Daily Debate: Why Do You Play Zelda Games?
Posted on June 19 2022 by Chakell Herbert
Such a simple, yet loaded question! The Zelda franchise is one of the most popular in the world, and it seems that the fandom keeps getting bigger as old and new fans wait on the edge of our seats for any news of Breath of the Wild 2. For me personally, when someone asks why I play Zelda, or better yet, why this franchise is my all-time favorite, It’s hard to come up with a concise, surefire answer.
Sure, I’ve always been drawn to adventures and sword fighting and puzzle-solving. Also I was a child who loved princesses and ponies, so these games were my cup of tea in that respect. Yet at the core of Zelda there is a heart and charm that so many other video games are missing these days. To me, Zelda tells epic stories where you play a pretty ordinary protagonist who becomes extraordinary over time, but there’s just something more about the wholesome goodness of Link and his boundless courage in the face of an untamed and unimaginable evil that never rests.
When I first started playing this franchise as a kid, beginning with Ocarina of Time, I was young and inexperienced and easily spooked and lost in the game. Yet the euphoria I would feel when I would hear the puzzle-solve jingle, when I would topple a boss after countless tries, and when I would keep moving forward in the dungeons that scared the living daylights of me, is still unmatched in any other games I play to this day! I play Zelda because the stories are rich, quirky, yet so wholesome and fairytale-like to the core. Say what you want about modern games full of blood, guns, and all sorts of moral ambiguity, but Zelda will always take the cake for me! It’s a classic tale of good versus evil that is powerful and insightful. The stories in this franchise are full of life-lessons and takeaways that have really shaped me–the most impactful being the fact that no matter what challenges come and what fear I may feel, I can choose to have courage against all odds and always come out on top.
That’s why I love these games.
What about you? Why do you play Zelda games? Let me know in the comments!
Chakell (pronounced shuh-kell) is an associate editor for Zelda Dungeon! She has loved The Legend of Zelda series since she was a little girl because of its equal mix of princesses, besting bad guys, and heartfelt stories. Chakell lives in the overall tame state of Utah, but holds onto her childhood hopes to find an adventure in her backyard one day. She has a degree in English and is a full-time editor for a magazine. You can usually find her gaming (obviously), laughing with her husband, taking a long time to tell stories because she keeps getting distracted; getting sucked into books and podcasts; or snuggling her cute Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
