The essence of a great adventure game
Open world Zelda games and fan art
Hi pal!
During last week’s Nintendo Direct a new trailer for the next big Zelda game, “Tears of The Kingdom” was revealed. It’s the sequel to Breath Of The Wild, probably the best Zelda of all time, and they’re improving it in surprising ways.
I rarely do fan art nowadays, but I was just too thrilled imagining what the next Zelda game might be like.
Link doesn’t really look this way anymore and a lot of stuff that made the old Zelda games special was missing in the last one. I’m kinda hoping they return to the green-clad elf again in the future.
The new trailer made me continue my second play-through of Breath Of The Wild and I thought about what makes a good adventure game.
What makes a great adventure game
I could write a long in-depth, game designer type of thing about this. But instead I’m just gonna give you a short list of what I think really matters.
Tall grass
You know what really makes you feel like an adventurer? To walk in tall grass. The way the grass and the feet of the adventurer meet is key to a great adventure feeling. Bonus points if the grass bends.
Also, please make me walk in knee-deep water. *splish - splash*
BIG-ass bags
The bigger the bag, the better. I need to be able to put a bunch of stuff into it too. Fish, bugs, minerals. Food is very important, in fantasy stories the main character always has a loaf of bread and a piece of cheese wrapped in a cloth. I want that too. The bag is the home for the adventurer.
Bonus points if there are frying pans hanging from it.
Unfortunate events
I will always remember when I played Red Dead Redemption 2 and I accidentally smashed my horse into a rock in the middle of the desert. The horse was suffering on the ground, I didn’t know how to save it. So I decided to put it out of its misery. I took the saddle off it and slowly wandered with it through the desert. I felt like a struggling, lonesome cowboy in that moment. (like a Lord Huron song)
Those are the most important aspects of an adventure game I could think of right now. I have some more thoughts but they are more technical.
Links
🎮 Indie Game - WE KILL MONSTERS
This is a twitter account I’ve been following for a few years. They’re still in the somewhat early stages of developing an open world adventure game. It seems to have everything I like, big bags, physics based ropes, guitar playing and tall grass.
💬 Comic page - essence of Zelda adventure
When I discovered this page at the age of 15 I realized how simple it could be to invoke a sense of adventure. It doesn’t need to be complicated, it could just be about hiding from the rain.
🔴 Youtube video - OCARINA OF TIME - A masterclass in subtext
If you have played Zelda OOT, I hugely recommend watching this video. I’ve never heard anyone express how much sorrow there is in that game before. It gave me a new appreciation for it. The vibes are thick.
What makes a great adventure game for you? Do you have any game recommendations?
Thank you for reading!