The Epic Saga Continues: Unleashing the Mysteries of Zonai Devices in the Zelda Sequel

Highlights

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom introduces new cave systems, Depths, and sky islands to the map, avoiding the risk of being boring by offering fresh areas to explore.

The Zonai artifacts and landmarks have a pivotal influence on the development of Hyrule's society, surpassing even the impact of the Sheikah constructs found in Breath of the Wild. If Nintendo were to integrate Zonai technology into a potential sequel, instead of disregarding it like the Sheikah structures, it would foster a sense of advancement in Hyrule and cultivate a more seamless and engrossing world.

When Nintendo announced that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom would utilize the same map as Breath of the Wild, fans raised concerns. After spending countless hours exploring the vast realm of Hyrule in BotW, revisiting the same map seemed unexciting. However, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom proved to be more than just a replication, as it introduced new elements such as cave systems, the expansive Depths mirroring the surface world, and sky islands. Notably, the inclusion of Zonai artifacts and landmarks scattered across the landscape had a profound impact on Hyrule and its civilizations.

In many ways, the Zonai relics in TotK played a similar role to that of the Sheikah constructs in BotW. These ancient and immense combinations of magic and science punctuated the serene wilderness, disrupting the landscape. However, the significance of the Zonai artifacts surpassed that of the Sheikah constructs in BotW, not only in gameplay but also in terms of their influence on the world and lore. Zonai technology rapidly transformed Hyrule's society in ways that the ancient Sheikah did not achieve in BotW. Therefore, if there is a direct sequel to TotK, the impact of Zonai devices must be recognized and acknowledged.

Zonai Devices Can't Go the Way of Sheikah Shrines and Towers

Tears of the Kingdom presents a perplexing approach to Sheikah technology and structures. The once abundant Guardians, towers, and shrines have mysteriously vanished, yet the characters in TotK appear oblivious to their absence. Whether these ancient marvels vanished after the downfall of Calamity Ganon or if the people of Hyrule dismantled them remains uncertain. Nintendo's intention to make Tears of the Kingdom accessible to players unfamiliar with Breath of the Wild is understandable, but it generates an incongruous backdrop that occasionally fails to capture the essence of a proper sequel.

Nintendo appears to have a keen interest in creating more open world Zelda games, which could potentially lead to a direct sequel to Tears of the Kingdom. However, if this is the case, it is crucial that they find a way to incorporate Zonai devices in a manner that feels natural, as simply making the technology disappear would be highly unsatisfactory. Unlike Breath of the Wild, where only a few NPCs showed curiosity towards the emerging Sheikah structures, Tears of the Kingdom boasts numerous NPCs who are fully dedicated to studying and utilizing Zonai technology. These range from the scientific Zonai Survey Team led by Purah and Robbie to thrill-seeking racers who are learning to employ Zonai tech for entertainment purposes. Zonai technology is rapidly becoming an integral part of everyday life in Hyrule, and removing it would undeniably feel like a considerable regression.

Integrating Zonai technology into a Tears of the Kingdom sequel may present certain challenges, especially since Nintendo would need to devise a substitute for Ultrahand if it continues to be a central game mechanic. Instead of centering the gameplay around crafting with Zonai tech, these devices could take a more secondary role while still being commonly observed throughout the game world. Rather than Link himself constantly constructing with these devices, he might come across numerous citizens of Hyrule who are adept at using their self-designed machines. On occasion, Link could even borrow some of their technology. This shift would allow Link to distance himself from Zonai engineering, while the Zelda NPCs further acclimate themselves to it. This evolution would effectively demonstrate the progress and development of Hyrule between games.

It is unlikely that the sequel to Tears of the Kingdom will focus on the Zonai. Zelda sequels typically have independent storylines, and this includes TotK. However, if the series continues in the BotW version of Hyrule, Nintendo must establish a sense of progression to avoid the games feeling like disconnected standalone titles. To achieve this, incorporating ongoing advancements in Zonai technology into Hyrule's development could be the ideal way to create a sense of growth.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is currently available for the Nintendo Switch.