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[brandonh83]

This discussion is interesting, because there are people who do want those massive fields. I've known a guy who has sword off Zelda until or unless they go Just Cause 2-sized with it. To him, that's what Zelda is. When he first played OoT, he always assumed the fields and overworld would just get bigger and bigger because he loved walking through them as if they were real places. He likened a smaller Zelda world to telling Frodo to go next door to destroy the ring - there's no stakes if everything's close together. I know for a fact he's not alone in this because I see people express the same desire.

Me, personally, they could be literal hallways as long they lead to good dungeons. The only Zelda game where I really cared about the overworld was Majora's Mask and it was probably the smallest, most compact one, but the entire point of that game was to make you care about the overworld.

Zelda has a unique problem where the games were so different until about 2000 that everyone took a different part of what Zelda is to them away from it. This guy started with Ocarina and Hyrule Field spoke to him; for him, the series logically would have just expanded on that because it was the best way to make a sequel different and better. I know some maniacs here have said Zelda needs to be more action-y because somehow that's what they took away from ALttP or OoT.

I don't think they're ever going to make a game that satisfies all these people, so I'm just going to hope they satisfy me first and foremost and everyone else can get what they want after.

Great post and I agree tremendously. It's why I'm mostly okay with whatever because the dungeons and puzzles are usually fantastic.

 

[zeldablue]

In PH, ST and SS the designers decided to balance out dungeons with more dungeons.


It was awful. I'm glad to see the field come back to regain the much needed harmony and pacing the series had nailed previously. From 1992 - 2002.

 

[Shion]

I play 2D Zelda and 3D Zelda for vastly different reasons. I expect 2D Zelda to be gamey and challenging. I expect 3D Zelda to be immersive and atmospheric.

I wanted to drop kick someone after playing SS because it felt like an unholy abomination to the soul and spirit of console Zelda. :/

Bingo.

 

[Dimmle]

Add me to the list of people who like....pretty much every Zelda.

I mean, there are aspects I prefer in one Zelda over the other...but they are pretty much all fantastic games.

Yeah, I actually have enjoyed every mainline Zelda release up to this point. Even my least favorites like Phantom Hourglass gave me plenty of good times. They're all my babies, from LoZ to SS.

 

[ibyea]

In PH, ST and SS the designers decided to balance out dungeons with more dungeons.


It was awful. I'm glad to see the field come back to regain the much needed harmony and pacing the series had nailed previously. From 1992 - 2002.

I enjoyed the Zelda series while it was all about the dungeons and puzzles, but I believe it is time to give the exploration Zelda players a chance. ^_^

 

[ViewtifulJC]

Put it this way: there are some Zelda fans who think the series went downhill with LttP. They write really long ass essays about NES Zelda and how Nintendo fucked up the last 20 years of this franchise

Zelda is too many things to too many people to fully sasitfy them all.

 

[CentroXer]

In PH, ST and SS the designers decided to balance out dungeons with more dungeons.


It was awful. I'm glad to see the field come back to regain the much needed harmony and pacing the series had nailed previously. From 1992 - 2002.

amen.

 

[Storm Kyleis]

Is there a single person here who thinks this game won't have environmental diversity?

I think he's talking about details like caves, flowers, stones, bushes, water and whatnot.

It's not like we're likely to see many details in this stage of development, by the way. I'm optimist they will make good use of the overworld, because it seems to be their main focus for the first time in a 3D Zelda.

 

[zeldablue]

Put it this way: there are some Zelda fans who think the series went downhill with LttP. They write really long ass essays about NES Zelda and how Nintendo fucked up the last 20 years of this franchise

Zelda is too many things to too many people to fully sasitfy them all.

Which is why there's a perfect Zelda for everyone.

Gimme my non-linear, atmospheric as f*** Zelda!

 

[Hoo-doo]

Is there a single person here who thinks this game won't have environmental diversity?

Sure, there probably be a snow area, a desert area, etcetera.
But if they are all so sparsely populated as the grassy area shown yesterday, then it's still wildly disappointing. It needs way more vegetation diversity.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

Sure, there probably be a snow area, a desert area, etcetera.
But if they are all so sparsely populated as the grassy area shown yesterday, then it's still wildly disappointing. It needs way more vegetation diversity.

Ok, I see what you mean now. That makes sense.

 

[brandonh83]

In PH, ST and SS the designers decided to balance out dungeons with more dungeons

Zelda games are usually "do this and that until you reach the next dungeon." Skyward wasn't much different in that regard, they just added more game design to the in-betweens. There are always things you have to do between dungeons and I thought aside from a few collection or fetch questing deviations that I was having more moment to moment fun between dungeons in Skyward. I thought the environments were awesome too so that's a plus for me I guess.

Eldin Volcano and Lanayru Desert/Gorge pleased me greatly, specifically.

 

[kinggroin]

Sure, there probably be a snow area, a desert area, etcetera.
But if they are all so sparsely populated as the grassy area shown yesterday, then it's still wildly disappointing. It needs way more vegetation diversity.

Its got a year out. Nintendo games typically get prettier as development continues to its end.


Like the Uncharted 4 development and thread. These two games have something in common.

 

[zeldablue]

Sure, there probably be a snow area, a desert area, etcetera.
But if they are all so sparsely populated as the grassy area shown yesterday, then it's still wildly disappointing. It needs way more vegetation diversity.

I feel like there will be hotspot areas...like meadows and crazy obstacles. But those spots shouldn't be spoiled because that's where the main content will be.

 

[Dimmle]

My ill-advised time spent discussing Zelda on message boards has taught me that for each aspect of every Zelda game, there is a person who believes that aspect to be "the definitive one" and will waste no time explaining why you don't understand Zelda.

 

[Lunar15]

My ill-advised time spent discussing Zelda on message boards has taught me that for each aspect of every Zelda game, there is a person who believes that aspect to be "the definitive one" and will waste no time explaining why you don't understand Zelda.

Quite frankly, if the Great Faries in the game don't emit a gut-wrenching and fear-inducing scream whenever you see them, it's not a proper Zelda game. This is the "essence" of Zelda. All of the other Zelda games that didn't have it were just pale imitations, probably due to Aonuma's inability to understand proper sound design.

 

[zeldablue]

Zelda games are usually "do this and that until you reach the next dungeon." Skyward wasn't much different in that regard, they just added more game design to the in-betweens. There are always things you have to do between dungeons and I thought aside from a few collection or fetch questing deviations that I was having more moment to moment fun between dungeons in Skyward. I thought the environments were awesome too so that's a plus for me I guess.

Eldin Volcano and Lanayru Desert/Gorge pleased me greatly, specifically.

Ah. For me those sections were the worst experiences I've had with the series. So poorly designed and way too back and forth. It never felt like I was doing anything besides what the designers were forcing me to do. It felt like a terrible platform game.

It was so bad. But the dungeons were really nice. I would expect exploration, story and sub plots to take over after a dungeon...not a pseudo Mario game. Felt like they destroyed the living section of Zelda's flow. In TP I enjoyed the field more than the dungeons. In SS I couldn't wait to get my ass in the dungeon. x___x

 

[TheMoon]

Put it this way: there are some Zelda fans who think the series went downhill with LttP. They write really long ass essays about NES Zelda and how Nintendo fucked up the last 20 years of this franchise

Zelda is too many things to too many people to fully sasitfy them all.

Ha! Here's where you're wrong! All they need to do is give the series to Ubisoft so they can make 5 games at the same time, release them all in November and each one satisfies a different type of Zelda nut. Of course that also means they're now annualized. 5 Zeldas every year. With uPlay.

 

[ReyVGM]

Anyone notice around 2:14 how there's some sort of house/structure in the middle of background with the lights on?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMXD5DxbXog#t=2m14s

 

[TheBanditKing]

Fucking Epic! thats is all

 

[UrbanRats]

I searched the thread and didn't see this posted:

Perspective-corrected version of Zelda TGA Gameplay:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdB28QD-QSY

Source

Thanks for this.

Yeah i'll echo my old sentiment, i'm down with the open world thing, but this looks strangely unnatural, like it's procedurally generated or something.
Partly it's the color palette, that is fucked up probably due to being off screen footage, but also the placing of objects (rocks, trees etc) in the world, seems very rough.

It comes to mind what the art director from GTAV said about breaking up as many right angles as possible, by adding little sprouts of grass and bushes.
I guess there's some of that going on, despite the grass being everywhere, either way, it looks like a test area so far, compared to what they showed at E3, which looked much much more eye pleasing.

I wonder if this is why they showed it offscreen and at a weird angle, because the area wasn't really ready to be shown.
And in that case, i'm not sure we'll be seeing it in 2015.

 

[Dascu]

For what it's worth, I've enjoyed every Zelda game that I've played. Nintendo is a competent developer and I have little doubt that this game will be anything less than wonderful. I appreciate the condensed format of Skyward Sword as much as I do the open vastness of Wind Waker or the more traditional structure of Twilight Princess. For this game and the direction presented so far, I just think I would prefer an "empty" overworld with rare, but memorable, side-content, rather than risking a large quantity of mediocre distractions. Nintendo simply does not have the manpower to fill an overworld this big with meaningful content, and I don't think they should try (and fail). Instead, they should realize that there is value in the emptiness and only put in a mini-dungeon or hidden puzzle if it's actually well-realized.

 

[Dimmle]

Quite frankly, if the Great Faries in the game don't emit a gut-wrenching and fear-inducing scream whenever you see them, it's not a proper Zelda game. This is the "essence" of Zelda. All of the other Zelda games that didn't have it were just pale imitations, probably due to Aonuma's inability to understand proper sound design.

this old chestnut again

What's more, if their boob geometry can't cut glass, I'm done with Zelda forever.

 

[James Scott]

SS made a linear-ish (it's really not all that linear) world with much tighter level design, but people hate that and now Nintendo's showing off a Zelda game that's a lot less linear but they don't like it since the ~3 minutes of footage focusing only on traversal (probably near the beginning of the game) didn't show many interesting things to do.
I'm pretty sure there's a 4chan miyamoto pic that fits in here

 

[Dimmle]

I wonder if this is why they showed it offscreen and at a weird angle, because the area wasn't really ready to be shown.
And in that case, i'm not sure we'll be seeing it in 2015.

I think it's pretty clear that they polished that angle up real nice with the limited perspective of the reveal in mind. That said, what they've accomplished in motion is also gorgeous, if not hand-painted.

I'll put some Monopoly money down and say that scene is the title screen.

 

[maxcriden]

this old chestnut again

What's more, if their boob geometry can't cut class, I'm done with Zelda forever.

Oh, it cuts class, all right.

SS made a linear-ish (it's really not all that linear) world with much tighter level design, but people hate that and now Nintendo's showing off a Zelda game that's a lot less linear but they don't like it since the ~3 minutes of footage focusing only on traversal (probably near the beginning of the game) didn't show many interesting things to do.
I'm pretty sure there's a 4chan miyamoto pic that fits in here

The message of that meme is wise, I just wish the wording wasn't so xenophobic.

 

[Dimmle]

Oh, it cuts class, all right.

Ohohoho.

Delinquents, both.

 

[maxcriden]

Ohohoho.

Delinquents, both.

*adjusts monocle*

ETA: times like these, Nabbit needs a monocle.

 

[Not]

I wonder if this is why they showed it offscreen and at a weird angle, because the area wasn't really ready to be shown.
And in that case, i'm not sure we'll be seeing it in 2015.

Or maybe, just maybe, they're focusing on the innumerable other aspects of a game this big before touching up the overworld graphics?

In PH, ST and SS the designers decided to balance out dungeons with more dungeons.


It was awful. I'm glad to see the field come back to regain the much needed harmony and pacing the series had nailed previously. From 1992 - 2002.

2002? TP had a decent overworld.

 

[zeldablue]

Any guesses on the magical instrument this time around? And what abilities the instrument has?

Harp
Ocarina
Flute
Pan flute
Howl
Sing
Baton
Guitar
Drums
Pipes


...piano? Uh...flute again? None?

I want to be able to control the wind, time, weather, animals, the hearts of strangers and other crap.

 

[MisterGrey3000]

My ill-advised time spent discussing Zelda on message boards has taught me that for each aspect of every Zelda game, there is a person who believes that aspect to be "the definitive one" and will waste no time explaining why you don't understand Zelda.

Which is kind of odd seeing as there is a definitive/defining/important/universal aspect to Zelda.
The harmony between the action mechanics (running, jumping, throwing, etc.), item design, and obstacle/puzzle-based level designs is the defining feature of the series (Just like how the harmony between snappy acrobatic mechanics and "action"-based obstacle course level design is the defining feature of the mainline Mario titles)...Zelda wouldn't be worth a damn if that didn't exist; it would either be a goalless sightseeing simulator or some really bland fantasy action game with shallow fighting mechanics.

 

[TheMoon]

Any guesses on the magical instrument this time around? And what abilities the instrument has?

Harp
Ocarina
Flute
Pan flute
Howl
Sing
Baton
Guitar
Drums
Pipes


...piano? Uh...flute again? None?

I want to be able to control the wind, time, weather, animals, the hearts of strangers and other crap.

Magical theremin.

You play it by holding the hand over the gamepad camera and manipulating the sound with the analog sticks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6KbEnGnymk

 

[zeldablue]

Magical theremin.

That was almost what the Wind Waker was you know...

 

[ScriptedReality]

Good enough for me to purchase a wiiu

 

[BeatResetsTheWorld]

I wonder if this is why they showed it offscreen and at a weird angle, because the area wasn't really ready to be shown.
And in that case, i'm not sure we'll be seeing it in 2015.

It was clearly made just to show off mechanics. I mean, Miyamoto's comment about "Last time there were apples growing here" and the fact that they never show more than maybe 20 straight seconds before skipping shows this is either an early build or one with some features turned off for the sake of demo-ing

 

[TheMoon]

That was almost what the Wind Waker was you know...

But the camera!

 

[Not]

Any guesses on the magical instrument this time around? And what abilities the instrument has?

Something touchscreen and/or gyroscope. My money's on a xylophone or harp (again) or accordion (please)

 

[SweetDonuts]

Any guesses on the magical instrument this time around? And what abilities the instrument has?

Harp
Ocarina
Flute
Pan flute
Howl
Sing
Baton
Guitar
Drums
Pipes


...piano? Uh...flute again? None?

I want to be able to control the wind, time, weather, animals, the hearts of strangers and other crap.

With the sailcloth back I could see the harp being back as well.

 

[TheMoon]

With the sailcloth back I could see the harp being back as well.

Fuck the harp.

 

[ibyea]

Yeah, I actually have enjoyed every mainline Zelda release up to this point. Even my least favorites like Phantom Hourglass gave me plenty of good times. They're all my babies, from LoZ to SS.

I personally enjoyed all of them except the NES ones. Caveat being that I haven't played the DS ones yet.

 

[hatchx]

Any guesses on the magical instrument this time around? And what abilities the instrument has?

Harp
Ocarina
Flute
Pan flute
Howl
Sing
Baton
Guitar
Drums
Pipes


...piano? Uh...flute again? None?

I want to be able to control the wind, time, weather, animals, the hearts of strangers and other crap.

I'd be totally down for no instrument, but I suppose they need some device to call the horse/bird.

 

[ibyea]

Any guesses on the magical instrument this time around? And what abilities the instrument has?

Harp
Ocarina
Flute
Pan flute
Howl
Sing
Baton
Guitar
Drums
Pipes


...piano? Uh...flute again? None?

I want to be able to control the wind, time, weather, animals, the hearts of strangers and other crap.

The organ?

 

[peanutbutterlatte]

harp (again)

No. No. Nono. Nononono.

NO.

 

[ibyea]

No. No. Nono. Nononono.

NO.

As much as I defend Skyward Sword, I got to admit the harp was poorly implemented.

 

[SweetDonuts]

Does the way Link run/walk stand out to anyone else? seems a tad different.

Fuck the harp.

excuse me?

 

[Kansoku]

Any guesses on the magical instrument this time around? And what abilities the instrument has?

Harp
Ocarina
Flute
Pan flute
Howl
Sing
Baton
Guitar
Drums
Pipes


...piano? Uh...flute again? None?

I want to be able to control the wind, time, weather, animals, the hearts of strangers and other crap.

Keytar.

 

[Clefargle]

As much as I defend Skyward Sword, I got to admit the harp was poorly implemented.

Yup, unfortunately it was the one implementation of motion control that was flat out broken in that game. Sucks because everything else worked well enough.

 

[fred]

Has to be an electric guitar...that would be awesome. Killing enemies with feedback lol

 

[KiN0]

I would love a lute. Or a hang to be really exotic.

 

[peanutbutterlatte]

As much as I defend Skyward Sword, I got to admit the harp was poorly implemented.

Oh the harp? I thought that was fine, I got confused with the flute from Spirit Tracks.


Which was like the embodiment of all the evil in the world.