It’s that time of the week again! Today on ZD Talks, we are once again talking about the upcoming Breath of the Wild, but this time, we are asking something a little different from the usual specifics on what we expect from the game. If you had the chance to interview a member of the Zelda development team, or even Eigi Aonuma himself, one question about the game, what would you ask? Sure, there are plenty of things we still want to know about the game itself, but there are also any number of concerns regarding its development and marketing. Today, the ZD staff has a chance to discuss those very qestions.
Hit the jump for their responces, and make sure to discuss your own concerning questions in the comments!
Jon Lett – View Profile
“What elements from this game will most likely carry over to future installments?” While I am plenty eager to find out more about this game and what makes it tick, but we must remember that the current layout of the series as a whole is changing. Nintendo wants this game to have as much impact on the series as Ocarina of Time did, setting a new stage for reference when they design future titles. Now, of course, that mindset rides on us actually liking the game, but since I am quite sure we will, things are never going to be the same. So what can we expect to stay after this game has come and gone? Personally, I hope that the use of bosses out in the overworld stays. I have said it before, but fighting huge monsters out in the open, rather than in the confines of some dungeon, is a nice change of pace, and presents possibilities when it comes to environmental effects. Also, I want to see a trend in viewing different sides of Hyrule, like in Breath of the Wild. We are being thrown into a version of Hyrule that is still in a dilapidated state, after being essentially destroyed by an evil that is currently unknown, for the most part. We are not going to see the same level of society or civilization as we once did in the land of the Goddesses, and what that means for the people that still remain in the world, we will have to wait and see. I don’t think any of us expected to see Hyrule in such a state, sop in future games, I would like to see Nintendo continue to do what they do best, and give us what we never knew we wanted, letting us see Hyrule in new and interesting styles. Now, we do not know too much about BotW just yet, so what else I end up liking is up in the air, but I think that there will be many things that I want to see again in games that come after, and that’s pretty great, since Nintendo is hoping to give fans that feeling playing this game.
Alasyn Eletha – View Profile
“Despite wanting to change the whole dynamic of the Zelda formula, how important is it to the development team to keep common and well-loved themes in the series?” I’m all for trying new things when it comes to the Zelda series. It’s fun to see what works and what doesn’t. But to me, and I believe other long-time fans, I think that having references to some of the series’ main themes and past games is another thing that makes it fun and even nostalgic. I love finding easter eggs to previous Zelda games and hearing a mix of old Zelda songs along with all the new ones. So even though I’m excited that the development team is working so hard to give Zelda fans a new experience, I like to know that sprinkling in those throwbacks is just as important while they are working on this fantastic new game for us.
Alexis Anderson – View Profile
Obviously at this point I’m hungering to know what plot this glorious game is going to follow. I’ll assume, though, that I can’t simply ask for a full plot summary. Instead I’d like to be surprised and do some more speculating, so I suppose I’d ask: “Where in the timeline does Breath of the Wild take place?” Maybe it would be a waste of a question, but I know that some are clamoring to figure out the answer to it. Assuming the game was on one of the three already established timelines, its position might tell us a lot about what to expect in terms of story, weapons, enemies, locations. And it would certainly help explain (or further confuse) the inclusion of the Koroks– thereby sparking more debate and speculation about the nature of species evolution in the Zelda universe. The question wouldn’t give too much away, but it would give my brain enough to gnaw on for some time to come.