#and I know that it isn't the first post-apocalyptic zelda game

[cindydartist]

Why I think BotW fits as a sequel to TAoL

My lovely siblings let me rant Legend of Zelda timeline stuff to them and I figured, might as well post it here. Note: this is my own headcanon, NOT what I think Nintendo or anyone else HAS to follow. I know and recognize that neither BotW nor TotK are part of the official Zelda Timeline.

--

Currently, if I had to pick a spot for it [BotW] in the Canon timeline, I'd put it after The Adventure of Link (second released game) with LU nicknamed 'Hyrule' Link. Two main reasons for that:

1) Ganondorf the Man and Ganon the Beast

The Fallen timeline in which TAoL takes place is the only timeline where pig Ganon is the predominant form of Ganondorf. (Despite all the separate incarnations of Link and Zelda, Ganondorf… is kinda just one guy through all of it who refuses to die properly.)

This is due to him gaining the Triforce of Power AND KEEPING IT by killing the Hero of Time (hence why that timeline branch is referred to as the Fallen Hero or Downfall timeline). Ganondorf's beast form is always shown in the games as an overrun of power and a sacrifice/discarding of the 'human' in him. In the other two timelines, he is beaten in that form effectively immediately after transforming, therefore has no time to lose himself. He continues to keep his gerudo form in further sequels/successors. Not so in the Fallen timeline.

By the time we get to A Link to the Past, Ganondorf has been beast Ganon up to/after the imprisoning war, a last-ditch effort by a bunch of sages after the Hero of Time’s death. Some details are unique to Hyrule Historia book, but the sealing war is a key part of history for ALttP (and its sequels) due to the plot-related presence of those sages’ descendants.

Again, Ganon only shows up in beast form in this game and going forward. A secondary factor may be where he was sealed to: Ganondorf keeping the Triforce of Power for a hot minute also keeps the Sacred Realm (where the Triforce previously resided in OoT) transformed into the Dark World (also predominately featured in ALttP)

ALttP’s Link, LU nickname Legend, later has Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages. The goal of hidden antagonists Koume and Kotake is to resurrect Ganon. (This isn't exactly spoiler territory for either gameplay, but heads up I guess?) It succeeds -- partially. The Ganon brought back is mindless - only a force of destruction. Sound familiar??

Importantly, this all adds up to a potential Decomposition of Ganondorf the Man.

While Ganon does regain some strategic thinking in The Legend of Zelda I (Hyrule's first adventure), he remains in pig/beast form. And is killed again. Okay, technically it doesn't state killing, so it could be sealing away. Except. One of the most known things about Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is if you die enough times to get a game over, it states Ganon comes back, implied to be through spilling Link's/Hyrule's blood. Quote from the game’s English instruction manual “The key to Ganon’s return was the blood of Link – the valiant lad who overthrew the King of Evil. Ganon would be revived by sacrificing Link and sprinkling his blood on the ashes of Ganon.”

Revive? Blood ritual?? Ashes??? Sounds awfully like a resurrection ritual ta me.

Thus, with further decomposition of self through death and revival, especially if one counts how many times Hyrule’s predecessor Legend defeated Ganon as killing him, it makes perfect sense to me that a logical conclusion would be BotW Calamity Ganon. (Granted, I have not finished TotK’s history plot yet, so there may be arguments/evidence I am unaware of with how he got that way. Like his existence as Gerudo Ganondorf, but from my current info, that is in the far past, potentially after Skyward Sword. Sue me, I have a working theory the Zonai are evolved Remlits)

On to my SECOND reason:

2) My Own Personal Gratification ✨

The world of Zelda I and Zelda II is frankly post-apocalyptic. Ironically more so than ALttP which is the closest to the ACTUAL apocalyptic events that happened.

Perhaps it is important to note that ALttP explicitly confirms the idea that a previous unnamed hero failed to stop Ganondorf. And that years back IRL there was genuine reason to speculate that that previous hero was Hyrule. Now think about the blood ritual.

With the release of the official timeline, that theory is now only fanon. But the potential is still there. Currently there is no canonical sequel to Hyrule’s story. Legend’s adventures give evidence readable as foreshadowing that this is a timeline where the land itself has clearly degraded. The zora are ruthless enemies that will attack on sight. Natural water is acidic and damages. There are monsters who can take the form of hylians so no-one ever knows quite who is safe to trust.

Link’s/Hyrule’s story is beautiful because he is effectively hope that refuses to give up on a land falling apart. A synergy between selfless bravery and survival. One who sees hardiness in the weakened kingdom’s people and inspires them to try a little harder, be a little kinder, trust a little more.

For all we know, as long as there is a monster or member of the Cult of Ganon, he might be running forever. Will have to carry that risk for the rest of his life. For the sake of Hyrule’s people and future, how he lives as a hero is not enough; he must control how he dies.

 Is it strange to wish that the bountiful green land of BoTW is what his kingdom will eventually be? That, even if not in his lifetime, the Kingdom of Hyrule will continue on and find its feet again?

That’s how I see BotW. Even if Ganon manages to destroy Hyrule, it will always live on through its people. You can never take what was never takeable in the first place.

--

tldr; Pigman signifies Dementia and I want Hyrule!Link to have a happy freaking ending, okay?

[quirkle2]

nobody asked but im typing out all the gripes i have w totk . they're mostly nick-picky tho i loved this game. complaints first, praises after

single biggest gripe i have with totk is that the main selling point of the game, the sky, does not feel nearly as expansive as it should. i feel like there coulda been waayyy more islands up there, and Bigger ones, like the one u start out on. i want bigger pieces of land to explore, not these tiny little rocks. it feels i've seen everything there is to see the moment i land. as far as i remember, there's no biomes in the sky islands either, except for the great sky one. there's no differences, and many of the islands are copy-pasted. still fun to explore and still beautiful, but i was expecting... more

while i love the depths with all my heart and being down there is an Experience, i do think it could've been improved with a little bit of variety. it looks the same wherever u go, with the exception of the eldin region and a few other lavafalls sprinkled about. i think some different biomes woulda been so cool

no post-game. i don't even necessarily want a fully fleshed out post-game, i literally just want the game and the world to acknowledge i beat ganon instead of dumping me back in time moments before the fight i just started. this is a common thing, i know, but i Hate the practice

u can't pet th efuckign dogs

what the hell happened to ganon's face in that one scene . i thought we were past weirdly impossible expressions like that one midna grin. why did it happen again in the year 2023.

why did ganon's intro scene before the final fight pan to his feet so much

kinda predictable story, in the sense that zelda turned into the light dragon. saw it comin a mile away, but this is just me being bitchy the story itself is still very fulfilling and good. just predictable, which isn't necessarily a bad thing

okay that was 7 complaints 2 of which were memes now sit back as i ramble abt the good stuff. already made a thread abt the little stuff i liked now it's the bigish stuff

the music in some of the areas is genuine fucking art. some of my favorites are the wind temple theme and it's approach track, the construct factory theme, dragonhead island, the bits of the calamity ganon theme in this game's final boss track, frozen rito village,,, so many pieces of genuine skill and talent

the wind temple is absolutely one of the best experiences i've had in a video game, not because of the puzzle design, but the temple design. the moment where you look up into the clouds with tulin and you see a giant airship silhouette highlighted by lightning,, the approach track that plays when ur getting higher into the air had chills running down my spine. what a cool fucking concept for a temple

there's already a post somewhere on tumblr abt this, but i love that the citizens of hyrule don't follow the typical "every man for himself" apocalyptic mindset. they help each other, constantly. they seek out people to help in their spare time. they shelter each other and volunteer to do hard work for the sake of everybody else. i just think that's rly endearing n nice. a good message

the entire fuse and ultrahand mechanics are SUPER fun. so endlessly creative. and i love that a lot of the time, the game doesn't hold ur hand. it doesn't even Grab ur hand, it pushes u off the ledge to teach you how to fly. it Makes u get creative with ur solutions. it makes u feel stupid a Lot, but sometimes it makes u feel like an absolute genius (anybody else have trouble with that one rail shrine? anybody else just launch themselves across the pit and rail grind to skip the thing entirely?)

tulin.

the vibes of the thunderhead isles were Incredible. i went up there before the clouds cleared, and i gotta say, even if the game Wants u to go up there later in the story, exploring those islands while the storm is still active is an entirely different experience, and i recommend it. if ur reading this before you've finished this part, just don't go to the actual dragonhead island . leave that for when it prompts u, trust me.

ganon's dragon design ? fucking killer

a lot of the new armor pieces are really beautiful. the miner's set looks so fuckin stupid but the headpiece is cool. all the torso pieces for the elemental dragon sets r Gorgeous

loved that the first half of the final boss took place in the depths, and the second half took place in the sky. nintendo has always been good at linking game elements with stories and this is no exception imo

LOVED when ganon's health bar stretched super far to the right. that was so silly and intimidating

in the final fight, the way ganon would only be affected by flurry rushes at first and not any random attacks, but then random attacks were the only way to hit him later. i know it was scripted, but it genuinely made it feel like he was learning to fight link better

the theme of cycles and the circular nature of time throughout this game is wonderful, and how it's mirrored in the first/last settings of the game is genius. how the game starts in a cave, and then part of the ending is in that same cave. how link dived alone into that pond below the great sky island at the start, and then at the very end he dived For Zelda in that very same pond

[alternis-dim]

Breath of the Wild is still one of the most unique and gorgeous takes on a post-apocalyptic world in modern games, in my opinion. A lot of games with post-apocalyptic settings are very stark and colorless and alien and while those are interesting in their own right I still think that BotW’s take on it is just as fascinating and makes it stand out. 

Hyrule was utterly destroyed. No matter where you believe it lands on the Zelda timeline, it’s undeniable that it came thousands of years after well established kingdoms we’ve seen within games in the franchise, and that’s before we even discuss the Sheikah technology that predated this iteration of Link. We know that the wild and open Hyrule we have now is a far cry from the established kingdoms we’ve seen. People were killed. Civilizations were ravaged, destroyed, and left empty. Existing towns are small, scattered, and isolated by a violent wilderness full of monsters. Enormous mechs with land-altering properties and minds of their own threaten the livelihood of those remaining. There are fields littered with the remains of nigh-unkillable robots, and some of them still prowl the forests and mountains. At the very center of it all, the apocalypse-bringer itself is only barely restrained from releasing its absolute fury on what’s left as it continues to bring monsters back from the dead time and time again.

And yet... the world is still so alive in spite of all its struggles. The dust has settled, but instead of being dark and devoid of life, nature has crept over the ruins and roads. Wildlife thrives, birds sing, and plants grow, including the rarest flower thought to have been nearly extinct making a slow return. The sunrise and sunset are still beautiful, even if that light is cast mostly on empty, grassy fields as far as the eye can see. Wild horses frolic among the remains of guardians. Strange and beautiful spirits soar through the air or shine between the trees. Great fairies watch over towns. Even though the terrain is dangerous, people have made roads and paths for merchants and adventurers who connect the towns and villages. Monsters and guardians haven’t stopped them from exploring, scavenging, and pioneering the wild. Yes, the people know that the world is full of danger which threatens to engulf them- it’s hard to ignore that when Hyrule Castle is so visible- but that hasn’t stopped them from gathering the remains and making the most of it. It isn’t the shining kingdom it once was, but the people have a newfound appreciation and respect for the wilderness that now spans it. 

There’s just something so lovely and humbling about a setting which looks at the fallout of a magical kingdom and the new lives its people lead in the midst of a world that’s dangerous, seeing how they’re working on stringing themselves together again, and watching as they rekindle their hope... and all the while, the rest of the world keeps breathing. The sun still rises and the sun still sets.

[sonicasura]

Idea is based off of this.

Hyrule has Venom, specifically the 2018 iteration. As much as I would go for the classic, I think Sony is a better pick. Plus this version of the Lethal Protector is such a loveable dork. Double the dorkage in a post apocalyptic land.

Hyrule acquires Venom after the first game but before the second. Unlike in the 2018 movie, this version of the symbiote was exiled and cast out into Link's world. (If anyone is wondering, no, the other symbiotes aren't gonna show up.)

He's discovered by Hyrule who is completely compatible with Venom. (In the 2018 iteration, a symbiote will slowly kill a incompatible host from the inside. Trust me when I say it isn't pretty.) Thus a peculiar partnership begins.

Venom will help protect the Triforce while Hyrule helps the symbiote thrive in this peculiar land. Something that soon becomes one hell of a friendship. Only very few people know about Venom than just the Hyrule's fairy family such as Impa and Zelda.

Everything is dandy until the Chain pop up. The symbiote wants nothing to do with Hylia's sacred mission. His best friend already suffered enough as is. Hyrule needs a break so 'Miss Holy' can wait. Now this is out of order from Jojo's established canon since this Link shall be the newbie, not Wild.

Venom isn't going to let the Chain get Hyrule so easily. Basically it's 'On the Run' Legend of Zelda edition! The symbiote says that his 'Link' needs a vacation so that's what he gonna get.

So the Chain ends up chasing the new Lethal Protector throughout this new yet dangerous Hyrule. The fairies treat it like a game since they agree with Venom about their fairy sibling's health. Only providing hints but not a full concrete answer unless under dire circumstances. Fae are still mischievous creatures. Dink is gonna cause trouble although he might be biting off more than he can chew.

That's all I have for now! Until next time folks, I'll see you back in Hyrule.

[transienturl]

"It's an open world RPG set in a really lush, natural environment with a ton of color but rendered in a naturalistic style with a kind of ambient occlusion-heavy vibe. The UI elements will be kind of sketchy and drawn in sharp lines, with a nature theme and texture but very little direct skeuomorphism. We're setting it in a sort of futuristic/post-apocalyptic hybrid, with pieces of technology strewn throughout a low-tech environment. The technological bits will be metallic with glowing highlights, preferably in thin lines that project light onto the surroundings when it's dark. The driving plot force should be discovery and mystery more than an obvious direct conflict with a single evil entity, at least at first. Our protagonist will be a girl in the sort of older-teenager/young adult range, a bit younger than me. (I think it's probably more interesting to have a specific protagonist than a fully custom main character. And this means we can fully voice act her, which we had better nail the casting of.) If you're asking me... I would probably give her shoulder-length hair, a bit longer actually, and braids. No skimpy outfits, but no dark souls style rags; we want her appear as someone you really, really want to be, not someone you really, really want to ogle. Oh, you want me to come up with a name? Something that starts with a vowel, is always my first thought when I try to come up with names. And she'll use technological versions of traditional mechanical weaponry - bows and arrows and spears, mostly. And, oh, the enemies she's fighting will almost entirely be technological constructs, rather than people or wild animals - that was a big reason I chose this setting. I really, really like that way of putting combat in fictional settings without it feeling gruesome. This is a game with fighting, but it should have no preoccupation with being dark or gritty. Not inherently, anyways - those more intense elements, if included, should come through plot hooks, not in-your-face spikes and rust and casual violence. And gameplay-wise, we want parts to feel a lot like a Tomb Raider or 3D Zelda game, with the puzzle aspect, though maybe not quite as static as Zelda's idea of dungeons. This does all feel a bit 'Breath of the Wild but with a heightened level of realism and (graphical and more general) resolution and detail and Zelda's the protagonist,' I know. But... isn't that what you would want in the perfect RPG?"

Oh shit that got way, way longer than I was expecting it to. But, uh, anyway, yeah. Hindsight is 20/20 and I'm obviously going to overfit to the available data for the sake of the narrative, but I feel like if you'd asked me to pitch you the perfect RPG, I would have essentially described the premise of this game.

(Well, okay, not just that. I would have spent twice that long ruminating on what kinds of messages you ought to try to investigate and demonstrate with the plot, because if you're going to make the perfect RPG setting and experience you had damn well better not waste it on anything but a plot that could be in itself described as a meaningful novel. But, anyway.)

I have to say, of the traditional single player RPGs I know of, the ones I could seriously see myself actually playing, at least from a theme and aesthetics standpoint have generally been:

Horizon Zero Dawn

"maybe if they make a sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn"

[end of list]

I have no idea if that would actually hold up to scrutiny, mostly because I've avoided watching any videos about the game in case I do someday play it. And honestly, I think there's a solid chance I would be like, "eh, cool, whatever, I'm going back to only playing multiplayer games" after a few hours like always. But seriously, that series' aesthetic and general premise is basically what would happen if you developed a game pitch/demo entirely on focus groups where I was the only participant.