How to Improve the Zelda Series

[BlueHighwind]

The Legend of Zelda series is the great game series of all time. (You can dispute this claim, but nothing you say can possibly change my opinion here, since any opinion on this topic is inherently irrational.) But more often than not, I hear people complain about how the games are just the same thing over and over again. Yahtzee, the Spoony One, countless others all complaining that the series has remained exactly the same since the Nintendo 64. This point is probably not accurate, but if so many people see it, there must be some truth behind it.

So that's when it occurred to me: maybe I could figure out some kind of great innovation to the supposedly stagnating series! But then after perhaps five minutes of thinking, the only innovation that came to mind was voice acting. Unfortunately none of the complainers ever really gave a suggestion to how the series could be improved, so they were no help. So my question to you, the Escapist Escapers, is this: what would you change/add/remove to the Zelda games in order to radically innovate the gameplay and move it forward to the next generation, 'cause I got nothing here.

 

[wkrepelin]

I don't want Zelda to radically change. I really like their formula and essentially want an overworld with dungeons and cute characters. Voice acting would be a good experiment to see how it turns out. I really just want some small innovation with each game, in this one it's going to be Wii plus and a couple new gizmos.

So many titles are alike these days with all their gritty realism and such but I just want Zelda to take me back to being a kid with its distinct Nintendo charm. It's largely about nostalgia for me.

I guess they could reinvent themselves and change my mind but I'm so happy with Zelda in general that I don't have much in the way of suggestions beyond "gimme, gimme."

 

[Diligent]

One idea is to take Zelda back to its roots of being a top-down view. Imagine what could be done with today's technology from that classic perspective. This also brings to mind how I wish they would make console Castlevanias and Metroids side scrollers again.

They've been doing that with the DS games, and they're pretty fun.

 

[dududf]

I have an idea. Stop making spin offs of the same game.

I love me some LoZ, but it is the same game over and over...same goes for mario. Minus his whoring to minigames (golf, kart, e.t.c.)

I would love it if they could do something in the same universe of LoZ, but for me it's getting boring. Although if they take a new take on it, i.e. Twilight princess I'd be happy with that.

 

[Deleted]

What I'm tripping on is how these guys complain about Zelda being the same every time, but complained because Final fantasy 13 was too different, or don't bat an eye to the millions of identical FPS games we have now.

But on topic: I think having harder puzzles and betters bosses will save zelda. I hate how its the Go in dungeon -> get new item -> use item to attack boss 3 times formula.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

I liked the sort of Wind Waker style of Zelda and would like it to stay that way. Well either Wind Waker or Majora's Mask but I would like to see a bit of voice acting in it.

 

[RowdyRodimus]

You mean besides ending the series? Ok, how about make the world huge. It seems that they make these tiny pieces of lands for Link to go to and he walks around for 15 minutes then he is in the dungeon. Sure, the dungeons are pretty big, but it just makes it too formulaic. Maybe less dungeons and more open world.

 

[crimsonshrouds]

I love the zelda series but its basically you playing a mute who wears varying colored tunics while going through dungeons themed around forest, fire, water, and ect. he wields the "master sword" and the same freaking boomerang.

For starters the story would not take place in hyrule at any point and zelda wouldn't be there. You wouldn't have a boomerang and the strongest sword wouldn't be called the "master sword"

But that's already been made in majora's mask and which is now my favorite zelda game...

 

[FinalHeart95]

Laser beams.

Other than that, nothing really. A simple gameplay change between the games is enough for me (the wolf in TP, the masks/time limit in MM, etc.).

 

[Johnnyallstar]

Well, the basic, find dungeon, find item in dungeon, use to kill boss is basically the same through all of the zelda games, but that doesn't mean that they are inherently bad about it.

The real innovation they need is either a change in setting, or new puzzle styles with the items. While I love the hookshot, it might just be overused by now. Also, making them more complex with using multiple items for a puzzle. The Hookshot+iron boots isn't bad, but very basic. There needs to be more multiple item puzzles.

 

[BlueHighwind]

You mean besides ending the series? Ok, how about make the world huge. It seems that they make these tiny pieces of lands for Link to go to and he walks around for 15 minutes then he is in the dungeon. Sure, the dungeons are pretty big, but it just makes it too formulaic. Maybe less dungeons and more open world.

Obviously ending the series would accomplish nothing: except making me cry.

 

[Jackalb]

Burn it.

 

[BlumiereBleck]

I wish they would stop making games. To me the gamecube version of Twilight Princess was the best of all the zelda games and I'm sure the beta where Link had a cat :3 would have been even better.

 

[Schwad]

This is what would do it for me:

More focus on the combat, but don't neglect the puzzles either. Possibly integrate the enemies into the puzzles.
Make the games more cerebral. The series has gotten very formulaic, as we've seen. Added mystery, added lore, etc.
Make NPCs a little more central to Link's quest. That small band of adventurers in Twilight Princess didn't really do much for Link except act like quest givers in WoW. With Sheik it actually felt like s/he was doing something. Give the NPCs a slice of the action.
Go grander. Not bigger, but grander. Make the dialogue and storyline really have an impact and make it stick in the player's mind. Make the dungeons more spectacular, with a real grand scale - Stone Tower Temple in Majora's Mask is a great example of that.
And get out of the rut of basic archetypes for the environments. "Oh, there's a forest level, a fire level, a water level, a desert level," etc.; mix it up a bit.

It's a good series, but it's stagnating and really needs a breath of fresh air to give it new life - but that doesn't mean it needs to undergo major surgery to improve it.

 

[Space Spoons]

I'd like to see them give the sidescrolling approach they used in Zelda II another shot. Sort of a Metroid/Castlevania kind of thing.

 

[PureChaos]

if they reinvented the series, it would most likely ruin the game for me. Zelda is Zelda because of what it is so far, if they changed it too much it wouldn't be Zelda.

there was a forum on here a while ago and someone had the though that a new Zelda could take place in present day New York instead of Hyrule, instead of Eponda you had a motobike and instead of a sword you had guns plus a few other ideas i can't remember and they were pretty much laughed at (well, i laughed anyway).

Zelda shoulnd't be changed too much, new gadgets, characters, enemies, dungeons etc, fine, making it a whole different game, not fine.

 

[Aura Guardian]

It needs improvement?

 

[ChromeAlchemist]

Notice how most people can't come up with a feature that would actually improve the series as much as change it. And changing it means it's no longer Zelda.