Should companions be scrapped?

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

Companions often times accompany Link on his adventures. Assuming that Zelda Wii U will set a new standard for future games in the series, is companions an aspect that should be scrapped? Zelda Wii U is supposedly going to give us, the player, more freedom to roam the game - companions often restrict game progression so they might not work well in a game which is supposed to give players freedom to roam without distractions. So should they be scrapped, or are they worth being implemented in new ways so that they won't be scrapped?

Scrapping them, in my mind, would be the easiest route; but some people might actually enjoy companions - they are sometimes dynamic characters in the plot which can give it more depth, and some people actually claim they feel “connections” with companions as they play the game along with them. For newer players unfamilar with the series tips from companions might be greatly appreciated.

So does the benefits of companions outweight their problems? That is the question everything comes down to. What are your thoughts, can you foresee a future without companions, or do you see them being reworked to fit into the changing playstyle of the games?

 

[Spirit]

I think they should be scrapped. Its all very well having the story be (in part) about the companion like Midna and Fi, but they could just as well be NPCs in suspended animation somewhere (like Midna being your shadow and Fi being in the sword) until you need them most of the time.

I like what Zelda U is apparently trying to do with having the puzzles begin by 'deciding where you want to go'. I'd much rather have an item we could consult (like an upgraded lens of truth or a pocket Gossip Stone) that we could just occasionally ask for help if we get horribly stuck or lost. Having something like that would be much better than *Bing!* "Master there is a 99% possibility that you are lost!"

That being said, ZeldaU may still have a companion, Midna hid in your shadow and Fi hid in the sword, so just because we havent seen a companion yet in Zelda U it doesn't mean they aren't there...

 

[Kyru]

I could see a game without companions (ex. Loz,AoL,ALttP) and that would be great.
However, I can also see a game with companions, (ex. Basically all the games not listed above).
But for the future I wouldn't mind either option but each has their limitations. Like Navi from OoT was WAY to annoying constantly bothering you with jibberish I didn't really care for. Navi really didn't add to the story all to much and didn't really help Link that much either. Now Midna was a very well done companion but still with her flaws. She was much more interactive and developed a much deeper story to the game, but was a nuisance at times popping up and annoyingly trying to tell me what to do when I wanted to figure it out for myself.

So for myself, I say companions are cool but be cautious. You can't give them to big of a role, but too little and nobody cares. The big thing is just don't make them so annoying.... seriously, I know how to think Nintendo, let me do it.

 

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

You know I have thought it'd be a cool idea to make companions something platers can opt in or out for at any point in the game. The downside is they'd have to be flat characters or not in the plot at all.

 

[Azure Sage]

I've always loved having a companion along. Adventures are more fun with more people. I've been saying for a while that I want companions that act as party members and help you fight. I want to see something like that.

Companions definitely shouldn't be scrapped. They tend to be very helpful for first-time players, and there's no legitimate reason to take them away from those new players just because the older players already know what to do/don't need the assistance.

 

[Lozjam]

I've always loved having a companion along. Adventures are more fun with more people. I've been saying for a while that I want companions that act as party members and help you fight. I want to see something like that.

Companions definitely shouldn't be scrapped. They tend to be very helpful for first-time players, and there's no legitimate reason to take them away from those new players just because the older players already know what to do/don't need the assistance.

There is also no reason for companions to be telling you completely what to do and interrupting gameplay when older players already know what to do.
Companions, if they are in a Zelda game, should just be unobtrusive in the game or just optional. They can ruin puzzles, good pacing, and just the game in general. I loved how companions worked in Wind Waker. You were expected to solve all puzzles yourself, the KoRL just told you what you needed to do next regarding story. They left extra hints to the completely optional yet handy mapfish, of which it still encouraged exploration and finding out things on your own.

 

[P-Zelda]

I don't know. I kind of like Link having a partner. Instead of a new character though, maybe it should be someone we know like Zelda or Impa. I remember Zelda had a brother in Zelda II, maybe have a sibling aid you in saving Hyrule if Zelda must be kidnapped again or childhood companion. It doesn't always have to be a mythical being, though that's what it's been in Zelda games for sometime now. Have this companion be playable too, so you can switch between both and work together.

 

[Mipha]

I have mixed feelings concerning this. I do enjoy the partners other than them occasionally being annoying, however, it would be nice if Zelda WIIu tried something new and didn't have a partner.

 

[Azure Sage]

Have this companion be playable too, so you can switch between both and work together.

Yes please. This was one of my favorite things about Spirit Tracks. The teamwork puzzles in the Tower of Spirits are among my favorites in the series. I want more like them.

 

[Dio]

I think supporting characters can give a different perspective on the world. I would say Link doesn't need a companion in the sense of Fi but supporting characters could accompany Link in his adventure.

I know mass effect and Dragon Age allows you to choose your companions so perhaps something more like that would allow players to decide who to have with them if any.

Also because the option would be there to go it alone, a bestiary such as in Witcher would be a must, allowing link to check monster and character details in the pause menu or on the gamepad.

 

[P-Zelda]

I think supporting characters can give a different perspective on the world. I would say Link doesn't need a companion in the sense of Fi but supporting characters could accompany Link in his adventure.

I know mass effect and Dragon Age allows you to choose your companions so perhaps something more like that would allow players to decide who to have with them if any.

Also because the option would be there to go it alone, a bestiary such as in Witcher would be a must, allowing link to check monster and character details in the pause menu or on the gamepad.

Liking this because someone finally mentioned my fav PC game series (Dragon Age)! And yes, I think my idea of having a playable companion stems from that since it's all I've been playing lately. In DAO I remember a puzzle in which your companions have to stand on certain panels to activate a bridge as you guide your Warden across it. Things like that would add a bigger challenge to the Zelda games instead of Link relying on his weapons. I remember Ruto being a temporary companion in that sort of way, as well as Zelda.

 

[AncientPoe]

I usually like the companions, they offer a good anchor point for emotional depth. Navi saying that she wouldn't abandon you against Ganon, Fi's goodbye (YRMV), and well basically all of Midna… getting rid of them would be a terrible loss. However, I think that they should function as a totally voluntary help system. They should never interrupt you of their own accord (except possibly to let you know your controller is about to die if it's wireless). They should never offer information that you didn't want, and should never completely spell something out for you. If you wander close to something important they can alert you, but should otherwise stay out of the way. Really, I can't think of a single companion who was annoying in their own right, it's always the constant nattering that gets to people. Think about it, even Fi and her robotic speech wouldn't have been so annoying if she hadn't been telling something you'd already figured out for yourself.

 

[P-Zelda]

I usually like the companions, they offer a good anchor point for emotional depth. Navi saying that she wouldn't abandon you against Ganon, Fi's goodbye (YRMV), and well basically all of Midna… getting rid of them would be a terrible loss. However, I think that they should function as a totally voluntary help system. They should never interrupt you of their own accord (except possibly to let you know your controller is about to die if it's wireless). They should never offer information that you didn't want, and should never completely spell something out for you. If you wander close to something important they can alert you, but should otherwise stay out of the way. Really, I can't think of a single companion who was annoying in their own right, it's always the constant nattering that gets to people. Think about it, even Fi and her robotic speech wouldn't have been so annoying if she hadn't been telling something you'd already figured out for yourself.

I honestly never got too annoyed by my partners. What I disliked was how the camera would zoom in on Navi and distract me, or Fi would repeat info about batteries being low. Midna was the lesser of them all. She felt more like a real companion than a familiar and Ezlo is just hilarious and awesome!

 

[A Link In Time]

I enjoy having companions overall, especially if they're well written, like Tatl and Midna. That said, I think the series should take a break from companions for the time being. A Link Between Worlds was so refreshing, because it required the player to figure things out on his or her own.

 

[Salem]

Yes, completely scrapped, unless they keep their mouth shut unless I ask them.