Some quick thoughts on the reveal trailer for the Ocarina of Time remake since we're doing this.
I was expecting it at some point, twas just a matter of when and we're kinda in a transitional period with the Zelda series now that Aonuma is on record saying he doesn't want to do like Breath and Tears again. However, given the art style of the trailer, and that Echoes of Wisdom still carried over some of the design elements from Breath/Tears, there's a number of ways this could go:
- 1.
Remake largely respects the source material but provides quality of life updates. What those QoL updates would look like, I don't know. Either the tunics get rolled into upgrades, so instead of goron tunic, you might get an item that permanently gives you resistance to heat or lets you breath underwater a la zora. We have the menu system from this era, so I see that getting incorporated. This gets interesting given that a bit of OoT's puzzle design boils down to playing Zelda's Lullaby/Song of Time at various spots to varying degrees. This is probably the least likely option I feel like (Let me be wrong). Though considering how Aonuma did with Majora 3ds, there's a realistic possibility some stuff gets lost in translation
- 2.
The Breathification of Ocarina of Time. Basically a retelling of Ocarina to bring the world into line, the story in line, and/or the design philosophy in line. World becomes bigger (But not always better), the dungeons fundamentally change as well as the equipment options. I fully predict them finding a way to bring in the durability mechanic as well as the buffing mechanic (How heat and cold resistance worked in Switch Zelda). We're going to be cooking and we're going to like it. Ocarina survival sim and all. But overall, the game becomes more sandboxy which means that dungeons will also have to change to accommodate that design. Golden skulltulas will probably be drastically increased as well
- 3.
Some combination of the above that goes beyond quality of life but tries to at least honor the source material. I think this one is most likely
Some things that are guaranteed, though, is that with the art style change to being "Nintendo hired that guy," they're definitely going to have to update some visual things. Even though Twilight Princess was more realistic looking, it was still stylized but also actually managed to not be as spooky. Maybe it's just because the age I played it at, but those redead screams still haunt me (Redead knight roars are nowhere near as unsettling). I think I saw someone randomly comment hoping that it won't be censored. Hold onto that dream. Could go either way
I'll be blunt. I don't like the art direction as it stands but want to see more before I commit to that. Part of the issue with these unreal/unity remakes that folks have made in the past is that they tend to look plasticky and shiny, especially once ray tracing gets involved. And it just feels like it doesn't have the soul it once did and just looks like one of those cutscene action games that has been popular in the industry as of late. It's like Quake 2 RTX. Just completely out of place effects and visuals. I'm turning into the old man yelling at a cloud to get off his lawn at this rate
I will remain cautiously optimistic... Just stay the hell away from Majora though