• Welcome to ZD Forums! You must create an account and log in to see and participate in the Shoutbox chat on this main index page.

A Little More Urgency?

R

Red Lion

Guest
I am new here - so this may have already been discussed - but does anyone wish there was a bit more urgency to Zelda games. I love side quests and think they are important for developing skills, getting collectibles, etc. But I wish there was an actual urgency to getting to the next dungeon, completing the next task, or getting to the final boss. With the exception of MM, you could technically sit Link down, not do anything and save the world (incredibly unsatisfying compared to actually beating the game, but saving the world nonetheless).

There are some points in every Zelda game where it seems as though the pacing is increased slightly (dramatic music to get Midna healed - make sure you win the Wing Ceremony - etc.) but there is no real consequence to taking your sweet time. Restrictions on time and consequences for not doing something in time certainly what made MM a little more challenging (restart the current quest). It would really step it up for future Zelda overall.

Obviously, a simple re-hash of MM wouldn't go over very well, but there could be consequences such as not being able to get certain items (thus not allowing completionists to actually complete the game), characters dying, etc. Heck, they could even rate your overall preformance after the credits roll. "Congrats Link: You've saved the world. It took you --- Hyrulian Days, you saved --% of Hyrule, you're a ------- rank hero.

Thoughts?
 

MW7

Joined
Jun 22, 2011
Location
Ohio
To be honest I'd love a rehash of almost exactly what Majora's Mask was despite your point that most people wouldn't like it probably. Your idea I'd like as well, but I don't actually like the idea of missable items. I don't think every Zelda game should have a sense of urgency, but I think veterans of the series deserve a more difficult game every once and a while. Most of the games avoid a sense of urgency because it's not beginner friendly.

I do think it would be cool if the end of game gave you some statistics on what percent of the game you completed (finally we'd have a completely inarguable definition for 100%), how fast you beat it (we do already have this but I think the games take out the time for the final boss), and graded you on some scale. Like maybe they compare your time to that of a tester of the game to determine your rank or something like that. And they could scale the time based on what percent of the game you completed as well.
 
Last edited:

geek4887

The Unknown
Joined
Jun 19, 2011
I really like that idea. I don't like it if you miss items or anything. There should be some kind of big conesequence, but that should be reversible, just like Majora's Mask.
 

guapo2003

The incomparable legend
Joined
Dec 19, 2011
Location
Temple of Light
Hmm... something more of an urgency huh. Well, I think it might work, but like you said for the completionists, they would get angry and mad if they had to redo something over because they didn't get the item or whatever they wanted just because it was timed. However, I think this would be a good idea to implement, but I just don't think it would go over very well with alot of fans, because they like to relax and take their time and not feel rushed.
 
Joined
Dec 21, 2011
As for what you say about the credits thing, I completley 100% support that. It would actually give me a reason to play Wind Waker again (I've beat it 13 times now) because it would give me my own personal score that I could work to beat. I think both "hardcore" and "chill" Zelda gamers would like that edition. In fact, it might even encourage some more laid back Zelda players to get more into the game.

As for an "urgency" to beat the game, I'm not so much for that. I like Zelda for its exploration aspect where you can wonder the world and find little easter eggs or just overall things that make you laugh. This goes for certain with Wind Waker for me, I loved sailing the ocean endlessly. If there was an "urgency" to collect the triforce shards than I don't think that part of the game would've gone as well as it did in my opinion. I think that part of the game, even though it was at the end, was put there to try and give the player one giant look at how beautiful the Great Sea was and all of the attention that was put into each little island, overworld enemey, and weather patterns.

However, if we take a look at Ocarina of Time with the biggoron sword sidequest, that was timed. I think that timed sidequests like that should be implemented into the series more often than it is. Timed sidequests provide a good optimal challenge (assuming that the time limit actually makes you hurry) and doesn't take away from the adventure aspect you get from Zelda. Skyward Sword did this with the Lumpty Pumpkin sidequest, although that really wasn't a challenge. It was pretty darn easy to get to where you needed to go within the time limit. Other than timed sidequest, the only other thing I can think of off the top of my head were scenery changes that happened once you completled part of the main quest that made it seem more dramatic/important to get to the next part. The ones I can think off of the top of my head are the swirling clouds and darkness of the sky that happened in Ocarina of Time after you left Zora River obtaining the third emerald. As you walked towards Hyrule castle an omniscent feeling came over you with the darkening of the clouds. The other is in Wind Waker when you whent to go see Jabu-Jabu and you realized Ganon had attacked the island and you needed to go to Windfall to see what the pirates new about it. That whole time there was a massive storm brewing that gave you an "urgent" feel to find out what happened to Jabu Jabu. Both of these were great and took no sence of adventure away from the game.
 
R

Red Lion

Guest
Yeah - didn't think the inability to get an item would go over well - I guess different 'consequences' would need to be thought of.

I guess the reasoning for me asking this question is two-fold.

1) Although pretty trivial, I find it funny that in the current setting Link could chill out and nothing would happen in the world. It would just sit in a state of waiting for him to show up. I know I am being incredibly litteral and just need to let the story take over and not think that way. But the thought prevails.

2) ***There are some minor spoilers here for people who haven't finished Oot, or are partway through SS***

Rushing out of Ganon's Castle in OoT and sealing away The Imprisoned before it reaches the Sacred Temple are examples of gameplay that I truly love. It really gets the heart pounding and I offers a heightened challenge that many Vets I feel are looking for. I died for the first time in a very long time in a Zelda game vs. the Imprisoned because it made it to the Temple and "ended the game". Even that as a consequence, for someone who doesn't die, although frustrating, is strangely gratifying.

When I was writing the post initally I did think of sidequests like the Biggoron Sword and I guess I just wish that type of scenario was carried over into the actual main quest where all players must endeavour to achieve the goal in the set time. Many casual Zelda players don't even do (or know) about that quest (I'm amazed at how many are not aware of it).

I agree that a big part of Zelda is exploration. I think though that it could be possible to allow vast exploration while also creating a bigger sense of 'urgency'. Some sort of hybrid that allows exploration for some parts.

Most of the games avoid a sense of urgency because its not beginner friendly.

Agreed. I guess that is what I find most upsetting about gamers in general. If a game is challenging, you get frustrated, or can't beat certain parts, the game becomes "bad". (I'll make an exception for most of those that use forums and discuss games - let's face it, if you're hardcore to the point of discussing your viewpoints, you most likely enjoy a good challenge). A way to maybe amend that would be to add the urgency in the Hero Mode. That way beginners get to have their 'easier' game and then Vets/Those who want a challenge would just have to play through the tougher challenge. I know there are some differences in Hero Mode, but urgency could be added...

I know one thing - When I beat SS (yes... still not beat sadly... just too busy) I am dusting MM off.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Joined
Dec 21, 2011
Yeah - didn't think the inability to get an item would go over well - I guess different 'consequences' would need to be thought of.

I guess the reasoning for me asking this question is two-fold.

1) Although pretty trivial, I find it funny that in the current setting Link could chill out and nothing would happen in the world. It would just sit in a state of waiting for him to show up. I know I am being incredibly litteral and just need to let the story take over and not think that way. But the thought prevails.

2) ***There are some minor spoilers here for people who haven't finished Oot, or are partway through SS***

Rushing out of Ganon's Castle in OoT and sealing away The Imprisoned before it reaches the Sacred Temple are examples of gameplay that I truly love. It really gets the heart pounding and I offers a heightened challenge that many Vets I feel are looking for. I died for the first time in a very long time in a Zelda game vs. the Imprisoned because it made it to the Temple and "ended the game". Even that as a consequence, for someone who doesn't die, although frustrating, is strangely gratifying.

When I was writing the post initally I did think of sidequests like the Biggoron Sword and I guess I just wish that type of scenario was carried over into the actual main quest where all players must endeavour to achieve the goal in the set time. Many casual Zelda players don't even do (or know) about that quest (I'm amazed at how many are not aware of it).

I agree that a big part of Zelda is exploration. I think though that it could be possible to allow vast exploration while also creating a bigger sense of 'urgency'. Some sort of hybrid that allows exploration for some parts.



Agreed. I guess that is what I find most upsetting about gamers in general. If a game is challenging, you get frustrated, or can't beat certain parts, the game becomes "bad". (I'll make an exception for most of those that use forums and discuss games - let's face it, if you're hardcore to the point of discussing your viewpoints, you most likely enjoy a good challenge). A way to maybe amend that would be to add the urgency in the Hero Mode. That way beginners get to have their 'easier' game and then Vets/Those who want a challenge would just have to play through the tougher challenge. I know there are some differences in Hero Mode, but urgency could be added...

I know one thing - When I beat SS (yes... still not beat sadly... just too busy) I am dusting MM off.

When reading your post another thought occured to me. Adding a sence of urgency to a Zelda game would take away the emersion you get when playing a game like Zelda. With Zelda, you take attention to detail in account much more than you do with other games such as Call of Duty or Uncharted 3, the latter being a better example. Uncharted 3 is an adreniline filled action packed survival/adventure game in which your blood gets pumping and you want to get to the next place as fast as possible. However good the adreniline and action may be, there is a downside to those types of games. Attention to detail is lost, character development can sometimes be faulty and not there, and the emersion factor you get can sometimes be dissapointing (I'm not saying Uncharted 3 falls under those categories, I was just using it as an example). So then we have Zelda, that makes up for all those downsides you get with a game like Uncharted 3. However, with those upsides you get the same upsides as Uncharted 3 for Zelda's downsides......? Lol, I can't word that correctly I hope you get my point. If we take the thrilling action pack-ness of games like Uncharted 3 than you take away some of the things that Zelda is known for in my opinion, which vets of the series I don't think would like either.

However with that being said, I do like the idea of a hero mode version being implemented with timed events in the main quest. That to me, sounds perfect.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top Bottom