Discussion Would you want the next Zelda game be more realistic, like twilight princess.

[KingSlowpokebro]

There's something about BotW and TotK that I can't stand. It's like a fogginess or maybe it's a hazy look almost everywhere in both games. I don't know how to describe it but it messes with my eyes. I'm not talking about the actual fog when it rains either. I don't care if the next game has BotW/TotK's artstyle or is like TP. I just hope it's not hazy anymore.

 

[Concernt]

Yes, in the sense I want it to be more detailed and more "Twilight Princess".

Hyperreal fantasy has a deep appeal to me and Twilight Princess HD captures it perfectly, I feel, just take Telma. She's both cartoony and realistic, and I like it a lot. I'd also like to go back to uniquely designed charscters being more common, rather than the literal Mii maker used for most of BOTW/TOTK's NPCs.

As you showed with concept drawings, more detail can also mean better theming, and more effective horror. A soft-featured, perfect-skin, cartoony Link has become a norm, especially through his recent appearances, and realistic lighting and detailed insectoid monsters contrasting that would be compelling theming, to me.

I'd also note we don't need to go "all the way". The 2014 reveal of Breath of the Wild was very detailed and had a more realistic "edge" to it than the final release, while Hyrule Warriors, the Zelda demo of Wii U and I'd argue the Mario Kart 8 track, all show what a "balanced" approach can bring us, and it's quite nice.

 

[Bayonutter]

Always. If the choice is stylized or more realistic, I'd prefer realistic.

 

[robertman2]

something grittier than SS/BOTW/TOTK would be fun.

 

[Clov]

Definitely not. Twilight Princess is one of my least favorite Zelda games, in large part because of its hideous aesthetic. I want something cuter and more cartoony! The Link's Awakening remake is a great example of the perfect kind of look for a Zelda game. Silly elf goes on a fun adventure!

 

[balgajo]

For sure. Twilight Princess is definitely my sweet spot.

The atmosphere that semi realistic Zelda games can convey are my favorite in gaming.

Next game seems like a good opportunity to revisit this style as it will be the first big leap in power since Wii U and the game will probably be launched near Zelda movie, a live action.

The only thing I don’t want is cel shaded characters that looks like anime. So a more conventional character lighting would be nice for me.

 

[Triistan]

It depends on gameplay style, if open air then the Botw style is perfect imho, if they go with a remake of OOT/MM/TP or a new game with a classic “8 big dungeon” approach I want something that look like the (gorgeous) Wii U tech demo.

 

[Linkstrikesback]

I don't think they'll go for a modern realistic style because it sucks for gameplay. See also: the recent Sony big AAA games that have to have npcs scream at you when there's something you can interact with.

But at the same time, twilight princess isn't really realistic at all, the game is still highly stylised, so something in that direct could work.

But also it feels like Nintendo have pretty much settled on what 3d Zelda looks like since skyward, botw and totk are all clearly along the same lines

 

[linkwashere]

Be brave and go back to something evocative of Katsuya Terada's original art for The Legend of Zelda

 

[Eclissi]

I love the fairy-tale and colorful style, I loved the pictorial style of Zelda SS and I think that of BotW is spectacular. I would like to continue on this path, but I wouldn't like a return to the cartoon style of WW.

 

[PixelKnight]

I don’t want Zelda to chase a ‘realistic’ look, but then I think TP wasn’t ’realistic’ either. It was still heavily stylised, it just used a more muted, earthy colour palette and so ended up looking closer to other games chasing realism.

 

[Kumomeme]

Kingdom Heart 3 approach at art style would fit IMO.

half cartoonish, half has realistic AAA level of visual technique.

this might be natural evolution from current BoTW/ToTK visual

..or something like from Pixar or Dreamworks.

if Switch 2 indeed on PS4 level of hardware, they can pull it off for next Zelda game.

 

[Armoured_Bear]

Wind Waker 2 come out

 

[Irene]

I’d wager that the next Zelda will have something like… it’s still the same but with some “tweaks”, both stylized and realistic, to make it stand out from TotK and BotW, and also make use of more powerful hardware.

• Keep the cel-shading
• Same lighting engine
• More realistic-looking hair texture
• Add more crease shading and tweak the bloom
• More detailed textures in general
• Mor prominent AO
• Overall graphical improvements like better anti-aliasing and less jaggy shadows

 

[VintoWin]

Yes, they should go "darker" for sure. It's a great way to show off the graphics of the next system.

It's time. They have the power with Switch 2 now.

 

[MaskedRider]

Sure why not. I don't mind for them to go back to a previous style once in a while but I wouldn't want them to remain stagnant in their art direction. Botw and Totk were great for the console’s capabilities, and introduction of the “open air” gameplay.

We are most likely moving on to a new Link and a new era of Hyrule so a fresh style would be much appreciated. Otherwise everything will start to feel samey.

 

[Darknut85]

Yes, they should go "darker" for sure. It's a great way to show off the graphics of the next system.

It's time. They have the power with Switch 2 now.

 

[ILikeFeet]

There's something about BotW and TotK that I can't stand. It's like a fogginess or maybe it's a hazy look almost everywhere in both games. I don't know how to describe it but it messes with my eyes. I'm not talking about the actual fog when it rains either. I don't care if the next game has BotW/TotK's artstyle or is like TP. I just hope it's not hazy anymore.

I chalk that up to Nintendo compensating for the resolution and low resolution assets. On higher powered consoles, I've noticed games have a clarity to them (that also gives them a gamey look).

 

[tender]

The "Twilight Princess" isn't realistic point is well-worn in this thread, so I won't retread

But yeah ... no. I don't want to revisit TP or go "more realistic"

These both sound extremely boring

BOTW/TOTK are beautiful and obviously I want the next one to look different from them, but more just in a different stylized approach - definitely NOT realistic

 

[GPKs3]

I absolutely love the BOTW/TOTK style and wouldn't mind if Nintendo continued with that, along with refinements and improvements with beefier hardware.

 

[Regulus Tera]

No

 

[Starphanluke]

No. Twilight Princess is hideous, and there are plenty of realistic fantasy games out there. Keep Zelda stylized and whimsical.

 

[TreIII]

Be brave and go back to something evocative of Katsuya Terada's original art for The Legend of Zelda

Was hoping that someone else would beat me to it.

This is still my personal favorite Zelda artstyle, and I would simply love to see it translated to a game.

 

[juuso]

I don't really have strong wants on this to one direction or another. Visually my favourite Zelda is the Wind Waker, but I could also see a more realistic take working. Mainly though I just want the next Zelda to be a good video game.

 

[em]

Realistic like this, sure

 

[Cubs017]

I think that cel-shared is more the way to go with Zelda. You can still make a game that looks darker or looks wildly different than what we got with TOTK and BOTW.

 

[Zeal543]

There's something about BotW and TotK that I can't stand. It's like a fogginess or maybe it's a hazy look almost everywhere in both games. I don't know how to describe it but it messes with my eyes. I'm not talking about the actual fog when it rains either. I don't care if the next game has BotW/TotK's artstyle or is like TP. I just hope it's not hazy anymore.

For me it's the washed out colors of the environments

 

[Concernt]

The Twilight Princess slander here is unbelievable.

 

[Sampdoria]

There's nothing realistic about Twilight Princess. The N64 games were "grittier".

 

[Dardan Sandiego]

The Twilight Princess slander here is unbelievable.

Agreed, people should be much harsher.

 

[Concernt]

Agreed, people should be much harsher.

At least it's not as bad as Ocarina of Time

 

[DittoM]

The Twilight Princess slander here is unbelievable.

People look at me crazy when I say Twilight Princess is the most underrated game in the series. “But look at the sales!” Doesn’t matter when the only conversation around the game is Zelda fans shitting on the art style. Even Skyward Sword is way more popular in the fandom these days. Such a shame.

 

[VintoWin]

There's something about BotW and TotK that I can't stand. It's like a fogginess or maybe it's a hazy look almost everywhere in both games. I don't know how to describe it but it messes with my eyes. I'm not talking about the actual fog when it rains either. I don't care if the next game has BotW/TotK's artstyle or is like TP. I just hope it's not hazy anymore.

Are you playing in handheld mode? Resolution is better on TV.

It looks blurry even on an OLED. I play on the TV and it looks great.

 

[Dardan Sandiego]

At least it's not as bad as Ocarina of Time

 

[Golden]

I trust them with the process. I LOVED the Botw/TotK artstyle so much. I also love the more cartoony Wind Waker and the more mature/realistic TP. So really i don't care. I feel like i am expecting maybe to lean more into TP but i'm not holding my breath for it.

 

[Common Knowledge]

Not realism, but I’m down for more horror tones in certain areas. It’d be refreshing to have a Zelda with some more bite to it again. People will say the N64 games are a result of hardware limitations, but the fact remains that we don’t see anything anywhere near the level of creepy as the Bottom of the Well or Ikana.

ToTK’s opening segment is probably the closest vibe we’ve gotten to that, and it’s a shame it never really comes back for the entire rest of the game.

 

[Lucifer]

I want them to further evolve the studio Ghibli esque look.

 

[Linkstrikesback]

The Twilight Princess slander here is unbelievable.

It's the same with anything that was ever the most popular, there's no shortage of people on the internet ready to jump at the chance to tell you it sucks and their less popular favourite of the series is better

 

[Judai]

no

 

[JazzyFuture]

I feel like people here are forgetting just how stylized Twilight Princess is, it's not realistic at all, it's just gritty. To me it's always felt like if you put the designs of Wind Waker into a Majora's Mask-lens of weirdness. You've still got more normal looking people, but the world is just generally very strange.

 

[shoichi]

I didn't mind the visual style that BOTW and TOTK gave off, and wouldn't mind maybe a more refined visual building off of that game. When I think of the term "realistic" I don't think of eldritch-like horror with its creatures.

Not really interested in more "horror" based visuals to the monsters in the Zelda world. That can stay in either a new IP or incorporated into Metroid or something.

 

[JazzyFuture]

Not really interested in more "horror" based visuals to the monsters in the Zelda world. That can stay in either a new IP or incorporated into Metroid or something.

I disagree, if only because Deadhand is my favourite boss in Ocarina of Time. Bottom of the Well and Shadow Temple are so cool, I hope the next Zelda game has something as creepy as that. Depths were sometimes like that, but didn't go far enough I think.

 

[DarkField]

I just want it to be more fun and less building. I don't care much about graphic style, but If they go back to wind waker style I would be cool with that.

 

[Linkstrikesback]

I disagree, if only because Deadhand is my favourite boss in Ocarina of Time. Bottom of the Well and Shadow Temple are so cool, I hope the next Zelda game has something as creepy as that. Depths were sometimes like that, but didn't go far enough I think.

I'm not sure you can really make something as creepy as bottom of the well any more and not hit an age rating of 15 or 18 which wouldn't be acceptable for Zelda for Nintendo. From a modern perspective I think it's fair to say that The N64 low Res graphics allowing for the mind to fill in a lot of the blanks did a lot of heavy lifting for the atmosphere.

 

[JazzyFuture]

I'm not sure you can really make something as creepy as bottom of the well any more and not hit an age rating of 15 or 18 which wouldn't be acceptable for Zelda for Nintendo. From a modern perspective I think it's fair to say that The N64 low Res graphics allowing for the mind to fill in a lot of the blanks did a lot of heavy lifting for the atmosphere.

Yeah that's fair, but man, the Hyrule Royal Family having a secret giant torture chamber that talks about how they're pretty fucked up is still so cool. Even in the toned down 3DS version that removes most of, if not all of the blood, there's still entire rooms where the floors are made of skulls and bones. I've always liked that the series has not really been afraid to step into darker territory even when the visuals are still pretty cartoony.
I mean, Breath of the Wild is one of the most stylized entries in the series and it's story is almost entirely centered around remembering the people that died in a near-world ending event, and it does it with an E10+ rating. There's still stuff they can do while keeping a younger rating.

 

[yu?]

A more appropriate thread title would be "should Zelda delve more into horror?"

while the current does make some sense, I think it does a disservice to the discussion

 

[Felony]

There's something about BotW and TotK that I can't stand. It's like a fogginess or maybe it's a hazy look almost everywhere in both games. I don't know how to describe it but it messes with my eyes.

It's softer looking, for sure. Toon shading without the typical heavy blacks or outlines tends to have that feel. Even with a massive color palette I felt much the same way about the visuals in those two. I'd prefer a little more contrast between character models and environmental models personally.

 

[Leo]

Im impartial to it, but I'd like it to look dramatically different from BotW and TotK. Those are great, but we've had enough of them, it needs to look new.

 

[Mer.Saloon]

I feel like people here are forgetting just how stylized Twilight Princess is, it's not realistic at all, it's just gritty. To me it's always felt like if you put the designs of Wind Waker into a Majora's Mask-lens of weirdness. You've still got more normal looking people, but the world is just generally very strange.

My biggest problem with Twilight Princess' character style is just that the story never felt like it supported the weirdness. And I adore all the weirdos of TP.

Like, you have Termina which also has weirder Yusuke Nakano designs like the Zora band, Ikana Skeletons etc. But the world of Termina is just a weirder place. And the doomsday plot helps to settle in the weird style.

TP is just a little too... bog standard fantasy with harsher aesthetics that IMO do not support Nakano's more outlandish characters aside from the Twili. The Twili are great.

 

[Stilt Village]

We haven't had a good horror dungeon since Wind Waker. Ancient Cistern is beautiful and a classic, but the hell portion was just populated by dumpy zombie Bokoblins. The loss of enemy variety after Twilight Princess is still one of the things that hits me hardest with newer entries. These open air kids with their tinkertoys don't know what it's like to be afraid to approach a ReDead!