The open world experience can boost the Wii U

Jan 23, 2015 12:54 GMT  ·  By

Our Incoming 2015 series focuses on the most important game launches of the next 12 months and next up we talk about The Legend of Zelda.

What we know

The Legend of Zelda was one of the true surprises when it was first shown during the E3 2014 event, and Nintendo seems to be determined to make the title one of the must-buys of the year for all those who own a Wii U home console.

The biggest change made to the traditional mechanics of the franchise is the introduction of an open world, which is designed to allow fans to explore the universe the development team is creating with more freedom than usual.

The team working on The Legend of Zelda makes it clear that the system is not the same as seen in Western titles like Skyrim or GTA V, although they have not yet clarified how it will work.

The GamePad of the Wii U will be one of the most important elements of the new title, with gamers able to control Link and look at the map or the inventory at the same time.

The developers at Nintendo have not offered any sort of details on the story that The Legend of Zelda will deliver, but it seems that it will have limited ties with the other titles that have been delivered in the past few years.

The Legend of Zelda does not have a launch date, but gamers should probably expect it in the fall.

Why it matters

The Legend of Zelda is one of the biggest franchises that Nintendo owns, and the fan base is large and vocal enough to mean that the company needs to tread carefully when it comes to the balance between innovation and traditional gameplay.

The Wii U has shown signs of life after the delivery of Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros., and the company might sustain the momentum and even improve the performance of its title if the new adventure based around Link and Zelda becomes a success.

The biggest potential problem for the new title is that it does not manage to hold the attention of long-time fans and tries too hard to use the Wii U features, while failing to make the core gameplay enjoyable and innovative.