The Legend of Zeldafranchise has come a long way since the first game came out in 1986, over three decades ago. Since then, there have been a ton of games that fans have loved, including spin-off games likeHyrule Warriorsin 2014. Just a few days ago, fans got agame in that style,Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, for the Nintendo Switch.
Not many video game franchises have as long and successful a history asThe Legend of Zeldadoes, and even people who’ve never picked up aThe Legend ofZeldagame can often recognize the long green cap belonging to the iconic warrior Link.Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamityhas already proven itself to be successful and received well among many fans, which has led some in the fan community to point out that sometimes deviating from the established formula isn’t a bad thing. InThe Legend of Zelda’s case, breaking free from the same old genre and gameplay format may be exactly what the franchise needs.
RELATED:A Playable Zelda Would Be a Game Changer for Breath of the Wild 2
Dynasty Warriors
While some people are unclear on whereHyrule Warriors:Age of Calamityfalls into the generalThe Legend of Zeldastorylineand how it contributes to the lore as a whole, largely favorable reviews, sales, and fan reactions have proven the game’s success so far. It’s already the bestsellingDynasty Warriorsgame of all time, meaning that the franchises' crossover has been extremely beneficial for both parties.
Dynasty Warriorshasn’t been around for quite as long asThe Legend of Zeldahas, but among video games series, it’s one of the older ones. Koei has not shied away from frequent cross-overs and spin-offs withDynasty Warriors, and has included other popular series likePersona, Fire Emblem,and even anime likeOne Piece.Clearly,crossovers have servedDynasty Warriorswell financially, and for many players, combining this franchise withThe Legend ofZeldais the best of both worlds.
Theoretically, some fans familiar withThe Legend of Zelda’s traditional gameplay style of exploration and communicating with NPCs and nature might find themselves jarred withAge of Calamity, as it’s solidly in the hack-and-slash genre. Of course, action and combat are an important part ofThe Legend ofZeldagames, but hack-and-slash games focus most of the game on combat. ForThe Legend ofZeldafans who love fighting best,Age of Calamityis perfect as it combinesBreath of the Wild’s stunning visuals with tons of melee, magic, and bow-shooting. Simply put, combat is what many video game fans love best, and many of these fans are what’s makingAge of Calamitysell so well. Not everyone likes exploring an open world for hours with long periods of climbing and puzzle-solving.
Cadence of Hyrule
The Legend of Zeldahas crossed over with other franchises beforeDynasty Warriors, and one notable example isCadence of Hyrule, the lovechild ofThe Legend ofZeldaandCrypt of the NecroDancer.This rhythm game did positively in terms of both critical response and fan reaction, and was even the bestselling Switch game in Japan during its first week of release. It earned a nod at both the 2019 Game Awards and the 2019 Golden Joystick Awards for Best Score/Music and Best Audio, respectively. Music has always been an important part of theThe Legend ofZeldagames to fans, even beyond the obvious examples likeOcarina of Time.
Music inThe Legend of Zeldagames is often diegetic, meaning that it isn’t just a background score to arouse emotion, but often has a direct impact on gameplay. It can be used to solve puzzles and move players through the game, such as the melodies granting access to different temples inMajora’s Mask.Making aThe Legend ofZeldarhythm game was a great choice as it honored an incredibly important part of the franchise. There are many other elements ofThe Legend of Zeldagames that are incredibly important to the game, so why not honor those as well and expand? MaybeLink’s bow and arrowthat serve him so well in many games could make an archery game. Maybe the animal riding, taming, and befriending aspects could lead to aMyPokemon Ranch-style game. The possibilities are limitless here.
The Future of the Franchise
Part ofAge of Calamity’s success and the reason it’s performing even better than the originalHyrule Warriorsgame is because it uses the gorgeous visuals that people came to love inBreath of the Wild(and are going to see again in theupcomingBreath of the Wild 2).Age of Calamityplays like aDynasty Warriorsgame using the characters fromThe Legend of Zeldalore and the visuals fromBreath of the Wildspecifically, and for many people, it’s a perfect mix of the familiar and the new/exciting.
Clearly, people loveThe Legend of Zelda. It’s not showing any sign of going stale or losing people’s interest, but that doesn’t mean Nintendo should play it safe and make the same game over and over. Popular cross-overs have already shown that people enjoy playing different types and genres of games within thebeautiful world of Hyrule. Some people will always prefer the classicThe Legend of Zeldagames, and that’s okay. There’s no reason Nintendo should stop making those and jump completely into the deep end of spin-offs. But given how diverse the fandom is and how many types of gamers there are, innovating more could both draw in new fans and reward old fans who like certain elements more than others.
The devs should certainly focus on what people know and love and not deviate so much from the formula that a future game isn’t even recognizable asThe Legend of Zelda.But the sales numbers and the community reactions have proven that a little innovation isn’t a bad thing.The Legend of Zeldais a series with a ton of varietyand tons of lore and elements, some of which could be expanded on and deserve their own games.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamityis out now on Nintendo Switch.
MORE:The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Director Came Up With the Idea for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
