Why the Zelda Games Should Not Adopt Realistic Visuals

As technology advances, the expectations placed on video game consoles are becoming higher. Gamers expect features such as impressive gameplay mechanics, smooth controls, and an expansive, immersive world. One of the most common things that the public is clamoring for is for games to have clear, realistic visuals. The artstyles in the Zelda games are detailed, but they are definitely less realistic and more stylistic. I, however, think that this is a good thing.

The highest Rating a Zelda game has ever received is Teen, and Nintendo certainly does not seems to plan to venture into higher territory. Realistic visuals might increase the intensity of the games, causing them to be rated higher. For example, at the end of The Wind Waker, Link kills Ganondorf by stabbing him in the head. If the visuals were realistic, this would be an extremely gory and unnecessarily traumatic scene, especially for a child. And while the ratings might not become more severe, more parents might begin to restrain their children from playing Zelda games. This would be damaging to both the creators of Zelda and the public Zelda community. Keeping games child-friendly is often a good move, and this case is no exception.

As any consistent Zelda gamer knows, each Zelda game has its own distinct character and color. The atmospheres of the games are determined by a lot of things, but one of the biggest factors is the artstyles. The way the world is shown gives it distinct characteristics. If all of the games were incredibly realistic, they would all look the same, and would consequently lose some of their magic and creativity. Of course, not every Zelda game would have realistic visuals, but if Hyrule looked like Earth, it would detract greatly from the auras of the games. The series could potentially make up for the loss of color with other features in the games, but it would be much more difficult to do so, and the results would never quite be the same.

One of the major purposes of gaming is to escape reality and to immerse oneself in a more enjoyable world than the one in which we live. The worlds in the Legend of Zelda series are set up to be the perfect mix of reality and fantasy, and they have a very lighthearted feel as well. If the graphics became too realistic, the fantastical feel would be darkened in the best case scenario, and completely lost in the worst. The whimsical atmosphere of the Zelda games is precious, and it is a vital part of what makes them so much fun to play. It should be kept intact, and one of the best ways to do this is to keep the graphics lighthearted and stylistic.

But what do you think? Should the Zelda series venture into the realm of realistic visuals? Do you think that it is worth the risk? And if you could design the next Zelda game, what sort of artstyle would you give it? Let us know what you think in the comments below!