How Much "Link" Do You Want?

[FlatxSharp]

When WW first came out, I was infuriated. I thought it was silly. The graphics. The brightness. The way Link looked. All of it was so infantile and, imo a joke! I was offended that it would be considered a Zelda game!

Now, before you start shooting arrows and me and rolling bombs under my feet, know that I now, and have for a while, been able to enjoy WW. I've played the game a myriad of times and it's one of my faves now.

One thing about this game that makes it really unique (?) as far as Zelda games go, is Link's personality. I thought that in WW, Link was a bit more of an individual. He had more facial expressions such as being mad when swimming in water, and raising his eyebrows whenever there was a hint nearby to solve the current puzzle.

Although TP is a more recent game, I can only really remember one time where Link showed full expression. It was when he first stumbled in on Hena's building in the fishing hole. He glanced around with a very exited smile on his face.

Nevertheless, this was one of the more awkward moments in the game for me. I got that same uncomfortable feeling that I felt during the cut scene after beating the water temple. :puppy:

Because SS is clearly going to be a more colorful game like WW is, do you think they're going to have Link be more of a real person, with his own personality and expressions? Or, do you think they'll keep him as he's been for years as in OoT, TP, and all of the 2D games?

Which one to you want?

Personally, I like the quiet, almost mindless Link more. I feel closer to the game and more like its a personal experience.

 

[David]

I really like the type of Link that we had in Wind Waker. I want to feel like Link is actually responding to his environment. I don't mind the "mindless" Link at all, I just feel that they could do a lot more with the expressions that Link goes through. I understand that they try to make the player as much Link as possible, but I still think that emotions would be good.

When a character doesn't react to how awesome, beautiful, sweet, or exciting something is, I usually feel a little awkward. I ask myself, "what am I supposed to be feeling or experiencing during this part of the game/movie?" I would at least like some hint toward how the developers viewed the world that they created. So, yes. I would like a Link that shows more expressions rather than a stone cold, mindless Link.

 

[jelojuice]

I think I would rather have a quiet Link, I agree with FlatxSharp the experience is more personal in that sense. I mean Link is literally supposed to be a 'link' between the game and the player, it is supposed to be your OWN adventure experienced through Link. If Link consistently responded to his environment I'd feel a disconnect with the game. Yesh.

 

[Ghosi]

It is easier to visualize the character's thoughts if they act by rolling their eyes and etc. This has been actually proven. No one really can live through the experience a character goes through, if they do not show them reacting to certain situations. Imagine if you had done something very hard. To show others how hard that task was, you would sometimes wipe your face. This is a message that reaches the other person and makes them understand: " That must have been very hard for him". It basically shows you how the character feels and acts at a certain time. I think this idea would fit Skyward Sword very well.

 

[Hawk the Warior]

I want link to have more expressions. The mindless link puts me off the game and I felt more connected to the windwaker link. When link show's expression, he seems more like a real person, and therefore easier to connect with then a bit of software. I can understand the developers wanting us to fill in his feelings, but part of the emotion is the expression, and with TP, that seemed to be missing. WW was fun, and had a more real, fun Link. I'm hoping he shows expression, but the lack of such will not stop me from buying the game. Overall, to me, the issue is rather minor.

 

[Caeda]

Make it like the main characters in the Golden Sun series, where you chose the player's reaction and everyone gets mad or agrees with you. Or make it like the Wid Waker. That's one of the reasons I love that game so much.

 

[Heros Temporis]

I do like it when Link shows more emotions and facial expressions, just because it makes him more of a "person". In OoT and MM, he's just kind of a world-saving machine. He rarely shows any facial expressions, and I can't even recall him doing anything of that sort in MM, and all I remember in OoT is him being suprised when Shiek pops up time after time.
That said, perhaps WW had a little TOO much. More often than not, I find myself laughing at Link's facial expressions in the Wind Waker, since, as we all know, Wind Waker is a more than a bit more bright, cheery, and playful than other Zelda games, so if you prefer a kind of more Ocarina of Time or Twilight Princess-ish atmosphere (that is, a bit darker, less cheery, a bit more serious) like I do, perhaps you don't want as much emotion. What I think, though, is that Twilight Princess had the perfect combination of the two. I've only just reached the City in the Sky since I just got the game for Christmas, but even though it is a more mature, darker Zelda game (and it's rated T to prove it, the only game in the series to be rated T, unless I'm mistaken) Link still shows emotion, however he shows less facial expressions. You can just tell that he cares more for other people, and you can tell it at certain points in the game, usually ones that involve the children from Ordon or Ilia. Yet he's not making the silly "" and "xD" faces that he does in the Wind Waker, but on the other side of the subject, he's not completely emotionless like he is in Ocarina of Time or Majora's Mask. There are just less characters in that game that are close to Link, so he doesn't show as much emotion. Granted, on the N64, it probably wouldn't have been possible to make the emotions appear like they do in Twilight Princess or Wind Waker even if there were such characters, but I digress.

 

[Caeda]

You have a point there about OoT and MM. Link really doesn't seem to have much emotion in the games. You also have a point about TP too. It's just that I perfer WW's more because it is so funny yet awesome at the same time.

 

[Djinn]

I have always thought Link's silent passiveness to everything happening around him was strange. I understand why the developers did it that way though. The player was meant to be Link and not just direct him. The player was the one who was supposed to actually be stunned, surprised, happy or sad. And in conversations the player was meant to project themselves into the character and imagine what Link says to NPC's themselves and not rely upon preset phrases set forth. (I imagine this roleplay will get a little better with Skyward Sword) The very same situation is present in Chrono Trigger. Chrono is totally silent and basically emotionless to all things within the game because the player is supposed to have that specific role.

However to me this always makes Link seem very awkward and strange in the games. He is the only silent and still individual in a world filled with emotion, sounds, and voices. Link was the only thing in the game devoid of emotion and character. Before if I ever wanted to get some reaction out of the character I had to jump off a cliff. Everything else just left him standing around like a statue.

Wind Waker Link was a very welcome change from the norm. I liked how he would look around in some rooms. Be scared by the shrieks of redeads, and genuinely made sounds of emotion to go with the facial expressions he displayed. Of course the voice and words spoken by him were still to be supplied by the imaginations of the player controlling him. But we still got just a little bit more into the mind of Link the character and not the cold stiffness of Link the player controlled automaton.

 

[VembersWind]

people seem to be neglecting the emotion that the OoT and TP links DID show. i saw a couple emotions from OoT link like surprise (when shiek appeared) and happiness (when he escaped ganon's tower) besides, IT WAS N64! i don't think he was CAPABLE of showing a lot of emotions. and i saw a lot of emotions from TP link too, like happiness, disbelief (when the cat steals his fish) sadness (when midna leaves) and pain (when he dies) and MANY more. personally, i'd like this kind of link because he looks more realistic to me (and WW link looked like a throwaway anime character due to hs expressions)

 

[Hawk the Warior]

Now that I think back to windwaker, the emotions do seem a little too exagerated. SS needs a ballence between the two. More emotion then TP, but a little less then WW.
They're both are awsome games though.

 

[Locke]

I think it'll be closer to TP Link, which has similar proportions, even though the coloring is closer to WW Link's. WW Link's face was specifically designed to be more expressive. This is why animé character have large eyes, etc. It's very difficult with graphical limitations to display emotions the same way we do, with all the miniscule muscles and wrinkles on our faces. To make up for it, artists exaggerate features that are simpler to draw. So WW Link's large head and eyes in proportion to the rest of his body were able to give him a more expressive personality than the more proportional TP Link and I think SS Link. I can't say which I like better though. There are some times when I like to see the emotion, and other times when I do not. I guess it mostly depends on the gameplay and general feel of the game, as Miyamoto says.

 

[February Eve]

I'd be happy with either type of personality. I always felt that Twilight Princess Link did have personality of his own - it was more subdued, but it was there. Vember's mentioned some already, and there's also moments like when Ilia doesn't recognize him and he reaches out in confusion. He's happy when Epona reappears, shows anger at King Bulbin kidnapping Colin, and seems to show pride when Colin reawakens. And he seems to be pretty confused and annoyed at turning into a wolf and then having to deal with Midna bossing him around. To me, Wind Waker has more instances of emotions, but they're still there in other games.

There may also be cultural differences coming in to play. Eastern and Western cultures can have different ideas about what level of emotion it's socially acceptable to show. Here's one study talking about the emphasis that's placed on the eyes rather than the face in Japanese culture, and here's another discussing tone of voice (which is one avenue to express emotion that Link, being a silent hero, wouldn't have.) Of course, take those studies as a jumping off point for further research, not as the final word - I think it's important not to generalize too much. But it's also good to consider our perspective might not be the same.

 

[Aero_Dynamic]

I for one want an emotion-filled Link rather than a blank one. I feel that if he had a little more emotion than TP then that would be great. I felt it kind of strange in TP when Link kind of barely shows any emotion compared to WW. WW's Link to me felt like an actual being than an emotionless one. I want Link to express a good amount of feeling, it makes him alive.

 

[Hero of Hyrule]

I do acutally like it when Link shows emotions, (like rolling eyes, smiling, raising eyebrows, etc.) because it shows that Link has a character of his own, and he's not some mindless avatar that you control, although it still makes the character like Link. Usually through the first playthrough, you'd probably go throught the same emotions as Link would at the point and time. But that's about it, I thought that voice-acting was a bad to even think of.
I'd never want Link, or characters around Link, to talk. It'd be pretty akward with other characters around Link talking, while he either nods his head, or smiles. Those little "Hiyu", "Wah wah" mumblings are quite enough. At least it gives you an idea of what they sound like.
I mean, Zelda is a fantasy game series, your supposed to "fantasize" or imagine what characters sound like, do, ect.