The second Nintendo executives teased that The Legend of Zelda on the Wii U would be at this year’s E3, it became the one title that many fans wanted to see in Nintendo’s Digital Event. The reveal began with Eiji Aonuma, who has come to direct and produce many games over the past 14 years, sharing his thoughts on the traditions of the Zelda series.
Aonuma reaffirmed his intentions he mentioned in the Nintendo Direct shown early last year, in which he talked about what was next for The Legend of Zelda series. He went in depth about how the first game in the series had open-ended exploration, an element that became harder to incorporate into the games as they became complex. The worlds in past Zelda titles would feel like they were connected, but they were always split into many segments.
Wow, that view… and this is gameplay!
After this explanation, Aonuma snapped his fingers and revealed to all that were watching a glorious site: an expansive landscape featured in the next Zelda game on the Wii U, all in real-time HD footage. According to Aonuma, all parts of this brand new world are actually unified, provided obstacles are cleared away while solving puzzles. Even the mountains in the distance of the landscape could be explored.
This level of pretty: only seen before in boxart
At a mere glance, the landscape is instantly stunning; a sight only seen in artwork and never before in actual gameplay. The vibrancy of it all is reminiscent of the Ocarina of Time 3D concept art of Hyrule Field. This only whets our appetites for what can be discovered in this new Zelda world. In the footage, our eyes are instantly drawn to a horse and its rider, who we may presume to be Epona and Link, but there are many other things to see, such as the cottage in the background, the villagers, and the goats that seemingly resemble the ones in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. It all feels so peaceful.
However, Aonuma reminds us that the overworlds of The Legend of Zelda are often filled with dangerous creatures, and no sooner do we can get to experience about 42 seconds action-packed footage. It is during this scene that we get a closer look at the finer details of the graphical style in this new Zelda title, which looks like be a cross between Twilight Princess and The Wind Waker, or perhaps Skyward Sword’s graphic without the blur filters..
SURPRISE!
In the footage, a mechanized monster barrels over the hill, firing explosive laser beams, causing everyone to flee. It pursues the hooded horseback rider, past what look to be ruins and to a bridge that it promptly destroyed, cutting off the rider’s path. Rather continuing to flee, the rider chooses to fight. He removes his shawl, revealing a character that looks like Link; he does not wear the traditional green clothes but instead a blue shirt with no hat.
Link, is that you?!
The warrior readies a bow, much like the Hero’s Bow in Twilight Princess, and proceeds to fire two bomb arrows at the monster. As he leaps from his horse, he grabs one final arrow, which looks futuristic in its design. With an electrified tip, the hero fires off the arrow, we get a good look at his face (almost unmistakeably Link), but the footage ends there with no clear sign of what this new weapon does. We are left with only a 2015 release window.
Shiny and deadly; a welcome combination.
What does this footage tell us? It is hard to really say without any context from the developers. So far, the warrior in the video has not been confirmed to be Link. It is also important to note that the way he holds his bow indicates he is left-handed (a common trait of Link’s). He also has a ponytail which leads some people to think this character is a girl (?!). He is not without a sword and shield either, as a sheathed blade and a buckler are seen attached to the supplies on the horse’s back. Also, the horse itself might be a Clydesdale, which is Epona’s breed. It is safe to assume that arrow upgrades will be present in this game, as we have seen bomb arrows and those electrified arrowheads. The release date is set for 2015, which means a lot of the game’s elements are likely set in place, including its story.
Overall, this was an exciting first look at the next Legend of Zelda adventure. Were you satisfied with the reveal? What do you think of the graphical style? If there are any details you spotted that I missed, say so in the comments below!
