Exploring Outside of Hyrule?

[Justac00lguy]

Don't think I've seen a thread like this, sorry if there is one similar!

So we all know and are very familiar with the land of Hyrule but are we gettign a bit too "familiar" with this place? I mean we have seen the land of Hyrule featured in all but 5 Zelda games so would it be an interesting concept to maybe explore the outer regions of Hyrule?

If we look at Hyrule as a whole, it is pretty small in terms of land mass and if you consider the likes of Spirit Tracks being "New Hyrule" then this proves that there is indeed places outside if Hyrule itself! Now this thread can touch on two main topics....Should we have more games that take place solely outside of Hyrule or should we have a game that features Hyrule within it but also explores some of the outer regions!

Personally I would love the idea of finding out whats outside of Hyrule....To see what new races there are, new province's, other kingdom's Ect. If you think about it the possibilities of what Nintendo can do with exploring outside of Hyrule are endless, its just the fact that Zelda could lose it's so called charm if this does happen! But I want to know your thoughts on this idea....Have fun guys

 

[Ventus]

Hyrule indeed has seen too many visits in recent years, none too dissimilar from the past (except SS). We've seen Holodrum and Labrynna from Seasons and Ages, respectively, and alongside Holodrum came the area known as Subrosia. We've seen a variety of races, from sprites to Tokay, and they were all too awesome.

If you think about it the possibilities of what Nintendo can do with exploring outside of Hyrule are endless, its just the fact that Zelda could lose it's so called charm if this does happen!

I personally do not think this is true; it's that the fans would complain about the new land /not/ being named Hyrule and being too unfamiliar to their eyes. I mean, the worst they could do is give us a carbon-copy of Hyrule as we know it and dub it with some other name, right?

 

[Spirit]

I've mused on the idea of continent hopping ever since WW, it'd be nice to start in Hyrule and end up on another continent outside of Hyrule chasing down the evil to put the final nail in.

Though i don't think it'd have that much importance or relevance, Hyrule is different everytime we see it so there is really no reason to move out short of an apocalyptic flood waring.

The places we've seen outside of Hyrule have only been seen once too which i think is quite interesting, i dont think we'll be seeing Holodrum again or any of the other places we've seen in the past. So while it'd be nice to get a idea of where Hyrule would be on the Zelda planet i don' think it'd mean too much to the story or the game and other regions outside of Hyrule if they appeared in the same game together may run the risk of being labelled SS style province rip-offs.

 

[1upmuffin]

I think Nintendo has done a good job of always keeping the world's fresh in the Zelda games. Even OoT and Twilight Princess felt really different, while at the same time it was neat to see familiar places again. I would love to see a new game set in Termina, as well as entirely new regions.

 

[ihateghirahim]

Nintendo should establish a fairly consistent Hyrule, for the main game series. I like the TP and OoT similarities. I'd like to venture out of Hyrule, and into new lands. like Termina, a return to the Oracle lands, and whatever new worlds nintendo can imagine. Keep Hyrule more consistent, it will help the continuity and make the games more identifiable. I like the idea of having Death Mountain always looming in the East, the castle in the middle, and the desert to the west. These areas would change, but their basic concepts and locations should remain the same. I think we would all enjoy a steadier Hyrule, while Nintendo put some effort into new lands.

 

[A Link In Time]

While I previously supported it, I'm no longer keen on revisiting past lands that aren't Hyrule. It would take the originality factor away from these realms.

I would like to see Ninty offer fresh kingdoms to explore, however. The past few installments have been grounded in Hyrule. Correct me if I'm wrong but the Oracles were the last games to occur outside of Hyrule, Spirit Tracks not included because New Hyrule is essentially the same as Old Hyrule albeit in a different geographical location. It's time to lay Hyrule to rest for a bit.

 

[Castle]

Aw man this is a tough one.

As an adventure that fits within the fantasy genre, Hyrule is TLoZ's trademark fantasy land. The main focus of fantasy is on place, and Hyrule is TLoZ's identity. You cannot abandon that easily. I love Hyrule as much as the next Zelda gamer.

However, we've already started to see much of the same places in Hyrule almost too many times by now. Sure, they always look different. The majestic Lake Hylia in Twilight Princess hardly resembles the little pond that it was in Ocarina, and Nintendo really has to forsake a great deal of any semblance of continuity in order to place us in a different Hyrule each time. It just cannot be easily passed off as a different place in a much different time. So, proponents of Zelda series continuity be damned in that regard.

Even still, the nature of familiar places become routine and fans can easily come to expect their presence in a new adventure. This might not be quite as exciting after a short while. It is nice that Hyrule is expanded a bit sometimes, such as the inclusion of Snowpeak in TP.

Overall I'd say Hyrule is here to stay. I love exploring other lands beyond Hyrule but Hyrule is part of the Legend of Zelda's identity. If a legend is history then Hyrule is a big part of it.

And I have always wanted to know what lies beyond the borders of Hyrule. What's beyond the obscuring sands of the desert? The leaves of the forest? or beyond the peaks of Death Mountain? What lies beyond the drifts of Snowpeak? I would love for new Zelda adventures to open passages through those lands that link to lands beyond. I want to see Hyrule interact with other nations, and for players to take Link there and explore them. That would be fantastic!