What Zelda Can Learn from Skyrim - And No, It’s Not What You Think

A funny thing happened towards the end of the Year of Our Lord 2011. Bethesda released the latest entry in the ongoing Elder Scrolls saga, Skyrim. It was met with much fanfare and greeted with both critical and commercial success. People would play it, stories would be shared, and eventually the next thing would come along and replace it. That was how it was supposed to go – for that is the arc that most great games follow.

But something different happened with Skyrim. Something unprecedented for a single-player adventure RPG – it remained in the headlines. Even now, casual perusal of popular video game blogs and news sites will lead to brand new stories about Skyrim. It’s been almost two years, and Skyrim is still in the headlines.

So what does this have to do with Zelda, or any single-player game for that matter?

[-Mika-]

They could also learn from darksiders. Putting in an deep and entertaining story as well as a fun combat system. I had alot of fun just launching enemies in the air and just going all out on them. Nintendo need to really stop playing it safe and take risks. Playing it safe like this is not drawing any new fans.

[LocutusEstBorg]

What a mind numbing meh game that was a shamless God of War ripoff except it was boring.

[vakarian75]

A Zelda game with god of war styled combat would not work.

[jsslifelike]

Neither would a Zelda game with shitty, wooden, rigid combat.

[pixelsword]

No, it would not go well with a GoW play-style.

Besides that point, what can Skyrim "teach" Zelda other than putting out software that malfunctions on 1/3 of it's fanbase?

The fact that Skyrim is in the headlines after two years is amazing; the fact that Zelta is still in the headlines after twenty years makes it the teacher, not the learner.

[NukaCola]

As a Zelda fan and an RPG lover I have to say Kingdoms of Amular: Reckoning is a phenomenal way to go and I wouldn't mind a Zelda title that kind of flowed like that.

[papashango]

best melee combat system I've played to date belongs to Chivalry: Medieval Warfare

Oh how I'd love to see it in Skyrim. Would work with Zelda as well

[AJBACK2FRAG]

As I've said before on this site. If all the menus for Skyrim were on the Wii U games pad touch screen it would streamline the experience. Plus add a Skyward Sword like control scheme you'd have overall improved gameplay. Just my opinion.

[DarkBlood]

Actually the Story in "The Legend of Zelda series" are just fine the way it is, they don't need to be anything like darksiders. All your asking for is to mature it to a select few liking's which "zelda" is certainly not about.

you want over the top combat like darksiders well why dont you just play that game again lol, the gameplay in the "zelda" series is design that way it doesnt need to copy something that doesnt fit.

[Realplaya]

Why would Nintendo try to learn from them. They learn from their last game find out what people liked about it and make it better. Find out what people loved and improve upon it.

So No they are the company that others seek to emulate.

[DarthZoolu]

Nintendo doesn't learn anything from customers, if they did Zelda would be a 2013 game instead of games that have been brought into 3d realm thats just a little better than it was on Super Nintendo. Zelda has no attention to detail, no innovation, and is about as new as each years madden game. they need to make it bigger and better. Its 2013 that game is still in 1998.

[BeZdaBest]

@darth

no attention to detail have you did you played the n64 zeldas WHEN they FIRST came out...them sh!ts had details up the arse.

bigger like skyward sword..
well some argue that skyward sword is better (in certain things)than previous games...they get better and better...if you dont like it fine...but dont try that it doesnt change so much..

show me some games that change alot with sequels/prequels...

[Realplaya]

So the game that you have seen innovate is?

[linkenski]

"deep" story? I don't think so. The latest Zelda entries haven't had subpar storytelling but the only thing consistent about Darksiders' story is the style. The characters seem pretty one-sided and boring to me.

[Moonman]

@Mika...I couldn't hit disagree fast enough...lol.

[I_LOVE_MYSELF]

Skyward Swords approach to combat was great amounts of fun for me. It is like no other Zelda game I have ever played and yet it still felt familiar. I think they struck a nice balance with it.

[jcnba28]

"Nintendo need to really stop playing it safe and take risks."

You really haven't a clue what you're talking about.

The DS and Wii were HUGE risks. The media and analysts said they would fail.

100 million Wii's and 157 million DS's equal a failure? I think not.

In relation to Zelda, the only franchise Zelda can take learn from is itself.

[Dj7FairyTail]

Why Learn from a game that learn from Zelda.

Darksiders was inspired by Zelda that makes no sense to learn from a game that learn from you as is main selling point.

[LocutusEstBorg]

Delete

[SpiralTear]

Look, mods are great, but they don't MAKE a game like Zelda or Skyrim. Zelda and Skyrim are both fantastic games on their own; they don't vitally NEED mods. Mods are simply complementary ideas that work pretty well in practice.

This article seems to imply that mods will make Zelda "great" again. Can't agree with that, sorry.

[DarthZoolu]

if anybody ever says that Skyrim does not need mods either has never played mods, or does not play Skyrim on PC, or is a dumbass. There is no way that anybody that call themselves a gamer can say, "this game doesn't even need more great free content"

[CouldHaveYelledUiiW]

This article is about opening-up Zelda to the MOD community.

Zelda does not need this
BUT
It would be cool
Because

Not only would Zelda fans get involved
But OTHER Notable Developers
(Who have loved Zelda since they could play) would get involved.

Take my avatar for example,
It was designed by Vigil Games artist for DarkSiders 2- but what does it look like?
Zelda Skyward Sword.

Could you imagine what Bungie, Beethseba, Naughty Dog, Retro, Crytek, Square - would create or tweak in the Zelda verse?
It would be fun just to see. REMIX!

[yugovega]

wow the most beloved gaming series in the world needs to learn from some other game? hmmm n4g logic

[dafegamer]

one of the most beloved, not the most beloved. People still prefer the MGS or Final Fantasy series

[JonahNL]

I lol'd so hard I spat on my monitor. Thanks, now I have to start cleaning.

[dafegamer]

@ZidaneNL Whats so funny about that?
Just look at the overall sales and popularity. MGS and Final Fantasy(if you dont count FFXIII) are prefered by People.
The most influental? Yes I can say so. But most beloved? Highly doubt it. Still doesnt mean that it isnt one of the most beloved gaming series

[AJBACK2FRAG]

In the N64 era Nintendo was giving clinics on how to create a three dimensional game. The names of these clinics are Super Mario 64, Legend of Zelda Ocaraina of time and Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask. To name a small few.

[GreenRanger]

I've never played a Zelda game before.

Are those games continued stories like Metal Gear Solid, or can you just start from any one of them like the Final Fantasy games?

[SpiralTear]

Wow, you've never played a Zelda game before? Hmmm...

Well, to answer your question, most of them are individual stories. Some like Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask are directly connected in the timeline, but mostly, they're separated.

There is a lengthy and intricate explanation of the chronological history, but...it's pretty thick.

[_QQ_]

You can start from any point, although there is a timeline that brings together all the games,it isn't too important for the individual game's stories as some of the games are at least hundreds of years apart and the timeline splits in 3 after Ocarina.The only direct sequal for a zelda console game is Majora's mask after OOT.

[BosSSyndrome]

Zelda 2 and Phantom Hourglass were direct sequels...although I guess PH was on a handheld...

[Firan]

You can play them in any order you like.

[DarkBlood]

you may want to start from skyward sword then OOT then work your way to whatever branch of the timeline you want to go with

Though i think the question to which is original timeline and what other 2 is alternated leaves your thought to be pondered

[MadLad]

That people will allow for a disgusting level of bugs, poor gameplay and weak writing as long as you give them a big world?

[PopRocks359]

Skyrim was definitely a game for a certain crowd of people. Zelda is for a different crowd entirely. I think it should stay that way.

[Inception]

Agreed, variety is great for gamers. I can't stand if all video game company made their games with the same style or gameplay. It's like walking in the shopping mall and when you want to eat sushi but there's only burger / hotdog sellers.

[DarthZoolu]

I think it's more like walking into a food court where everything cost the same amount ($60) and most of the restaurants there are selling things like lobster, filet mignon, tenderloins, jumbo shrimp etc.. but one restaurant is selling plain hamburgers for that same price no lettuce no cheese no condiments just meat and bread.

[swishersweets20031]

Zelda could learn to get a freaking game out soon. remaking wind waker doesnt count. What ever happened to that cool looking zelda they showed at E3 last year.

[Moonman]

Buy a 3DS. Link To The Past 2 coming this holiday. :)

[PopRocks359]

Don't forget Zelda Wind Waker HD in September.

[Moonman]

@Poprocks.... I can't wait for WWHD. :)

[Summons75]

One they didn't show Zelda last year but the tech demo they showed two years ago was.....a TECH demo. Nothing more than to show what the wii u was capable of graphics and lighting wise. Also Zelda games have always had a lengthy dev cycle. This wii u game strayed sometime during the skyward sword development and still maybe has another year or two to go. Making an excellent game requires time unlike cod game which just get reskined and shipped.

But hopefully we do see something but Nintendo has a habbit of putting a Zelda out to occupy fans until the new one is released (majora's mask in between oot and ww and four swords in between ww and tp. Tp port to wii to fill the time till ss) this isn't really a hidden fact.

[AnotherProGamer]

What Skyrim can learn from Zelda is a good combat system

[jcnba28]

Nothing. The Zelda franchise is near perfect.

[BeZdaBest]

people its in the name..

the legend....<------ nuff said

[Kevlar009]

One thing they could take is more immersive townfolk, have idle conversations you can hear/listen in on, more than one line of dialogue per major event

Towns in general could be more immersive, also a variety of mini dungeons that don't feel like copies of the one's you did earlier in the game

[dafegamer]

As long as Nintendo can keep the high quality of Zelda games, I wouldnt mind a user generated mode to increase the replayability.

[jakemail]

No! modding would be a bad thing for zelda!

[WheatBread]

The only way that Zelda can be "great" again is if Shigeru Miyamoto is the director, producer, lead designer, and writer like he was with Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

[Yodagamer]

Oh god this whole Zelda and skyrim thing is still going on, i got sick of it in 2011 O.o

[oIITSBIIo]

A hardcore Zelda game would be a perfect game I love the series but the enemies and combat system is really weak and need to change + I wish to see zelda game with full voice acting . Skyrim combat system in other hand is boring it should learn something from the witcher or dark souls .

[e-p-ayeaH]

Dark Souls doesnt have interesting combat actually Zelda should learn from hack and slashers like Devil May Cry 3 and Onimusha 4(The Witcher probably learned a few things from these i bet).

[CouldHaveYelledUiiW]

This article is about opening-up Zelda to the MOD community.

Zelda does not need this
BUT
It would be cool
Because

Not only would Zelda fans get involved
But OTHER Notable Developers
(Who have loved Zelda since they could play) would get involved.

Take my avatar for example,
It was designed by Vigil Games artist for DarkSiders 2- but what does it look like?
Zelda Skyward Sword.

Could you imagine what Bungie, Beethseba, Naughty Dog, Retro, Crytek, Square - would create or tweak in the Zelda verse?
It would be fun just to see. REMIX!

(Anyway, something that I would want Zelda to have that Skyrim has is to have Dynamic Free Ranged AI.
Meaning: giving animals and Creatures behaviors and allowing them to roam the entire map as a group or as individuals to get things done. Eat, Hunt, Shelter, Safety, Ambush, Create Villages-
This way everytime you play there would be something new or something new from player to player.
Like the Skyrim Dragons.

"The Moblins in my game moved North because I kept killing them in the South."
"Gannon made an ambush for me in Highland field right near the cave/dungeon I always go to make more Rupees."

This would be nice.

[PerryCaravello]

It's impossible for me to get excited for a nintendo game lol.

Not since I was 12.

[TruthbeTold]

I doubt user generated content will ever play a large role in a Zelda game. But Zelda really could take a page or two from Skyrim. No one wants Zelda to try to be Skyrim. But it was once TLoZ that pushed the limits of 'Open world', and by backing off from being ambitious on that front, others are blazing the trail in some ways that this series could have benefited from. I don't think that I will find it acceptable at all if the next Zelda game doesn't have a more detailed environment, and a population of characters that bring depth to the game as opposed to being shallow fixtures that in the end are completely meaningless.