Do You Dread the Reveal of Future Zelda Games?

[Spirit]

Zelda is one of the few franchises to continuously change its art-style with each installment and the only franchise to do it well. This is a very unique trait of the series as a whole despite being legendary for numerous innovations and revolutions throughout its history...

But, after OoT and MM, no one saw Wind Waker coming and we all know the reactions people had when we all saw it for the first time. To say it split the room is the understatement of a long 25 years... Then we got TP, a game that set the community on fire with 'what the majority had always wanted' (to complain about?) and then, most recently we had Skyward Sword; a game which, to me, didn't thrill me or excite me on any level as far as aesthetic was concerned, and during previews thats all you have...

So, knowing that for the individual, a chosen art style could have a positive or negative effect on both the pre-release and the actual release events themselves (not that it makes it a bad game, but it makes it harder to enjoy something you don't like looking at), does waiting for the reveal of a new Zelda game fill you with dread where the art-style is concerned?

Do you dread what Nintendo could throw at you in fear of you disliking it or feeling nothing for a game's aesthetic that you really want to love?
Or does art-style not bother you at all?


(Remember i'm talking about art-style here, not quality of the graphics in general.)

 

[Krazy4Krash]

There won't be any particular art-style that puts me off buying or playing a Zelda game. My reactions to the past announcements I've seen (all two of them ) have been "oh, that's cool". It doesn't break anything for me.

 

[Cfrock]

For me it's never been an issue. Even when I first saw The Wind Waker's art style, I remember thinking "Oooh, look at the gorgeous colours!" I liked it from the very beginning and had no qualms about it whatsoever.
Similarly, when The Minish Cap took the Toon Link approach, I thought it suited the handheld very well indeed.
When Twilight Princess came along, I was so taken by the art style that I stared at screenshots for ages. There was one in particular of Link stood looking at some lava which just made me want to devour the game immediately.
I loved Skyward Swords watercolour style from the very beginning as well and it turned out to look a whole lot more gorgeous when I actually got the game itself.

So when it comes to anticipating Zelda's next art style I have no apprehension whatsoever. I have liked every single one so far. Some more than others perhaps, but I've never disliked an art style in Zelda before, even at the preview stage, and I don't think I am going to start anytime soon.

 

[DeletedUser9]

I would actually argue that until The Wind Waker came around, fans in general had the impression that the artstyle wasn't really changing, but evolving. From stereotypical cartoony styles common on the NES to the more authentic style of A Link to the Past, to Ocarina of Time's increased realism, etc. I think people saw The Wind Waker as the only departure at the time. Of course, this wasn't really true, because every Zelda game at that point did its own things outside of the perceived "evolution", and Ocarina of Time wasn't exactly about realism; it was basically an anime look. But I think that's how fans looked at it at the time. Correct or not, making any note of the artstyle at all as opposed to graphical quality is a newer thing that began with The Wind Waker.

Anyway, onto your main point and question...

No, not really. I've never dreaded the reveals because I generally like all the artstyles. My only exception is Twilight Princess', because I think they very poorly executed the style. I'm not talking about graphics, but just art direction... ridiculous amounts of browns and boring aesthetics in my eyes. So if anything I just worry they'll go back to exactly what Twilight Princess was (as opposed to a modified refinement of that style, which I think we'll see on the Wii U), but I wouldn't say I'm dreading that because I just don't think it's likely.

 

[misskitten]

I think with WW we were taught a lesson, to not judge a book by its cover - or a game by its graphics. And by releasing WW when they did, Nintendo made sure Zelda wouldn't fall into one specific pattern of art style, like so many other series have. It was a very strategic move that opened the doors to many more possibilities, and I think that makes it more fun to imagine/speculate about what could come next. Because you never really know. Will it be toony? Animé? Realistic? No one knows... it depends on what story they're gonna break next. Will it be button-controlled? Stylus-controlled? Motion-controlled? Something else entirely? Who knows...

 

[Ventus]

Dammit Spirit, I was going to make a thread exactly like this!

Okay, I'll be honest: I do sort of dread the reveal of future Zelda games now. After products Skyward Sword and New Super Mario Bros 2, Nintendo has proven that they can disappoint even when handling a legendary franchise. So, instead of buying Zelda games wildly, I've started to become a bit more cautious within the span of, what, 11 months? If the art style doesn't please me, I'm PROBABLY not going to get it, or at least I'll be a lot more skeptical about it even if the art style doesn't correlate to the game content.

 

[A Link In Time]

I've appreciated every artstyle thus far even if grudgingly. While The Wind Waker was an aesthetic departure lighter, more whimsical themes had already been explored in Link's Awakening with arcade like game shops making an appearance for the first time. Twilight Princess was a return to a darker graphic style but you have to keep in mind Nintendo already intended this since before or around the launch of the Gamecube as demonstrated in the Spaceworld 2001 tech demo. While it wasn't my personal favorite, Skyward Sword tried to balance cartoon and realistic artstyles with relative success.

I'm not worried about the next game's artstyle because every tonal change has always remained vaguely fitting ti the franchise and it's always refreshing to see series staples in a new light. The only exception which comes to mind is a monochrome Zelda. The series would largely lose its emotional appeal if it shifted towards a black and white world.

 

[Vaati101]

Artstyles don't bother me when new instalments come out, all I care about is the fact that a new Zelda game has been announced.

 

[Sir Quaffler]

I used to, but not anymore. Back when I first started the only two I had a working knowledge of was OoT and MM. So when WW came out I was very averse to it because it seemed a huge departure from what I had considered the Zelda look, and stayed away from it as a result. Some years after that, though, I got PH and came around to the idea of cel-shading in Zelda games. I went back, played WW with a better mindset, and appreciated it much more.

With that in mind, I now relish the changing art styles in the games, since I am comfortable in the fact that the games themselves will still be fantastic games to play. SS in particular drew me into the game with the bright painted look of everything. I love finding out what they're going to do next.

Admittedly, though, there is one I hope they NEVER go into: the gritty ultrarealistic look that every game these days go into. I find it extremely boring, and would be much more skeptical of picking up a Zelda game that utilized this "style" if it happened.

 

[ZeldafreakCJM]

Why would anyone who considers themselves "fans" of a series not like a particular game just because of the way it looks? Shouldn't we all just be glad that they're still being made?

 

[The Wanderer]

Admittedly, though, there is one I hope they NEVER go into: the gritty ultrarealistic look that every game these days go into. I find it extremely boring, and would be much more skeptical of picking up a Zelda game that utilized this "style" if it happened.

Agreed. Ultrarealism would have two negative effects on Zelda. First, ultrarealism (which is apparently not a word, but whatever) tends to make aesthetic flaws more noticeable, such as mouths not moving quite the way we want them to or strangely blank expressions. Secondly, it would somewhat shatter the fantasy aspect of Zelda. Hyrule should feel real and tangible, yes, but it's also a foreign land filled with magic, monsters, and wonder. It's an escape from the real world. When it looks just like the real world, we have a few problems. The art style I really want Zelda to employ is the one used in the Final Fantasy XIII set of games - incredibly detailed, yet undeniably fantastical and a little too "perfect." It would blend excellently with Zelda.

As for me dreading each new announcement...I do not. I've never been disappointed with any art style to date, although the initial graphics for Skyward Sword before they were refined did give me pause. As I've mentioned sometime before, The Wind Waker's cel-shaded "kiddy" graphics actually made me feel more manly, and I appreciated Twilight Princess's take on realism, even if the colors were a bit more subdued. I always look forward to the official announcement of the next Zelda game, and I wish Nintendo would hurry up and get something put together to show us.

 

[Shadsie]

What I dread is people in the fandom / online COMPLAINING ENDLESSLY about it.

I prefer the "more realistic" but still slightly unreal style that Ocarina of Time / Majora's Mask and Twlight Princess had over the "toon" stuff, yet I was charmed by Wind Waker - the style made me feel like I was playing a children's story book with slightly more epic story themes. That said, I *like* how Nintendo experiments with art styles in the series. It makes each game stand apart even though they're all part of an overreaching legend. It's quite unique.

It's when people wank over something I considere both trivial and wonderful is when I get annoyed. I seem to dread the fan-reaction to new Zelda games these days more than I ever dread *anything* about the games, themselves.

 

[DarkestLink]

I'm REALLY hoping they don't go cell shaded on us again. I have no problem with cell shading, but after seeing what they could do with the demo alone, I'm really eager to see a return of Twilight Princess's realistic graphic style.

 

[Wasteland Dream]

After Twilight Princess I was looking forward to every Zelda reveal but that was quickly put to an end with every game since.

 

[Networker1]

Do I dread it? No. I would like them not to use SS art style, it was just too... bright and watercolor-y. Nor do I wish for WW style again, WW may have been the only zelda game that I felt a conection to the characters in, but I think that the new HD deserves a TP+(some)color style instead.