Daily Debate: Would a Modern Day Zelda Title Work?

The Legend of Zelda series has always been set in the fantasy realm of Hyrule. As far as modern technology goes, we’ve seen the Sheikah technology featured in Breath of the Wild, but not much more than that. Would a game set in modern times work? In an odd kind of one-off way I could see it working. It could be a modernizing kind of magic. Kind of like how Harry Potter is set in 90s era England, but the magic was widely hidden from the world. I could see a modernization of Zelda being the same way. The Triforce finding Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf, a magic that’s been hidden from the world for generations.

I could see the characters being brought into modern times as well. Sleepyhead Link would ride a motorcycle instead of a horse, Ganondorf may be a powerful political leader, and Zelda some kind of royalty. Hyrule could be a modern country with the “castle” being the capital. Zora’s Domain, Gerudo Town and other settlements could be prominent cities. On second thought, as I write this I think that the ideas would probably work better as a short story than a spin-off game. What makes the Zelda games so popular is that fantasy/adventure element and taking that away would probably not make for a great gaming experience.

What do you think? Would a modern day Zelda title work? Sound off in the comments below!

Heather Beard

Hi I’m Heather! I’m Senior Editor and Art Director at Zelda Dungeon and I’ve been a member of the ZD team since 2019. I am a graphic designer, artist, and nerdy mom to an awesome little boy. When my nose isn’t in a book, working on my novel or watching anime you can find me curled up with my cats Mandy-Lynn and Daisy Mae.