Depopulating Hyrule

Ocarina of Time was my introduction to the Zelda series, so my initial reaction to the original Legend of Zelda when I first spun the Gamecube Collector’s Disc was severe discomfort. It wasn’t just that you were thrust into the overworld with little guidance and much more difficulty than more recent titles–I was ready for that. What surprised me was the lack of a safehaven, a place to call home.

A natural expectation from an adventure series like Zelda is that you’ll not only raid dungeons, solve puzzles, tackle difficult enemies and obstacles, and uncover an involving story; it’s that you’ll interact with a wide-ranging cast of characters who will help you in your quest. A good number of classic adventure stories feature such friendly characters, and heroes don’t always adventure alone. This is a reasonable expectation, and it’s worked for a number of games. Since Zelda II, it’s worked wonderfully for the Zelda series. I’m sure I’m not the only gamer who, upon first visiting Mabe Village, Gerudo Valley, Clock Town, and Windfall Island, hoped to see more richly populated villages in future Zelda titles. They open up a wide range of possibilities, lend the world depth, and help break up the tedium of sometimes difficult adventuring.

On the other hand, The Legend of Zelda brings up so many questions and possibilities that it’s hard to resist wondering what another game in its vein would be like. Few adventure titles have felt so sparsely populated. Shadow of the Colossus is one of the few, and while its world wasn’t packed with dangerous enemies (apart from the exceedingly large ones, of course), it did feel old, lonely, and decrepit. If it had had towns or even populated outposts, it would have lacked the unique atmosphere that is so special to so many gamers. The Legend of Zelda, for the most part, felt the same way. You’d certainly value whatever help you received from the few people in its world–whether a sword, and opportunity to buy new goods, or a vague hint. But for the most part, you were on your own. The world was large and threatening, and whatever order had once existed within its borders was gone.

Skyward Sword’s overworld was well-executed, and I am not suggesting that it would be better without the new races it introduced or Skyloft. But I did, on occasion, find myself wishing the developers had gone further with their idea of an untamed wilderness on the surface. It was a rare opportunity to see an untouched Hyrule before it was unified and civilized, and while the different direction worked, the hints at what could have been were inspiring. Early trailers of Twilight Princess felt much the same way, introducing us solely to Link, his enemies, and his dangerous world. In that case as well, I sometimes found myself wishing Nintendo had delivered something more akin to the earlier games.

Depopulating Hyrule for one more game might be an interesting experiment, if executed properly. It would likely be unpopular, as it would be best without much hand-holding, limearity, extensive plot development, or sidequests, and adventure gamers today are not attuned to such a basic approach. But it may help the series find its center once again, or, at the very least, deliver a brand new type of experience in a 3D world.

What are your thoughts? Do you like the approach of The Legend of Zelda, or would you rather see Nintendo move more in the direction of a populated world? Does a more desolate world have a place in modern gaming?

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