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News Famitsu: TotK interview w/ Aonuma & Fujibayashi; dev insights, no plan to release additional content, high expectations for next Zelda aren't a hurdle

What are your thoughts on TotK not recieving any DLC?

  • I'm ok with it

    Votes: 205 75.9%

  • Dissapointed

    Votes: 39 14.4%

  • Don't care

    Votes: 26 9.6%
  • Total voters
    270
Reader mode
Interview summary
  • Index
    • I've summarised the key points of the article I imagine would be of interest to people, seperated into sections somewhat following how the article itself is segmented. There are a ton of interesting development details included, and I wanted to highlight these as well (as the few comments on the future are getting the most attention). If anyone feels i've misunderstood any particular point feel free to comment and i'll make an adjustment:

    EDIT: Adjusted the phrasing of certain points and added a few extra notes I skipped over previously; plus some minor grammer fixes.

    About The Depths:
    • Development began after The Champion’s Ballad was completed. As referenced in the Ask the Developer interview, initial experimentation with Ultrahand started with creating vehicles out of existing objects in BotW’s engine. At the time Fujibayashi’s proposal for the new ability had “Pen-Pineapple” (a reference to the viral music video) written to get the concept across in an easy to understand manner.
    • Caves and the Depths were born from from wanting new environments to make this new play experience (creating things with Ultrahand) more interesting. The Depths in particular had an initial prototype prepared notably quickly by inverting the terrain height of the existing Hyrule map. The map was manually adjusted and fine-tuned during production from there, but the base didn't take much time to create.
    • The intention with the Depths was to shake up the gameplay loop by creating an area players would feel the need to prepare for before exploring due to the limited options for recovering hearts. Prepare, explore, return to the surface; the cycle repeats. Items exclusive to the Depths are seen as an incentive to explore it.
    • Fujibayashi believes the darkness adds to the exploration and discovery, making it easier to see how much you have already explored. Aonuma comments that while lighting the darkness with a torch is the traditional game mechanic, dynamically creating light sources yourself while exploring such a large area is something only possible with today's hardware capabilities.
    • Hiding the Depths in marketing was Fujibayashi’s decision; he felt learning about the existence of a whole underground world while playing is something emblematic of the “discovery" and "exploration” the Zelda series is known for. Aonuma’s concerns were different; he didn’t feel marketing would be able to properly convey how the world is seamlessly connected, and also thought an out-of-context preview of the Depths may be misinterpreted as “Oh, there's a Dark World”.
    • "Vertical Play" is one of the game's key elements. The paired relationship between “front and back” worlds like “past and future” are a Zelda tradition; this time "sky and ground" and "ground and underground" both exist back-to-back, going up and down. An interesting landmark on the Surface may lead to something in the Depths; if you encounter Zonai ruins on the Surface, you may see a Sky Island when you look up; etc.
    • The ability to seamlessly dive from the Sky to the Depths is a result of this "Vertical Play" concept. Until near the end of production this transition wasn’t seamless; it took a lot of adjustments and optimisation work to avoid the game regularly freezing during transitions.
    • Fujibayashi notes that from the initial planning stages this was envisioned as a game that would be played for a long time. Aonuma adds that Zelda is often refered to as a "multiplication game" because the fun is increased by multiplying elements with other elements, so adding new elements subsequently increases the playtime. He sees this length and the continued communition surrounding the game as a positive compared to how in the past games were completed quickly and "that was the end of it".
    Click to expand...

    About the new abilities:
    • It was decided without hesitation that the Sheikah Slate abilities from the previous game would be removed. Fujibayashi felt that if they remained, the base play experience would remain unchanged, and thus not feel like a new Zelda title. The skill accumulated from the previous work instead made it easier to problem solve possible scenarios for Link's new capabilities; creating a "building code" to be followed in this Hyrule.
    • Ultrahand is at the core of the game, and it required the most time and effort in development. Fujibayashi pushed the team to fine-tune and simplify the controls as much as possible through the question of “how many steps does it take to make a raft?”. It started at 5 and kept decreasing. Initially the angle of objects could be adjusted by one degree increments, this was one element simplified for user convenience.
    • Autobuild came about naturally during playtesting, as it was found to feel troublesome to recreate something you had already built before. Schema Stones also served as a way to make Ultrahand suggestions to the player without verbally saying "you can make something like this", and could be used as a treasure to find.
    • They had many candidates for Zonai Devices, but narrowed down the final selection to those deemed the most simple and versatile. Not having a clear vision for the exact use of a part was viewed as a positive attribute to avoid narrowing the scope of creativity.
    • They experimented with alternate methods for activating Zonai Devices, or having a delay in startup to avoid potential misfires, but decided hitting them “primitively” was the simplest option. This also allowed for various other ways to activate devices, such as from a distance with arrows. Relates back to the “how many steps?” discussion.
    • The developers exchanged videos of their creations while working on the game, much like what fans have done since the game launched. To paraphrase: “if staff start having fun with the game we’re developing, we’re making something interesting”.
    Click to expand...

    About puzzle solving:
    • For the previous game they prepared three or more solutions for each Shrine or Dungeon puzzle. They kept this approach again, with even more potential "right solutions" due to the creativity the players are allowed through the new abilities. "Was this really the right answer?" is a feeling Fujibayashi wants people to have; and he believes that not allowing for this variety in solutions would make the game difficult to complete.
    • Aonuma is aware of people making long bridges to brute-force solve multiple puzzles. He believes it's a great joy when you do something you thought you shouldn't be able to do, "maybe I shouldn't do this".
    • They are aware of the Korok "torture" [this term isn't used in the article but it is what they reference] trend on social media; Fujibayashi didn’t intend for this to become viral, but he did have some idea of what people would do to them with Ultrahand and Zonai Devices. He didn’t want players to feel guilty and stop being creative, so he ordered that the character smile and be happy through anything. He claims the tone of these Koroks is exactly like the staff member in charge of them.
    • Addison and the Hudson Construction signs were initially created out of function, not character. They designed the puzzle from the idea of creating a minigame using Ultrahand and physics calculation casually in the overworld. Fujibayashi believes the puzzle would not be interesting if it were presented inorganically, and such a context was created to make them fit into the world. He is aware of people using Hover Stones to easily solve these puzzles, but believes the player should be free to solve them however they want, as long as they’re having fun.
    Click to expand...

    About the story [the article itself contains a spoiler warning here, so I will too]:

    • Ganondorf wasn’t initially decided to be part of this story. The initial theme was simply to “depict the natural growth of humans”, taking advantage of the connections to the previous work and the established world. Zelda is at the centre of this theme: in the previous game she felt remorse for Hyrule’s reliance on Sheikah technology leading to the kingdom’s destruction, and now she wonders what is best for Hyrule moving forward, not simply advocating for restoring it to what it was.
    • In deciding that the majority of Zelda’s story would be set in the era of Hyrule's founding, they introduced the characters King Rauru and Queen Sonia. It was then decided that an absolutely evil king would be introduced to contrast the respected Rauru, and Ganondorf was deemed to be the most suitable character for this role.
    • Impressions from Breath of the Wild influenced this thematic direction, as players shared how their experiences culminated in saving Zelda and created their own personal story with the game. They felt reuniting with Zelda after a long adventure would show both her own growth and the player’s growth through their respective experiences.
    • Aonuma asked the interviewer when they realised what Zelda’s fate in the past was; Fujibayashi noted they wanted the game to be played in any way, and designed multiple points where one might have their revelation (the final Dragon's Tear memory, getting the Master Sword, Mineru’s memory).
    • A lot of smaller details and scenes most players won't see were questioned with “Is it really worth the time and effort?", but in the end it was decided these things would make the world livelier. Localisation groups were shocked by the amount of text in the game; this surprised Aonuma.
    • The references to Zonai in Breath of the Wild weren’t included with the direct intention to develop on them in a sequel. Fujibayashi and Aonuma always intend to give it their all with each game on its own, and view it as a mistake to leave behind threads you aren’t sure you will revisit later.
    • Returning enemies weren’t decided based on simply wanting to bring past elements back, they all filled an independently desired purpose. In the case of Gleeoks, they wanted a new strong enemy like Lynels who would also look good in the sky, and happened to decide on a past enemy that perfectly fit the description. The contrast to this case were the Horriblins; they wanted a monster who would attack from the ceilings of caves but could not find any fitting past enemy, thus creating a new one. ‎Marbled Gohma is another example where the play experience (using Yunobo’s ability to destroy legs and knock it over to get on top) was decided before theming it after an existing enemy.

    About the timeline:
    • The interviewer asks about how the game fits into the existing Zelda timeline, given Skyward Sword seemingly depicted the founding of Hyrule, while this game also does. Fujibayashi only reaffirms that the game is set following Breath of the Wild, and that the Zelda series is designed to have a story and world that doesn’t fall apart. With the latter assumption in mind he believes there is room for fans to wonder if there are various other posibilities. He suggests one “possibility” (and clarifies that he is only speaking on it as a possibility) that there may have been a history of destruction before TotK’s story of Hyrule’s foundation. He says he does not create things randomly, and wants fans to imagine the parts of the story that have not been told.
    Click to expand...
     
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  • Index
    • Excited for the next open air Zelda in a brand new world, Hyrule or otherwise.
    what they'll be able to do with more powerful hardware this time around is pretty exciting all things considered.
     
    @MondoMega

    Not to be a stickler but as someone who cares a lot about the lore, does the text actually specify that Fujibayashi wants people to "wonder if there's possibilities beyond the obvious suggestion" Or is that an interpretation on your end? I just don't want people to try and push this as meaning it has to be a "refounding." To me it reads as the same non-committal stance they had towards BOTWs placement.
     
    Mango said:
    @MondoMega

    Not to be a stickler but as someone who cares a lot about the lore, does the text actually specify that Fujibayashi wants people to "wonder if there's possibilities beyond the obvious suggestion" Or is that an interpretation on your end? I just don't want people to try and push this as meaning it has to be a "refounding." To me it reads as the same non-committal stance they had towards BOTWs placement.
    Click to expand...

    That's a bit of my interpretation, yeah. He wants people to consider "other posibilities", which to me, in the context of the interviewer brining up the Skyward Sword contradiction, implies a default assumption that is being challenged. That could very easily not be the case though, I should have used a different term than "obvious", editing it now.
     
    Even at over 200 hours and beating it, I just barely got 60% completion.

    Game is still chock full of content so this is more than fine. Onward to more new Zelda!
     
    Fujibayashi's comment about the timeline placement doesn't entirely surprise me. I've thought for a while that the Zelda world is vaguely cyclical in nature and the events of BotW, AoC and TotK exist on a new cycle separate from the previous games.
     
    MondoMega said:
    That's a bit of my interpretation, yeah. He wants people to consider "other posibilities", which to me, in the context of the interviewer brining up the Skyward Sword contradiction, implies a default assumption that is being challenged. That could very easily not be the case though, I should have used a different term than "obvious", editing it now.
    Click to expand...
    Ah I see, that said thanks for the clarification. :)
     
    0
    On one hand, them moving on to something truly new immediately makes a lot of sense considering how EPD is organised. DLC is a way to keep your team busy while the core folks are doing pre-production on the next thing, but for EPD the non-core folks have moved on to other projects. That was plain to see with the ho-hum BotW DLC (even though I ADORE the Final Trial).

    I also can't wait for them to finally move on from the BotW style and setting - it was glorious for one game, but TotK recycling so much of it verbatim didn't so it any favours. Reinventing Zelda completely each time really is the way to go and I hope they'll do that fully in 2029.

    On the other hand, TotK could've been somewhat salvaged for me with a DLC that fleshed out the sky - sky forests, sky castles, sky towns... Of course this wouldn't help much with it's other issues, but it'd have given the game some more identity of it's own. As it stands now, the Sky is too empty, the Depths are too monotonous and the Caves are too bland - the actual selling point has turned out to be "revisiting Hyrule", something I could already do by replaying BotW.
     
    0
    Dragoncaine said:
    TotK is one of the best, most content-rich games I've ever played. Let's move on so we can get the next 3D Zelda sooner which, set in a new world on new hardware, could quite possibly send me into cardiac arrest
    Click to expand...
    Pretty much where I’m at. I’d be hype for a DLC. But equally as exciting if they immediately move on to the next game.
     
    Good, I don't want them to return to this Hyrule and with this Link & Zelda in the next game. Make something fresh, and don't hold on to the same setting for 15 years.
     
    DLC with a performance and graphical boost when Switch 2 launched seemed like a solid idea to me, but if they genuinely feel there is not much more they can eek out without a new full blown release then fair play to them.

    Kinda interesting how singleplayer DLC has gone so out of style now. Possible there just isn't the demand to make up for the costs.
     
    0
    No big DLC I can understand and it's fine, but I wonder if that also means we'll never get any interesting update like an Expert mode and anything that can allow to max both hearts & stamina containers.
     
    This is an incredibly long and amazing interview.

    Can we get a full translation?

    Djehuty said:
    I will be petty and say I so called this.

    Totk was the peak of their ambition I doubt they have anything more to add to this world of Zelda (other than a another musou spin off).

    While totk was just okay for me with some really great spots but pretty disappointing sidequest I’m exited to see how they do this style of gameplay with a complete blank slate.
    Click to expand...

    I think he's saying the exact opposite... they want to surpass it..

    also he's left room open that they may revisit the same world again:

    Then, if such a reason is newly born, it may return to the same world again. Whether it's a sequel or a new work, I think it will be a completely new way to play, so I'd be happy if you could look forward to it.

    ――Since the hurdle for the next work that was raised with "Breath of the Wild" has been surpassed again this time with "Tears of the Kingdom", the player's expectations are higher, saying, "He will make something even more amazing." I feel like I'm getting taller...

    Fujibayashi Aonuma and the development team don't see it as a hurdle, so please look forward to it!

    ――Ooh! ! !

    Fujibayashi: I think that the staff who have worked on successive generations of The Legend of Zelda series always had that in mind. I am very grateful that many customers have been playing Tears of the Kingdom for a long time and deeply, so I will do my best to make the next game even more enjoyable.

    --I'm looking forward to your next work. Of course, I will continue to play Tears of the Kingdom! Thank you for today.
     
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    little miffed about no master mode, hoping they drop that in an update if possible.

    but generally i do prefer this approach since it means more resources and time focused towards the next big entry(which must be for the Switch 2 now)
     
    0
    I'm a little disappointed, but not especially so. The kind of playable-Zelda DLC I wanted was always an extremely remote possibility which I didn't think would really happen. I am a little surprised they're apparently not adding Master Mode, and a little surprised that they're not doing anything with Kass. I do love this version of Hyrule and this particular Link and Zelda. Certainly, for the next game, I'd want to move on from Hyrule if this visual style and the current Link and Zelda were to return.

    Hopefully Hyrule Warriors 3 and a new 2D Zelda are in the works while the next open world entry takes shape.
     
    A bit sad, i would have loved a big dlc for totk. I guess the good news is that they'll release the next 3d zelda earier, 2028 will be a big year for zelda.
     
    0
    On topic, i'm surprised they leave enemies at their silver versions.

    Might it be possible that they could add gold versions via patch instead of DLC?
     
    0
    Good news. I'm glad my replays won't be bound by the DLC release schedule.

    Also glad with the implication they'll be getting onto the next game sooner.

    Even more glad BOTW gets to keep Kass as its own and that Kass doesn't get typecast as the DLC guy like many people unfathomably wanted (showing they completely missed the point about why Kass was in that particular DLC).

    The intention with the Depths was to shake up the gameplay loop, by creating an area players would feel the need to prepare for before exploring, due to the limited options for recovering hearts. Intended to be experienced in shorter bursts of regularly returning to the surface to prepare again.
    Click to expand...
    Then why was it so difficult to get out of the Depths?
     
    I'm not convinced that DLC for TotK would have done enough to "fix" it for the people that weren't happy with the base game. Of course, I was also hoping for a substantial expansion in the form of playable Zelda in the past but realistically I expected any hypothetical DLC to be closer to what we got in BotW, which didn't fundamentally change that game either. The people missing out here are the TotK-heads that just wanted more of the same.

    Anything concerning the time of Rauru and Sonia will most likely be expanded upon in another semi-canonical Hyrule Warriors spinoff that gives enough background on the characters and the events in the past but remixes it with the typical Musou shenanigans only now you don't even need a funny little time travel robot. I'd be surprised if we got to play out the scenes we see in the TotK flashbacks 1:1, I thought people were sick of them lol.

    My only real disappointment is that we still don't know what their plans are for a Master Mode and whether those exist in the first place. Omega cope: Maybe they don't see it as additional content and it will arrive later this year as a free update.
     
    I've played for 200 hours and I'm still getting ass handed to me. This game is much harder than BOTW so a master mode seems unnecessary to me ... they really amped up the enemy damage in this one. Granted I've not really been leveling up my armour or am even attempting to play many main quests in an attempt to prologue the experience... I'm still engrossed in the awesome side quests and open world.
     
    I was expecting the glorious return of Kass so this is a suprise to me. However I do agree with Aonuma, that this game is very complete as it is.
     
    0
    They’re not working on DLC, instead they’re using the time to make a Switch 2 version of TotK with fully updated graphics and resolution at 60fps. This will also serve as an experiment for working on the Switch 2 Zelda game with the team learning what the new system is capable of.

    Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Rauru’s Blessing Edition

    (Prediction)
     
    I mean, Elden Ring DLC was announced more than a year later, they might be developing the Switch 2 version until they start the DLC... hehe.

    Anyway, this game always felt like it doesn't need a DLC, we have more than enough "BotW" content.
     
    YolkFolk said:
    They’re not working on DLC, instead they’re using the time to make a Switch 2 version of TotK with fully updated graphics and resolution at 60fps. This will also serve as an experiment for working on the Switch 2 Zelda game with the team learning what the new system is capable of.

    Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Rauru’s Blessing Edition

    (Prediction)
    Click to expand...

    And i'm all here for it to buy it again. The Collectors Edition, of course.
     
    I said this months ago as it was not announced pre release and no game has ever needed dlc less than TOTK.

    They need to get moving on to the next game quick, as the next 3D Zelda isn’t going to come out till near the end of the Switch 2’s lifecycle.
     
    I voted disappointed in the poll because while Zelda TK was generally too long and had a lot of content I didn’t care for, there’s very specific sections I’d adore more of like combat shrines that I think would have been prime candidates for DLC. Ah well. Excited to see the next game hopefully a smidge sooner than later if they are moving right on to it.
     
    A bit disappointed but at the same time, it's a good news that they're now 100% focusing on the future, I guess we can expect the next game sooner than usual in the Switch 2's lifespan (as Zelda games are usually released late in home consoles' lifespan).
     
    0
    lemonfresh said:
    www.famitsu.com

    いまだから語れる『ゼルダの伝説　ティアーズ オブ ザ キングダム』開発者インタビュー。“遊び優先”を貫いて完成させた驚異の続編【ティアキン】 | ゲーム・エンタメ最新情報のファミ通.com

    『ゼルダの伝説　ティアーズ オブ ザ キングダム』（ティアキン）のDLC、続編、時系列なども含めて開発秘話を開発者に聞くインタビュー。任天堂のプロデューサー・青沼英二氏、ディレクター・藤林秀麿氏に直撃！
    www.famitsu.com www.famitsu.com
    Click to expand...
    disapoited, a Torna/Future Redeemed style DLC could answer many of the game glaring plots elements
     
    0
    SirShorse said:
    Good, I don't want them to return to this Hyrule and with this Link & Zelda in the next game. Make something fresh, and don't hold on to the same setting for 15 years.
    Click to expand...
    Triforce trilogy games, each game focused on a atribute of the Triforce: Breath of the Wild, focused on wisdom, it main color is blue and is heavily Sheikah focused, Tears of the Kingdom focused on the Zonai, courage, main color green, next Legend of Zelda, should be focused on Power, Yiga clan, heavily Ganondorf focus
     
    0
    Would've loved to get more content (especially if Kass made a comeback), but the game absolutely feels like a full experience already, with plenty of sidequests and side adventures. So i'm cool
     
    0
    Press F to Pay Respects to our boy Kass

    I am fine with no DLC though. TotK is such a massive game already and it feels like them fulfilling everything they wanted out of BotW that I'm ready to see what the team does for the next era of this franchise.
     
    This makes it less likely but come on guys, we know how Nintendo is. They could have no plans today and announce it in a Direct tomorrow. Or it could never happen.
     
    Probably Nintendo wants a new Zelda for Drake sooner than later. I assume any 2D Zelda being made was pushed to Drake since this was gonna be released so late.
     
    While I'm ok with the fact that there won't be any DLC, I wish there was some sort of "Master Mode" with a survival mode à la Skyrim AE.

    But... I don't think I'd be ready to do another savefile with an even harder setting ; TotK IMO, is much harder in the first hours than BotW, notably in dungeons, basic ennemies deal so much damage (and the bosses don't) !
     
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    0
    Glom said:
    Good news. I'm glad my replays won't be bound by the DLC release schedule.

    Also glad with the implication they'll be getting onto the next game sooner.

    Even more glad BOTW gets to keep Kass as its own and that Kass doesn't get typecast as the DLC guy like many people unfathomably wanted (showing they completely missed the point about why Kass was in that particular DLC).


    Then why was it so difficult to get out of the Depths?
    Click to expand...
    Its not. If you just warp out.

    Now if yourr doing a no warping run, that is hoooo boy, another story there.
     
    The ending seemed pretty final to me, at least for this game. Unlike BOTW's which teased more work to be done. I'm ok with it, I'll happily take them concentrating on the next game.
     
    0
    I’m curious how much they’re going to keep from BotW and TotK. Based on Aonuma and Fujibayashi’s comments a new world and (mostly) new set of powers seems like a given but I wouldn’t be surprised if they keep this incarnation of Link and Zelda for at least another game. My ideal direct sequel would be a game that actually has the two team up and go on an adventure in a completely new land with its own history, characters, fauna and flora that only has a passing resemblance to Hyrule.
     
    0
    As much as ToTk has become my favorite game of all time, I don't particularly care. I'm not big on DLC, once I'm done with a game, I don't feel like going back to it bar a replay years later. Going back to play DLC always feels clunky and like I'm only doing it out of obligation of seeing that content instead of being something I really wanted.

    I haven't played BotW's DLC and don't intend to.
     
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