Topic: Where Should Zelda go From Here?

Breath of the Wild was the first major step forward the Zelda series took probably since Ocarina of Time, but where should it go next? Do you want to see another major expansion, a more iterative improvement on the new style, or a return to it's roots type of game?

Personally, I think there should be two sequels that follow the templet set by BotW. The next game should take place during Hyrule's post Calamity Gannon recovery, and the Link should play a major role in shaping the new civilization that comes about. And the one after that should take place in the new Hyrule renaissance with the civilization expanding to new worlds. This Link would sail on a ship to new lands, but also explore the sea itself to some extent. It would be to BotW what Wind Waker was to OoT.

After that, reinvent the series again.

That could be interesting. But it'd need to have a more defined story structure. The story structure in BotW works well because Link literally doesn't remember anything except his name at the start of the game. I would hope future titles use more true dungeons and rely less on having a bunch of short challenge shrines. Don't get me wrong, I like the shrines. And they make a nice departure for doing random mini-games to get heart pieces. But having them in place of regular dungeons IMO might have been a bit of a mistake.

The Divine Beast dungeons are interesting and fun to do, mostly. And making your way to Ganon serves as an open world dungeon. But the fact you can actually skip most (if not all) of that open world dungeon means that much of the work in designing it can go to waste.

I mean, you can work your way through the halls of the castle fighting difficult enemies and overcoming trials while you make your way to Ganon.
Or
You can swim up a couple water falls, climb a wall or three, and get there
Or
You can ride a rock or tree as it flies through the air, skipping almost all of that.

I think they are already thinking of those ideas....

The next game should take place during Hyrule's post Calamity Gannon recovery, and the Link should play a major role in shaping the new civilization that comes about

"The Legend of Zelda: Kingdom Reborn. Continue the story of Breath of the Wild and help Zelda and Link rebuild Hyrule after the Calamity nearly destroyed it all.

Free to download on iOS and Android. Offers in-app purchases. An internet connection is required to play."

@Yosheel Stop, they might hear you.

Building mechanics perhaps? You see a river that can't be crossed so you need to hire npcs and construct a bridge.

Cut the mobile app BS and make this into a spin-off civilization/city builder game on the Switch and you have an instant day 1 purchase from me.

Oh it'll be on the switch too.

It will just be identical to the mobile app.

Breath of the Wild's individual subplots and sidequests are actually really good when you actually pay attention to them. The problem is that the game does a really poor job of emphasizing them. There are plenty of sidequests where you do something really meaningful for a character, and tells a great story between characters, and then you are rewarded with a silver rupee and it all feels worthless.

I would really love a Majora's Mask style followup to BOTW with more traditional dungeons, and a better emphasis on the storytelling moments. They can shake the overworld up a bit of course, and have us explore the same world but with a brand new twist. We will be able to see the ruins of old towns as well as new towns.

Plot twist, he read it on Nintendo website.

I don't know, I'd actually love to see a top-down Zelda in the style of ALttP and ALBW on Switch.

Two words: Outer Space!!!

Just imagine instead of fighting Ganon you could fight Ganon... from space!!!

That or dystopian biker gangs.

Nope, got one better. Inner space. Go inside Ganon to help the last shreds of goodness fight back against the evil. Boss fights are tower defense levels. Final battle? Ganon's heart. Yes, see a side of the monster you've never imagined. Free Ganon to free yourself.

A Link Between Bones; Fall 2020

Crossover with Kid Icarus. You could even merge the universes. Have some set-up where Palutena and Hylia are "sisters" in the Pantheon of Gods and Goddesses and Hyrule is one of many worlds in the shared universe. This could make the Legend of Zelda series a part of something even bigger, which would be hard to fathom, but intriguing.

A decent amount of time after the events of BOTM, Demise and Pandora (The Goddess of Calamity) working together to destroy both Hyrule and Angel Land. Have some adventures in Hyrule (including Gerudo, Akkala, etc. etc.) and some in Angel Land (including Underworld, Overworld, etc.).

Gameplay would be mostly similar to BOTW. There would some missions where you have to play as Link, some as Pit, so where you control both, and (because it's the Switch), even some optional side missions that require co-op play. But of course, there would also have to be more classic dungeons. And because of that, gameplay would likely be more linear and story driven than BOTW. I suppose you could save most of the exploration stuff for Angel Land, Skyworld and the Palace in the Sky, and some in the rebuilt kingdoms from BOTW.

Hopefully back to its roots.

I must be one of five people in the world who doesn't like BotW.

This please! Then maybe a 2D top-down Zelda, can't forget those.

I'd love to see an iteration on Breath of the Wild with a more dense world with more to see and do, or at least more to do (Breath of the Wild offers a vast, beautiful world to explore with lots to see but not a whole lot to do) , and perhaps larger, more elaborate dungeons would be great.

I'd for that, plus bigger towns. They could make the towns have loading screens if that helps, then they could be the size of Skyrims towns, but preferably with more unique looks.

Hyrule Castle in BotW was a marvelous example of how to fit dungeons into the "open-air" format. If we got dungeons just like that, as well as cave systems and underwater areas to explore, all with optional permanent upgrades like a hookshot (doesn't need to be necessary for doing puzzles, just an upgrade that helps climbing, but not STRICTLY necessary for anything) or whatever.

That's... about it that I can think of. Story was never a strong point of Zelda so it not being that focused on in BotW affected me little. I suppose you could refine breakable weapons a bit as by endgame you were just overflowing with weapons, so the middle-ground wasn't really there though.

Or — here's a crazy idea — what about an open world Zelda game that's actually an RPG? As in a branching narrative with meaningful choices and consequences and multiple endings?