Zelda and Impeding Travel Systems

[Spirit]

Is there too much forced traveling creeping into the Zelda franchise?

Wind Waker, Skyward Sword, Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks all forced us into a mode of transportation in order to get from one point to the next. Since 2003 we have only been able to traverse a whole overworld on a home console on foot (should you choose to) once and that was in Twilight Princess.

The Wind Waker did it first and it was new then, but to have it recycled for Skyward Sword and then degraded in Phantom Hourglass, and even more depressingly so in Spirit Tracks where there is no ocean or sky to traverse but instead a whole new continent that could have been explored at a leisurely pace like alttp or minish cap, but instead we were shoehorned into another mode of transport which usurped the wonder out of a whole new Zelda world.


Is the transport mechanic just something nintendo were playing with and are done with now? Or do you think we can expect to see more forced modes of travel via transportation in both future Wii U and 3DS titles?

Would you even like the transport system to remain in future Zelda titles or would you prefer to go it at your own pace like Twilight Princess and tackle things on foot should you choose to?

thought and opinions <3

 

[Ventus]

No, you mean degraded in Phantom Hourglass then recycled for SS. Chronological order baby! xD

I'm sure we'll get more forced modes of travel; Nintendo (Aonuma maybe?) blatantly stated that the 3DS title wasn't a direct sequel to any of the AT games, but that doesn't mean we won't get a sequel to those games. Apparently, AT games have a love for forced transportation, why cut the chain when it's worked [moderately] thus far?

For Wii U, I'm still hoping for a gigantic Hyrule Field a la Twilight Princess but with stuff to do. So, Epona would be the ideal mode of transportation but not required.

I prefer good optional content, so yes I really do want the faster transportation to be optional. No reason to force me to ride my boat if I'd like to swim, no reason to force me to ride my bird if I would like to suicide!

 

[MW7]

Well considering that we have gotten three in a row I wouldn't expect it too disappear forever. I'd actually guess that at least the next console Zelda will probably not have a required travel system but this is just a guess. I feel like Skyward Sword was the closest we've had to a true hybrid anyway. You really didn't have to spend a ton of time with the transport system unlike in the other games that had one although you had to use it. I like having unique ways to travel, but I think I feel similiar to you. I just feel like Zelda is best when you travel by foot. I do think it would be best if we had multiple ways of getting around, and the nontraditional forms should usually be optional or de-emphasized. Wind Waker is the only one of the games you mentioned that I really loved the overworld and traveling (except for places being too spread apart).

Actually the only one of these games I truly had a problem with in this respect was Spirit Tracks. A train just seems to make zero sense at all to me for Zelda. Zelda was originally designed as a nonlinear contrast to Super Mario Bros, and a train is inherently linear since you're following a track. A train also makes little sense for an "adventure" game because a train can only go to places that are already discovered and usually populated (because someone has to build the tracks). So you can't ever capture the feeling that you are discovering truly new areas unlike any of the other games with a travel system. Also Spirit Tracks definitely was the one that most disturbed the traveling at your own pace complaint that you have at least IMO.

 

[JuicieJ]

I don't expect the travel system to make a return in future titles -- at least for a while, anyway. In fact, SS was originally not going to use it. The Loftwing came along late in development, and the provinces were originally going to be connected. So, yeah.

Anyway, again, I don't expect this style to return to a while. For at least the next 2 games, I expect to see a return to the traditional overworld, one similar to ALttP and TP's, only with areas leading up to the dungeons using the puzzle style that SS used.

 

[A Link In Time]

The way I see it, Nintendo was hellbent on completing the air, ground, and sea trio of transportation and hopefully those transportation methods are long past. More Epona please.

Actually the only one of these games I truly had a problem with in this respect was Spirit Tracks. A train just seems to make zero sense at all to me for Zelda. Zelda was originally designed as a nonlinear contrast to Super Mario Bros, and a train is inherently linear since you're following a track. A train also makes little sense for an "adventure" game because a train can only go to places that are already discovered and usually populated (because someone has to build the tracks). So you can't ever capture the feeling that you are discovering truly new areas unlike any of the other games with a travel system. Also Spirit Tracks definitely was the one that most disturbed the traveling at your own pace complaint that you have at least IMO.

It was all part of Nintendo's experiment as I detailed above. Spirit Tracks was also the first offering of a more urbanized Hyrule and the train provided increased validation of the transformation that occurred in the century between Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks. Personally, incentives like force gems and bunnies slightly helped ease the exploration aspect that was lost in transition.

Speaking of which, the overworld should be more open to the player. All three modes of transport-boat, bird, and train-infringe upon the original goal of the franchise. The Legend of Zelda was remarkable for its time. It essentially thrust the player into an overworld loaded with baddies and little to no guidance. More recent titles held the player hand to a greater extent and if Nintendo wishes to follow along that path then let the perfect balance be struck as in Ocarina of Time.

 

[Locke]

I agree that there's something undesirable about a disconnected adventure. There's a chapter in Zelda and Philosophy: I Link Therefore I Am dedicated to how the warp mechanic in WW ruined the journey. I can't encourage viewers enough to read this chapter, as I would never be able to explain it so well. The basic idea is that the most important part of a journey is experiencing what's along the way between point A and point B. If you arrive at point B without it being the destination of an immersive journey, then it loses its meaning.

WW, forgetting the warp system now, did provide a unique way of experiencing this journey that worked rather well for some. But SS utterly failed in this respect. Think how much meaning is lost, finding yourself at the base of a volcano without having watched it growing on the horizon as you approached it. Using an alternative mode of transportation, even if it's required, isn't inherently a bad idea, but it should add to the meaning of the destination, not detract from it.

 

[JuicieJ]

I agree that there's something undesirable about a disconnected adventure. There's a chapter in Zelda and Philosophy: I Link Therefore I Am dedicated to how the warp mechanic in WW ruined the journey. I can't encourage viewers enough to read this chapter, as I would never be able to explain it so well. The basic idea is that the most important part of a journey is experiencing what's along the way between point A and point B. If you arrive at point B without it being the destination of an immersive journey, then it loses its meaning.

WW, forgetting the warp system now, did provide a unique way of experiencing this journey that worked rather well for some. But SS utterly failed in this respect. Think how much meaning is lost, finding yourself at the base of a volcano without having watched it growing on the horizon as you approached it. Using an alternative mode of transportation, even if it's required, isn't inherently a bad idea, but it should add to the meaning of the destination, not detract from it.

I highly disagree. The Sky and surface were heavily connected, and the transitions between them were practically seamless. The Great Sea had random islands that dotted the waters, which took up maybe 10% of the overworld. This provided very little space to actually do things, as the ocean had very little to do other than sail barren waters with no atmosphere, making the exploration very artificial (i.e. not really existent). The boat was also slow, and the changing of the wind directions got very tedious by the end of the game, especially in a 100% runthrough. The Loftwing actually required involvement to travel, making flying through the sky not get boring (at least imo). The Wind Waker had a good idea, but it didn't execute it properly. Skyward Sword took this idea and executed them properly. I respect opinions, but this is something that's really difficult to argue objectively.

 

[MW7]

It was all part of Nintendo's experiment as I detailed above. Spirit Tracks was also the first offering of a more urbanized Hyrule and the train provided increased validation of the transformation that occurred in the century between Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks. Personally, incentives like force gems and bunnies slightly helped ease the exploration aspect that was lost in transition.

Yes I definitely overlooked the fact that Spirit Tracks occurred a century after Phantom Hourglass which already had some decent technological advancement with the boat. So contextually it makes sense within the universe of Zelda. Gameplay wise I think it's just inappropriate. Personally I have no problem with technology in Zelda games, and I don't care how far they take it from cars to space ships even. Space travel even makes a more sense than trains IMO within the Zelda gameplay style (or what I what I thought it was supposed to be about).

 

[Illusore]

I don't hate the forced transportation, but I really did love TP and the ability to traverse vast expanses of Hyrule Field either on foot or on Epona. I know I spent so much time procrastinating and messing around doing that instead of continuing the storyline It was a good way to kill time, have fun, and (almost) relax. It was fun trampling Bulbins too, and horseback fights were awesome. I miss Epona...I woulda ridden her everywhere if I could! I don't like the disconnect of SS, and having to fly everywhere and it takes forever and the sky is just so boring to look at. At least Hyrule Field was pretty.
As for PH, I just hated the ship...hated it. It wasn't fun for me, but troublesome. Not to mention I couldn't go anywhere without Linebeck...companions are fun, yeah (Midna/Fi/Navi/Ciela) but I want to call on them when I want to. Sometimes being alone is OK.

 

[Hanyou]

I'm surprised Nintendo gets so much backlash for this.

I like all the "forced modes of travel." The Great Sea is my favorite overworld in any game, and sailing was more exhilarating than traversing the world on foot or using Epona. It seems a rather arbitrary preference to walk rather than ride a boat, train, or bird.

Hell, in Skyward Sword, the bird isn't even used all that much. Most of your time is spent on foot.

 

[DuelMark]

I've played Wind Waker (I kind of liked it for atmosphere and the massive scope of the whole ocean) and Phantom Hourglass (Weakest transport, that I've played, since it's just draw a line and move the camera... at least in Wind Waker you can move the boat if you want to slow down or stop) and Skyward Sword (Liked flying but didn't like how empty it felt)... I REALLY would like Nintendo to let us use Link's two feet for the overworld in Wii U.

 

[Gooey Fame]

I honestly don't like any of the options, but not because of the modes of transportation themselves, but because of the overworlds. I don't think any of the 3D or DS titles have a very good overworld. In ALttP and the Gameboy games you have overworlds that you have to traverse through almost as if the overworld was a puzzle itself. You don't need any transportation, just your pegasus boots. In OoT and TP Epona basically just exists to get you from point A to point B in a seemingly empty overworld, much like TWW, PH, and ST. MM does it ok I suppose. There is a bunch of stuff filling the overworld. It has some depth. Skyward Sword comes close to what I would like to see in 3D if you exclude the sky. The surface portions had puzzles that you had to solve to get to other parts of the area. Sometimes a specific item allows you to come back and move deeper into the area, much like in the 2D titles. That being said the sky was pretty empty and mostly boring. Anyway, I don't really care to see a big overworld and I could care less if Epona is in the game.

 

[Awesome]

I suspect that in the next Zelda Title, the only mode of transport (if there is one) will be Epona. It just doesn't fit the pattern for there to be another boat, flying, land vehicle (train) in the next installment. Epona hasn't seen use since Twilight Princess which was 3 games ago and will most likely serve her purpose once again.

That being said, if Nintendo tries to follow suit with Skyward Sword, I don't see any mode of transportation that would work. Much of that overworld consisted of higher ledges with its puzzles that would be completely destroy the need of said transportation. If it is going to be that type of game then hopefully the ability to sprint is either lengthened, removed completely in favor of rolling, or some item such as Pegasus boots will be used. That certainly would be interesting to see a 3D use of the boots.

My vote however is for Epona. I love Hyrule Field of Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess and Termina Field of Majora's Mask. Even if they are a bit empty they are still amazing to traverse (Well Termina wasn't really empty, but you get the idea.) I want to traverse by foot or horse.

 

[wedge47]

Give me back Epona anytime. Flying on the loftwing would have been awesome, had they actually done something with the sky. It was empty, and barely anything to do.

With the Wii U, I would expect for the next Zelda game to have a much larger overworld, especially over SS, which was rather small in comparison.

 

[Gooey Fame]

Every so often Nintendo gets the idea that they need to try to try to make Ocarina of Time again. That is essentially what Twilight Princess was and even OoT was them doing ALttP. So I wouldn't be surprised if Zelda Wii U, tries to be like OoT and TP. We can probably expect the return of Epona, unless Nintendo starts to hint otherwise.