Tears of the Kingdom’s unique horses have opened a Pandora’s box, thus the series shouldn’t be jumping too quickly to abandon the concept.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Link’s Ultrahand ability in Tears of the Kingdom is a game-changer for creativity and exploration in Hyrule.
- Nintendo is retiring Ultrahand after Tears of the Kingdom, but mounts could still be a key feature in future Zelda games.
- From Epona to custom vehicles, mounts have been a staple in Zelda games and could see even more innovation in future installments.
Link’s Ultrahand skill is unquestionably one of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s greatest elements, giving players access to an unprecedented degree of in-game inventiveness in the franchise. Players may construct a wide range of buildings with Ultrahand, most of which are helpful as mounts to improve exploration and movement around the game’s expansive open environment of Hyrule. Sadly, Nintendo is giving up on Ultrahand following Tears of the Kingdom, thus the upcoming entry in the series will probably be very different. Even when Ultrahand’s heyday has long since passed, Nintendo could still include one feature in the series.
Though details concerning the upcoming Legend of Zelda game have not yet been announced, there has been conjecture over the series’ future direction and if Tears of the Kingdom’s emphasis on open-world exploration and survival will be followed by a return to the series’ classic format. Given that Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom established the open-world paradigm, it stands to reason that the series will continue to let the usage of different rides in each new game even after Ultrahand retires. After all, it would feel like a step backward if the ability is removed from following entries now that gamers are accustomed to explore Hyrule’s grounds and skies via car.
More Mounts Should Be Added to The Legend of Zelda as a Key Traversal Feature
For Mounts, The Legend of Zelda Is Nothing New
Ever since Ocarina of Time, players of The Legend of Zelda have occasionally been able to ride Emona, Link’s trusty horse, and explore each game’s environment faster and more effectively than they could on foot. Although Epona was still attainable through Amiibo and was undoubtedly the finest mount in the game, Breath of the Wild went one step further by allowing players to tame wild horses that they could then use as mounts.
The Master Cycle Zero motorbike, which debuted in Breath of the Wild’s second DLC pack, The Champions’ Ballad, was the largest change to The Legend of Zelda’s mount lineup. The Master Cycle Zero broke from the series’ custom of using horses as mounts; instead of looking like a horse, it was a fully functional motorbike that players could use to travel throughout Hyrule faster than they could on horseback.All of this means that while mounts aren’t really new to the series, they underwent a significant overhaul in Tears of the Kingdom. Players may now create almost any kind of horse they like, provided it complies with the game’s physics engine.
Future Iterations of The Legend of Zelda Might Utilize Mounts More
The Legend of Zelda has never been bigger thanks to Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, and given their enormous popularity and success, it seems doubtful that Nintendo would ever return the series to its earlier, more modest scale.
Therefore, since vast worlds demand more effective traversal strategies and returning to the simplicity of horses may feel like a step backward, new mounts may be necessary. Maybe in later episodes, there will be more flying mounts of some kind—either artificial ones or creatures that Link is supposed to tame. In any case, Nintendo shouldn’t be so quick to remove the series from this feature.
The unique vehicles in titles like Tears of the Kingdom demonstrate just how much more The Legend of Zelda can accomplish with mounts.Nintendo may even draw inspiration for the upcoming Legend of Zelda game from user-generated content seen in Tears of the Kingdom. It’s arguable that mounts are no longer Legend of Zelda’s future, regardless of where the series goes.