So Nintendo finally off some more of the new Zelda coming to Wii U...buuut the video's
like 10-seconds long.
But you know that won't stop us from running it through the old analysis machine to see
what secrets it might be hiding.
But before we get started, you might want to check out our 2 previous analyses that
go super in-depth on everything else we know about the game.
Anyways, with that out of the way, let's get started.
So the main thing to take away from this gameplay is how vibrant and alive the world feels.
Which is a point that even Nintendo itself drew attention to with how they transition
from footage of Twilight Princess HD, where we see Link riding horseback across a flat,
featureless landscape, to Zelda Wii U, where Link is still riding horseback, but now across
a world rich in detail and depth.
I mean, yeah, technically both games featured grass.
But while Twilight Princess's is represented by a flat texture, you can see every individual
blade in Zelda Wii U--you can even see different types of flowers mixed in too.
And that vegetation feels alive too, with how it's actually pushed aside as Epona storms
through.
Or how it sways in the breeze even when you're just standing there--and did you notice the
grass blades being blown by the wind too?
Okay, yeah, it might just be grass--but it's just one part of what makes this world feel
so alive.
Because it’s not only the grass that react to Epona’s presence, but we can see Epona
frightens a flock of birds too.
And beyond that, there are a ton of Goats around Link--there's the one here.
Then we can see four more on the hillside at the end of the video.
And if we go back to the very start and freeze it, we can see 3 more here--followed by 2
more that we can just barely see.
Yeah, I guess Zelda Wii U just really wants that GOAT award.
Now while we have seen a few goats--and even horses--in the earlier gameplay videos--this
is the most we've seen thus far in such a small area.
And while we don't see the goats do much here, we already know from the original E3 trailer
that they'll react to things go on around them--much like the birds that Epona scared
away, or the grass that's pushed aside.
Like I said--all this taken together really does make the world feel alive.
But what if there's more to it than just that?
I mean, we can't help but wonder if the emphases on such a detailed and realistic world might
hint at new gameplay mechanics.
Take the grass for example--I mean, it’s super detailed and EVERYWHERE.
So what if it actually factored into the gameplay?
Like what if you you have to keep an eye out for rustling grass in order to find small
creatures that can't otherwise be seen?
For example, did you notice that you can actually just barely see the birds in the grass before
Epona scares them off?
And with how thick that grass is, what if Link can crawl through the grass to sneak
up on enemies, kind of like in Metal Gear Solid 3?
And if that were the case, then you might have to be careful to avoid spooking the wildlife,
like the birds here, which might tip-off those who you're sneaking up on.
After all, in last year’s Game Awards footage, we saw how some wild horses got scared when
Epona began to gallop toward them.
And before that, in the E3 trailer, we even saw how the Goats reacted to a noise in the
distance.
And like in that footage, Link is wearing a hood here too, which makes sense if he's
trying to maintain a low profile.
Hmmm.
Having a stealth-like mechanic would certainly add a greater context to these little details,
beyond just looking pretty--and boy do they look pretty.
Anyways, that's enough about the grass--now let's take a look at the rest of the world--which
looks pretty similar to everything we've seen so far, featuring rolling hills and pockets
of trees--which of course are surrounded by some pretty large-looking mountains.
In fact, mountains have been featured prominently in pretty much every section of the game we've
seen so far.
And that's for a good reason, because although this game appears to be far more open than
any Zelda game before, the mountains still anchor the landscape, forming natural-looking
paths that guide you through the environment.
We can already see here how the mountains just ahead form 2 paths with one going left,
through some trees, and the other right...to some more trees.
So while the world may be open, it still appears to have structure.
Anyway, let's take a closer look at the trees on the right, because they appear to be growing
from within a small body of water.
So this might be some kind of swamp, or marshland--similar to the area shown in the E3 trailer.
And btw, some of those trees are notably bigger than the others--are they hiding something
in there?
Now just behind those trees, we get our best look yet at what is almost surely Death Mountain.
I mean, it has ominous-looking clouds above, with lava pouring down the sides.
And we get an even better look if we freeze the clip just before it goes off-screen, due
to the game's use of a fisheye lense.
Although on 2nd thought, that lava also reminded us of Eldin Volcano from Skyward Sword--which
many people believe is actually the precursor to Death Mountain.
And we have noted a few other Skyward Sword similarities in past analyses too,
Now if we let the camera continue to pan, we can see something odd poking up from the
mountain to the right.
What is that?
At first we thought it might be one of the towers we've seen previous peeking up from
behind the mountain--but upon closer inspect, it almost looks like it has a platform as
a base.
Could it be a statue, maybe?
But that's not the only interesting structure here, because if we take a look at the left
side of the world, we can see something glowing on a ridge--and it's pretty much impossible
to make out.
It almost looks like a tent, or teepee, of some kind, with a canvas body, and the supports
sticking out the top.
But we really are just guessing.
If it is a tent though, is it home to a wandering traveller?
Maybe perhaps, even Link?
We do know he carries a sleeping mat with him on the back of his horse after all, so
maybe he'll actually have to set up camp for the night?
The fact that it's so darn visible makes it seem like it's certainly of some importance!
And running with that idea, what if that served as your base of operation, where maybe you
can choose which items to bring with you for the day?
After all, Epona is also saddled...with saddle bags--so maybe she can be used as a more mobile
storage unit?
But we're really just spitballing as it's impossible to say what that structure is for
sure.
Now there's one final detail about the world here that I wanted to point out--and it's
at the very end of the trailer.
Do you see that over there?
Wait, are you telling me you don't see anything at all?
That's the point--there's nothing blocking the view of what appears to be ocean, which
is the first time we've actually seen it in actual gameplay.
So between that, the setting sun to west, and Death Mountain which is generally to the
north, we think this scene takes place in the same general area as the Game Awards footage--which
makes sense if this is near the start of the game.
Oh, and before we move on, since I couldn’t figure out where else to put this detail,
we can see a large bird flying around near the end of the trailer too.
Yes, there really is a ton going on in this scene
Okay, and that about covers it for the world--but there's still one more thing we haven't talked
about much yet--and that's Link himself.
Now at first, he looks pretty much identical to how he appeared in previous trailers.
But upon closer inspection, there are some differences.
For one, the pattern on the blue tunic he's wearing is slightly different than how it
appeared in the E3 trailer, now featuring a more symmetrical design.
Next, his wooden shield's different too.
In the Game Awards footage, we noticed it featured a drawing that resembled an eye--or
more specifically, the symbol of the Sheikha people.
But this time, it features a diamond-like pattern, with half-circles to either side.
So either the developers changed the design, or perhaps this hints at their being multiple
shields of the same type, like in Skyward Sword--in which case, shields might have a
limited durability this time as well.
It would be yet another connection to Skyward, on top of those we've pointed out before.
Next up, let’s take a look at Link’s sword--which looks huuuge, stretching down past Link’s
foot.
And that’s not the only thing unusual about it, because there doesn’t appear to be a
proper handle either--it looks more like a pole.
And that confirms that this sword is in fact different from the one featured in the Game
Awards footage, which had a proper hilt.
And check this out--if we zoom in on the blade, we can see that sword appears to be chipped
in place.
Such as how it might suggests the sword has quite a bit of history to it--or maybe as
with our shield idea, perhaps swords might take damage during battle too, forcing you
to replace them when they’ve grown too weak.
Finally, even though the Sheikah symbol may be missing from Link's shield--it's not missing
from the trailer entirely.
Because check this out--if we zoom in on Link, we can what appears to be a book--look, that's
the spine, and we can see what might be the pages inside.
And check out what's on the cover--yep, the symbol of the Sheikah people, complete with
a bright blue eye.
So based on the the books prominent appearance, as well as how Link is practically wearing
it--it looks like it's going to play a pretty major role in the game.
As for what, we have no clue.
Is it a log, where Link can keep track of notes?
That might make sense if you can draw on it with the GamePad.
But based on the Sheikah symbol, it also seems like it might tie into the story in some way--perhaps
it can be used to translate text, similar to the book from A Link to the Past?
We're really just spitballing.
Although “I” do have one other idea--and it all goes back to that eye.
Because that eye is unusually prominent for the Sheikah symbol--and then I noticed its
color: light blue.
Which reminded us of the light blue energy that we saw Link’s bow & arrow emit--as
well as the enemy--back in the E3 trailer.
An energy that we had previously suggested could be linked to the time-shift crystals
from Skyward Sword, which emitted the same light-blue energy when in use.
Huh...so could all of this be related?
Could that Sheikah eye actually be a time-shift stone, which would suggest that book might
have some pretty awesome time-shifting powers?
It’s also possible it’s not related to Skyward Sword at all, but that the stone and
the light light-blue energy we saw at E3 might still coexist as an entirely new thing.
Regardless, I think there’s more to that book than meets the eye...
And with that, we’re done covering everything we could dig up, but like usual, let us know
if we missed anything by posting in the comments below.
Thanks for watching and make sure to stay-tuned to GameXplain for more on Zelda Wii U and
other things gaming too