I’ve been a Zelda fan since ’95, and I’d love for the next Zelda game to combine the open-world exploration style of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom with classic traditional dungeons that give you new items. Think about it: dungeons could be optional like Divine Beasts but still rewarding, offering cool gadgets like the Slingshot or Grappling Hook, which could be used both inside dungeons and out in the wild to unlock secrets or make exploration more interesting. For example, the Slingshot might trigger hidden switches or puzzles in the overworld, revealing special items or lore bits that deepen the story but aren’t mandatory. The Grappling Hook (or Hookshot/Clawshot) could help with climbing tough spots or even add fun combat mechanics, like pulling enemies in or grabbing their tails for a ride! I also miss neat items like the Lens of Truth for spotting hidden locations.
Story-wise, I’d prefer a semi-linear story progression that rewards Dungeon completion to unlock the full story. If you want, you can skip most dungeons, beat the final boss, and then watch the missing story pieces as if a movie. But doing dungeons would let you experience the story firsthand, earn new items to fight bosses in creative ways, and gain heart pieces or other bonuses. It feels like this sort of design could finally satisfy Zelda fans wanting old-school nostalgia and fans who enjoy open-world freedom. Plus, bring back those useful bottles! What do you all think about blending these old dungeon item systems into a fresh open-world Zelda?
5 Answers
Please bring back bottles! I feel like the current system where you can carry tons of meals and eat instantly kills any real challenge. Bottles with limited healing potions or special elixirs made resource management way more strategic. Having to decide when to use your limited healing items added a nice tension that I miss in recent games.
I think the biggest challenge is balancing item-based dungeons with freeform exploration. The Wind Waker had this problem where you couldn’t explore some islands without the right item, which discouraged goofing around in the world. In huge worlds like BOTW or TOTK, it’d be frustrating to find tons of locked spots waiting for stuff you don’t have yet. So yeah, I love classic dungeons and new items, but if they come back, they gotta keep the world accessible and not gate most of it behind dungeon items.
I really miss that classic Zelda feeling where you get a new dungeon item and suddenly a bunch of areas open up in the overworld. Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom have stuff like stamina and Zonai tech limiting progress, but it’s not quite the same “aha” moment as finding a new tool that unlocks secret paths. I think there’s definitely room to mix the old dungeon-item style with open exploration, but the world design would need careful tweaking to avoid locking too many places behind key items.
Totally with you on the Hookshot! It’s an iconic Zelda tool that brings a lot of movement and puzzle possibilities. I’ve heard the game director didn’t want to just rehash old stuff, which probably puts the Hookshot on the chopping block for now. But hey, that ball-and-chain idea sounds hilarious and fresh. Maybe Nintendo will surprise us and rethink classic gear with a twist instead of just ditching them.
I agree, the devs’ push to innovate sometimes sidelines beloved tools. But I think fans want those nostalgic mechanics updated to fit open worlds, not completely dropped.
I don’t think Zelda needs to shy away from old conventions — new open-world games could totally use traditional dungeon items if integrated smartly. What if these items have both dungeon-specific puzzles and wider uses in the overworld to unlock neat optional secrets or shortcuts? Like a Slingshot that interacts with random environmental features or a Grappling Hook to climb slippery cliffs. Also, allowing players to choose to do dungeons in any order or even skip them but miss story depth would be a cool way to merge linear and sandbox styles. That way, speedrunners or casual players can just beat the game, while lore lovers get a fuller experience.
Exactly! It’s about giving players options without forcing a single path. Unlocking stuff naturally through exploration AND item use feels like the best of both worlds.
Yeah, I kinda feel the same way. It’s a bummer the director’s not into the Hookshot, but maybe creative spins like your ball and chain idea or even a different grappling tool could live on. Fingers crossed!