The Legend of Zeldais one of Nintendo’s longest running and most beloved series, leading to a few spin-off games in different genres. Based on the series’ latest entries, theLegend of Zeldaseries has the perfect blueprint for another spin-off title in a new genre.
FromCadence of HyruletoHyrule Warriors,The Legend of Zeldahas plenty of spin-off games. What makes theZeldaseries rank amongthe best Nintendo games with spin-offsis the versatility of the franchise. Fans love the classicZeldaformat, but the world lends itself to other experiences as well. Spin-off games give fans a look at parts of theZeldastory that wouldn’t fit in traditional games, like crossbow training with Link or what the war with Calamity Ganon was like beforeBreath of the Wild. With all those adventures under his belt, Link has earned a rest, but that rest might make a nice game of its own.Breath of the WildandTears of the Kingdomhave introduced mechanics that would make a cozy life-sim feel right at home in Hyrule.
A Cozy Version of Hyrule Feels Right Around the Corner
After the events ofTears of the Kingdom, Hyrule is in dire need of some repairs. This provides the perfect excuse for Link to lay down his sword in favor of rebuilding the kingdom. WithTears of the Kingdom’s Ultrahand abilities, players have let their creativity loose, building inventive weapons like mechanical dragons. Giving them an opportunity to unleash their own unique version of the game’s iconic kingdom could yield amazing results. With quests like assisting in the building of Tarrey Town and the rebuilding of Lurelin Village, the games have already laid the groundwork for this type of gameplay experience, so the jump to a game centered around the new building mechanics feels like a natural evolution.
The last majorZeldagames have also included versions of homes that the player can purchase. InBreath of the Wild, the house was a good place to rest up and store a few weapons, butTears of the Kingdomexpanded the house mechanicby letting the player build their dream home. This put them in charge of the layout and purpose of each room in their house, leading some players to even build homes that could fly. Though the activity served its purpose as a quick diversion from the main questline, some fans still wished for more options, such as additional rooms, or being able to grow crops in the garden. With an added gardening mechanic, a staple of the life-sim genre would help the game succeed.
A Hylian Life-Sim Could Offer a Twist to the Genre
The life-sim genre is in the midst of a boom, and the success of theAnimal Crossingfranchise has taught Nintendo the ins and outs of developing what players want in that type of game. By taking what they’ve learned fromAnimal Crossingand applying it to a location in Hyrule, worlds of new possibilities open up. Perhaps rather than building an island paradise, like inAnimal Crossing New Horizons, Link is put in charge ofbuilding a new version of Castle Town, the central hub of Hyrule.
This would open up the game to have room forcameos from fan favorite recurringZeldacharacters, like helping Beedle set up a shop, or working with Hudson construction to build the houses. The various races of Hyrule would also have a role to play, as a twist onAnimal Crossing’s villagers. If one of each of the major races moves into Link’s town, he could undertake various quests by helping them bring reminders of their home to expand his new Castle Town into a more diverse area.
ALegend of Zeldalife-sim would definitely be something new for the series, but trying new things is how the industry grows. The adventurous, dungeon-filled ruins of Hyrule and the cozy small-town aesthetic of most life-sims may seem at odds, but with the proper implementation,that contrast has the makings of a wonderful cozy RPG experience. With all the building mechanics and cozy elements placed intoBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom, it almost feels like Nintendo is subtly experimenting with this idea already. Link deserves a break from his adventures, and a cozy life-sim is the perfect solution.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
WHERE TO PLAY
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the sequel to the beloved open-world adventure, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This installment once again sees Link and Zelda battling to protect Hyrule from falling to Ganondorf. This new adventure takes place in the same land of Hyrule as Breath of the Wild but sees something called the Upheaval, which allows link to travel to Sky Islands, as well as deep into the Depths beneath Hyrule. Players can use special abilities to fuse together weapons, and build items to help them progress through the release.
