A Bunch of Tri Force Heroes Questions, Answered
Where did this whole thing come from?
“It starts with [Zelda producer Eiji] Aonuma,” Shikata said. “Once he did Four Swords, he wanted to revisit multiplayer at some point.”
Is there a story?
There sure is. “The story takes place in a kingdom that is obsessed with fashion,” Shikata said, “and within the kingdom there’s a happening, an event, and as a result of that the king sends out a notification asking for heroes to assemble.”
Can you play by yourself?
Yes! If you’re alone, the two non-player Links will turn into “dolls” that you can control by switching around on the touchscreen, which will presumably make the game feel way different.
Can you play with two people?
Nah. In fact, if one person leaves mid-game, you’ll be booted.
We know three people can play locally, but can you also play the whole game online?
Yep.
Is there voice chat?
Nope.
So how can people communicate if they’re playing online?
Skype is an option. Also, the game gives you eight touchscreen icons that can be used to send messages to other players.
Is there an overworld map?
No, but there will be a castle, a town, and a colisseum battle mode, Shikata says.
Why is the health bar shared across all three Links?
“Because it’s better,” Shikata said. (Also because you need all three players to beat each level, so if one person could die and leave the others alive, you’d all be screwed.)
What happens if one person has to leave?
You’ve gotta stop, save, and quit.
Can you save at any time?
Yeah, and the game will automatically save if someone drops out, Shikata says.
How long is the game?
“I think it’s a little difficult to answer,” Shikata said. “I could probably say if it’s one person just on their own sitting down we might be able to calculate it out, but when you have three people, the way they play [and] how they play makes a difference.
“Myself I’d like to say maybe an hour a day, an hour and a half to two hours a day, with three people playing together, there’s probably about a month’s worth of gameplay there.
“But there are a lot of extra elements and things you can do in this game. If you’re a completionist, you’re gonna be playing for a long time.”
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Not being able to play with two people is a significant blow for me. I was hoping to play locally with my wife and a "doll" partner. Looks like it's impossible. Either three human players or one human player with two "dolls."