A good spinoff manages to be just as exciting as the game it came from. That’s not always easy, since a spinoffs often change genres and become something very different from the source material. Even so, that means that if the spinoff is successful, it’s even more impressive. One good example of this is Hyrule Warriors. The original Hyrule Warriors and the more recent Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity couldn’t be more different from the standard fare of The Legend of Zelda. Even just taking control of character other than Link is a special treat; the hack and slash, real-time tactics gameplay of Hyrule Warriors puts Nintendo’s cornerstone series in a very different light.
Nintendo wouldn’t have pursued a Dynasty Warriors style spinoff of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild if it didn’t think of the first Hyrule Warriors game as a success. Nintendo was proud of the first game’s positive reception, as evidenced by its port from the Wii U to the 3DS, and eventually to the Switch too. Age of Calamity was met positively too, so Nintendo might feel motivated to keep Hyrule Warriors going — and it should. The Legend of Zelda has a rich, storied universe that can afford to make room for another game in this budding series.
The first Hyrule Warriors game could be described as a celebration of the Zelda franchise’s history. It brought together characters from all across the Zelda timeline to stop a common threat, putting names like Darunia, Fi, and Midna in the same place for the first time. While Hyrule Warriors was non-canonical, it’s a great way to look back on Zelda‘s past. Age of Calamity, meanwhile, serves as a prologue for Breath of the Wild, the most recent entry in the franchise. The surprise prequel fleshes out Hyrule before Calamity Ganon’s attack while also whetting appetites for the much anticipated Breath of the Wild 2.
Now that Nintendo knows how to use the Hyrule Warriors in both ways, it can find a way to strike a balance. Time travel is completely possible in The Legend of Zelda, and shows up in a lot of games. Nintendo could easily choose an empty space in the timeline where characters can be brought together from across the canon to fulfill a story not unlike the first Hyrule Warriors, but with actual ramifications for the setting. Zelda‘s history is also often defined by wars with Ganon or other dark forces that take place offscreen. It would be really compelling to make one of these events into a playable experience that expands the lore — whether there’s a Link involved or not.
If Nintendo feels really bold, it could make a Hyrule Warriors game that doesn’t have Link at all. Although that would be shocking, it could make for a strong spinoff. For instance, a game about the war for Hyrule before Skyward Sword featuring Hylia and various other unknown characters would give players a way to explore Hyrule that Nintendo hasn’t offered before. Link and Zelda are great, but they tend to limit players’ experiences of Hyrule to The Legend of Zelda‘s multi-generational central narrative. Nintendo wouldn’t risk leaving Link and Zelda behind in a mainline Zelda game, but a strong spinoff like Hyrule Warriors could pull it off.
Even if Nintendo doesn’t want to drop Link for Hyrule Warriors 3, it has lots of storytelling options. The first game was isolated from the franchise narrative, which made it a little hard to get invested in Link’s character arc for once. A new Hyrule Warriors game could serve as a non-canonical sequel to a Zelda game, telling a story about Link still serving as Hyrule protector after fulfilling his destiny and defeating another incarnation of Ganondorf. An grizzled veteran Link meeting friends from his past would be a fresh take on the first game.
Perhaps the largest break from precedent Nintendo could come up with is a Hyrule Warriors game where Ganondorf becomes a begrudging ally to Link and Zelda. It would take a really gigantic threat for Ganondorf to turn against destiny and help the other wielders of the Triforce. The churning war that Hyrule Warriors offers could represent an evil big enough for such a change of heart. Clearly Nintendo isn’t short on compelling possibilities for Hyrule Warriors 3. It has a lot to gain by finding another unique take on this blooming mini-franchise.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is available now for Nintendo Switch.
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