Current Events > I thought about BotW 2 vs bringing back the 3D Zelda formula

(+) Yeah! (+)

The prior 2 entries while very good just arent masterpieces. Twilight Princess was intentionally made to be similar to Ocarina of Time. There was less novel experimentation with core gameplay mechanic or general aesthetic and atmosphere. This prevented it from becoming a masterpiece as it just lacked novelty.

They tried to experiment in Skyward Sword by focusing less on connectedness and instead opting for a hub world with distinct levels. It was an interesting idea but it felt dated and was an overall downgrade. In addition, I personally disliked the general art style. The colors felt washed kind of like watercolor, and yet at the same it was very glowy. Its hard to describe but the color palette was a strain to look at for long periods of time.

Botw was needed to mix it up as the prior 2 entries were proving to not live up to the Zelda name.

I appreciated Twilight Princess for what it was at the time it was released, if that makes sense. It had been 8 years since OoT. MM was fairly divisive and WW even moreso. After a period of experimentation it's good to go back to a strong, traditional entry that's main gimmick is just executing the popular formula.

But yeah it's pretty apparent that they were trying to chase the ghost of OoT, which causes the game to feel very "been there, done that" at times.

BotW was definitely needed and I'm glad the sequel is happening. But I'd hope that relatively soon we get another "traditional" Zelda game. No overt gimmicks like sailing or transforming or whatever, just the classic formula with modern/stronger level design, boss fights, items, etc.