It’s been about two-and-a-half years since The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom launched on Nintendo Switch. With due respect to the generally-good Echoes of Wisdom, many fans have been eagerly awaiting what’s next for the storied franchise’s big, sweeping three-dimensional adventures. Never mind the fact that I reckon we all know TOTK’s successor is likely still several years away; that’ll never stop us from speculating.
On Reddit, Zelda vets are busily wondering all sorts of things about the series’ future. Some have discussed which approach to item obtainment the game should take. Others lament The Legend of Zelda’s older and more intricate dungeon design. Another popular topic? What the heck the latest 3D sequel will even look like.
Not The Wind Waker Versus Twilight Princess Thing Again
Over on r/truezelda, a community dedicated to discussing their beloved franchise (rather than gushing over each other’s tattoos and cosplay, which the main subreddit is frequently filled with), Proud-Camera5058 is the most recent Redditor to broach the subject of which art style(s) the next Zelda might pursue.
“The style is going to be wildly different from BotW,” OpeningConnect54 believes. Their belief that BOTW’s was “radically different” from Skyward Sword’s, however, was called into question when whats_up_doc71 argued that BOTW/TOTK’s looks hew closer to Skyward Sword’s than anything before them. This, naturally, became a back-and-forth; personally, I kind of get it, but I think they look markedly separate enough to follow the trend of 3D Zeldas (notwithstanding the two instances of duologies) tackling big visual changes every time.
Conversation soon tilted toward discernible themes, rather than overarching styles. SeaworthinessFast161 thinks there won’t be another “steampunk [Sheikah]/Zonai tech aesthetic”, which I think is spot-on. That particular look was thoroughly covered in the Switch era entries.
“I’d like something close to the official art for Majora’s Mask,” Comprehensive_Bid18 throws a bit of a curveball. “Or the art for the Oracle games.” quiquegr12 and Smt_FE are far less choosy. “All I want is a new game,” the former says. “I’m happy with any style they’ve used since [Twilight Princess] to [Tears of the Kingdom].” “Same sentiments here,” the latter enthuses.
Some fans are hoping for a return to the Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask aesthetic, with one Redditor reminiscing over what they feel was a “Shintoism with Arthuriana/Celtic” appeal. Others hope for a return to The Wind Waker’s supremely cel-shaded look; more, in turn, lament the seemingly eternal loss of Twilight Princess’ “peak style”.
Berry_Grassfreeze provides one of the most comprehensive replies. A several-paragraph read on 3D Zelda’s historical visual trends culminates with a supposition that Breath of the Wild will continue to serve as the template; MoMOe0, however, contends that “there is no way” this will happen. Suffice it to say, there’s no clear consensus in the fandom on whether we’ll be seeing that trademark open-air grass again on Switch 2.
Where do you reckon Nintendo will land on all of this? What would you like to see? I think I’m down for something akin to Twilight Princess again, albeit with a far less muddy overlay. I’ve loved the way every 3D Zelda game has looked, however, so I bet I’ll be satisfied regardless!
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Standard Edition
- Released
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May 12, 2023
- ESRB
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Everyone (10+)
- Engine
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Proprietary
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