Daily Debate: What Lessons Could The Legend of Zelda Still Learn from Other Modern Game Series?
Posted on December 01 2017 by Rod Lloyd
Breath of the Wild showed us how the Zelda series could successfully evolve in the modern gaming landscape, adapting many different gameplay mechanics innovated in other popular franchises. Though the game demonstrated the charm and polish that only Nintendo could achieve, we can still see how Breath of the Wild built itself on a framework of fresh ideas produced by other games over the past decade. It features the open-world sensibilities of the Elder Scrolls series, the crafting of Minecraft, the climbing of games like Assassin’s Creed, and much more. We’re all happy to see The Legend of Zelda evolve by learning from younger game series; and for all lessons learned during Breath‘s development, there are still more to master.
I, for one, believe that the Zelda series still has a lot to learn regarding the possibilities of online gaming, beyond just direct competitive or cooperative multiplayer. Over the last decade, many budding developers have found interesting ways to enhance their games through an online ecosystem, with even guided, story-centric titles having benefitted from online connectivity.
For example, Journey by thatgamecompany allowed players to occasionally run into each other over the course of an adventure; players could choose to help each other out, in the most simplistic of ways, or go their separate ways. As well, From Software’s Souls series allows players to leave messages for each other, summon others for help during a fight, or investigate the places where others have perished. These online features were effective and non-intrusive. I feel that The Legend of Zelda could easily employ multiplayer in a similarly creative fashion, in a way that enhances our adventures through Hyrule. Wind Waker HD‘s Tingle Bottles were a step in the right direction, but there are still many possibilities for the series to explore.
This is of course one example. Do you think The Legend of Zelda could learn any lessons from other modern game series? Do you have any gameplay innovations you’d like to see in the series down the road? Let us know in the comments below!
Rod Lloyd is the Editor-In-Chief at Zelda Dungeon, overseeing the news and feature content for the site. Rod is considered the veteran of the writing team, having started writing for Zelda Informer in 2014 as a Junior Editor. After ZD and ZI officially merged in 2017, he stepped into the Managing Editor role and has helped steer the ship ever since. He stepped up to lead the writing team as Editor-In-Chief in 2023.
You can reach Rod at: rod.lloyd@zeldadungeon.net
