Topic: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

I don't quite understand; why would a focus on combat make it an RPG? It would be more like a beat-'em-up if anything. It can still be about environmental interaction, too, if it's done well enough, especially if you have a healthy mix of combat and puzzle dungeons, or both.

I don't want it to be an RPG either. If it were an RPG, you'd earn experience and level up. I'd want the focus to be on how well you can fight, not how high your level is.

Fair point, I suppose items definitely have a combat purpose, so if you just found optional items that made combat easier, it wouldn't necessarily make the game an RPG.

Still though, personally, I go to Zelda for the puzzles. The series has never had good combat, so I expect other things at this point.

Of course, this would only work if the series revamped their combat. Personally, I was a fan of OoT(/MM) and especially Skyward Sword's combat, but it could still be way better. It should really make you consider your options, and use your surroundings.

Would anybody be opposed to an optional directional input via the touch screen? I know that most people weren't a fan of Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, but I think it would work well here, and it would make optional motion controls more likely. You keep the combat-based button controls on the left (you can optionally switch if you're a lefty), with the joystick for movement and ZL for Z targeting, and your slash direction would mimic what you do on the touch screen, or double-tap for stab. This may be an unpopular opinion, but I would love that!

I mean, it would be easier to just map buttons to a gesture. I loved TP's motion controls, so I would be happy with that.

I think Nintendo is aware that plenty of people really enjoyed the SS controls. So wouldn't surprise me if they implement a a Wii remote plus and nunchuk control method.

About optional sword motion controls. I don't think so. It's not as easy as just adding the option in. Enemies have to be designed around the motion controls in order for it to work. You cannot get both controls to work properly in the same game, without creating the feeling that one of either was shoehorned in at last minute.

Oh, please, the 2D combat has always been so too simple to be interesting. You have the basic sword slash, spin attack, and a sword beam, if you're lucky. That combat is just mashing B over and over again. Games like GCN Twilight Princess and the Wind Waker actually had interesting mechanics like the counter and hidden skills, not to mention the depth the different thrusts and jump attack. Zelda might not be hard, but that doesn't make the combat bad.

I would agree, though, that the core of Zelda is the puzzles, typically seen in the form of environmental interaction (especially in dungeons). I think past 3D Zelda games have struck the right balance between puzzles and combat. And we already have a model for combat-focused dungeons; they're called gauntlets, namely the Savage Labyrinth and Cave of Ordeals.

Yah, but I'm mostly interested in 360º slash movement. I suppose you could do the same thing with the right joy stick. That way, about what @Octane said, it would be easier to involve SS's motion controls in there if all of the enemies were built around directional combat. I just think that it would be cool to do it by touch.

I want the combat in Zelda U to be intense and fun like Twilight Princess but I bet its gonna be incredibly simple like Wind Waker. Wind Waker's combat didn't make me feel cool for being a swordsman at all. Great game though.

Because vaulting off your horse to shoot your bow is simple combat.

I can't imagine they'll regress from Twilight Princess in a next gen title with a button-based combat system. At worst they'll have the same hidden skills and a few new ones (like the horse bow time vault). I hope the back slice, shield attack, helm splitter, ending blow, and mortal draw return, those were so fun.

On combat, one question I have is what the new standards death animation will be for enemies? Sure, slimes will burst and explosive enemies will, well, explode, but how do bokoblins die? Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask had enemies burn up in blue fire while the Wind Waker on had enemies explode into evil purple smoke (http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/197104-the-memory-card-84-a-royal-assist/WindWakerPurpleSmoke-620x.jpg)

I rather hope we see next gen enemies burning up in blue flames, what do you all think?

I'm pretty sure they are sticking with smoke. They did it with Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword as well.

Its a cool feature but its nothing that big and will prolly be easily abused by gamers.

Getting deja vu here. Didn't we already have the conversation about wanting Zelda to be a shounen superhero game?

I don't want the combat to be boring!!!! Gawd!!! Twilight Princess was the last time I actually enjoyed swinging a sword in a Zelda game. The other Zelda games aren't bad at all. I just want more fluid and fun combat. That's it!!! You wanna argue with me about the many things Zelda U needs to improve on? Let's go. I want better combat, more customization, a well written villian since Ganon is becoming like Bowser to me, fun side quests, and even more stuff. I would much rather the vault off a horse mechanic would be like Epona vaulting Link at a enemy while slashing his sword.

Not really, no.

Great.

I like that the unnamed horse boosts Link up because I think it could allow for use of the sailcloth with that extra elevation. I'm also picturing vaulting forward off of the horse onto ledges or even Shadow of the Colossus-style bosses. I hope they do cool stuff with it.

I hope its used in cool ways too because right now it looks abusable and even... cheap. A technique that should be awarded after you beat the game... instead of having it so dang early.

You don't know where in the game that demo was, none of us do. In any case it seems impractical to abuse, as you would have to attack, land, and remount to use it again. If it's just a normal arrow I don't see why you would go the trouble of getting up on the horse again. The laser arrow from the E3 trailer seems much more powerful and that seems like a crafted item.

Any way I hope that vaulting is mostly for traversal instead of it being combat-focused.