The Unforgettable Revolution: How Zelda: Breath of the Wild Shatters Franchise Traditions

Highlights

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and its sequel have brought significant changes to the franchise, including open world gameplay and the absence of the Triforce.

In pursuit of a more immersive and player-centric experience, the concept of constant travel companions and linear advancement has been minimized. Instead, the focus is on creating a genuine environment and allowing players to drive their own encounters.

The game's open world layout offers enhanced freedom and opportunities for exploration, enabling players to climb and soar to their heart's content. However, traditional elements such as the iconic hookshot, musical instruments, and various other familiar features are absent from this iteration.

The Legend of Zelda has entered a new era with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and its sequel, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. These games have departed from the traditional linear, dungeon-crawling formula that has characterized the Zelda franchise for so long. Instead, they embrace absolute freedom as their central theme, leading to a reinvention of the series and the abandonment of many familiar elements. Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom have paved the way for a new direction for the franchise. These changes have had a significant impact, particularly in the field of open world game design. Breath of the Wild, in particular, set the benchmark for the genre, and its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, now offers competition in the realm of open world games. The alterations made by these games to the established norms of the Zelda series are vast and far-reaching. Both gameplay and presentation have been completely transformed, leaving no aspect of this aging series untouched.

The Triforce Has Gone Out of Style

Permanent Traveling Companions Are Only Faint Echoes

One of the significant alterations in the open world Zelda games is the complete absence of the Triforce, which is known for its ability to grant wishes. Throughout the mainline Zelda games, the Triforce has played a crucial role. However, in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, there is no mention of the Triforce. Interestingly, its visual representation can still be seen on the crests of the Master Sword and the royal family of Hyrule. Princess Zelda herself invokes the imagery of the Triforce when unlocking her sealing powers, although no emphasis is placed on this. It is worth noting that the Zonai, introduced in Tears of the Kingdom, honor courage, wisdom, and power similar to the Hylians, but depict them using dragons, owls, and boars instead of the sacred triangles.

Link's lack of dialogue is often compensated by having a more loquacious companion on his journeys, with some of them playing crucial roles in their respective games' narratives. Examples of these talkative companions include Navi from Ocarina of Time and Midna from Twilight Princess. Other noteworthy companions like Fi, Ezlo, and the King of Red Lions also leave a lasting impression in their respective titles. For many fans, it felt peculiar to discover that Breath of the Wild lacked a similar companion. Tears of the Kingdom partially addressed this by introducing Sages and their solemn commitments, but their conversations are only limited to their respective dungeons, and their commitments restrict their chitchat. Even the expected presence of Rauru was phased out after TotK's tutorial, suggesting that open-world Zelda games strive to maintain an uninterrupted sense of natural ambiance.

Progression Is More of a Suggestion

Zelda has not always been solely focused on progressing in a linear fashion by completing dungeons, although it frequently follows that structure. Even in more open experiences like the NES Legend of Zelda and A Link Between Worlds, there are minimal opportunities for players to entirely skip content. However, Breath of the Wild broke away from this tradition by establishing that the only requirements for seeing the credits were conquering the tutorial and defeating Calamity Ganon. While the most direct path to achieving this is not without challenges, it is indeed attainable. Additionally, Tears of the Kingdom features a mandatory Paraglider quest, but the game's objectives and duration are largely left in the hands of the players.

Story Has Become A Self-Served Feature

Similarly, players have the flexibility to determine how much of the story they want to experience. Despite being designated as main quests, the completion of main dungeons and the discovery of either Link's memories or the Dragon Tears are optional. In fact, Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom take it a step further by not imposing a specific order for these story segments to be encountered. This approach allows for a greater level of individuality in each player's journey. However, it may be worth considering a return to a more traditional story structure for future Zelda games.

Climb or Fly Anywhere

To go hand in hand with Breath of the Wild's structural changes, the geography itself underwent a significant transformation. Unlike previous Zelda games that relied on impassable walls to delineate the boundaries of gameplay and steer players into predetermined scenarios, Breath of the Wild encourages players to devise their own solutions by allowing climbing on almost any surface, as long as they have enough stamina. Moreover, the introduction of the Paraglider serves as a rewarding incentive for reaching the highest peaks. The sheer scale of the open worlds created in Breath of the Wild surpasses even the vastness of the Great Sea in The Wind Waker and the expansive skies of Skyward Sword. It is truly remarkable how Nintendo managed to make such colossal landscapes profoundly captivating.

A Hookshot Is Nowhere In Sight

Even though the navigation in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom is quite expansive, neither game takes the next step by featuring a hookshot. Hookshots have been a consistent element in Zelda games since A Link to the Past, yet they are absent in these open world titles. Despite the potential synergy with the multitude of climbable walls, other open world games like Just Cause and Halo Infinite have demonstrated the seamless grappling in such environments. With the recent introduction of flying vehicles in Tears of the Kingdom, the relevance of hookshots may have diminished, but many fans continue to hold out hope for the return of these beloved traversal devices in future installments.

Musical Instruments Aren’t In Link’s Repertoire

Another thing that is noticeably absent from both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom is the inclusion of a musical instrument. Whether it be the iconic ocarina, a conductor's wand, or even the soulful howls of a wolf, the ability to play enchanting melodies and harness their magical powers has been a staple of the Zelda series since its very inception. Though Breath of the Wild does introduce a musical element through the wandering minstrel Kass, even his melodic tunes are absent in Tears of the Kingdom. Admittedly, the later additions of instruments such as the Goddess's Harp in Skyward Sword and the Spirit Flute in Spirit Tracks often felt overly situational, almost like mandatory accessories, but it would still be delightful to have the option to play some melodies while traversing the vast open roads of these games.

No Need For Bottles

The bottle, surprisingly, is another iconic item in the Zelda series. It is highly sought after and often believed to possess mystical properties. However, players usually have limited access to only a few bottles through optional quests. Due to the abundance of items that players must collect in the expansive world of Zelda games, the inclusion of bottles had to be reconsidered. Nevertheless, their role in limiting the availability of powerful healing resources remains intact as players need to craft potent meals and collect Fairy-spawning caps, both of which are dependent on the number of bottles in Link's inventory.

Weapon Durability Is The Name of the Game

One of the more controversial changes in Breath of the Wild was its implementation of weapon durability. Unlike in most Zelda games, where loadouts remained static, every weapon, including the legendary Master Sword, had limited durability. Once a weapon reached its limit, it would either shatter or become temporarily useless. In the past, breakable weapons were only used in side quests, and the need to scrounge for temporary weapons was exclusive to The Wind Waker. However, with Tears of the Kingdom revealing the degradation of Hyrule's weapon supply due to Gloom, it appears that Nintendo is firmly committed to making weapon durability a defining characteristic of open world Zelda games.

The Green Tunic Is Out

In the vast open world of Zelda, Link's traditional green tunic remains a prominent feature. Throughout Breath of the Wild's DLC and amiibo costumes, as well as TotK's numerous side quests, various versions of this iconic outfit can be discovered. However, it is important to note that these attire choices are not essential, and the garments typically worn by Link differ significantly from his usual attire. Notably, the Champion's Tunic, renowned in Breath of the Wild, alters Link's predominant color to blue, a departure from the conventional use of specific rings or tunics. With an abundant array of distinct wardrobe options, the valiant hero of Hyrule is now more stylish than ever.

Dungeon Items Have Been Replaced

Discovering useful weapons and equipment in the dungeons has always been a key feature in The Legend of Zelda. However, the non-linear progression and absence of traditional dungeons in Breath of the Wild made it impossible to follow the old formula. In order to address this issue, Nintendo took a different approach by providing Link with all the essential tools during the tutorial. These included runes and Tears of the Kingdom's arm powers, which were designed to mimic the versatility of multiple dungeon items. While sage powers in TotK did reintroduce some dungeon-like elements, they were only required for activating switches and did not compare to the wide range of tools used in navigating traditional dungeons.

Shrines Are The Closest Things to Linear Dungeons

On another note, the traditional dungeon style has undergone a transformation with the introduction of the nonlinear Divine Beast format. While Tears of the Kingdom has introduced unique themes to each of its Temples, they still maintain the essence of Breath of the Wild's colossal machines. The closest resemblance to the dungeons of past Zelda games can be found in the numerous Shrines scattered throughout the landscape, each offering a series of challenging puzzles spanning a couple of rooms. Although multiple solutions are still viable from a mechanical standpoint, the cherished tradition of old dungeons is preserved, keeping the anticipation alive for future Zelda titles to explore alternative dungeon structures.

Hearts and Rupees Won’t Appear Out Of Thin Air

One may not associate cutting grass or breaking pots with The Legend of Zelda at first, but that has traditionally been the way to discover minor items. Primarily, this method yields recovery hearts and rupees, although players may occasionally stumble upon bees, shells, or a Fairy. While smashing crates can still yield recovery food and very rarely rupees in the expansive open-world Zeldas, the days of casually collecting items are otherwise over. Now, rupees must be acquired by defeating Yiga, completing quests, and selling items, while hearts can only be restored through consuming or brewing one's own potions. This significant departure from Zelda's usual formula, however, helps prevent the vast grassy fields from becoming tedious and overwhelming.

The Soundtrack Takes Many Rests

Both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom boast a plethora of music, and there is a consensus among many fans that they possess exceptional Zelda soundtracks. However, the issue lies in the fact that this music is not playing continuously. In the past, Zelda games would feature a consistent soundtrack, with the quieter melodies usually reserved for dungeons that demanded heightened concentration. On the other hand, open-world Zelda titles tend to incorporate environmental sounds while Link is traversing, occasionally sprinkling in a few musical notes. This approach does have its merits, as it allows the music and sound cues to have a greater impact when they do play, and it adds an exhilarating touch to the evolving tracks found within the dungeons of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom when they reach their epic finale.

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