November 29th 2024.
Zelda: A Link to the Future
As we eagerly await the release of the Switch 2, Nintendo faces a daunting task: how can they top the success of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild? This 2017 game completely revolutionized the Zelda series, much to the delight of many players and critics. Its open world format and freedom of exploration captured the hearts of fans and brought in record-breaking sales for Nintendo.
The game's massive success led to a follow-up in 2023, Tears Of The Kingdom, which expanded upon the already impressive map and introduced realistic physics-based gameplay. It's safe to say that both of these games have set a high bar for future Zelda titles, making it a challenge for Nintendo to surpass them with the next installment on the Switch 2.
So, what do we know about the next Legend Of Zelda game? In a 2023 interview, series producer Eiji Aonuma and Tears Of The Kingdom director Hidemaro Fujibayashi confirmed that the game would still feature an open world setting. This doesn't rule out the possibility of more 2D games, like this year's Echoes Of Wisdom, but it's likely that any new 3D game will follow the formula established by Breath Of The Wild rather than the older style seen in games like Ocarina Of Time.
Aonuma has expressed confusion over why fans would want to revert back to the old 3D formula, and he has also made it clear that there will be no more sequels to Breath Of The Wild. So while future games will continue to be open world, they may not resemble the two Switch titles in any other way. However, even without official statements from Nintendo, it's evident that they will stick with the current formula, or something similar, based on the impressive sales figures. The Zelda series has always been prestigious, but it never reached the same level of financial success as other Nintendo franchises such as Super Mario and Pokémon. That is, until Breath Of The Wild came along and shattered records, becoming not only one of the best-selling Switch games, but also surpassing the sales of the Switch entries for Mario and Pokémon.
Although Nintendo may seem to make some illogical decisions at times, they know when they have a hit on their hands. As Aonuma has stated, there's no going back to the old ways, except through spin-offs and remasters. But what about a sequel to Tears Of The Kingdom? Aonuma seems determined to move on to a new version of Hyrule, and it's understandable when we consider his reasoning for ruling out any DLC for Tears Of The Kingdom: "I feel like I've done everything I can to create games in that world." However, with the complex timeline of the Zelda series, it's possible that we may still see a return to the Breath Of The Wild version of Hyrule if the team comes up with new ideas for it. Aonuma has also hinted at a completely new way to play in the next installment, whether it's a sequel or a brand new game.
When can we expect the next Legend Of Zelda game? It's important to remember that creating a modern triple-A game takes time, and even with Breath Of The Wild as a foundation, it took six years to develop Tears Of The Kingdom. This should be taken as a minimum for the next game, which would put its release no earlier than 2029 and possibly even later. While some may assume that Nintendo will simply provide a similar game with better graphics and a larger map, that's not usually their approach. Aonuma has hinted at potential improvements in areas such as combat, which was somewhat simplistic in both Breath Of The Wild and Tears Of The Kingdom. It's possible that we may see a more robust and complex combat system in the next game, possibly incorporating magic in addition to weapons.
In the end, we can only speculate on what the future of Zelda will hold. But one thing is for sure: Nintendo will continue to innovate and surprise us with each new installment, making it an exciting time to be a fan of the series.
In 2017, Nintendo released The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a game that completely revolutionized the Zelda series. Despite some initial pushback from traditionalists, the game was met with widespread critical acclaim and saw a huge increase in sales. Its open world design allowed for unparalleled freedom in exploration, storytelling, and puzzle-solving, earning it the title of "best video game ever made" by many. Nintendo then surprised us all with a sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, in 2023, which expanded the already massive world and added advanced physics-based gameplay, making Hyrule the ultimate sandbox playground.
But now, as the release of the Switch 2 looms on the horizon, Nintendo faces a daunting challenge: how can they possibly surpass the success of Breath of the Wild? The bar has been set impossibly high, and fans are eagerly awaiting any news on what's to come for the future of the Zelda series.
In a 2023 interview, series producer Eiji Aonuma and Tears of the Kingdom director Hidemaro Fujibayashi confirmed that the next game will also feature an open world setting. While this doesn't rule out the possibility of more 2D games like this year's Echoes of Wisdom, it's safe to say that any new 3D game will continue the formula established by Breath of the Wild, rather than the older style seen in games like Ocarina of Time. Aonuma has even expressed confusion over why fans would want to go back to the old 3D formula, and has made it clear that there will be no more sequels to Breath of the Wild. So while future games will maintain the open world setting, they may not necessarily resemble the gameplay of the Switch titles.
It's not just the staff's statements that suggest Nintendo will stick with the current formula - the sales numbers speak for themselves. Despite the prestige of the Zelda series, it never reached the same level of financial success as games like Super Mario and Pokémon...until now. Breath of the Wild shattered records, outselling even the Switch entries for Mario and Pokémon. It's clear that Nintendo has struck gold with this new direction, and they have no plans to go back to the old ways, aside from the occasional spin-off or remaster.
So what's next for the Zelda series? Will there be a sequel to Tears of the Kingdom? Aonuma seems eager to move on to a new version of Hyrule, and even hinted that he has something completely new in mind for the future. Despite the success of Tears of the Kingdom, he made it clear that he has no plans for DLC, stating that he feels he's done all he can in that world. And while the various Zelda games may seem connected, they actually take place in separate timelines, often with different versions of Link. This gives the team the freedom to explore new ideas and create something completely fresh.
When can we expect the next Legend of Zelda game? Well, as we all know, creating a modern triple-A game takes a lot of time and effort. Even with Breath of the Wild as a foundation, it still took six years to develop Tears of the Kingdom. So we can assume that the next game will take at least that long, if not longer. And while some may expect a simple upgrade with better graphics and a larger map, that's not usually how Nintendo operates. Aonuma himself has hinted at something different, possibly focusing on improving aspects that were weaker in Breath of the Wild, like the combat system.
Overall, it's clear that Nintendo has some exciting plans for the future of the Zelda series. With the success of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, they've shown that they're not afraid to take risks and try new things. And as fans eagerly await the next installment, we can only imagine what kind of new adventures and challenges await in the ever-expanding world of Hyrule.
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