Summary
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildmay not technically be the first open-worldZeldagame ever made, as that honor belongs to the originalLegend of Zeldareleased in 1986 for the NES. However, while the originalZeldagame might feature a non-linear world for players to explore freely,Breath of the Wildundoubtedly expanded on that concept by offering players a much larger and more immersive 3D world with unprecedented freedom and exploration. SinceBreath of the Wild’s release in 2017,The Legend of Zeldahas seen two more open-world titles, withTears of the Kingdomin 2023 andEchoes of Wisdomin 2024.
Following the release ofZelda: Tears of the Kingdomin 2023, there was talk that the series would be backtracking on its new open-world formula and reverting to its classic era, but those theories were largely proven wrong whenEchoes of Wisdomemerged. Now, it seems more likely thatThe Legend of Zeldawill continue this open-world trend indefinitely, until a new installment proves that sentiment wrong. In light of that, a future open-worldZeldagame could make use of the franchise’s love of time travel, which is most notably seen and felt intitles likeOcarina of Time,Majora’s Mask, andOracle of Ages.
How an Open-World Zelda Game Could Make Use of Time Travel
Time Travel Could Enhance Exploration and Worldbuilding in an Open-World Zelda Game
One of the most significant ways an open-worldZeldagame could make use oftime-travel mechanicsis found in its potential to enhance exploration and worldbuilding. As players would travel back and forth between time periods inZelda: Ocarina of Time, for instance, the world around them would transform, shifting between a lively, colorful world in the shadow of a looming threat and a post-apocalyptic world, where Ganon’s power has begun reducing everything to ash and despair.
One of the most significant ways an open-worldZeldagame could make use of time-travel mechanics is found in its potential to enhance exploration and worldbuilding.
What would make an open-worldZeldagame even better suited for time-travel mechanics is how much more there would be for players to discover between eras, especially if they were able to travel between more than two periods. In anopen world as massive asZelda: Breath of the WildorTears of the Kingdom, for example, changes between time periods would take place on a much larger scale, thereby encouraging players to explore every inch of the map in each period to ensure they both see and benefit from the transformation.
An Open-World Zelda Game With Time Travel Could Implement Unique Gameplay Mechanics
Another way an open-worldZeldagame could get a lot of use out of a time-travel system is by implementing unique gameplay mechanics that are directly affected by time travel. Of course, this is almost a given, as previous entries in the series likeOcarina of TimeandMajora’s Maskhave made use of time-travel mechanics in this way, but it could be even more interesting in an expansive open world. What a system like this would involve is seeing the actions of players in the past directly affecting the future. Perhaps they might help a construction worker gather materials for a bridge that they would then say would “take time” to complete, and for that bridge to be finished in a future time period.
If nothing else, anopen-worldZeldagamewith time-travel mechanics would potentially break up the monotony of gameplay, essentially allowing players to change the scenery on command and intentionally give themselves more reasons to explore the map. This is all assumingThe Legend of Zeldacontinues down the open-world road it has been on since 2017’sBreath of the Wild, which has been received well by some and not by others. Nevertheless, there are ways forThe Legend of Zeldato further innovate its open-world formula, and incorporating the series' love for time travel is one of them.
