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Complex storyline?

Should the upcoming zelda game(s) have a more complex storyline?

  • YES

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • NO

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    0

Purple_Rupee

They call me Ammi
Joined
Oct 16, 2011
Location
Equestria
Why tamper with a classic I say. Your princess kidnapped? Call on your Hero of Time and have him shoot a few arrows here, chuck a bomb or two over there, finishing blow that guy. Get the blonde babe in the tower, call up your horse with your magical instrument, ride into the sunset like bad "A" nuff' said -lol-

Legend of Zelda is one of those "don't fix it if it ain't broke" exceptions. It's just a timeless game (Pun intended). =D
 

JuicieJ

SHOW ME YA MOVES!
Joined
Jan 10, 2011
Location
On the midnight Spirit Train going anywhere
The way the story has been constantly stepped up with each progressing game -- especially with SS -- it seems pretty obvious to me that Zelda's moving towards complex storylines. Not that that matters to an opinion poll. Just something I felt like mentioning.

Anyway, as long as the gameplay stays as the main focus of the Zelda series, I'm perfectly fine with complex storylines, and after what I saw with the enhanced story in SS, I'm pretty much all for it.

Why tamper with a classic I say. Your princess kidnapped? Call on your Hero of Time and have him shoot a few arrows here, chuck a bomb or two over there, finishing blow that guy. Get the blonde babe in the tower, call up your horse with your magical instrument, ride into the sunset like bad "A" nuff' said -lol-

Legend of Zelda is one of those "don't fix it if it ain't broke" exceptions. It's just a timeless game (Pun intended). =D

Right, which means 3D should never have happened and the Wii MotionPlus should never have been brought in. The series wasn't broken before that, right? So, according to this logic, nothing should have changed in Zelda period. But that wouldn't have been a good idea, now would it? Change in a series is never a bad thing, so long as the change is executed properly.
 

MW7

Joined
Jun 22, 2011
Location
Ohio
I would freaking love it if they toned down the story in the next Zelda games, but the trend is clear that Zelda is more and more storyline based and most people like it that way. I don't really have any reason to oppose more story (as long as there's a skip feature) other than less focus on story leaves room for more focus on gameplay, but it really is just a personal preference. In general more of something is a good thing, but I'm just weird and feel like story just gets in the way of gameplay which is pretty much 99% of my enjoyment of games.

Change in a series is never a bad thing, so long as the change is executed properly.
I'd say that's a good rule of thumb but there are some exceptions. Like how the Donkey Kong series took a 180 degree turn during the Gamecube era and went into musical rhythm action games. It was arguably properly executed but the problem was that no one asked for that as far as I know; in my experience everyone I know just wanted more sidescrollers or a follow up to DK 64. Even properly executed changes can be a bad thing if they are so badly misguided as in my example. It really depends on perspective though, and for the most part you're right.
 
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Dio

~ It's me, Dio!~
Joined
Jul 6, 2011
Location
England
Gender
Absolute unit
It needs more depth. I think that sometimes they can be a bit heavy concentrating on gameplay when they already have a great formula that works, only a few tweaks here and there are needed for controls and perhaps a new mechanic but really, more time should be put into story.
 

Blue Canary

Your Friendly Neighborhood S***poster
Joined
Feb 11, 2012
Location
Right Behind You
Gender
Trash Can
Complex, but not to complex. I just don't want it to be so simple you don't have to think about what will happen next. I want it to be like ( and I KNOW this is a book not a video game, but do I really care?) warriors. and the only way I want it to be like warriors is in the way that there are things like prophecies and mysteries that are fun to think about but not stupid and annoying.
 

unknown

._.. .. _. _._ morse code
Joined
Sep 17, 2011
Location
Sacred Grove
I think that Zelda can have a more complex story, and that I would really enjoy it, but I don't want nintendo to give us a great complex story that you can't play through because the controls don't work. I think that the building a game around story might ruin it. I want the game to be built around gameplay first.
 
This thread was posted in 2008 before the release of Skyward Sword and even before anyone knew of the game's title. In the time period between then and now, Miyamoto has stuck to his word and tried to discourage a larger role for story in Zelda games. Eiji Aonuma, however, has been persistent in adding additional layering to story in Zelda games. Although he first worked on Ocarina of Time, his first major project where he stood at the operation helm was Majora's Mask. Never before had every character throughout the game been so involved in the overarching story. Extensive information was provided regarding every persona in even the most minor of sidequests. Though this increased emphasis on story was slightly down toned in the later Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, it continued to exist. The example of Link's grandmother as well as The King of Red Lions in The Wind Waker and Midna in Twilight Princess are perfect examples of this. There was a subtlety about these character's facial expressions, words, and actions that added so much to the story. Never have I felt a moment so poignant as when Link's grandmother weeps at the start of Wind Waker, Daphnes dies in the encounter with Ganondorf, or Midna leaves Link behind forever for the world of the Twilight.

Zelda has never been a franchise where story particularly mattered and it's been better because of this. The original game thrust the player head first into a forest crawling with enemies, puzzles, and secrets. Zelda II did nothing to ease that sense of mystery, wonder, and confusion. A Link to the Past provided more story as well as guidance, however, it remained minimal. With Link's Awakening, we saw the beginning of characters who bloomed into something more and the player was inclined to care for. With Ocarina of Time, the perfect mix between gameplay and story was found. Nintendo's philosophy has always been, "Gameplay first, story second". It's not necessarily a philosophy I agree with all the time, however, I do respect it. Ocarina of Time kept story to a bare minimum with a collection quest, Zelda runs away to avoid being kidnapped twist, another collection quest, and a final showdown with Ganondorf at the end. Even with such minimal character development, however, you couldn't help but care for the characters. Meeting Saria in the Sacred Meadow for the first time as an adult, still brings a smile to my face. Seeing Darunia leave to take on Volvagia with the words that he may never return made me shiver. A complex storyline for Zelda was never needed to establish a personal connection. Miyamoto was right in his thesis all along.

With Skyward Sword especially the problem of a more complex story begins to appear in a new light. Skyward Sword simply did not execute its story. Ghirahim was an excellent, creepy, and well developed character; Fi found a string with scientific minded players; Zelda took on a new role in the story completely with incessant appearances with her companion Zelda. I did not care for the other characters, however. With the exception of maybe some humorous bits with the Kikwi or Ancient Robots, I found myself largely glancing over the relatively minor characters. And why should I have cared about them? There was no imminent danger to them in Majora's Mask, their actions, word,s and facial expressions showed relatively little concern for my quest, and new ones kept appearing before I was acquainted with the old. this was simply overdoing it. Nintendo went a little over the roof with Twilight Princess before, however, Skyward Sword escalated this problem into nothing short of a killing spree. Some complexity in Zelda is appreciated, however, when the series has gone too far in development, disaster has come of it. Complexity and simplicity are not mutually exclusive, however, both should be used in greater moderation in the future.
 

guapo2003

The incomparable legend
Joined
Dec 19, 2011
Location
Temple of Light
Nah, I think Zelda is fine where it's at. It doesn't need to be any more complex than what it is. I don't have a problem with it.
 

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