Topic: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

The transition has been gradual I suppose. Where as final fantasy was a sudden jump from fantasy to sci fi, it happened early on in the series life time. Zelda has been medieval fantasy for the majority of it's lifetime, and the change in genre to sci fi seems as warranted as it would be in Elder Scrolls or Lord of the Rings.

I guess my question becomes, how far is too far? Cars replacing Epona? Laser guns replacing the Bow and Arrow? A modern/futuristic city replacing Hyrule Kingdom?

There is a certain anachronism (unfittingness/out of place) to robots and futuristic stuff in Zelda's setting that really bothers me. I wish I could turn off the way I feel about it with the press of a button, so I could conform and enjoy Zelda's evolution like other fans, but I can't.

The least I can do is be happy for those who do indeed enjoy Zelda's genre changing. I am curious as to how the demand for it's genre changing began in the first place though.

I'd say it depends on several factors. Such as how significant the overall setting is to that franchise, how well the transition is handled, and how well the identity, charm and appeal of that franchise is kept afterwards.

TBH, some of the tech stuff has been in Zelda for a long time.

The Guardians are pretty much just mobile Beamos, which have been in the series since at least ALttP.

There were telephones in Link's Awakening, as well as character who had a camera and photograph you several times throughout the adventure (heck, there was even a camera as an item in Majora's Mask).

Even the original Zelda was supposed to be an adventure that spanned past & future, with Link being the "link" between the two eras, with the Triforce pieces being computer chips, though the idea had to be scrapped.

Yeah, there's been some technology here and there in the past. It never really caught my attention in the past since it was in the background. But this game seems to make technology to be a prominent theme. If it was balanced out with more medieval fantasy elements I might be able to stomach it more. Like, based on what we've seen thus far, there is more technology than magic.

If Zelda had gone with the original computer chip story from day one, this wouldn't bother me at all. But because the series had established its setting as medieval fantasy, now that it's going futuristic, I fear that it's losing a large part of it's essence in the processes. Places like the magical forests or the castle town won't be the same with robots running around.

If that thing really is a spaceship as some speculate, where do we draw the line? How far is too far? Link driving a car instead of riding a horse? Link using a laser gun instead of a bow and arrow? That's not Zelda to me :/

Technology doesn't really rob Zelda of its essence I think. Zelda is more about exploration, adventure and puzzle solving. There are other games with the same essence but different themes like Okami or Darksiders. I think that's the word you're looking for: theme. You still do all the same things that make the game fun, it just has a bit of a different setting. I can understand how tech in Zelda might break your immersion, but for me if it's fun then bring on the cars and lasers.

Zelda has always had magitek all around.

At least starting with ALttP.

Even if that city in the sky ended up being a futuristic spaceship from another planet, the series has had aliens before.

I'm not denying that there has been tech in the past, but it's always been in the background while the traditional fantasy elements (castles, knights, magic) remained in the foreground... until now perhaps.

Would you not think that Link driving a car or shooting a laser gun would be out of place or unfitting? I think that technology should have it's limits in Zelda.

The tech in botw feels more magically than technology. It still has an high-fantasy theme.

Edit: star wars sci-fi? Sci-fi is rooted in technology, star wars isn't. Star wars is actually a classic fantasy tale which happens to take place in space. The young farm boy discovers he has magical powers and travels far away trying to free the land from an evil wizard.

Bad example I used. Let's say Halo instead or something.

We haven't seen cars or any of the sort in this game. So I don't see a reason to worry about it.

Trains already happened though... And that's a bit closer to a car than a spaceship.

Lol, that's the worse spaceship I've ever seen. It isn't aerodynamic at all.

I think you're making mountains out of molehills here. Zelda is still set in medieval or pre-industrial times, just with some, individual SciFi elements in it. For example, the steampunk Dwemer ruins in Skyrim enhance that world, not detract from it. They can do this because the Dwemer (like the Shiekah) are extinct and their ruins are spread out in the medieval world. Just take a look:

So I don't think it's a problem. Link's not going to get a gun or a jetpack, and he's always had grenades (bombs). The copy-paste towers and shrines are a bit of an eyesore, though.

Alright, perhaps I can chew on that with the perspective of ancient technology.

@Haru17 spaceships don't have to be aerodynamic, since they are traveling in vacuum.

Yeah, well this one was in-atmosphere, so don't be pedantic.

My thoughts on what it could be (some more sensible than others):
1. Aliens. Could this be the return of...Them?
2. Beedle has upgraded to a technological wonder of a merchant ship. I'm sure it beats all that pedaling from Skyward Sword.
3. Maybe a return of the Sandship (upgraded to fly) from SS? I wouldn't mind seeing those ancient robots and timeshift stones again.
4. Linebeck found an awesome new ship upgrade that allows flight.

As for the technology with medieval fantasy debate, I've never really had a problem with the "ancient advanced technology" concept since it's never been an overwhelming theme. The first occurrence I can think of are the Beamos found in ALttP.

I don't find the technology in BotW very intrusive so far since it's technically "old" technology. I kind of dig the dystopian vibes from it along with the natural aspects of the rest of the world.

Lol I was tempted by that pedantry. Glad you took it for the team Therad.

As for what the thing could be......

Tingle's Air Fortress of Doom.

What if it was actually a easter egg?

Just a unpopular thought.

But wouldn't it have to be a pretty elaborate easter egg given Breath's "See that mountain? You can go to it"-style marketing?

Remember how I wanted horse parkour and to be able to leap from a horse onto higher ledges? Well the glider basically does that and more, so I'm pretty happy about that.

On a related note, that bullet time state initiated by pulling out a bow midair actually consumes stamina the longer it goes on.

Well yeah, controlling time and space gets tiring quickly.

Anyway, it would be funny if it ended up being Beedle's new emporium.