Should Wide-Scale Battles be incorporated in the next Zelda game?

A few friends and I have agreed that one of the coolest things about TP was its incorporation of wide-scale battles. Meaning, where Link faces hoardes of enemies over a field or vast arena, usually with some incorporation of a gameplay goal or twist (saving Colin etc), and where the enemies have the same boundaries that Link possesses. We agreed that the horseback battles on Eldin field remain one of the most impressive new features to grace the series, and that it was seriously fun to battle against King Bulbin and his resilient minions. Unfortunately, these battles were a little ephemeral in Twilight Princess, as there were only two of them. Despite the lack of these wide-scale battles in TP though, the ones that were present remain all the more potent.

Nintendo has reassured us that the next Zelda (excluding or including PH) will take the series in new directions. While I whole heartedly believe Nintendo is planning something new and different for the series, I doubt that they will relinquish all famalier ties and references that the fans have come to expect in Zelda games. This however, is most likely going to consist of minor similarities as opposed to the much larger and "different" gameplay. Still, if Nintendo claims TP was the last of its kind, then what does that mean for our beloved horseback battles? Or to put it more simply, wide-scale battles in general? Will they be incorporated in the next Zelda game like they were in TP, and simply be played much differently, will they remain a consistent element that TP set as a standard for the next game, or will they be exempt entirely?

As I'm posting these questions, I'd like to mention Windwaker in all of this. Windwaker never had any wide-scale battles like Twilight Princess did. The battles that were held over the Great Sea were fought in a restrained area. This included fighting giant squids and enemy battle ships, but none of these small pieces of combat reached the scale of a full fledged battle. For one, there was usually only 3-5 battleships, and they never ventured away from their supposed stations. Two, there was no real way for Link, on his tiny little King of Red Lions, to face gaint ships or sea monsters swarming up against him in one grand battle. I'm not claiming this as a fault of Windwaker, but I feel that after playing TP, there's a lot of potential for this type of gameplay in a Zelda game. Imagine having Master and Commander being fitted into Windwaker's gameplay, where Link would sail across miles and miles of ocean, and his tenacious enemies would still be firing cannon balls at his sail.

In ZU's "Two Twilights - Behind the Rupees Discussion," Pipking mentions that the Zelda series has never gone into a "Flying or suspended in the sky" theme yet. While I'm not suggesting that Link starts flying jets and gets himself into bulbin dogfights, I think that while air-born, wide-scale battles hold a great deal of promise. I'm already intrigued by the idea of a Zelda game that takes to the skies, but if that game never had a battle in which Link, soaring on some sort of winged creature or flying contraption of some kind, faced enemy hoardes as they relentlessly tried to jaust him off his aircraft, I think I'd be more than a little disappointed.

So I ask you guys, what are your thoughts on the incorporation of wide-scale battles in the next Zelda game? Do you approve or disapprove, and why? Furthermore, if you approve, how would you like to see it implemented? On horseback, on water, in the air, or in some other fashion? I feel very strongly about this, so please contribute your thoughts to this thread.

There should definitly be more wide-scale battles then dungeons. I like to see horse back battles, water battles, air battles and an epic mix of all three. If they do another horse back battle, I would like to see it more difficult then the King Bublin battle. I literally demolished him in about a minute.

And instead of battles with just Link, there should be huge armys having an epic battle on Hyrule field. Link should have to ask the Zoras, Gorons and the other races for assitance, but make complications along the way.

Thats my 2 cents.

It's funny, i was just thinking this. When I envisioned TP i imagined massive battles, with NPCs on both sides, Link at the front leading on horseback. This didn't happen though

I hope that in the future there will be a huge battle, perhaps spanning all of Hyrule field. When Rusl and the others meet you at Hyrule Castle at the end of TP i was hoping it was somthing like this, but they never even fight.

Mostly through Zelda it has been one on one fights, but i think that if link was given some help, a pelanor fieldsish battle would be fit right in.

Originally Posted by Light Betrayer

There should definitly be more wide-scale battles then dungeons. I like to see horse back battles, water battles, air battles and an epic mix of all three. If they do another horse back battle, I would like to see it more difficult then the King Bublin battle. I literally demolished him in about a minute.

And instead of battles with just Link, there should be huge armys having an epic battle on Hyrule field. Link should have to ask the Zoras, Gorons and the other races for assitance, but make complications along the way.

Thats my 2 cents.

Great idea with the armies battling across Hyrule field. I see great potential for the series if strategic elements are implemented in these wide-scale battles as well. And I don't mean for the series to take a turn for a strategy game, but to be able to have strategic gameplay procedures, say before, during, or after the battle, in a Zelda game, is well worth considering.

Nintendo should also consider implementing mutiple choices that could turn the tide of battle. For example, Would you like station the Zoras in the nearby river, or infront of Castle town.

The battle outside arbiter's grounds with 100's of enemies shows that link fights well en mass

Keep the baddies comin', I really enjoyed those battles and it would be sad if Nintendo wouldn't put those kind of major battles in upcoming LoZ.

Greetz, CaLu.

Originally Posted by Wolflink12

The battle outside arbiter's grounds with 100's of enemies shows that link fights well en mass

That was quite an awesome bit. Storming their fort.

I actually see some sort of 'big battle' happening in Phantom Hourglass believe it or not. There has already been a big point made of the fact your boat now has a fully functional cannon and that its motor powered.

I think sometime in the next Zelda Game, Link should be in a war with other comrades, like the hylians for example. It would be pretty awesome, horseback battles I want to see more of too. Like Light Betrayer said, you can demolish King bulbin in a minute.

yeah, deffinatly big battles, mabey link can help out deffending hyrule castle, as that always gets invaded.
Have one or two HUGE Lord of the rings style battles. and a few (3 or 4) horse back battles on hyrule feild.

I don't think it would work out as a Zelda game unless Link was to pull a Paper Mario and create a spinoff series of a completely different genre.

Originally Posted by boredom1313

I don't think it would work out as a Zelda game unless Link was to pull a Paper Mario and create a spinoff series of a completely different genre.

yep i agree with you

Originally Posted by boredom1313

I don't think it would work out as a Zelda game unless Link was to pull a Paper Mario and create a spinoff series of a completely different genre.

It worked in TP, and it will work in Wii Zelda. And I don't mean no temples at all, mabey like one between each temple, and a huge battle before you fight the last boss.

I mean the idea of a large amount of wide-scale battles would most likely only work in a series meant to do RTS battles.

Eh, yes it would work.

The idea of having a war going on as Link is traversing between dungeons is a very appealing idea.

It doesn't need to be an RTS to do big battles. No one is saying you're controlling a whole army. Just one person. Sort of like in Star Wars Battlefront, where you are controlling one person, or Call of Duty, for example.

I honestly don't think that idea would work well, but that's my opinion. I did think of a cool idea for a spin-off RTS though. The Legend of Zelda: The War for Hyrule. It would take place in the 7 year period in which Link was absent during Ocarina and would explain why Ganonndorf didn't COMPLETELY decimate Hyrule.

Originally Posted by boredom1313

I honestly don't think that idea would work well, but that's my opinion. I did think of a cool idea for a spin-off RTS though. The Legend of Zelda: The War for Hyrule. It would take place in the 7 year period in which Link was absent during Ocarina and would explain why Ganonndorf didn't COMPLETELY decimate Hyrule.

Well, if it took place in that time, the main character wouldn't be Link, and that wouldn't be cool. Or maybe it might be. Hmm...

Anyways, I agree with the topic creator of more King Bublin on a boar type of battles.

I wouldn't mind seeing a wide scale battle in Zelda. Only if done right however. I want to see variations in what happens over a couple of play throughs.

I'd rather like a large scale battle. Like 2 armies amassing on Hyrule Field, ect ect.

I'd say you control Link who is basically treated like a foot soldier with a horse, aka low rank. Maybe not have orders thrown around, but I'd like to be able to fight a huge mass of something. Good examples are King Bulbin fights, and MM alien fight. Imagine those scaled up by about 100, with comrades, and motion sensitive controls. You feeling it?

I'd rather like Ganon to go for a direct assult on Hyrule Castle. Maybe a battle where you could fight as much as you like, but you would have an actual level behind the scenes type thing.

Personally, I am going around eldin field just wasting my arrows and killing the bulbins, and it's the most fun I've had in a while.

Meh, that's not really Zelda.

It seems like it's trying to apply the generally accepted idea of "epic" to an already epic series. It would amount to watering down and simplifying an exemplary series badly in need of innovation, rather than accommodation.