The Legend of Zelda series has been heralded as one of the most influential and overall greatest game series of all time. After playing all the games it is understandable that an avid fan would drool at the prospect of the next Legend of Zelda title. Over the past few years we have come to “expect” certain notions of the future games due to the “Zelda Formula.” However, with the advent of of Skyward Sword and A Link Between Worlds the Zelda Fomula has been challenged in multiple ways such as traversing the world, dungeon entering and layout, item acquisition, and changing or even abolishing established linearity. These new additions and changes leaves room for the imagination on what the next title would be. However there are some questions that most Zelda fans want answered, with these being some of the most common…
-Will it be sequel title?
-What Timeline will it take place?
-What will it bring to the Zelda Franchise?
With these questions in mind the future of the Zelda series is both a scary and beautiful thing to think about. Where would you like to go in the next adventure with Link?
What if this were to happen?
Sequels
Within the Zelda series there has been a number of direct and indirect sequels to established titles that ignore the rule that “each title is its own Legend.” Legend of Zelda had Zelda 2, A Link to the Past had Link’s Awakening, the Oracle games and A Link Between Worlds while Ocarina of Time had Majora’s Mask as a few examples. In recent months many rumors and fans have been debating that the next Zelda in line may be a Twilight Princess sequel or a Majora’s Mask sequel. A driving force behind this is the appeal and the desire for more darker installments within the franchise which is understandable as Majora’s Mask and Twilight Princess currently serve as the leaders of edgier adventures.
Would you return to the Twilight?
Timeline
With the official Zelda timeline out of the bag, gamers and historians eagerly await where to drop a new title in the lineage. With the release of A Link Between Worlds, the downfall timeline now has 7 titles in its ranks and many fans believe that is enough for now. With this in mind, they have pointed either toward the unified timeline or to continue the path of the child timeline as the adult has little room to grow after the events of Spirit Tracks.
Hmmm where to go?
Innovations
Most Zelda games bring innovation to the Zelda franchise and the gaming world in one way or another. Nintendo has kept a good trail with Skyward Sword and A Link Between Worlds to try and keep things fresh and bring new concepts to the table. I’ll put my money on that they can do it 3 times in a row. In recent talks during interviews and editorials, series producer and director Eiji Aonuma stated that he is ready to keep challenging the Zelda formula and to keep things fresh. His work on the series has shown that he is a worthy successor to series creator Shigeru Miyamoto and since he is returning to direct the mysterious Legend of Zelda for Wii U we can expect great things from Mr. Aonuma.
The Zelda series is in good hands.
With E3 knocking at our doorstep and the promise of the new Zelda for Wii U confirmed, it will truly be a good event for gamers and Zelda fans everywhere. Until then the creative juices within the minds of legions of fans seem to only get more potent with each passing second. The future of the Legend of Zelda is looking bright.