Hyrule Warriors AOC and whether it's a mainline zelda game

[Tetra's Wink]

So if AOC is canon, then does that mean it is on the list of mainline zelda games?

The list is:
TLOZ, TAOL, ALTTP, LA, OOT, MM, OOS, OOA, FS, TWW, FSA, TMC, TP, PH, ST, SS, ALBW, TH, and BOTW. 19 games total.

Granted, FS, FSA, and TH seem kind of spin-offy, but they're canon and they seem to be generally included in the mainline games list?

Then there's spinoff/non-canon titles, such as Link's Crossbow Training, Cadence Of Hyrule, and of course, Hyrule Warriors. But.... what about Age Of Calamity? If it's canon then does it belong in the first list, or does it still stay in the second list with the original HW? I'd personally leave it with HW, saying that it's a spinoff that is still canon, but as you can tell, it's getting a bit confusing now lol.

What do you consider as the 'mainline' zelda games? Is there a definitive list?

 

[Azure Sage]

I think Age of Calamity can be considered mainline. Ultimately, Koei did make the game, but they didn't make the story. Aonuma and Fujiabayashi conceived it, and Fujibayashi was the scenario supervisor for the whole game. I think it's in an awkward spot, where the only thing separating it from other mainline Zelda games is the fact that it's also a Warriors game. But I definitely would not put it on the same level with the first HW in terms of story and spin-off nature.

Personally I'm comfortable calling it a mainline Zelda. I guess you could say that a Warriors game being canon is following BotW's lead about series conventions. Fitting, since it's part of BotW's narrative.

 

[mαrkαsscoρ]

the fact that it's called "hyrule warriors" and not "the legend of zelda" is what confused me too, it'd be easier to say maybe it is canon and part of the mainline games if it's story was exactly what we all thought it would be, but's kinda not?

as far as I'm considered, it's not, and when you look at the games overall, breath of the wild's successor will still be the sequel and not age of calamity

 

[Quin]

Its not, no spinoff games have been canon so far so unless they specifically state that it is its kinda dumb to think so honestly. Not that it matters much because its fanfic and will have no impact on the rest lf the canon if it was.

And with FS, FSA, and TH, while they have a different structure than most other zelda games, and focus on multiplayer, they still look, feel and most importantly, play like a Zelda game, so I don't really get why they always get seen as spinoffs. Doesnt help that this site and wiki also see them that way.

 

[Chevywolf30]

Ok, but hasn't it been said that AoC is an AU? So no, it's not the "official" BotW prequel. I could be wrong here.

 

[Azure Sage]

Ok, but hasn't it been said that AoC is an AU? So no, it's not the "official" BotW prequel. I could be wrong here.

It being an AU doesnt make it non-canon, it just means it doesn't impact BotW's story.

Now, if Sidon, Yunobo, Teba, and Riju appear in BotW 2 and talk about how they went back in time, then thatd be the real clincher. As for now, though, the only real reason to think it's not canon is because it has "Hyrule Warriors" in the name. Which is fair of course.

 

[Spirit]

I don't think Nintendo has ever actually stated that AoC is canon. They've said it's 'a story set during the Calamity' and that both teams 'worked closely with each other' but never explicitly that it was canon.

I don't consider it canon because of the mess it makes and how much of a fan fiction it feels like.

It also undermines BotW terribly, so I'd be more than happy just ignoring the game outright.

 

[Quin]

It being an AU doesnt make it non-canon, it just means it doesn't impact BotW's story.

Now, if Sidon, Yunobo, Teba, and Riju appear in BotW 2 and talk about how they went back in time, then thatd be the real clincher. As for now, though, the only real reason to think it's not canon is because it has "Hyrule Warriors" in the name. Which is fair of course.

And the fact its a musou game and doesnt play like a zelda game at all, ofcourse

 

[Azure Sage]

And the fact its a musou game and doesnt play like a zelda game at all, ofcourse

You can say the same thing about Four Swords and Triforce Heroes.

 

[Quin]

No, you really can't. Those games just favor more puzzles and combat over exploration, but they still totally play and function as a zelda game.
Warriors is just a hack and slash that incorperates some elements from the game, but it doesnt play like one at all.

 

[Azure Sage]

No, you really can't. Those games just favor more puzzles and combat over exploration, but they still totally play and function as a zelda game.
Warriors is just a hack and slash that incorperates some elements from the game, but it doesnt play like one at all.

I'd agree with that if we were talking about the first HW game, but AoC felt a lot like playing BotW with a different combat system. I think they did a far better job at incorporating the series' core elements into it, even exploration with how big and intricate the maps are and the hidden treasures and koroks on them. The only core Zelda element that AoC is missing is puzzles, but that's kind of difficult to do in a fast-paced action game, obviously.

 

[Tetra's Wink]

And with FS, FSA, and TH, while they have a different structure than most other zelda games, and focus on multiplayer, they still look, feel and most importantly, play like a Zelda game, so I don't really get why they always get seen as spinoffs. Doesnt help that this site and wiki also see them that way.

While I agree that they are much more like Zelda games than the HW games, they still stuck out like a sore thumb IMO when I ranked them in my list. But then, if they were in a spin-off list instead, they would stick out there too, so can't win lol. They're kind of in-between if that makes sense...

It's the length of FS that does me though, it's so short and it didn't even get it's own release (it was bundled with ALTTP remake), which makes me want to say that it's a spin-off. FSA on the other hand is a full game and has a much better claim for mainline.

But it's all weird. I guess it's open to interpretation and that there is no definite list. But I wish there was a definite list, as that is how my mind works lol.

 

[mαrkαsscoρ]

While I agree that they are much more like Zelda games than the HW games, they still stuck out like a sore thumb IMO when I ranked them in my list. But then, if they were in a spin-off list instead, they would stick out there too, so can't win lol. They're kind of in-between if that makes sense...

It's the length of FS that does me though, it's so short and it didn't even get it's own release (it was bundled with ALTTP remake), which makes me want to say that it's a spin-off. FSA on the other hand is a full game and has a much better claim for mainline.

But it's all weird. I guess it's open to interpretation and that there is no definite list. But I wish there was a definite list, as that is how my mind works lol.

I'm pretty sure nintendo acknowledges the four swords games being mainline games, they're in the timeline anyway

 

[Quin]

I'd agree with that if we were talking about the first HW game, but AoC felt a lot like playing BotW with a different combat system. I think they did a far better job at incorporating the series' core elements into it, even exploration with how big and intricate the maps are and the hidden treasures and koroks on them. The only core Zelda element that AoC is missing is puzzles, but that's kind of difficult to do in a fast-paced action game, obviously.

Nah. Its literally just a hack and slash game with botw elements in them. Its not just a botw with a different combo system. Its still very much a musou game. One of the best one yet with the botw elements intergrated very well, but still one nonetheless and not even close to what a zelda game is.

It's the length of FS that does me though, it's so short and it didn't even get it's own release (it was bundled with ALTTP remake), which makes me want to say that it's a spin-off. FSA on the other hand is a full game and has a much better claim for mainline.

But it's all weird. I guess it's open to interpretation and that there is no definite list. But I wish there was a definite list, as that is how my mind works lol.

They did remake it into its own game though, and gave it single player to boot. There is an official list though. The timeline are basically all the mainline games. They also showed off FS in the trailer in the collectors edition, so there is more for it being mainline than against it

 

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

It could be a canon game creating it's own timeline split, but I'd prefer it to be non-canon.