Skittzo0413
Member
(Good time based analysis).
I agree with most of this. Zelda games rarely directly connect back to a previous game. Rather the past events are seen more as legends than direct connections. I believe this game will be no different.
The parallels between OoT Hyrule and the great plateau are also hard to deny, but if it is suposed to be the ruins of Hyrule castle/town from OoT then there is no way only 100 years have passed. It's more likely that the Hyrule castle/town from OoT became that legendary "birthplace of Hyrule" over millennia, specifically as a nice callback to fans. Seeing the great statue of Hylia in the temple of time sorta reinforces both the fact that the great plateau is seen as the birthplace of Hyrule and that it's essentially a message to fans saying- "this is what Hyrule used to be. Look out into the horizon. This is what Hyrule is now. Enjoy!"
At least that's my takeaway from all of those references.
OoT not showing a downfall ending is precisely why it needs to happen. A lot of fans got mad at the timeline for creating a third split. BotW could explain it in a more palatable way and make it irrefutably canon.
I think another purpose for BotW is to soften the blow for those upset at the idea of the Hero of Time getting defeated by depicting him as getting resurrected and ultimately triumphing.
Also, since BotW obviously stars a Link who was previously defeated, why not just make him the one we already know got defeated? It'd mean less explaining on Nintendo's part.
It's one thing to read in a book that, in one timeline, the hero might have failed and Ganon prevails. It's another thing to actually show this happening in a game, especially a game as well-known and acclaimed as Ocarina of Time. It would be very confusing and jarring to people who have completed Ocarina of Time but don't really know about the split timeline shenanigans. It honestly just seems like a bad idea to me.
The other thing is, as I said above, Zelda games rarely ever directly connect to previous games. The events of Ocarina of Time have become a legend in Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, not factual, documented events which lead to specific outcomes. That just isn't the way Zelda games operate.
This Link likely has been defeated, yes but the way the game prompts you to "remember..." I can guarantee we are going to uncover the details of this Link's past. That will be an integral part of the story, and I don't see Nintendo just taking this Link's past directly from Ocarina of Time.