By Rachel
Nintendo made us all wet ourselves a bit yesterday when they showed off some gorgeous footage from the upcoming Zelda Wii U release (2015). The most impressive aspect - the one that has everyone talking - is the addition of an open world that the player can explore freely (a la Skyrim). As we mentioned in our earlier E3 blog post, the world building of this latest Zelda game reminds us of the first Legend Of Zelda back in ’86. And the art style feels like a sweet love child between Wind Waker and Skyward Sword. So what on earth then does that mean for timeline speculation?
Admittedly, I had some help piecing together my thoughts on the subject, as Zelda Dungeon posted a great frame-by-frame analysis of the trailer earlier today. So, what do we know? There’s an open world. Duh. There’s a Link and Epona and a bow and enemies. And woods. Oh, so you mean technically, this game could be placed almost anywhere? Yes.
That’s where the details come in, the details that make it oh-so-fun to be a timeline theorist. For one, there’s no trademark cap on Link’s head. Perhaps he’s not yet transitioned into traditional Hero-of-Time garb in the storyline? Or, perhaps this game comes between Skyward Sword and The Minish Cap – the latter of which is widely regarded as the origin story of the Hero’s cap (Link’s cap in Skyward Sword was a Knight’s cap, not the Hero’s cap).
Reflecting further on Link’s garb, his blue tunic is eerily reminiscent of Link’s Wind Waker tunic, which could be a hand-me-down from an earlier generation, one which founded and settled the new Hyrule of Sprit Tracks. If so, this game would be the furthest down on the timeline started by Wind Waker. It would also mean this open world is actually the prosperous, new Hyrule, one that is lush and green and long past Wind Waker’s oceanic days. (The overall technology in this teaser also seemed very advanced, possibly hinting at a more developed and modern society, and therefore the latest on the timeline?)
The thing grabbing my attention the most, however, is the look of the landscape. It’s eerily Twilight Princess-like – the landscape looked like Faron woods and the lushness reminded me of the field in Twilight Princess. I can’t shake the feeling that this game falls right after Hyrule’s Twilight Era on the timeline. There’s also the glimpse at the bomb arrow, which is exclusively a Twilight Princess weapon.
Even if the map isn’t Twilight Princess related, it’s just looks so…big (we know!) But a big map raises a whole slew of possibilities – think, why would Aonuma need a big, sprawling map, besides that it looks badass? What in Zelda’s history could grant the need for a large setting? Perhaps a war? Perhaps a sealing war? Or the Hyrulean Civil War, the one that led to Ocarina of Time? How incredible would it be to see a Hyrulean war played out in game, instead of only being told about it in backstory, in the “Legend” part of Zelda – but instead to see that legend unfolding in a big, sprawling way? Has Aonuma always desired a massive map because he always wanted to be able to set the scene for an epic war, and now with the Wii U, he finally can?
Obviously, the speculation on this new Zelda title is endless, with hundreds of possible theories. But if the endless amounts of possibility don’t make you Christmas-morning kind of excited for this game, then perhaps nothing will.
Admittedly, I had some help piecing together my thoughts on the subject, as Zelda Dungeon posted a great frame-by-frame analysis of the trailer earlier today. So, what do we know? There’s an open world. Duh. There’s a Link and Epona and a bow and enemies. And woods. Oh, so you mean technically, this game could be placed almost anywhere? Yes.
That’s where the details come in, the details that make it oh-so-fun to be a timeline theorist. For one, there’s no trademark cap on Link’s head. Perhaps he’s not yet transitioned into traditional Hero-of-Time garb in the storyline? Or, perhaps this game comes between Skyward Sword and The Minish Cap – the latter of which is widely regarded as the origin story of the Hero’s cap (Link’s cap in Skyward Sword was a Knight’s cap, not the Hero’s cap).
Reflecting further on Link’s garb, his blue tunic is eerily reminiscent of Link’s Wind Waker tunic, which could be a hand-me-down from an earlier generation, one which founded and settled the new Hyrule of Sprit Tracks. If so, this game would be the furthest down on the timeline started by Wind Waker. It would also mean this open world is actually the prosperous, new Hyrule, one that is lush and green and long past Wind Waker’s oceanic days. (The overall technology in this teaser also seemed very advanced, possibly hinting at a more developed and modern society, and therefore the latest on the timeline?)
The thing grabbing my attention the most, however, is the look of the landscape. It’s eerily Twilight Princess-like – the landscape looked like Faron woods and the lushness reminded me of the field in Twilight Princess. I can’t shake the feeling that this game falls right after Hyrule’s Twilight Era on the timeline. There’s also the glimpse at the bomb arrow, which is exclusively a Twilight Princess weapon.
Even if the map isn’t Twilight Princess related, it’s just looks so…big (we know!) But a big map raises a whole slew of possibilities – think, why would Aonuma need a big, sprawling map, besides that it looks badass? What in Zelda’s history could grant the need for a large setting? Perhaps a war? Perhaps a sealing war? Or the Hyrulean Civil War, the one that led to Ocarina of Time? How incredible would it be to see a Hyrulean war played out in game, instead of only being told about it in backstory, in the “Legend” part of Zelda – but instead to see that legend unfolding in a big, sprawling way? Has Aonuma always desired a massive map because he always wanted to be able to set the scene for an epic war, and now with the Wii U, he finally can?
Obviously, the speculation on this new Zelda title is endless, with hundreds of possible theories. But if the endless amounts of possibility don’t make you Christmas-morning kind of excited for this game, then perhaps nothing will.