• Welcome to ZD Forums! You must create an account and log in to see and participate in the Shoutbox chat on this main index page.

Multiplayer?

Sheikah_Witch

I just really like botw
Joined
Apr 8, 2019
Location
Sweden
What do you think about the idea of multiplayer in BotW2? Old-school straight-up split-screen couch multiplayer that is.

One of the first things, very first things, Aonuma mentioned about the "Next big Zelda game" in January 2013, (at the same time when they announced Wind Waker HD) he talked a lot about 'breaking the conventions' of Zelda. Two points were mentioned - 'Complete dungeons in a certain order' - and 'Play by yourself'.

The first point was shattered and tossed aside in BotW, but what about the other point? Could the Zelda team, possibly, this time, seriously consider multiplayer in BotW2?

Would you want this?

Or at least think that it would be a cool addition?

Would you like to be able to play as both Link and Zelda with a friend as you explore Hyrule together? Or something else, like some sort of 'Link copy'?

___
My take: I had an idea that Zelda originally serves her purpose in the story, let's say that she is in another location providing assistance in rebuilding Hyrule. Then, in the menu, you can toggle 'Multiplayer' on and off, and if you toggle it on, you have your friend in the couch connect their controller to the switch, Zelda gets summoned to Link's side as the screen splits.

She could have different abilities than Link, maybe she has the Sheikah Slate this time around and Link has his arm ability. You could travel wherever you want, solving special puzzles together or just go to enemy camps and wreck havoc and just have a good time.
 
Last edited:
I haven't played a splitscreen multiplayer game in years outside of Mario Kart.

It would be nice to have Link and Zelda split up in a multiplayer sense. It'd be nice to see the other player out in the world while you're elsewhere.

I'd want it to be Link and Zelda and not a 'Link copy' like Four Swords and Tri Force Heroes because Link copies are a tacky idea.

I'm petrified of how Aonuma will do multiplayer in a 3D Zelda.

I hope he doesn't lock Zelda off to only the second player because I'd love to be able to play as Zelda and have a choice between the two.

I also don't want it to be mandatory, because even if the game is multiplayer I will not be playing it in that configuration at all. It'll be a single player experience for me.

I do so hope even if there is multiplayer that I can still have a full single player experience.
 
Joined
Mar 15, 2020
Location
United States
Unless they created an alternate map or drastically change the gameplay, then I can't see multiplayer being anything other than having two people individually completing the single player content on the same file. I hope they don't try to include multiplayer. Unless they went the Mario Galaxy route of having co-op that you don't even remember is there, then any multiplayer will come at an expense to the single player. Perhaps some online connectivity where you could send limited amounts of items/pictures/map locations to friends could work.
 

Azure Sage

March onward forever...
Staff member
ZD Legend
Comm. Coordinator
I'd like them to take the Astral Chain route with that, where you have a partner with you all the time and a second player can jump in and control them. Of course, I would want that to be online multi with friends, but that's extremely unlikely, so I wouldn't be able to use it much.

A Zelda game that has a party system akin to Ys 8 but friends online can hop in to control the party members? That would be even better. I'd kill to have that.
 

Sheikah_Witch

I just really like botw
Joined
Apr 8, 2019
Location
Sweden
I'd want it to be Link and Zelda and not a 'Link copy' like Four Swords and Tri Force Heroes because Link copies are a tacky idea.

Wow, I really agree with you on this. The Link copy idea never was an appealing idea to me either. And I think that'd result in Link and 'Shadow Link' to have the same abilities. I'd want the two players that play together to have completely different abilities altogether.

You can already do so much with the Sheikah Slate alone in BotW. To have two players, with double the amount of powers/abilities, the possibilities would be near endless.

@Azure Sage do you think the game could have an AI good enough for the experience to feel nimble, or should the player have some degree of control over the companion too (like in Astral Chain)
 

Azure Sage

March onward forever...
Staff member
ZD Legend
Comm. Coordinator
@Azure Sage do you think the game could have an AI good enough for the experience to feel nimble, or should the player have some degree of control over the companion too (like in Astral Chain)

Honestly I think they could pull off a mix of both. Leave the companion to their own devices when you want, but maybe you could sync up attacks and possibly give them orders like focus on attacking or defending and so on, but I feel like that'd be a lot more in depth than combat has ever been in Zelda, lol. Would still be cool, though.
 

thePlinko

What’s the character limit on this? Aksnfiskwjfjsk
ZD Legend
I had an entire thread in my blog dedicated to this.

Basically the summary is that the world needs major items (ie hookshot, iron boots, etc.), but multiply the amount of each item by however many people can play at max. In addition make each player independent of one another so they can explore at their own pace. Everyone’s inventory is separate but they can only have one of each item. Multiplayer should never be required to beat any puzzles, but it should make them easier or change them entirely. Materials should return like in SS or the DS Zeldas, but not only should they have a major use, but there should be a trading system between players. The key is to encourage multiplayer without forcing it.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top Bottom