Dungeon Pattern: Core Experience or Old Idea?

[Stallord]

Okay, maybe the title is a little vague, I'll explain it here.

We all know about the usual "Overworld, Dungeon, Boss, Overworld, Dungeon, Boss, Overworld, Dungeon, Boss," pattern in the Zelda series. Nintendo has announced for Skyward Sword that they will stray from this pattern. While I have seen a lot of positive reception to this announcement, there has been some negative reception, with arguments such as "It's a traditional element of the gameplay" and "It's part of the core Zelda experience." So, are you in favor of this change, or are you against it?

I'm sure this has been discussed before, but I don't want to break the rules and bump a thread that is a month old.

 

[Mr.Verto]

As true that is that Zelda has always have a definite pattern.

I think its okay to explore a new idea. Its not they woill make a tremendous change, the only thing they have said is that we may be in a dungeon and not even notice so its more like:

Overworld, Boss, Overworld, Dungeon, Boss, Overworld Boss

Im sure that in parts of the game it will be obvious you are in a dungeon, either because you are looking for one, or NPCs have told you its a dungeon. They are trying a change little by little. If little doesnt work, tremendous will definitly not, it is just a test.

But a Zelda is a Zelda, even if it is horrid im sure we all going to play it, so.

 

[Link-182]

I've played enough of that traditional pattern I'm bored to death out of it. It's so predictable and there are already like 15 Zelda games that follow that pattern. I NEED them to change it up or it won't feel new and exciting.

 

[shopy01]

well i don't care. but the formula in every game is a little different. now i have only play oot, mm, and tp but the formula was different. there wasn't a huge difference between oot and mm but there was a bigger difference with tp. every game is a different experience. that's what makes each game an individual. they need to make a balance of traditional + new. and all the zelda games i have played do this. it needs to play like a zelda game or else it's not a zelda game but every game does need to be it own game. balance that is what's needed.

 

[jack546]

I love zelda it is my favourite form of entertainment i would die if they changed it.

 

[blubb]

At first sight one could think that we always had exactly the same overworld-dungeon-boss pattern in all Zeldas to date. But looking at past games a bit more closely, there is already a lot of variation compared to the original LoZ, and what they announced for SS isn't all that new.
Already in aLttP, we have the Skull Woods dungeon with its multiple entrances, so you have to switch between overworld and dungeon a couple times before getting to the boss.
And in Majora's Mask, there isn't simply an overworld-dungeon-boss pattern, rather each region has its transitional overworld~minidungeon areas. For example the bay area has the Gerudo fortress which combines overworld- and dungeon-like elements a lot. Ikana valley has the overworld proper, but also the bottom of the well, the castle (with its own (mini-)boss battle) and the tower area with the temple. When going from the "outside" tower area into the Stone Tower Temple proper, the music doesn't even change or restart. And the temple has outside areas too with a bit more overworld-like feel (same with the Forest Temple in OoT).
Finally in TP, we have quite a few unexpected overworld boss battles with King Bulbin.
So even if Nintendo hadn't announced the upcoming pattern changes explicitly, I still would have expected them because almost every Zelda game makes some changes to that pattern.

 

[Kaiser Kami]

I would like a change for Skyward Sword and beyond because that does get kinda boring when you go to the overworld, dungeon, boss, overworld. I would like for it to change the pattern but don't change the puzzles.

 

[Raven]

In my mind, the pattern or formula has been a few tasks leading up to a dungeon (ex. trading sequence + exploration), then once your finally inside the dungeon you solve puzzles and kill bad guys until you get the map, dungeon item and compass. Somewhere in between that there is a mini boss and at the end there is a main boss who leaves behind a heart container. Each time i fall into this routine i consider the ways they could have rearranged and even extended the process, by adding in a bit more backtracking they increase the playtime of the game, which is something i wish they would force us to do as we gather info and the appropriate equipment to enter the next dungeon.

And inside a dungeon I'd like it if they switched up the regularly expected rewards (ex. in one dungeon there is no map, in another dungeon there is two mini bosses, and in another the boss does't give you a heart container but the girl you saved from the boss does give you an extra heart. Stuff like that). they could change so much and yet they don't. I think they wanted to keep the DS games easy for younger players but at some point I really hope they try new things with the main quest dungeons and all the little side quests in between.

 

[Caeda]

As long as they don't make it so bad it's fine by me

 

[SkywardSword]

I would enjoy it if you were going through the lost woods to get to a dungeon, and a boss attacked you . Also, it would be great if you were in the middle of the dungeon, and you realize you need an item you don't have. What do you do? Go to another dungeon to get this item, then go back to the first dungeon!