Talking Point: Could Nintendo Squeeze Another Zelda Game Out Of TOTK's Open World?

This is what Zelda is now going forward.
They can make smaller spinoff games but this is what the main series will look like for a few more entries.

I think if the next Zelda releases for the next console, that will have it's own version of the legend. (Much better than a timeline.)

Edit - They already pretty much confirmed it will borrow much from TotK / BotW.

They should reuse the same world map as a base, but show us time travel and a different era of the history of the land…. Or bring us to an alternate version of the land where something changed historically (the future era of Age of Calamity or something). Let us explore under water.

Give us a Dark World or Parallel timeline with different timeline things spun in.

Yes, I would go back to this Hyrule again and again.

What they’ve done is phenomenal with Tears of the Kingdom. It shows how just six (or so) years of in game time changes things up.

I’m 120 hours in and only now starting on the 2nd Temple. It’s more fun to explore and adventure than playing the actual story.

I hope they do something smaller, not small, just smaller. This civilization has a "can't go back" mentality though, so I don't expect that.

Legend of Zelda totk but with space and ocean exploration and new funky mode

Thinking about the the timing, the next 3D Zelda is 2028 - 2030...which puts it towards the end of the Switch 2 life cycle or maybe even a launch title for Switch 3?

I'd love another game based on this world, but given the development leadtimes I think the next titles we'll see are:-

1. A new 2D game
2. 4K single releases of Windwaker + Twilight Princess (think Metroid Prime Remaster but on the new hardware)
3. A port of a link between worlds

Not anywhere near completing Tears, but unless it ends on a cliffhanger, I want something entirely different next time. See you all closer to 2030.

Back to the game.

It would not surprise me at all to see them reuse the entire game world/engine again for a 3rd installment. I hope for a dlc announcement in a year or 2 at the very least. But from my 30 hours so far vs my 300+ hours in botw, tears is even better in every way you would hope a sequel should be. But there is still so much of love to see that I think Nintendo could implement into the game as it is, like the ability to have a friend in local/online, take control of any of the npcs, including a soldier, to co op the game. That is the 3rd game right there. Same world, just something completely new, as well as story of course.

All I know is that I can trust in Aonuma. Let him decide.

God no. If it had more life in it then sure, but right now its just wasted space. Like living in a big mansion but only using the closet 🤨

No, pls no.
As much as I love TotK, already knowing what places I will find when I go in a certain direction takes away from the exploration

The only way I can see this work is if they use the map as a base, in terms of geography and general shape... and then fill it out completely. BIG cities, castles, caves, you name it, leaving almost no patch of ground like it has been in the previous titles. How would civilization expand?

I always think Hyrule in BotW and Totk is a bit... small for a kingdom? I mean, if you look at the size of the settlements and the castle, it wouldn't make sense for much more than say 300 people/creatures to live in the kingdom?

Let us skip ahead a few hundred or maybe even thousands of years after rebuilding Hyrule, and show us a huge, thriving kingdom. A game like Genshin for example already has towns which feel bigger.

A Majora's Mask time system could work as well I think, but only combined with a fully built-out map.

I'd like smaller games too, though. I'd come back sure. But still it be another 5-6 years to return to a familiar (with new parts) Hyrule?
The handheld systems provided opportunity to do smaller projects along the way. Being a hybrid system, I'd like to see the Switch (& 2) continue this. Sprinkle in some smaller adventures and get a little weird with some mechanics along the way. Otherwise we're talking over a decade of really the same base Hyrule. And don't get me wrong, I'm constantly impressed with the new aspects and am loving how the new devices lend opportunity to tons of new puzzles...
I guess I'm saying I'd return for a third pass, but let's have another adventure in there too. Handheld size is fine ~20hr.

Two games with this map is enough. Nintendo is so creative, I'd love to see them come up with a totally new map that brings a brand new experience. Especially when these games take so long to make now.

I think that the next mainline Zelda will be a new map and graphical style. They did an impressive job of expanding upon the original BOTW world, but it can only be done so many times.

One thing is a must, to me, though. They must remain open world going forward. Open world is so immersive, there's no turning back.

They could easily release a more traditional 2D top down Zelda based off the current BotW and Totk universes and maps. They’ve established enough complimentary characters to build a spin off storylines at this point. Either way it’ll be YEARS before we get a new mainline Zelda to fill the gap so this could be an option. They could easily plant the seed for spin offs or a separate entry via Totk DLC. Hopefully they take the series in a new direction after Totk

Surprisingly I think I'd actually want them to make the new map smaller, I find my favorite places in these games are the areas that they purposely fill out with more things to do. Also hot take I'm not super interested in shines or koroks anymore I feel like I had my fill of them in the first game. Maybe bring back more unique fan favorite items like the hookshot to change up the gameplay and combat.

This would genuinely be my nightmare scenario. Well, as much as you can get a 'nightmare scenario' from gaming anyway.

It's a 6-7 year wait between Zelda entries now, and Nitendo don't seem to make new 2D Zelas any more, so it's looking likely there will be nothing to plug the gap for the next 3D game other than ports of ports. Waiting for so long again only for them to use the same world again... Just no.

They definitely need to do something new next time.They already pushed their luck re-using the overworld once, and I personally am still not a fan of the decision to do so at all, although they pulled it off much better than I feared. Doing it again would be genuinely awful.

I honestly don't even want them to make DLC for this game, because that just means an extra 6 to 12 months until the next Zelda. Obviously they almost certainly will though; they'd be bonkers not to with how many copies they've sold.

I enjoyed Tears of the Kingdom for what it was. I've done pretty much everything I care to now after sinking 120 hours into it (thanks, temporary unemployment!). So I've definitely got my money's worth. But the Breath of the Wild style of Zelda has now run its course in my opinion, and a lot of it felt stale throughout my playtime despite me mostly enjoying the experience.

The next game should not only be in a new world, but it should rethink the rethink of the conventions of Zelda. Open world gameplay is almost certainly here to say, and that's a good thing, but I hope the next game reintroduces classic Zelda stables, with the return of traditional dungeons and dungeon items, an epic story that is contemporaneous rather than told through memories, new areas becoming accessible for the first time all the way through the game, a SS/TP-style soundtrack, actually good rewards for exploration, a more compact and focused world, and with collectable bloat (all the different foods, monster parts, etc) removed and replaced with a much smaller pool of more deliberate, more unique, and rarer collectables. Take many of the BoTW mechanics like climbing, cooking on the go, an interactive physics/chemistry system, towers to reveal the map, unlockable warp points throughout the world, and most importantly a freely explorable world, but add back in Zelda features on top of all that.

Why would they? TOTK already suffers a bit from stretches where you feel like you've played it all before. I'm only 20 hours in, so I expect enough new places, but the overworld itself... I'm finding myself wishing for a smaller world, more densely packed like Skyward Sword's.

If they do I would hope it is set in a new era. Give Hyrule time to rebuild. If so though I would like a new villain. The Yiga clan were a joke but done seriously they could be a serious, grounded threat. Ganon/Ganondorf is the only thing in LoZ games that I have had enough of.

It’s honestly possibly because the world is so vast so one could easily say that this is Hyrule’s geography for now. So then the major change would be the people and cites. There is a ton of space for that. Even moreso if they expand Zora’s Domain to underwater. Of they do that they could change the scale of the map a bit which is actually small because it is sparsely populated. If Hyrule Castle town was the size of a real city?! That would be cool if done right.

The rune powers could technically come back with enough time lapsed. I would like to see the holdings of other species improve. Let the Gerudo have a second town. It was implied they were more prolific before Ganon started a civil war. It seems they never fully recovered. It would give the devs time to densely pack lore into the world. Expand on the foundation and give Hyrule a real culture and history. Take an Elder Scrolls approach to the world.

Two (+ 1) is just right.
BotW shows us a sparsely-populated Hyrule.
TotK shows us one being rebuilt
AoC's opening chapters show us the major landmarks (castle town, Akkala Citadel, Hyrule Castle) fully intact.
That's enough of this particular Hyrule for me. I'm glad to have visited, and I've had my fill.

I like what they did with the open world concept, but I miss both the old 3D formula AND the 2D formula.

I'm loving TotK but the fact that it's the same map does make it less fun. It was exciting exploring BotW and going to a place I'd never been before. It's interesting but less exciting returning somewhere and seeing it changed. The most fun I have is exploring sky islands.

So yeah, I really hope they make a new map next time. TotK is fantastic but the same map again will only diminish it more.

Absolutely not. I suspect a massive world littered with shrines is the template going forward but it doesn't have to be this exact map with a twist or two. TOTK is already pushing it.

I bounced hard off TotK, so I'm leery of the idea of them making another Zelda game set in this Hyrule. I feel like for TotK they recycled BotW too much, including elements of the plot that only worked the first time, and I'm paranoid now that if another game is set in the same setting that said pattern will repeat for a third time.

An alternate land like Termina would be great, Totk is a bit darker than BoTW but they could go darker

No, th enext version should move ahead. Sure, it could use some aspects of BotW/TotK, but it needs to change it up too. It will likely be on the next console, so I think it will offer something different depending on how that takes shape.

Using it once more made sense, but a rethink is needed for the next Zelda. I'd like to see a much more imaginative landscape - something that didn't have so many mountains. Imagine something like a dry-land Wind Waker with a railway system, huge mansions, stately homes and estates etc.

I mean they probably could do it again and even might but I'd rather they make a lot of changes to the base map this time.

It's nice in TotK (and yes I did not expect that but they showed they could do it again well) but it'd be nice to make something more new as the base map next I think.

I think open world is the right choice and a different era of Hyrule with a different base map is the safest bet on what to do, the idea of a third TotK map might be safe and/or easier for them to do now but I think they probably will go for a different era this time.

I expect them to come up with some ideas that will surprise us but yeah those two are the safest bets right now.

But they could give us a different area in the Zelda world outside of Hyrule or anything at this stage.

Underwater exploring could be fun and cool and I'd like it, as long as the controls are handled carefully but I'd assume if they do that they will take great care in making sure of that.

I think WW style map is a possibility on what could be done and islands with seas is something they'll probably try eventually but I'm not sure they'll do that next though. It's possible.

I expect they'll mix things up though and have more than just one surface map with what they do next, as long as they think they can make that during the development cycle. I expect them too, following TotK idea of 3 maps to explore in a way. Underwater could be one way it could count.

Nah, I don't think reusing the same Hyrule for a third time would work. We already know the locations of the villages and other major landmarks so well. It was cool to see how they changed in the time since Breath of the Wild, but it's now time to move on. Adding additional overworlds can only go so far to keep things feeling fresh.

Yes, but it would have to change quite a bit more. If they sort of reshuffled the locations/topography and made it a dark world version like link to the past, I thjnk that would be pretty interesting. Would also need a new set of abilities of course

They already used half of assets from botw in totk. when ea or ubisoft do this, they are awful companies. When nintendo does it, it’s preservation of lore.

I'd love a remake of Twilight Princess. Out of all the games that didn't age well, TP aged the worse, even with the HD version on Wii U, it just highlighted how dated it looks. I remember watching a Trailer for TP with the epic music and the enemies riding on Hogback, over the field of Hyrule, it blew me away. When I played it at release, it had the everything there and looked good for its time and it was definitely the most cinematic of all the previous Zeldas (I mean it didn't have to try all that hard). I just feel that a remake of that version of Hyrule, would sell quite well, not BOTW or TOTK sales sure, but It would outsell the original.

However, I am a fan of this type of Zelda game. It's selling the numbers the franchise deserves and getting the love it needs. Mario was always Nintendos creative outlet it seemed and Zelda always seemed to play safe in comparison. Now though the Zelda franchise is doing Mario game like numbers and I couldn't be more happy that people are enjoying it.

I think Nintendo might be smart and re-release the 3DS versions of OoT and MM as a double pack this holiday season and they would make a mint.

I'd prefer a new game. Built from the ground up to push the limits of whatever the successor ends up being.

BotW/TotK is probably THE best duology in the medium, but even those of us who love this iteration of Hyrule don't necessarily want to keep puttering around it forever.

Return to termina

Yes they can….. but on a next gen Nintendo that is….. This game but more realistic graphics and darker.

Why push for a new 3D Zelda, if it doesn't use the BOTW map again, to translate another Zelda world into an open-world environment? Why not... just give us something new? Even just a different incarnation of Hyrule, as only A Link to the Past/A Link Between Worlds and Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom share their game worlds

The future of the series is open world (At least 3D, hopefully they still make classic 2D games.) but there is no way they can use the same world for 3 different games.

Maybe a game called Dream Waker. Link must visit temples and in the temples is a holy bed that connects dreamers. The story could bring the windfish back. He tells Link about a maiden( like Marin) that is trapped in the dream world and has to be awoken and freed with his help. The shadow nightmares are at it again.

There will be sailing and underwater exploration of course. The gimmick could be that every temple gives him a new spirit animal form with new powers to traverse the dream world. And he finds some power in the dream world he can use in the realworld to visit more temples.

The atmosphere would be more like Link's Awakening or Wind Waker. Definitely warmer and more upbeat. The artstyle would be more colourful and the worlds would have a wild and tropical feel.

I will be playing this for a very long time, they could just polish this engine more for future zelda game. This game is truly filled with story elements wich i truly love. They can just bring other ancient villains into the plot (majoras mask) and also those transformation powers. Roing trough hyrule as a goron, swimming freely as a zora, fly as a rito, and a sub story for the fierce Deity (favorite armor in totk) makes link godly lol.

I think a “trilogy” of BOTW-type Zelda games would be kinda funny, and Nintendo could totally pull it off. Different dimensions would be neat, but I think the main thing that’d need to change is something with the graphics or art design. Having three Zelda games that look the exact same would be weird.

The only thing I want is for these truly world class developers to finally get hardware that can fully realise or even run their vision without heavy compromises to both frame rate and resolution, or even just visuals, complexity, effects and textures in general, and not be stuck with the Switch's by now natural history museum- worthy specs. I absolutely love almost everything about the game, but that is not because of the Switch at this point, it is in spite of it.

I don't need PS5- level graphics either, just enough power to run things smoothly at least passing a bare minimum of full HD on my TV in 2023.

Hopefully they gave us a proper version of ganon in the next game that wields the trident like on four swords that would of been a much better fight then wat we got after someone spoiled me the last fight and the triforce should be more involved in the plot of these games which is kind of odd that ganondorf should of had the triforce of power right of the bat wen he awakened.

Ohh please hell no!! Who in their sane judgment would ask for the same Hyrule a THIRD time!
(Even fourth time if you count Age of Calamity)

Sometimes I think people are actively trying to destroy Zelda with this hive mentality of “Zelda is always a 10 so let’s allow anything and keep giving 10s”

This feels like The Last Jedi all over again because reviewers don’t have the nuts to judge and say all the failures of this game… and the ones who did got destroyed on the internet by a maniac and rabbid fanbase

And for hell’s sake … who wants to wait 6-7 years to play on the same map AGAIN?
Ask for more, people! Zelda is bigger than this!
Don’t allow Anouma and his new team to drag this franchise through the mud because of conformism of sales!
Make them work on a new map.
They didn’t even design it … it was the Xenoblade team.

Zelda should always be about new experiences, new lands, new items, new art styles, everything new. If not then it just feels like a 1.5 entry…. And these long development cycles for Botw 1.5 are disappointing.

TOTK, although fun, is repetitive and disappointing. It’s more of the same.

Well they certainly can’t make a new game with their talent

I absolutely want another game with the same set of characters and the same controls/mechanics as BOTW/TOTK. But I really don't want another sequel set in Hyrule. Now, if they wound up making some post-game DLC - something I definitely think would be a worthwhile addition, that's fine. But for the next game, the setting must change.

I have never experienced such genuine joy from a a game, TOTK might be the best game I've ever played. The devs are genius level, I think they should take it somewhere new to keep things fresh, new hardware and styling would be nice, but open world is a must. Maybe some indestructible weapons next time.... my only complaint.

A Wind Waker sequel, PLEASE!

Labyrnna, Lorule, shadow realm, golden realm, village of outcasts, aboda, kakiriko,

Anouki, Lockomo, Zora, Goron, Subrosain, minish, kokiri, kiwkwi, Hylian, Gerudo, Rito, human, timeshift robot, oocca, twili, sheikah,

Moink, rabbits, cucco, dogs, cats, goats

Poe, deku, Molblins, bokoblins, armos knights, leevers, peahats, Zola, chu, bits, bots, darknuts, dragons, floor/wall masters, gibdo, Stahl, gohma, dodongo,

There are so many locations and races and enemy types in all previous games that they didn't need to use Blins and Lizalfos the entire map. Each region could have had different enemies and towns and races.
They MUST use each and every one in the next real game.

Give us underwater as well! I'd love to see Zora and Zola at war with each other underwater and but having cities.
Imagine have to do stealth underwater segments!??! Infiltrate a Zola compound but restricted by the water. Sounds frustratingly fun! It's also never (to my knowledge) been done before!

I hope not.

This is a fantastic game and probably the best I've played in many years, and it just may be my third favorite Zelda behind Past and Ocarina, but let it be at this point. Let it stand as the achievement it is, but let it be.

They should flood it up till 50% of the highest mountains and make a sick new Wind Waker from it. The depths could become the Deep Ocean and Hyrule the new great sea.

But it should have a new (child-) Link and Zelda.

The main task of the game should be lowering the sea level. Which means it wouldn't be a "save the princess" game, so you could possibly pick either Link or Zelda to play as. It could also have local/online co-op (optional, single player still possible) and have actual weapon crafting and repairing,

Guess I still need to play BOTW…

@Il_Nintenditore Well, except for Splatoon, MarioKart and Super Smash Bros. Which are basically the same game each time with some (minor) differences.

If they make a third game in the same world and release it in 2033 with 2010 textures, I’m out for good.

We never really found out what happened after Majora’s Mask. I want a sequel.

@LinkfaceMcgee your comment is the best in the comment section sir. I love an objective and well written analysis. And I agree with everything you said.

They DO need to solve the reward problem.
How many times has someone wasted 30-40 minutes to reach somewhere only to find a chest …… and get a crappy weapon, or an amber or opal for the 200th time.
Or a Korok.

It takes away your desire to truly explore when all the rewards for doing so are trash

@Il_Nintenditore … I agree

@SpiderBall49 Now there’s a sequel I’d love to see!

@NintonicGamer yeah that would be cool. I also liked the feeling when you would get a bow or new weapon in link to the past. Where as now weapons are every where it doesn't feel as special.

I kinda want a first person option, really helps with feeling immersed

I was thinking about it the other day, and I realised how much I love seeing these characters evolve and grow from one game to the next. I thought a third game would actually be quite cool, but then I realised a DLC would be the perfect alternative. Give me more game and more story with the characters I love, and a fresh take on zelda in the next generation.

@Spider-Kev SLIGHT SPOILERS: I actually realised when talking to Yona for the first time that the game mentioned her being from another Domain of Zoras, despite the fact that only one exists in Botw/Totk. My theory is that the DLC could be focused on this, giving us underwater exploration, another zora city and some new zonai parts to make submarines with Ultrahand. Would be pretty cool imo.

Edit: Finally got the spoiler block to work, thanks everyone

Would love them to combine all the N64 and GameCube Zelda worlds

Or a TP/WindWaker sequal

Really loved WW cartoonish style.. this current art direction isn’t doing it for me (even though I’m having a blast at 80 hours in)

Just keep makin em and my Zelda fanboy brain will keep forking out cash

@the_beaver

I agree, a true WW sequel that isn't Phantom Hourglass would be really fun. Something between that time and Spirit Tracks.

As much as I love BOTW/TOTK, I like to think they're their own thing, but honestly I really miss a traditional Zelda game, Ocarina, Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword even though they aren't open world, feel like traiditonal Zelda games, Botw and TotK are a LOT of fun, and I love them, but kinda miss the older format for Zelda, things I love are dungeons with clever puzzles and temples with mini bosses which drop the key weapon to defeat the main boss. Even though they dont have as much as exploration or replayability, they're my favorite.

After being disappointed with Skyward Sword upon release and not being as enamored with Breath of the Wild as most are, they really won me back with Tears of the Kingdom and that’s not something I expected at all.

I trust whatever direction it goes next, even if it is a third visit to this iteration of Hyrule.

@rolo143

I agree on all counts, but they've stated that this is the Zelda formula going forward. So OoT style is no more

Honestly no, it feels like botw era Zelda is definitely the most recognizable currently, and it was my entry point into the series really. But I think using this same map again would just be milking it, and a fresh take on the legend would probably be cooler. I think it'd definitely be cool to have some twilight realm dlc in the future, or maybe some Minish content where you can shrink down and explore certain parts of the map shrunken down and stuff. Definitely not a whole new game though.

They could flood the land and have us sail from island to island (mountain peak to peak), they could put a giant egg on a mountain peak, they could have us time travel to distant past to future where land formations have changed, they could make a small side game out of 1/3 of the map and really flesh out the environment, people’s stories and routines.

@FawfulsFury also featuring Dante from the devil may cry series

@Zeldinion
text
[spoiler] text [spoiler] add a / to before the second spoiler word

That's a no from me, dawg. I love these games and feel that using the footprint of BotW's Hyrule worked this time...but I'm not sure I could take it again.
One thing I'd like to add here: thank you for not erroneously stating that Majoras Mask shared the Hyrule of OoT. I've seen and heard that from some people I follow, and I get how the mistake happens, but no.

The map needs to reflect more of the landmarks from the previous games, not just random places named after said locations.

TotK is a great game and I'm loving it, but it's feeling like a chore much faster than BotW did because I've already played BotW to death.

The thought of a new Zelda doing more of the same again...? I think that's a terrible idea.

Nintendo have a huge challenge on their hands right now. Zelda, Mario in 2D and 3D, Smash Bros and Mario Kart are all at a point where they're going to have to work so hard to take things up a notch.

Donkey Kong is actually same again... can Tropical Freeze actually be bettered? I always thought they'd bring us a third to make a Trilogy, but is this radio silence on DK (and nearly 10 years) an example of Nintendo hitting a dead end?

Challenging times ahead for sure.

Remember those rumours of an OOT remake? Not like the 3DS. A full on remake.

But how would that really go down off the back of BotW and TotK? Do we want to play old games again? Is Zelda destined to just repeat itself in an endless cycle anyway?! Ask me again in... hrmm... 6 years? That's if we're lucky!

After tears of the kingdom i think it's time to move on from the whole Botw style. It's been fun but I'm ready for something different and fresh.

Time Travel. Give Link the chance to visit Hyrule pre-Calamity and change history. Take the existing Hyrule template, but populate it with a living breathing population, and unruined towns.

I.e. do Hyrule Warriors in the actual TotK engine.

@Spider-Kev Thank you so much, I've edited mine now

I’m not opposed to this version of Zelda going forward, especially since there’s so much to do. I’ve never played a Zelda game as long as I did with BotW, so I feel like I get my moneys worth. I doubt we’ll get a third game on the Switch, but it’s not unreasonable to see some meaty DLC of puzzles/trials/side quests in the future. Even if the Switch successor is this version of Zelda with better graphics, draw distance, etc, I’m here for it.

I really think they should have made a separate Wind Waker series years ago. It's such a shame - everything about WW was perfect Zelda, and they never quite hit that high again. Big, but not open world, charming, and it had absolutely everything essential to the Zelda gameplay. It suited being in a world that was a little bit more technologically advanced as well, so you had things like railways and manor houses, but it didn't have the over-the-top sci-fi of Skyward Sword and Breath of the Wild. I enjoyed Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, but that style of game deserves more entries on better hardware.

I think totk got the most out of this map design, time for something all new for the next title

I wanted BOTW 2 and I got it in TOTK. But next Zelda I do want something completely fresh

Im betting the next game WILL be set in this hyrule, only it will be flooded, like wind waker.

They clearly are going to use this map again- why invest so much time into creating such a gigantic and detailed environment only to ditch it- they will just change the time the game is set in and reimagine the content of the map suitably. there will be oceans next time, im sure

I think the next game in The Legend of Zelda should be very similar to BoTW/TotK, but set in another land. Link goes of on an adventure after Hyrule and the surrounding kingdoms are saved once more. I believe that BoTW and ToTK are in their own universe/timelines apart from the other games. They are tye Singularity of the Zelda universe.

A sequel would have us explore space and the center of the planet as well as the multiverse for about 1000 hours of content. I think I'd rather explore Hyrule 10000 years in the past or in a more distant futur than a direct sequel. Why not give us a link between the Zelda lore and BOTW, and how all 3 timelines merged.

Submerge the map in water, then let it be like that for a thousand years so new species of enemies populate the map. Heavy focus on underwater exploration with under water caves, shrines and dungeons, also a boat for the overworld exploration similar to wind waker. Would be cool to add some kind of farming elements and proper fishing.

Apart from that though it's hard to see how they can make a brand new map and keep the same open world formula due to the zelda lore and it's races. There will always be a desert area, a snowy area, a ravine area, a fire area and a woodland area, for all the different races to reside in. Also it's always the same enemies in most games.

So there isn't much they can really do unless they stick to one biome such as a disaster that makes the whole map a sandy plain with oasis's dotted around the map, or a map that's just purely a forest or covered in snow etc, which sounds cool in principle but then people would still moan about it being too samey.

I really do think Nintendo have reached the peak of what they can achieve with the zelda series with TOTK, and they can't go back to the old formula due to risking a lot of missed sales as its not for everyone. It's going to be hard for them and interesting for us to see what they come up with next.

Personally I'd love them to make a decent sized spin off, warriors was great but I'm thinking maybe an open world turn based game with party members? Or monster taming?

I wanted a new map with reused assets long before TOTK was even announced. Now that they brought back but put twists on it. I’m willing to see it here also because they might be deepening the story. However I don’t think I’d react well if they reuse this Hyrule for a 3rd time in a row. If they do use this Hyrule again. Maybe changing the aesthetic.

I really feel more then ever for a different land. The reimaginings of Hyrule are nice like in Sky Wind and Tears but Termina, Koholint, STs Neo Hyrule, Oracles Holodrum and Labryna.
A Zelda game doesn’t need Hyrule to be good but the games that didn’t could be breaths of fresh air.

If it’s fun I’ll play it. Don’t care one bit about what it does for the video game industry as a whole.

after playing Tears of the Kingdom for 80h and unlocking nearly half of the most fleshed/developed version of Hyrule, i think, for the next mainline game of the franchise on Switch sucessor, Nintendo EPD 3, should use a new continent or a completely new take on Hyrule, like a steampunk Hyrule with Ganondorf/new villain acting like the Big Brother of the 1984 novel and please new art direction for the next mainline game of the franchise, that will problaby release in 2028/2030 on Nintendo Switch sucessor.

I am very ready to move on.

Would love to visit Hyrule and the Dark World a la Link to the Past!

@Crockin the Depths is kinda like that.

This is the third game in this iteration of Hyrule. Whether it fits into the chronology or not, Age of Calamity still used this world. Breath of the Wild is a trilogy already.

That said, going forward I hope we stick to this overworld. The Depths is a return to the "second" world format that A Link to the Past established. Use this overworld, give us a second world to go with it.

No. I adore TotK, I reckon it’ll dethrone BotW as my favourite game of all time when all is said and done but I don’t want another remix of the same Hyrule. I don’t know how they could unless they set it way in the future where everything is entirely different.

I want a new world, new art style. Really try and separate it from this era of Zelda. The most exciting part of every previous 3D Zelda was wondering what art style the next would use, what kind of atmosphere it would have, what kind of world it’d take place in. After Wind Waker it felt like they could do absolutely anything next; there were no rules. I’d honestly find it disappointing if after however many years it takes for the next game to release to find its the same Hyrule, even if it’s filled to the brim with twists like TotK. They’ve caught lighting in a bottle twice with the same world but I wouldn’t want them to risk trying for a third and failing.

@MythTgr they only defeated calamity ganon in that one but dont realize the real threat is underneath the castle

Move a few thousand years back of forward and they can completely rebuild Hyrule with new twists and villages to make it new and fitting for a brand new game.

Sure, they can build a 3rd game out of this version of Hyrule, but that would be a first in the series. My guess is they'll completely recreate Hyrule for whatever Zelda is coming for Switch 2.

I wouldn't pass on a re-visit to Termina with the BOTW/TOTK engine. Would be a refreshing spin on the series, and Majora's Mask holds a special place among Zelda titles.

I dont think reusing the same Hyrule will work a third time plus we most likely wont see a brand new Zelda game until Nintendos next console.

@the_beaver As a sky pirate, please.

Astonished they got away with using the same Hyrule this time. And to push hundreds more Korok seeds on us again was outrageous.

Remember setting off after the tuturial area and finding a familiar horse stable, barely believing that it looked no differrent to before.

If someone had just bought a Switch, I couldn't in good conscience tell them they need to get both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.

Weapon degradation encourages exploration, but there's a point in both games where you've explored most of the world, you know which weapons you like, and you're tired of managing space.
After a late story event, or maybe a reward for a big sidequest, or a late game optional transaction, there needs to be an option to make a certain amount of weapons permanent.
Weapon degradation is starting to feel very cheap at this point.

No, please please don't

It needs to change the combat system, outfits and the little side objectives. By change combat system I don't mean reinvent it but at least add a few new weapon types, completely change outfits and do something other than the korok seeds. I've already defaulted to using my tried and true setup that I used to use for BOtW one I got it all without even realizing it at first but the more I played the more I started realizing "this really is just more BOTW huh?" Thank goodness I didn't replay that game in preparation for this one.

It also gets real tedious to clear a small encampment only to get a slightly better version of a weapon or heaven forbid some bombs or something as a reward. "Oh great, something I can use to kill two or three monsters before it breaks." I started to avoid unnecessary combat because of that.

I want a remake of Minish Cap with Wind Waker graphics. Full 3D, the open world would get 10x bigger as Link shrinks down.

I guess I should add that I'd also like to eschew the Gorons, Rito, Zora, etc etc in the next game. New things please.

I wouldnt like that. It devalues the previous entries. I want to replay all my zeldas.

lack of underwater exploration is an interesting omission considering we've had iron boots since Ocarina of Time.
Though might be right decison.

I think Nintendo is going to sit on the first and second game until the next generation and release a upgraded version dual pack.

If James Cameron can make half a dozen avatar sequels for a movie that barely anyone remembers the plot details to i don't see the problem with making BOTW a trilogy.

@blindsquarel Right?@? This isn't Yakuza!

Shocked that this is even a discussion. C'mon, the most disappointing part of TOTK is using the same baseline map as BOTW. The best part of these games is exploration. We need a new map and regions next.

The problem with the success of any iteration of any franchise is that the developers settle into doing more of what's successful rather than throw everything away and start fresh. But, that starting fresh is part of why I fell in love with Nintendo franchises.

Eventually people clamour for a new aesthetic even if the core gameplay remains the same. This is why people got burnt out on the New Super Mario Bros design because, despite how competent the core gameplay was, the visuals started to feel homogenous. It would be the same if every Zelda going forward simply looked like more BOTW and TOTK.

I'm really enjoying ToTK so far, but no way. Three times is too many. Like someone else said, only if its WAY in the future and there's been a bunch of development and buildings. But even then, I'd prefer something new. Doesn't help also that I'm itching for a new 2D Zelda much more than anything else, so I'm not thinking AT ALL about what would come "after" TOTK.

People said the same thing [“they are milking it”] when asked about a BoTW sequel in same world yet when Tears came out the game knocked it out of the park.

I wouldn’t see it being different for a third game honestly. The great thing about open world format is you got tons of ways you can go about it.

I don't see why not, if they changed it substantionally. Underwater exploration and maybe proper flying would be cool. They'd need some meaty new side stuff this time, though. Not just exploring the whole map again and collecting korok seeds or holding up signs.

Or just do the exact same thing again. Many people seemingly want to play the same thing over and over again these days. Just look at how many have been crying about ports of Twilight Princess and Wind Waker for Switch for the entire generation.

@ManifoldCuriosity Assuming you've played TP and WW before, you realise those two sentences contradict each other?

@Il_Nintenditore

You read just the first sentence and then got all flustered and posted a pissy response, didn’t you?

READ IT ALL

I personally would not mind it. But I think if they REALLY want to shake up the series, make Zelda the playable protagonist instead of Link (who was incapacitated at the beginning of the game).

Zelda would have her divine powers stripped from her, and she would have to travel across Hyrule and completing the temples to regain them. And at the end of the game, she would fight a dark version of herself that would serve as a vessel for Ganondorf's spirit.

I'm not sure how much more Nintendo could add to this version of Hyrule. Simply adding more sky islands, more caves, and deeper Depths won't have the same impact again.

Nintendo did an excellent job expanding Hyrule to make it feel somewhat fresh again, but for the next Zelda after TOTK, a brand new map/world is probably needed here.

They got away with it this time, probably because of the lovely caves, sky islands and excellent depths. But for the next one I want a new overworld and new graphical style. That way we can also have some different races. But it really doesn't have to be even bigger then this one, since this one is already insanely big. Though I would like 8 dungeons again (I have yet to try the dungeons in Tears, but heard there are only 4 again).

Since it probably takes another 5 or 6 years, we do have plenty of time to finish Totk. That being said: A new topdown Zelda in the meantime, would that be so bad Nintendo?

@MarioBrickLayer

A gen Nintendo console without zelda ? Not possible !

The next Zelda will release (Spring 2028/2029?) on the next console for sure !

Maybe but I would much prefer a new location. Termina would be absolutely fantastic imo.

21% of respondents are the problem.

@billiybob76 I think Windwaker and Twilight Princess will get significant remasters, completely redone graphics like they did with Metroid Prime Remastered, but taking advantage of the new hardware. Plus a new 2D game.

We don't know when TotK started development exactly and we don't know how long the next generation will be...

What i didnt like about older zelda games, where the ending parts where they leave it open. Like when navi went away, and in majoras mask link went looking for navi but never heard of it again.
This time i want unanswered question answered lol.

And i hope tears of the kingdom will get story DLC eventually (will be playing this alot before even try to face ganondorf lol) i just finished the four temples, now sping the 5th. Pff that one is hard.
I really love the dungeons in this game.

It's time to change the landscape for the sake of a fresh, and new Nostalgia. Perhaps a Hyrule that isn't a big square sandbox, and more stretched apart.

no room for original ideas or content anymore

Underwater.

There has to be a reason why we can’t do something as simple as that when we can fly however we like in these 2 games. Are you telling me they haven’t thought of adding that to BOTW or TOTK? Perhaps a Wind Waker-like/Phantom Hour Glass-like game. Please make it a new world, unless some flood can make a new version of Hyrule beyond our recognition.

If not, Nintendo has the game engine to make another Hyrule quickly. The physics, code etc. are all there already. Plus, aren’t they basing TOTK on the Splatoon engine? Change some parameters, add a fresh design, gameplay, story and characters.I don’t see why they need another 6 years for an open world Zelda game.

@graviton I suspect a lot of the time developing TotK was getting the building right. That stuff is insane. Could be possible that the idea for those mechanics didn’t come up until later in development and so it pushed the game back, who knows. I really hope we get some kind of insight into the making of this game though like another GDC talk

I think they need to move on. I haven’t played through all of TOTK yet, so I don’t know how it ends, but this iteration of Zelda and link have had enough adventure.

I would love to see something that tries to bring together the twilight, the sky, demise and his sealing etc and with time travel.

How about one epic Zelda that combines them all

Considering how well Monolith Soft makes memorable open world environments, I can imagine the chances of having a new setting to be quite high.

After all, Tears of the Kingdom fully realized the vision from 2011... perhaps even further back. It wasn't hindered by the Wii U's hardware limitations. They don't really have much use for the same Hyrule anymore unless they still want to take on ideas from early concept art.

@Il_Nintenditore

Like I said, depict the same base land in a different era or give it an alternate timeline where different events occurred with different results.

Sounds like what they do with every Zelda game anyway, so you’re arguing with yourself.

There will always be a Death Mountain, Korok/Kokiri Forest, Lost Woods, Lake Hylia, Zora’s Domain, Hyrule Castle, Kakariko Village. These aren’t anything new and they aren’t reinventing the wheel, they are literally reusing almost every idea and just sorting things around differently.

You’re right, Zelda has been around for 35 years. Other than the one off adventure in Termina or Koholint Island, it’s mostly the same. Even those places were mostly the same.

The complaints and arguments of people who whine about the land being the same are not considering that all they are asking for is a couple more cities and stuff to be shuffled around.

The old Zelda games are a minuscule fraction of the size of Tears of the Kingdom. They don’t even scratch the surface of the epic adventure or scale of this recent version of Hyrule.

If people don’t like it they aren’t being forced to buy it or play it.

@FawfulsFury oeew wind waker era open sea temples and a underwater world.
And maki it like the depths but deepsee creatures.

Yes. They could flood the whole map with water, change the mountain tops to islands and then finally add in underwater swimming mechanics

@graviton I am actually surprised this game doesn't have underwater exploration in it over underground and sky islands since it was confirmed 'Breath of the Wild' was originally going to have underwater exploration and there were images released of underwater areas that were going to be more and it was also revealed there was going to be Divine Beasts that looked like a crab and jellyfish and one would have been situated on the beach area. If they were to use the same map again I would like to see them bring that to life and use the other Divine Beasts that didn't make it into 'Breath of the Wild.'

I believe they could do it but doesn't mean I would want them to. I want the series to continue to evolve and introduce new stories, characters, settings, enemies, ect. We have a whole trilogy of this particular world on the switch and I think that's plenty (plus the dlc!). It's been amazing but let's move on to the next world

So for me I voted Not opposed because honestly I’m not opposed to another Zelda game in this world but honestly I kinda want them to move onto at least a new version of the world even if it takes a genuine decade to get there. Like I’ll admit the sky stuff is cool and so is the depths but in truth a lot of TOTK for me that isn’t “well the towers look slightly different or the geoglyphs are cool.” Really boils down to stuff like yeah this feels like that one place from BOTW. Like I don’t remember playing so much of BOTW that I got sick of it. (that would be ocarina of time.) But like honestly there’s a part of me that goes man this sure does feel like modded BOTW or BOTW DLC. And I swear I know it’s not just that but it’s like if I pause and just forget I’m playing TOTK that’s like the vibe I feel. So honestly a fresh new world where I can go WOW THATS ZORAS DOMAIN?????????? versus my reaction in TOTK of oh. Yeah thats goron city again. Yippee.

It will be interesting that Breath of the wild and tears of kingdom have some kind of trilogy treatment.

@billiybob76 I agree probably 4 to 6 years for a main Zelda

When I look at the edge of the map, I know there is more out there. I want to know what's Neighboring Hyrule. I want to know who would go to war against the Hyrule Kingdom who sees it as a potential resource source. Got to be more on this planet that Hyrule is located.

I can see the world being shattered.

Your base / starting location is Hyrule, a bit down the line. Rebuilding going very well, relationship with Zelda is moved forward, or the two of them can have a pair of small kids. People finally know who Link is.

Someone is trying to revive Ganondorf as often happens, but they screw up, different versions of the world are all mixed together. Where Ganondorf had won, where Link never woke up, where anything could happen. You have to fix things, stop a victorious Ganondorf in one reality is trying to conq everything. Could be fun.

Not a chance the changes are minimal and not that interesting really this site is acting like a propaganda piece for nintendo.
This is no god of war ragnarok the world feels the same and it really just like playing BOTW 2.0 with a new story alongside the sky and depth! The open world is way more shallow than implied and carries a strong sense of pointless to the crafting and exploration, basically its a vase yet baron place hyrule. rose tinted glass have effected toooooo many people on this one simply because ‘its zelda’

I mean, I don't really want to go back to this kingdom again, but if they wanted to go off to a new continent with this era's Link and Zelda, that would be far more interesting.

I really don't want to tread this era's Hyrule for a 4th time. (Yes, I am counting Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. It has all of the same key areas of Breath of the Wild and uses the exact same map.)

Then again, let's not lie to ourselves. If Nintendo said they were doing this again, most of the Legend of Zelda fanbase, myself included, would still be there at the midnight launch.

I think I've had enough of this Hyrule for this game. It's definitely the biggest effort they could in expanding an already-huge game. The next one should be a completely new Zelda game, and that expands their opportunities to try new mechanics and stories.

I think of rather have dlc (story elements) than another game in the same world.
They can reuse the engine and Polish it more. But i want the next Zelda on a new more powerful console.