I have put about 35 hours into Fallout 3 so far and last night I came to the conclusion that Fallout 3 comes the closest to the feeling of the original Legend of Zelda than any other 3D game I have played.
How I felt when playing the Legend of Zelda:
When I played the original Legend of Zelda about 19 years ago I remember that as roaming the world I had a sense of being a lone warrior adventuring through a land of many mysteries and openness. I could go practically anywhere in the land from the very beginning although it was very easy to die if you tacked certain areas too soon, but by going to areas you were not prepared for yet could offer great benefits, like getting the master sword early. As I looked through nooks and crannies I would constantly find new areas without any hint to them being there, the over-world was truly the most amazing place in the game. It gave me the true sense of adventure that later the SNES game A Link to the Past duplicated for me. The game also made me feel small and weak compared to the massive enemies I would constantly face. I loved the game so much that I would hum the over-world theme while walking to school in the mornings just dreaming about being Link.
Why the 3D Zelda’s have not made me feel this way:
For me Ocarina of time was the fifth Zelda game I played. It was an excellent game and I spent many hours playing it, beating it and playing again. The move to 3D was very good, the graphics were gorgeous, the NPCs interesting. But for me there were a few things that were lost in the transition. I didn’t feel like the underdog taking on the unknown and I didn’t feel free to go where I wanted. Hyrule Field though amazing when I first ventured out into it seemed barren and empty, this was most likely due to hardware constraints. There were very few enemies roaming the field and it would be rare for me to be able to adventure into areas that I would have no chance fighting the enemies except for the un-killable enemies. Also the secrets areas were usually in obvious places had you played previous games, except for the ones you needed the rumble pack to find. Twilight Princess echoes most of this, but in the case of this game it was not due to hardware constraints that limited the developers. Wind Waker on the other hand brought back a little more of a sense of mystery to the land, at the expense of difficulty and length of dungeons.
Why Fallout 3 brings back the feelings:
First let me get it out of the way that the gore and choice of being good and evil are not part of what makes this game reminiscent of the great original Zelda game. I have also not completed the game yet, so it is possible I may make an update to my opinions once I have done so. After making my way out of Vault 101 and hanging around Megaton for a while, I ventured into the wasteland and started to explore. I slowly ventured further and further from my main hub, Megaton, often going back to sell items I found. In doing so I slowly found new areas, subways, holes, and hermits hiding away in areas that you could probably easily miss and never see playing the game. I often died because I would venture into areas that had enemies that were too tough for me to fight at my current level. The sense of awe, loneliness, excitement, and wanting to collect that I had missed since playing the early Zelda games came back to me. And I finally realized that this is the 3D Zelda I have been waiting to play.
What do I want from the next 3D Zelda game:
I would like for Miamoto and Aonuma to take a look and Fallout 3 for inspiration for the Hyrule Field of the next game. I am not looking for them to make the series more mature and I would be fine with either of the art style from Twilight Princess and Windwaker, both of which had great art styles.
Though a graphical update would be nice to show off what the Wii is really capable of, I would still be satisfied if they didn’t upgrade from TP. I am looking for a more open world with an undying sense of danger around each corner and enemies constantly popping up. The game should remain in the third person view and bosses should not be all about just using the latest item you found to make 3 blows to defeat them. Secret areas also should not be just looking for the big bolder that sticks out and bomb it.
The newer 3D Zelda games feel like they are stuck in a rut, Windwaker showed signs of breaking free, but TP fell right back into it. The items for advancement in the game should be a surprise when you get them. When I entered different parts of TP and saw a grate on the wall I thought, “Oh, I’m getting the grappling hook in this level.”
It would also be nice if Nintendo fleshed out the story a bit more in the game and added VO for all characters except Link, though the story should be one that can be enjoyed for all ages. All text should be voiced, instead of the classic beeps and boops that the NPCs make, this makes the game more accessible to a wider audience. I have heard Navi say “Hey” a million times too many.
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I think that is enough for now, if people are interested I will flesh out my opinions more, just let me know.
Tell me what you think about my thoughts and where you agree/disagree.
