The Evolution of The Zelda Franchise

Credit: Zelda

The 19th addition to The Legend of Zelda franchise made its way to our grubby paws in March of this year and received impressively positive reviews across the board. The latest adventure took a daring step from the linear dungeon to dungeon structure seen in other Zelda titles and turned the world into a sprawling land full of endless adventure. More importantly, it lets the player build their character the way they want, adding an array of customisable clothing and weapons that impact your overall stats. It turned the game into a fully-fledged RPG, which is something that fans have been begging to get for years.

Breath of the Wild and the Nintendo Switch were released on the same day, with very few other titles available. Despite this, the console has sold remarkably well since its release and is still difficult to actually find for sale which is testament to the calibre of game that it is. It is safe to say that if you take off the nostalgia glasses, this is the best Legend of Zelda game that has been released. The ability to see a spot in the distance and get there, regardless of the location, is something that other RPGs often fall short on delivering. If you look at how the series has grown and expanded since the release of the inaugural title in 1987, it is easy to see just why it has gathered such a loyal following and impacted the lives of so many fans.

Since the beginning, a Zelda title has always been a landmark release for a new generation of consoles and arguably the most influential exclusive franchise that Nintendo have in their arsenal. Ocarina of Time played a part in the childhoods of so many and was the first real 3D adventure game that people could get their hands on. Twilight Princess, while not as influential, also changed the series by taking it in a darker direction and bringing in incredibly dire situations faced by characters. While Skyward Sword (which served as the swansong for the Wii) received mixed reviews, it did a fantastic job of telling the story of the Zelda universe from the beginning as well as adding the ability to repair and buff items. The ability to keep a series growing and developing across different games on different consoles while still weaving a plot throughout is something that is truly impressive and it is easy to see just why the franchise is so popular.

While Zelda developer Eiji Aonuma and Nintendo certainly have their work cut out for them in a follow-up, it is exciting to see just where The Legend of Zelda will go.

Ailbhe Daly