Lol. So you're saying it's a compromise between a game that would have sold well, and one with weird art..

Between the two "camps"; fans of the toon look, and other gamers.

The art style is not completely Skyward Sword. There is a lot more detail and contrast, and the lighting is more TP/Windwaker HD.
Basically a blend of the last three, but with more SS.

That's what Zelda does best, a unique art style.

ANYWAY, OP is right, a dark Zelda would move more Wii-U's. BUT Zelda is not a system seller, Zelda is the most critically acclaimed series of all time. And we should be looking at how great this game will be (and it looks **cking great), not how many systems it will sell.

We need to see more of this game in action especially the different environments to really make a judgement on its graphics and art style. If this is the "Hyrule Field" that was shown then i am mightily impressed especially considering its typically the most generic and barren part of Hyrule. Can you imagine what Death Mountain or Dead Woods or Lake Hylia would look like - visually stunning I would imagine.

The trailer hardly showed much which was a letdown considering it was almost shown at E3 last year. I would have thought an extra year would produce a much more substantial trailer. Heck, I was convinced that it would be playable at this years E3.

I really do hope there is voice acting in this game. Nintendo really needs to implement this so the world of Hyrule can come alive and not feel dull and lifeless. At least keep Link silent but other characters must have a voice!

Why do people want Zelda to be dark?? Play Bloodborne if you want dark. I play Zelda with my kids, looks perfect this way. Looks like a game for all ages, not just for teens who feel too 'mature' to play cartoons.

This unique art style looks like another one that can stand the test of time. That unreal tech demo style would age rather quickly, looked soulless too.



Oh no he looks like a girl (he does?) so what. Looks great.

Me:

"Imagine where gaming would be if people could look past preconceived notions and general stupidity and instead educate themselves with basic knowledge of the things they claim to know and care about"

In other words, it is a shame that people might not get Zelda because the graphic style isn't ultra realistic or whatever. Seriously, if it weren't a business and if it weren't immature to say so, I would just be like "fuck those guys, they don't deserve to play such an awesome game anyway". But in the end it sucks that the only way to attract casuals is to essentially make casual games that are all hype because they appeal to the basic level of impressionability so many self-proclaimed "gamers" have, lol. (On RARE occasion a game that rides on hype actually turns out to be good, but that's a 1-3 times a year thing per console, IMO...)

I've never heard of a 'casual' Zelda fan. Zelda fans will buy the Wii U for Zelda, regardless of how it looks, no one else will.

Quoted because I couldn't have said it better.

The game looks excellent and I can't wait to see more of it.

I think we're all being a bit premature in judging this art style. There's a big difference between the look of the field, and in the woods. And we all should know from SS and WW that there's a lot of scope for darkness in cell shaded graphics.

I think this game looks gorgeous, and when we see more of it I think we're all going to be blown away.

This can be a HUGE success, provided Nintendo actually markets it.

What I want from this though is a dark story, something that shatters the idyll of Hyrule.

I love the hell out of this artstyle. I thought SS had so much potential but never reached it, this is simply amazing.

That being said, the reality of the majority gamer market is that waaaaay too many people put emphasis on graphics over everything. A cartoon Zelda isn't going to move many Wi U units.

That being sbaid, I don't reallly mind. As long as we get a great Zelda game, that's all that matters for me.