Breath of the Wild What if Zelda U Was Part of a Trilogy?

[Dio]

Ok, so I have just spent the past few weeks playing the mass effect trilogy. It was my first time playing and after getting into the first i bought 2 and 3 shortly after. I loved how your actions carried over from past games and that you get to see characters develop over more than one game with your actions affecting how this development will occur. The story takes place over the three games, and at the end of the first two there is a tease for what the story of the next game will involve.

I was thinking, what if Zelda did something like this? Usually Zelda stories and characters are only relevant to one game, a villain appears and you kick their butt and it's all over. You never see many of the characters in the game get to develop that much and when the game is done, if you ever see them in a future title then it is always a different incarnation.

What if Zelda U was the start of a trilogy, you might face a crisis to be resolved during the game, a main objective or threat to dispose of. You can have many side characters who ask you for help, who you can do quests for besides the main story. Then at the end a larger threat is revealed and the threat you faced in this game was just a taster of what is to come. An idea i have is for hyrule to kind of degrade over the three games, with it starting out peaceful and by the end everything is going up in flames. You would see many familiar characters be affected by the events in the games and by how you either helped them or not.

What do you think. Could this kind of trilogy work in Zelda. The formula is still fun with Zelda, but it can be a bit frustrating when Nintendo stick so rigidly to the current story format and the way the games are played. I know they are trying to mix things up with this one, or at least they say they are, so is this a way you would like to see Zelda go?

 

[Salem]

No, I really doubt that is something Nintendo would ever do, it might reduce the accessibility of the future games because their stories are strongly tied to their prequels, despite the timeline shenanigans, each Zelda games is mostly standalone, the connections are usually vague and for most of them it's not always easy to guess.

Also, Nintendo always designs Zelda games first, and the story last, so it's unlikely that they'll keep the story in mind for any trilogy of any sort.

 

[A Link In Time]

This would be a clever move by Nintendo, especially if they didn't announce the first game as being the start of the trilogy giving a potential cliffhanger ending the element of surprise. If such an idea were done, I would prefer if all three games were available on the same system to give everyone the opportunity to play the entire trilogy with the last investment. It wouldn't impact sales, regardless, as Nintendo demonstrated last generation with Metroid Prime 3 selling more than its predecessor.

The reality, however, is that Nintendo will probably try another linked pair like the Oracles in the future instead of sequels directly continuing the story of where the last game left off. With the exception of The Adventure of Link, each game in the series prior has been self-contained with nods towards previous games instead of a numbered sequel.

 

[DuelMark]

Maybe. However, each game should be a standalone story. You know the recent Godzilla movie by Gareth Edwards? While open to idea of sequels, which it's getting thankfully, he wanted the film to feel like a standalone movie. I'd like Zelda U to have it's own story. The sequel can take place afterwards, but with it's own story while continuing where the previous left off.

 

[mkwLM]

One of the things I like about the Zelda series is that each game is a self-contained unit, with a potentially new setting and cast of characters each time. I'd be willing to sacrifice that for two games, but I'd prefer to just have more standalone adventures.

 

[snakeoiltanker]

I'm all about it. I have been playing Zelda for a lil over 20 years now, and it would be nice if some sort of story was continued. All these stand alone games severs the ties i feel toward the characters in the game. I dont ever get too invested in the story of zelda cuz i know at the end of the game that is it. I always know that when i defeat ganon or said villain that its over, and if i do see these characters again, it will not be the same person.

As much as i love the Zelda franchise i would be more than happy to be able to get involved in the story, and start liking characters, it would just add to the love i already have for the series. As much as i dont see this happening, the change would be very welcome.

 

[Planet Keetis]

what has been described in the original thread as 'the possibilities of having a zelda trilogy' already exists within many zelda games e.g ALTTP and 00T

 

[snakeoiltanker]

what has been described in the original thread as 'the possibilities of having a zelda trilogy' already exists within many zelda games e.g ALTTP and 00T

He means direct sequels, ALBW is not a sequel to ALttP, there is a completely new generation. OoT does however have a sequel in Majoras Mask, but still two completely unrelated storys. The closest we have ever had to a sequel is the WW trilogy, and the first two games on NES. other than that, all Zelda games have been completely different stories with reincarnated characters.

 

[Planet Keetis]

He means direct sequels, ALBW is not a sequel to ALttP, there is a completely new generation. OoT does however have a sequel in Majoras Mask, but still two completely unrelated storys. The closest we have ever had to a sequel is the WW trilogy, and the first two games on NES. other than that, all Zelda games have been completely different stories with reincarnated characters.

i wasnt talking about those games having sequels, i meant the description of what a zelda trilogy could achieve in terms of story has already been achieved in OOT and ALTTP.

What if Zelda U was the start of a trilogy, you might face a crisis to be resolved during the game, a main objective or threat to dispose of. You can have many side characters who ask you for help, who you can do quests for besides the main story. Then at the end a larger threat is revealed and the threat you faced in this game was just a taster of what is to come. An idea i have is for hyrule to kind of degrade over the three games, with it starting out peaceful and by the end everything is going up in flames. You would see many familiar characters be affected by the events in the games and by how you either helped them or not.

this description of a trilogy has already been achieved in a single game, think about it.

 

[Dio]

i wasnt talking about those games having sequels, i meant the description of what a zelda trilogy could achieve in terms of story has already been achieved in OOT and ALTTP.



this description of a trilogy has already been achieved in a single game, think about it.

Imagine if the lord of the rings film trilogy was condensed into one 3 hour film. Think of all that would be cut out. That is like Zelda games now, they are too simplistic when the majority of players want more character and story development. Having a trilogy would really allow them to flesh out characters and make the same world change over 3 games rather than just moving on to a different version of hyrule in a completely unrelated game following exactly the same structure as the last.

 

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

I think its a good idea, but that's about it. Nintendo would never act on it, although it would be a great business technique, by linking three games that will have the same characters it definatly gets the player more attached to the games, and begin to wonder what will happen to them in each linked game. This is why Mass Effect, and Prince Of Persia had a lot of appeal.

 

[Curmudgeon]

Here's my main concern

Zelda Wii U I - 2015?
Zelda Wii U II - 2019?
Zelda Wii U2 III - 2023?

 

[Dio]

Here's my main concern

Zelda Wii U I - 2015?
Zelda Wii U II - 2019?
Zelda Wii U2 III - 2023?

Ah, but you see it would not take that long at all. The story would be decided from the very beginning and only minor gameplay and graphical improvements would need to be made each time. They would not be wasting loads of time inventing brand new gameplay mechanics for each instalment or a new art style. They would also be tweaking the way hyrule looks in each new game rather than designing a whole brand new one from scratch. I recon they could release biannually.

 

[the8thark]

I think its a good idea, but that's about it. Nintendo would never act on it, although it would be a great business technique, by linking three games that will have the same characters it definatly gets the player more attached to the games, and begin to wonder what will happen to them in each linked game. This is why Mass Effect, and Prince Of Persia had a lot of appeal.

You can add in Metroid Prime in there too. But what Retro did there was pure genius. Not sure in Nintendo can emulate that in ZeldaU as a trilogy.

 

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

Ah, but you see it would not take that long at all. The story would be decided from the very beginning and only minor gameplay and graphical improvements would need to be made each time. They would not be wasting loads of time inventing brand new gameplay mechanics for each instalment or a new art style. They would also be tweaking the way hyrule looks in each new game rather than designing a whole brand new one from scratch. I recon they could release biannually.

Maybe, but knowing Nintendo they'll try putting two year gaps inbetween games, so it'd be more like this,

Zelda Wii U 1: 2015?

Zelda Wii U 2: 2018?

Zelda Wii U 3: 2020?

Plus inbetween the second and third game a new console would probably be released, I would hate to get two games but have to wait until I get money for a new console to get the third game.