The Legend Returns: Zelda's Tears of the Kingdom Pave the Way for an Epic Wind Waker Remake

Highlights

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker helped shape the series' open-world games like Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild.

A potential Wind Waker remake has the opportunity to enhance its original vision by incorporating design elements from recent Zelda titles. Key features could include the ability to freely explore the Great Sea with minimal restrictions, as well as an improved quest for collecting Triforce Shards.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild revolutionized the open-world game genre within the Zelda series. However, prior to these groundbreaking entries, Nintendo experimented with open-world design in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Although not as expansive as Tears of the Kingdom or Breath of the Wild, Wind Waker played a vital role in shaping the future of the series and now has the opportunity to complete its circle with a remake.

Initially released on the GameCube in 2003, Wind Waker sparked controversy among fans as it was the first Zelda game to feature a cel-shaded art style. Many dismissed the game as too cartoonish in comparison to its predecessors. However, despite the initial criticism, Wind Waker has gained a devoted fan base due to its focus on exploration and its introduction of true open-world freedom within the Zelda universe. Building upon the advancements made in titles like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, a Wind Waker remake could fully realize the original vision of the game.

Wind Waker Deserves a True Open-World Remake After Tears of the Kingdom

After its remaster on the Wii U as The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD, fans were hopeful for a Nintendo Switch port of both Wind Waker and the remastered version of Twilight Princess. Unfortunately, that has yet to happen. However, an even more exciting prospect would be a complete remake of Wind Waker, incorporating the design elements that made Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild so beloved. Wind Waker served as a precursor to more advanced features found in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, which a remake could further develop.

One of the most alluring aspects of Wind Waker is the freedom to explore the vast Great Sea while sailing on the King of Red Lions, with minimal constraints on the player's movement. Although the main quest dungeons must be completed in a predetermined order, the Great Sea is teeming with hidden areas and secrets waiting to be stumbled upon by intrepid adventurers sailing across the map. In Tears of the Kingdom, this concept was taken even further with a larger map and numerous hidden activities that cleverly utilized the game's core mechanics. A Wind Waker remake could build upon this foundation by expanding its map and revamping puzzles to create an even more immersive experience.

One of the main criticisms of the original Wind Waker, apart from its visual design, was its collection quest for the Triforce Shards. Players were forced to collect and decipher maps to uncover the hidden Triforce pieces in the Great Sea. Although this mission was improved in the Wii U remaster, a better approach to the quest would be to treat it as a main quest in the style of Tears of the Kingdom. In this way, players could acquire it early on and naturally discover the pieces through exploration and hints in the environment. This approach would resolve some of the pacing issues of the original game, drawing from the successful design of Tears of the Kingdom.

While the original and remastered versions of Wind Waker remain impressive, a remake that incorporates design elements from the series' recent open-world games would elevate it to the next level. By doing so, the flaws in the original Wind Waker could be addressed, offering fans a fresh way to experience the game. Considering how Wind Waker paved the way for the success of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, it seems only fitting that a remake like this would bring the series full circle.

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