Breath of the Wild Do the ``new zelda formula`` was needed in your opinion?

[manpaint]

For me, completly after all th series needed some fresh content after 30 years and for all of those is a copy of [insert X open overworld game here] nintendo is just adapting to gaming market. Also this game reminded a lot of RuneScape (wich is a mmorpg with a hudge world) but this don`t mean its automaticly a copy.

 

[Djinn]

I believe so, that series was overdue for a bold leap into the 00's much less today's gaming scene.

 

[Dio]

It needed to be different from Skyward Sword that's for sure. It also needed to modernize, there are many thing from other open world games such as Skyrim or Witcher 3 in BoTW that Zelda hadn't caught up with until now. Things that are kind of standard when being a part of the genre.

The new runes appear to be making a pleasant departure from some past series items allowing types of gameplay that is usually not seen in the open world genre and not even in Zelda before.

There is the use of English voice acting which is new to Zelda. The lack of spoken words in the series previously I think has really been a hindrance. It can make cutscenes painful to watch when characters are just garbling like a fish out of a tank with no voice coming out. We don't know the extent of the voice acting but I think just for cutscenes would be absolutely fine. Aounuma wanted to outdo Hyrule Warriors with this games cutsenes so although we haven't seen any yet we can be pretty sure the game will contain them.

 

[DoomDash]

No, not at all.

 

[Polychrome]

Honestly, I was just sick of the whole map and compass thing. You're halfway through a dungeon, you open this chest with tons of fanfare, and you get...a piece of paper.

 

[Emma]

Yes. I think the series was dying a slow death for the last ten years. the only truly great games in the last decade were all ports and remakes (I know some people loved A Link Between Worlds, but I didn't). This is the first time I've actually been excited about a new Zelda game since Twilight Princess was announced. Zelda was the first franchise I loved, hence why I'm even here, embedded into this Zelda community. But I've been drifting from in it the last decade because of how the series, and the Nintendo consoles themselves, have been handled. Zelda desperately needed this and it's definitely going to be a game I pour a stupid amount of hours into playing. I love games that take weeks, or even months, to finish. I am excited at the prospect of a Zelda possibly doing that.

 

[TheTwilightPrincess]

Absolutely. This is definitely going to reinvigorate the series. Old fans will be delighted and there will be plenty more new people flocking to the game. I wouldn't call the game 'revolutionary' or anything since it borrows from all the other titles, but the way in which it has built around these games is what make it so good.

 

[Sheiken]

Yes, like it or not it did need change. All of the games are great, but if they do not shake things up and evolve the franchise with the industry standards, it will die out as people will get tired of the same old formula.

Luckily it looks like BotW will be raising the bar and perhaps pulling in some people who normally would ignore Nintendo consoles. This is very good as more sales will equal a greater guarantee that the franchise still has an even longer and healthy life ahead of it.

 

[Spirit]

Totally needed it just should have happened sooner.

If BotW had happened instead of SS then Nintendo would have been at the forefront of another movement in gaming like LoZ and OoT were.

As it is BotW is playong catch up. But it does look like a change the series needed.

 

[Jamie]

It needed to be different from Skyward Sword that's for sure. It also needed to modernize, there are many thing from other open world games such as Skyrim or Witcher 3 in BoTW that Zelda hadn't caught up with until now. Things that are kind of standard when being a part of the genre.

The new runes appear to be making a pleasant departure from some past series items allowing types of gameplay that is usually not seen in the open world genre and not even in Zelda before.

There is the use of English voice acting which is new to Zelda. The lack of spoken words in the series previously I think has really been a hindrance. It can make cutscenes painful to watch when characters are just garbling like a fish out of a tank with no voice coming out. We don't know the extent of the voice acting but I think just for cutscenes would be absolutely fine. Aounuma wanted to outdo Hyrule Warriors with this games cutsenes so although we haven't seen any yet we can be pretty sure the game will contain them.

Every game between Zelda I (which was barebones because you know, NES) and now BotW could hardly be considered Open World.

 

[Sheiken]

Every game between Zelda I (which was barebones because you know, NES) and now BotW could hardly be considered Open World.

This is incorrect, they are all open world (save for FS, FSA, and Triforce Heros). Even though certain areas would be blocked off until a certain event happens or you get a specific item, you are still free to explore in the areas you do have access to. Furthermore you can return to older areas at any point without using any sort of stage system as the world is connected. Just because the game requires progression does not make it any less of an open world game than the other.

With that in mind, the amount of freedom in BotW is the type of open world game I prefer. While The Legend of Zelda has always been my favorite franchise of all time, it is very exciting to see the series venture into this sort of open world adventure. In fact, I personally hope they continue this route for future games.

 

[snakeoiltanker]

Simple. Yes. Zelda was like a kid turning 13, and staying 13 for about 20 years. Now it's finally going to mature a little. At least as far gameplay.

 

[Jamie]

This is incorrect, they are all open world (save for FS, FSA, and Triforce Heros). Even though certain areas would be blocked off until a certain event happens or you get a specific item, you are still free to explore in the areas you do have access to. Furthermore you can return to older areas at any point without using any sort of stage system as the world is connected. Just because the game requires progression does not make it any less of an open world game than the other.

With that in mind, the amount of freedom in BotW is the type of open world game I prefer. While The Legend of Zelda has always been my favorite franchise of all time, it is very exciting to see the series venture into this sort of open world adventure. In fact, I personally hope they continue this route for future games.

In that sense, FFVIII is an open world game.

Open world by definition are nonlinear and have tons of freedom in how you complete objectives. ALBW is the closest thing to this since Zelda I. Invisible walls are supposed to be 99% nonexistent in open world games. Certainly you can't say this is true for Ocarina of Time. You can't get from point a to point b except by 1 single route in most Zelda games, and if you can, you're still very limited. Being able to return to older areas does not make in open world, or else as I said, FFVIII is an open world game and it most certainly is not one.

 

[Sheiken]

In that sense, FFVIII is an open world game.

Open world by definition are nonlinear and have tons of freedom in how you complete objectives. ALBW is the closest thing to this since Zelda I. Invisible walls are supposed to be 99% nonexistent in open world games. Certainly you can't say this is true for Ocarina of Time. You can't get from point a to point b except by 1 single route in most Zelda games, and if you can, you're still very limited. Being able to return to older areas does not make in open world, or else as I said, FFVIII is an open world game and it most certainly is not one.

Yes FFVIII is an also an open world game. You are free to explore as you progress to find secrets the world has to offer as long as you have made enough progress to access an area.

Again just because a game requires progression does not mean it is not open world. Thank you for giving me another example of an open world game to support my point.

 

[Jamie]

Yes FFVIII is an also an open world game. You are free to explore as you progress to find secrets the world has to offer as long as you have made enough progress to access an area.

Again just because a game requires progression does not mean it is not open world. Thank you for giving me another example of an open world game to support my point.

"Open world and free roam are terms for video games where a player can move freely through a virtual world and is given considerable freedom in regards to how or when to approach particular objectives, as opposed to other video games that have a more linear structure to its gameplay."
Yeah I don't think the majority of Zelda games give you that much freedom. In Skyrim you can walk across the entire map almost immediately. With this logic every game that doesn't have a level select screen is open world. Just not true. Your definition of open world is very loose, not gonna bother arguing about this anymore.