Should Zelda stay Medieval or more Steampunk?

[ihateghirahim]

I think a foray into a more steampunk area could be beneficial for the series. Here me out.
It could add some new material to the franchise. THink of it. Dungeons with a build similar to the Goron mines of TP. Mechanical boats on lake Hylia. All sorts of funny contraptions like Beedle's airship. I can only imagine all the gameplay mechanics and challenges that could be come up with. There could even be messages attached to it. The themes of the advance of technology, A Water temple with mechanics remeniscent of Great Bay Temple from MM, this could even show pollution and the problems of development. A steampunk forest temple could show technology advancing on natural space.

There's a lot of possibilities to where a story could go with this. What if people in Hyrule, near the end of one of the timelines, discover the robots buried in Lanayru and that starts a technological revolution. Link, Zelda, and the spirits could be caught up in the struggle to balance all that is happening. THe old Hyrule and new technological Hyrule could clash. Maybe Link will have to find a balance and use technology to save the day, while still keeping it in check. I really wouldn't want them to go the hippy route and have the message be anti-technology and pro-treehugging. (That's like some dub 90s PSA). I know the story would ultimately be a Zelda story, but there's a lot of good ideas to work in, as every person and race must deal with change.

From there, you can just keep brainstorming ideas. Flying airships FF-style. A polluted LAke Hylia navigated by boat. Link the guy who has to clean up Hyrule. Nature spirits angry at humans for interfering in their land. Ganondorf using mechanical monsters to dig up lost pieces of the Triforce. A technological in the desert based on Clock Town, with a massive clock tower, funny shops that sell new items and gizmos. Link could even get new items that are more technologically advanced. What about a cross-bow, electric arrows, the old magnet gloves from OoS, a compass used to navigate, a shoulder mounted cannon, bombs with fuzes you can set a timer to, or any other techno stuff.

 

[DJ Twitch]

I always liked the medieval look with the modern/futuristic technology that they always used, but I'll be open minded to to a steampunk setting next since it would be far better anyway. Besides, aren't all the games like 100 years or more apart?

 

[Zelda's Valor]

The Zelda series is neither medieval nor steampunk; it's actually fantasy. That being said, the series can continue to borrow elemens from any genre -- it is even capable of inventing its own elements given the right developers.

 

[PalaeoJoe]

You could easily have a medieval fantasy with steam punk elements in it and not have it feel weird, so it could work in Zelda. Besides Zelda already has steam punk technology, like every body's favorite item the hook/claw shot, there were several steam punk technologies in Skyward Sword like the air ship Beatle has and all the technology in Lanyru, Goron mines Twilight Princess, Great Bay Temple, spinner TP and several other things that have not come to mind.

 

[JuicieJ]

Neither, really. I like the mix of Medieval themes and futuristic technology the series has run with as of late. It's a great way of sticking to the series roots while also differentiating itself from the early games, not to mention growing and evolving in potential settings. I wouldn't mind seeing steampunk elements in the future of the series, but I don't want it to lean towards it. Same goes for Medieval and futuristic (and anything else usable).

 

[Dragoncat]

TP is steampunk? I don't think so...sure, there was that sky cannon and bazooka, but that's not enough to make it steampunk imo. If you want a steampunk zelda, ST is a better example. Not entirely, but...trains. Yeah.

Magical medieval always interests me more. So that.

 

[Quietgalaxy]

I love steampunk a lot, but I don't think a Zelda game would be the same in a steampunk world. I'm crossed as well. I think if they did steampunk they'd have to keep swords and magic instead of guns and muskets.

 

[g-whiz]

Zelda is more high fantasy than anything. I personally didn't see TP as steampunk but I can see where that comes from. There was more technology and more advanced stuff compared to less magic. What might be kind of cool would be to do a game near the end of the timeline (post Adventure of Link) that had more tech advanced enemies. Not lasers and rocket ships but maybe have Gannondorf open a door to a steampunk world and let an army of awful through and Link has to stop it...

OR

That could be the first quest, since all the OoT and after games have multiple parts to them. At the midpoint, the leader of the tech army turns on Gannondorf and forces him to side with Link and Zelda to save Hyrule from them. In the end, the Triforce is reunited for the first time since OoT and Link wishes for Hyrule to be sealed off forever.

That could be a stretch since Gannon was destroyed and Link recovered the Triforce of Power in LoZ but I think Nintendo could work something out...

 

[Justac00lguy]

The play on a fantasy medieval setting should remain the staple, but I ask why not?

Steampunk is quite a popular visual style nowadays and I feel it captures an old fashioned setting while keeping within the realm of fiction. The only problem is that Steampunk settings always scream industrial revolution to me. However that's not completely alien to the Zelda series, what about Spirit Tracks and Phantom Hourglass. Not quite in that time era (if we relate it to the real world that is), but it still has elements, which prove that the series could potentially go there.

So I think a good question to ask is, would people like to see a Industrial Revolution-like Zelda? I think that could possibly work on so many levels while still keeping the fantasy element. This would be the closest to a futuristic game I'd like to see on the series and I would love to see said game envisioned in a Steampunk art style.

 

[Shadow Blade]

There are elements of steam punk design elements in a number of Zelda games but I would never want it to be a theme in a Zelda game even though I like steam punk themes and elements in games and movies, I hate it in reall life as it often involves the distruction of antiques to make useless nonfunctional props and costumes.