It's Time For A Whole New Direction For The Legend Of Zelda

A new era is on the horizon for with the rapidly approaching release of . The next title is a departure from its immediate predecessors in many ways, making it evident that the franchise is now exploring a new direction. As such, although it is clear that has created new traditions that have been carried forward into, the many differences between the new title and the preceding and which may themselves influence future titles, are the most intriguing aspects of the game.

There have been many points throughout history where the franchise has evolved to incorporate new technologies, such as the introduction of 3D graphics in or motion controls in. Changes in direction can also help to prevent a franchise from becoming stale, and after, it could be argued that such a change is precisely what the franchise needs to remain fresh. is a perfect game in this respect, making sweeping changes to much of the standard structure while staying true to its heart.

Much like is shaping up to be, was itself a landmark entry in the series. The sheer size of ’s map, along with the fact that it was filled with innovative ideas and features, brought Hyrule to life in a way that no game before it had managed. Naturally, built on this, further expanding the world both physically and in terms of lore. However, even this grand-scale game structure can become repetitive, and a pivot in style can be crucial at times to prevent stagnation.

Furthermore, perhaps due to it having itself as a baseline,it can be argued that did not have quite the same level of impact as its predecessor. The novelty of Hyrule as such a massive open world and the game’s vast array of mechanics were gone; instead, could be more easily defined in terms of what aspects of it changed. Perhaps unsurprising, given that the game began as DLC for, but it cannot be denied that familiarity with much of the engine undercut some of ’s impact as an individual title.

Tears of the Kingdom takes Legend of Zelda into mostly familiar