quests or hero modes. Master Mode features upgraded enemies across the entire game, with powerful enemies like Lynels appearing in the starting area. Enemies will also regenerate health over time; this change forces the player to choose their attacks carefully, lest they waste time and resources on an enemy that they can not defeat. These systematic changes force many players to engage with the game in new ways. I think increased difficulty and new, more challenging enemy placements should be a part of all hero modes going forward.
What do you think? What features would be included in your ideal “Hero Mode” or “Second Quest”? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below
Featured Art by Miyukiko
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.
