Topic: The "BOTW/TOTK 3" Thread

I know it's early but I honestly can't think what the sequel (if we even get a sequel to TOTK) could look like or could do.

The only thing I can think of is going beyond Hyrule and exploring a whole world outside of the already big map. Or for all we know the twist for the third game is it's first-person (idk).

(note for mods: if you need me to take this down I will )

I don't think they will make a direct sequel for the same reason they aren't making DLC; they're done with that particular iteration of the Zelda formula.

The next 3D Zelda might be open world or it might not, but I think they will fundamentally change it from BotW.

Plot twist, the direct sequel of botw will be FF X-2 / Charlie's Angels style.
There will be trio Links with espionage and martial art skills to infiltrate the places.

@Kermit1 If this was in response to my comment in the OoT remake thread, by BotW 3 I was meaning the next open world Zelda. Aonuma confirmed in TotK interviews that open world is here to stay and BotW started the open world Zelda trend so BotW 3 seemed like a suitable temporary name for the 3rd open world Zelda.

I wonder if they would use the "engine" from BOTW/TOTK? Apparently they put a lot of effort into the physics etc.

Whatever it is, what chance does everyone give it of releasing before 31st December 2029? I'm going 60/40 yes.

Plus, is it a cross gen title with the Switch 3?

I should probably get around to playing more of the first two games before the next one rolls around, eh?

I think how the next game works will largely depend on what the nature of the next Nintendo console. It could be something like a Switch or it could be completely different. It’s hard to tell what Nintendo will do given their unpredictable track record.

I do think the next game will be open world with an emphasis on “go anywhere”exploration though. This non-linear, sandbox approach has really worked well for them by making the franchise appealing to a wider audience, outside those who grew up playing Link to the Past or Ocarina.

But I don’t think we will see the same art style, the same version of Hyrule, or the emphasis on completing small shrines increase health. This would feel too redundant for the third time. My next guess is that instead of increasing, the map of the next Zelda game will smaller. One of the biggest criticisms of the latest entry is that the map was too large and not enough of it felt “designed” and unique. The Zelda team respond in interesting ways to criticisms of their systems (fuse in many ways, addressed issues fans had with weapon degradation and useless monster parts) so it will be interesting to see what they will do with the next Zelda. I’d guess they are throwing a lot out for the next game and starting over with a new world and art style.

Yeah, I definitely agree that the next Zelda will probably be similar in terms of design (open world, lots of room to play with physics) because BotW/TotK were so popular, but please to God let them put this version of Hyrule behind them.

I definitely expect/hope that the next game takes place in a completely new rendition of Hyrule (or even some other land) with a new Link/Zelda & art direction. I don't hate it as much as others seem to, but I'd like to see them move even further away from the breakable weapons as well (or at least have a couple more rare weapons besides the Master Sword that are unbreakable, even if the MS is still the strongest, at least against the final boss).

Smaller open world and with more of the traditional Zelda aspects re-inserted would be fun - keys, heart pieces, more traditional dungeons, permanent special items. How do you do that without gate-keeping it to be more linear? Have things change depending on what order you do dungeons etc. There could be difficulty scaling, items appearing after so much progress in any direction, etc. You can be open world without allowing someone to beat the final boss with a starting stick. Being a little bit linear (but still extremely flexible) is not a bad word.

No idea if they will take it this direction, but that would be my dream, combining the best of both worlds in terms of Zelda-ness.

@FishyS I think it can be done. Soul orbs are basically heart pieces anyway (and some of the shrines are hidden behind "quests" that would have rewarded you with a piece of heart in older games). The thing was in BOTW there was a very whole hearted commitment to everything being non-linear. Very few other big games had committed to that before or since.

That said it's possible. You can see in ToTK - though it has a less tight focus overall - the depth and variety of the systems means that a player can go "deep" in many different ways. You can be the player who tries to find every well or you can be the player who tries to solve every problem in Gerudo town and only ever fights with a spear or you can be the player who solves every problem by building a Gundam Mech. You might see a mountain and always try to climb it or you might always reach for a hot air balloon or you might always use Ascend.

In ToTK that effects the way you play but it could be leaned into a bit more. The abilities could be upgradable along linear paths for instance and these upgrades could unlock new areas and shrines. If you had this you could have a non-linear open world with a distinctly linear optional path (or series of alternate parallel paths) laced within.

That would be death to BoTW but it would fit better into ToTK (which already kind of begins down this path). Whatever the case is I'm more than happy to let Nintendo's designers come up with whatever they want to. I trust them to understand their work more than we do on this message board.

I trust Nintendo to make an undeniably good game, I just selfishly want them to make a game I personally would enjoy. 😝 BotW though undeniably good just had a lot of aspects I didn't like so I skipped TotK.

Since we are trying to predict in this thread, the only thing I feel like is 100% predictable is that the art style will change quite a lot. Nintendo has a tradition of mixing up the formula every one or two games, so it's honestly hard to even imagine what they'll chose to do in the late 2020s on a console we haven't even seen yet.

I love both BOTW and TOTK. Heck, TOTK might be my favorite game in the series and all time. But it is time for the franchise to move on. I think it would be cool to see another take on a Wind Waker style of game. Make the islands more expansive and the sailing better. I would also like to see Links movement restricted a little, for dungeon purposes. It felt like the mobility of Link required the dungeons to be more open ended in TOTK and BOTW, which restricted the games ability to make more classic style dungeons.
As for the story, all i ask is that they abandon the memory system. Its not bad, but I would like to see the story be reliant on story progress rather than how many memories I can find. Final thing is the artstyle. I don't know what I want, but the BOTW style is getting old.

Maybe a return to the Hero of Time storyline.

@Kermit1 I think it would be really cool if they made a game based off of Zelda’s journey in TOTK. We could find out more about the Zonai and Rauru and how he built Hyrule. It would also be really cool if Zelda was playable and links the supporting character. I’m sure they wouldn’t make it, but I like the thought. Or a game about ganondorf. I would buy that day 1…

@SmashBall35 I realllly want a game with Zelda as the main character. One of the reasons I didn't end up buying TotK is that I'm just sick of Link. Let Link take his turn as a npc.

I suspect that it will be set in the future to allow for cities to be rebuilt. I still would love a game with the original 10000 years ago war, just to see Hyrule at its peak and the sheikah tech all working. AoC gives us some of that but imo not enough. I do hope the depths return, perhaps also with a civilization down there. Perhaps good monsters? I also hope the dragons stay as well.

@blindsquarel I agree. Would be neat to get a Wind Waker style game built on BotW foundations.

I doubt they’ll continue this particular storyline.

Going to the “near” future will mostly just undermine Zelda’s desire for long-lasting peace in Hyrule (since there needs to be conflict for there to be a game!). And going the “fuzzy distant future” route as usual, then that would be just its own Zelda entry separate from the Wild saga.

So the best direction for this particular ongoing lore would be either visiting the past, or a visiting a different Kingdom with its own problems. We already know Hyrule is not the entire world, and Yona makes it clear there’s other Zora’s Domains.

So there’s room for the Terminas, Labrynnas, Holodrums, and New Hyrules of the world to have their own stories in this saga, I suppose.

@EaglyBird As opposed to the Ocarina formula (which is really just the ALttP formula in 3D) that they used for 5 games?

It's all but guaranteed to be open-world again. Unless Aonuma changes his mind, they're done with this version of Hyrule.
Whether the next 3D Zelda is open-world or not, water and underwater travel could be really cool. We have the surface, underground, and sky in Tears of the Kingdom. The Sea in the latest Zelda games is an afterthought by comparison.
I want a map smaller than Breath of the Wild, I'd also like the green tunic as the main clothing again as well as more traditional dungeons. Also, it's time to make Zelda playable. And there should maybe even be a game one day where she is the sole playable character.