General Zelda The Defining Features In Zelda

[Ronin]

Everyone has that one thing in a game that drives them to keep playing and replaying. For this thread my question is, what is your favorite feature in Zelda? The series has over 25 years worth of history, and has brought something new out in just about every single game. So do you have something that reignites your love for the Legend of Zelda in mind, something that keeps drawing you back into the various worlds? Along that line of thought, what defines the experience for you overall? What do you enjoy the most?

My personal preference is the ensuing feeling of independence as I roam Hyrule on foot or by horse. I love watching the sweeping worlds unfold before me as I move toward my goal. This is part of the reason that Twilight Princess is so appealing to me; despite it being empty, the landscape itself holds a marvelous and serene beauty. In my eyes, I am the person who fills the loneliness of that realm, and the one who gets to relish the tranquility of it all. It felt like going horseriding through a peaceful meadow, far away from the trials of life―truly and utterly free from the shackles of home. Such is my interpretation of this series inspiring independence.

What about you?

 

[Justac00lguy]

Wow such a hard question haha....

I think I would have to go with the sense of adventure I get from playing Zelda games. Like you mentioned in Twilight Princess it was amazing to just navigate through the amazing overworld to get to your next goal amd even though most of the overworld was empty it just gave the sense that Hyrule was much larger than in other games. I think this is why I love Shadow of the Colossus as well, I mean most of this game was empty...You would travel through a vast and empty overworld to get to your next goal, a simple but very effective feature

Another game that I think executed the whole exploring aspect or that captured a sense of adventure would be The Wind Waker. I know a lot of people tend to hate the long sailing exploration but I loved it! I loved sailing the vast ocean's and you would encounter an island off in the distance and you would be intrigued to go and explore....I just hope Zelda games in the future incorporate a larger overworld and put greater emphasis on exploration as I think this feature is definitely one of the most important aspects of the Series.

 

[JuicieJ]

Making the Most of Zelda's Gameplay - Blogs - Dungeon Gaming Network

While not written for the purpose of this thread's title, it has the features that make up Zelda's core formula.

 

[Ronin]

Wow such a hard question haha....

Sorry, I guess the question is a bit abstract. But...here are a few suggestions of what seem to be widely popular among Zelda fans:

• Combat
• Puzzles
• Exploration
• Dungeons
• Items

Hopefully these will jog some ideas. Have at it.

 

[ihateghirahim]

The whole concept of battling monsters and solving puzzles while playing as a teenage boy in a green skirt and tights. Now that's entertainment!

 

[Random Person]

Compelling Story
Ever since ALttP, Zelda has had very compelling stories. Now adays, some of these tales can be seen as cliche, while others not very complicated, but nevertheless they are compelling. Zelda's stories have the talents of drawing people in and understanding the quest that one is on. Though I dislike some more than others *coughSkywardSword* they are all pretty decent.

Memorable Music
We hum it. We listen to it just because we can. We rejoice when it is reused in later games. Zelda music has been incredibly rupee, even in Zelda II. I realized how much Zelda music was important to me after SS when all the really good music was only played during certain scenes. I consider memorable music one of the top priorities of Zelda games.

Evolving Puzzles
The main word here is evolving. Obviously we need puzzles, but what really compels the series is how the puzzles evolve. More of the same, yet still different.

Exploration
This is almost vital. The ability to be able to go out and find, as well as not find, items on our own has been a heavy part of Zelda since... forever. Ever since SS, I've been stressing this. I was discussing with someone who compared certain Zelda games to a hallway. Here's how I see it.

Each objective in a game is a hallway with doors.

OoT - Get to the end of the hallway. The key to the end is in one door on the way. All doors along the way are unlocked and you may enter them if you wish. Once at the end, if you want to go to the next task, proceed to the next hallway.

MM - Your goal is somewhere in the hallway. It may need a key to access it.

WW - Get to the end of the hallway. All doors are unlocked and you may enter them if you wish. Once there, if you want to go to the next task, proceed to the next hallway.

TP - Get to the end of the hallway. All doors are locked and will not unlock until you reach the end. Once there, if you want to go to the next task, proceed to the next hallway.

SS - Go through every door then get to the end of the hallway. You may go in any order you want. Once there, if you want to go to the next task, proceed to the next hallway.

MM and WW, two of the most appreciated Zelda games, have the best example of exploration. You have minimum knowledge of where to go and what to do on the way in MM. WW, you know where to go, but along the way you are allowed to do whatever you please. SS, the game I and many others consider to be lacking in Zelda aspects, is the least in exploration. You are forced to travel everywhere and check everything. TP, which some argue has little exploration, imo, actually has decent exploration once certain tasks are completed.

Tradition/Referencing
Just about every game since the N64 days have built off of others. Perhaps not always in a continuity sense, but certain traditions remained. Which ones should remain would make this already long response even longer.

I'm being very harsh on SS in some of my examples, but it's not surprising because I believe SS is the prime example of a game with the title Legend of Zelda but not feeling like a Zelda game. I started heavily contemplating what makes a Zelda game after this one came out because for the first time I felt this specific game was missing major Zelda components. Of course, these are just components I believe make up the core of the Zelda series. As far as making the series better... that's another story entirely.

 

[Spirit]

For me its totally the open world free roaming element, any game that does that is most of the way there for me liking it and Zelda does it really well no matter how small or large the overworld is the openness and freedom of it all is the thing that appeals to me the most, however the last three games haven't really done it for me as far as the freedom element goes.

 

[DarkestLink]

Linearity, combat, puzzles, and items.

 

[Ventus]

My preference for what makes a good Zelda game:
- Non gimmicky control setup (lol SS, lol PHST)
- Story that EXISTS but isn't in the way (lol SS)
- Non-linearity or some degree of MEANINGFUL choice in the matter, whether by gameplay or by story.
- Some degree of difficulty. OoT and up is what I crave.
- Puzzles that, even after "mastery", are sometimes challenging or stump me.
- Exploration in overworld which is linked to nonlinearity.

Linearity,

Legend of Zelda.

 

[DarkestLink]

Legend of Zelda.

Oh yeah...I remember that....the game over 25 years ago....before Zelda was popular...yeah...I guess there used to be non-linearity in the outdated games...well at least the other elements in LoZ survived...2D graphics, no puzzles, no story, and cartridges......wait....

 

[Castle]

The appeal of Zelda to me is very similar to yours, Thareous. The Zelda series was founded on the concept of player-driven exploration and discovery. This is also what I find most compelling about my other long standing favorite series Myst. To me video games in general are not so much about the challenge as it is about exploring fascinating virtual worlds. The games I enjoy most are the ones where their creators put much effort into building a very tangible and interesting place. As a work of fantasy fiction Hyrule as Zelda's characteristic fantasy land is a very definitive part of the series. This is why I personally prefer realistic graphics in Zelda games, because the cartoon look just doesn't capture the feeling of wonder and atmosphere that a more realistic presentation can.

But I love exploring the world, noticing all the little details, soaking in the atmosphere and learning its history. Sightseeing is a favorite past time of mine. This is why I am %100 open to free and unhindered exploration in Zelda games. This, I believe, is the true nature of the series.