Zelda Dungeon Talks: Is Tri Force Heroes A Worthy Game To Add To The Series?
Posted on January 19 2016 by Josh Tasaico
Tri Force Heroes was a game that pretty much came out of nowhere. Many people had mixed feelings about the game, was it just something to keep us busy while Nintendo continued working on Zelda U? Most of us have played the game by now and I can say with honesty that I enjoyed the game. It was quite unusual in terms of the classic Zelda formula. Gameplay wise it played very similarly to Four Swords and Four Sword Adventures, although the game focused more on teamwork than competition. While the game may not be the same as most other Zelda games, I think it was still a pretty solid entry into the series. The whole multiplayer centric idea really worked, and even though there was the occasional troll, I had a pretty good experience playing online. So what do you guys think, is Tri Force Heroes really a worthy game to add to the series?
In this week’s edition of Zelda Dungeon Talks, various staff members will share with us their opinion on the topic. Please feel free to leave your own opinion in the comments.
Jon Lett – View Profile
I really want to defend this game in some major way, as a Zelda game specifically, but I really can’t. Beyond the basic gameplay and items, there is little that this game can claim qualifies it as a true Zelda game. The story is incredibly basic, there is no connection to any worlds in past Zelda titles, Zelda is not even seen or mentioned in it in any way – basically, I can attest to the game being fun and playable, but as a Zelda game, it is honestly quite far from what you could call a worthy entry to the series.
Thomas Jacobs – View Profile
Nintendo took quite the gamble with Tri Force Heroes. After all, the call for a “true” 3D Zelda game has been growing stronger and stronger ever since the release of Skyward Sword. So when the released the fourth Zelda game on the 3DS since SS, one that was completely different from the main series, people got a little upset. Its mechanics like random drops at the end of dungeons, three player co-op and a story that has next to nothing to do with the existing timeline felt rather un-Zelda like. Of course, Tri Force Heroes is not a bad game by any means and it’s quite a bit of fun, but by adding the Zelda name the fans have certain expectations, and when the game seemingly fails to deliver on their expectations, and Nintendo makes it a mainline game instead of a spinoff like Hyrule Warriors (which strange enough felt more like a mainline Zelda game), the fans become rather unhappy. So I do think Tri Force Heroes is a good game, and would make a fine spinoff, but for a mainline game it is just too different to be seen amongst its peers.
Alexis Anderson – View Profile
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, Tri Force Heroes should have been a spin-off. It’s a great game– in it’s own right. But it’s so vastly different in style as compared to any other Zelda game, that I think it would’ve been received better if it had been marketed as separate from(but still related to) the series. I think Nintendo should have gone a Hyrule Warriors route with Tri Force Heroes and made it a clearly labeled spin-off. So I think that Tri Force Heroes is a “worthy” game, and I think it deserves to be looked at as a positive thing for the series, but I don’t think it deserved to be considered a main series title.
Alasyn Eletha – View Profile
Tri Force Heroes definitely should have been a spinoff game of the series. It almost seems bogus that Tri Force Heroes is actually a series game while Hyrule Warriors is labeled a spinoff when the latter seems more like a worthy ‘Zelda game’ than the former does. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fun to play with friends and the plot and concept aren’t terrible. But really, Nintendo could have made it a little more similar to the Four Swords’ titles and branched off of that multiplayer concept. To me, Tri Force Heroes came off as more of a fun little side quest for Link before he moves on to a more worthy ‘Zelda game’ adventure.
Kira Koneko – View Profile
When the announcement was first made at last years E3, I was instantly excited. To get another, rather unexpected title in the Zelda series is always news that will be met with happiness and excitement. But as I continued to listen to the details of the game that excitement turned into, confusion, uncertainty, and dare I say a slight bit of… Once I let the information settle in my mind, and as more and more details were released about the game in the months after E3, the excitement returned. Then, release day happened… Although I can appreciate Tri Force Heroes, and I found myself getting quite a bit of enjoyment out of it and at times becoming slightly obsessive about my materials for costumes, I’m not really sure that it needed to be a part of the series, especially when other titles like Hyrule Warriors is not. It might have even been better received by most Zelda fans if it was classified as a spin off and not part of the main series, it would have definitely resolved my confusion and uncertainty I felt about the game.
