The more I turn this game over in my mind, the more I think that future Zelda games (and games directly from Nintendo) will adopt a similar design philosophy to Skyward Sword. Not so much that the game will constantly hold the player's hand; that was a goof on Nintendo's part, and one that I doubt they'll repeat, especially considering the almost-universal despise directed at Fi. What I mean is that future Zelda titles will keep the open world of the original games at arm's length, opting instead for the sort of dense, inter-connected playgrounds of Skyward Sword.
It seems as though Nintendo has lost the confidence that they once had that the player can craft a meaningful experience without constant direction. That isn't to say that a more linear approach is a bad one--I thoroughly enjoyed Skyward Sword, and it's definitely one of my favorite games in the series. But nothing about the experience felt organic. I didn't feel like I contributed anything to the experience, beyond resolving the many puzzles and obstacles the designers placed before me. Many great games have been structured in this fashion (Portal, in particular, comes to mind), but when I recall the spirit of the original, I feel that other games have taken up the torch, and that Zelda is now something else entirely.
I bring this up only because I feel as though this is a trend that extends into nearly all of Nintendo's "hardcore" games. Mario, Metroid, Zelda...these series have taken reins from the player with the intention of providing a more directed experience. And it worries me! Nintendo games have always been technically sound and well-designed, but what makes them loved, what makes them remembered, is the fact that they let us create our own stories. When we share these stories, then we build the legend of the game in our minds, making it far larger than the sum of its parts. I'd like to see Nintendo return to that in the future, though I don't think they will.
It seems as though Nintendo has lost the confidence that they once had that the player can craft a meaningful experience without constant direction. That isn't to say that a more linear approach is a bad one--I thoroughly enjoyed Skyward Sword, and it's definitely one of my favorite games in the series. But nothing about the experience felt organic. I didn't feel like I contributed anything to the experience, beyond resolving the many puzzles and obstacles the designers placed before me. Many great games have been structured in this fashion (Portal, in particular, comes to mind), but when I recall the spirit of the original, I feel that other games have taken up the torch, and that Zelda is now something else entirely.
I bring this up only because I feel as though this is a trend that extends into nearly all of Nintendo's "hardcore" games. Mario, Metroid, Zelda...these series have taken reins from the player with the intention of providing a more directed experience. And it worries me! Nintendo games have always been technically sound and well-designed, but what makes them loved, what makes them remembered, is the fact that they let us create our own stories. When we share these stories, then we build the legend of the game in our minds, making it far larger than the sum of its parts. I'd like to see Nintendo return to that in the future, though I don't think they will.