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Well, we can't say that we saw this one coming. In the latest Nintendo Direct it was revealed
that Link's newest game would be something completely different, Hyrule Warriors. And
while that's only a tentative title, it's obvious that the game follows the same template
as Dynasty Warriors. Fitting since the same team at Tecmo Koei are the ones developing
the game. So we can't help but turn on the old Analysis Machine to see what kind secrets
we can find. Dynasty Warriors, for those of you who have
never played, is a long-running series of beat-em ups that takes place in ancient China.
The catch is that all the characters are real historical figures and sees players taking
on dozens of enemies at a time with hundreds spread across the battlefield. The player
takes control of one character and completes missions that involve beating down hundreds
of enemy soldiers. It's a crazy game that takes its concept and just goes bananas with
it. There are tons of gamers who love the series and just as many who think it just
becomes a monotonous grind. It seems an odd fit for a series that favors
puzzle-solving and exploration, but combat is just as prevalent in The Legend of Zelda.
It's just that in this case, it's been cranked up to ridiculous levels. And that's evident
from the sheer amount of Bokoblins appear on screen. While the game is still in development
and the designs might be changed, the Bokoblins all resemble their appearance in Skyward Sword.
That also holds true for the Lizalfos though, since there's only one, it may be considered
a captain. Captains in Dynasty Warriors could almost
be considered mid-bosses. They put up more of a fight than the standard soldier, but
they're not too difficult. The same could be said of the Lizalfos; it tries to breath
fire against Link but is handled by a quick combo. However, it doesn't seem like Hyrule
Warriors will only contain recycled content. In the back of this screen, a larger Bokoblin
can be seen. But these never appeared in Skyward Sword. The Bokoblins had different weapons,
but were never larger. Only the Moblins were ever big and this enemy is too small to be
that. So it looks like we may see some original enemy designs in the game.
Finally, there's the Dodongo. Obviously a boss, it's different than in Dynasty Warriors
since those game's bosses are all human. It's difficult to say whether Link will have to
defeat it using regular sword strikes or perhaps be more technical by tossing bombs in the
Dodongo's mouth while it's charging its attack. If it wasn't for all the enemies on the field,
the best way to tell that this is indeed based on Dynasty Warriors is Link himself. When
he's first introduced, he appears simply equipped. His design has been changed slightly adding
a blue scarf and a piece of shoulder armor. But the truly interesting part is his sword
and shield. He's not wielding the Master Sword but a regular blade. Meanwhile, he's using
a wooden shield and obviously not the Hylian Shield.
But this wooden one has secrets of its own. The shield is lined with blue stripes on one
side while it looks like the mark of the goddess Nayru is on the other. And since she's been
traditionally depicted as blue, is it possible that Link swears himself to one of the goddesses?
Would this change his moveset or is it simply an aesthetic change?
It's also worth noting that Link's health is once again represented by hearts and that
he can equip one item at a time. In this case, bombs. There's also two meters nearby. We're
not sure what the one on the left indicates, but the one on the right fills up with every
hit against an enemy. When it's full, Link will be able to unleash a powerful special
attack. That doesn't mean he's limited to that though.
Like the Dynasty Warriors characters, different combos will lead into different finishers.
In this case we see Link launching a light beam from his sword, a downward strike, and
even his spin attack that now launches enemies upwards. And in the case of the light beam,
Link doesn't even need to be at full health as evidenced by the fact that he's missing
two hearts. Items also seem to play a role though we're
not exactly sure how they work. We see Link throwing six bombs all at once when he uses
them in the trailer, but does that mean he throws that many all the time? Or did the
player just use the move a lot? A bigger question is whether Link has a limited number of bombs
or not. That's an especially important question since we later see Link equipped with a Red
Potion. If he did have unlimited uses, he would never fall so we think that at least
some items can only be used a few times. Link proves to be incredibly nimble in this
game whether it's with his flipping dodge or even a quick forward strike. It also seems
that he's not limited to just a sword, shield, and a few items. He can equip completely different
weapons like the Fire Rod. It doesn't seem to be limited by any kind of magic meter either
and looks absolutely devastating as an offensive weapon. Of course, the obvious problem is
that Link is sacrificing his defense for all that power. It looks like each weapon comes
with its own strengths and weaknesses. This seems to be later in the game as well
since Link has double the life and an increased special meter. The question is whether it'll
be more like Zelda games where he has to find these upgrades or more like Dynasty Warriors
where characters level up their abilities. We're not exactly sure, but we do know that
Link will definitely be upgraded as he battles. In the final scene, we can see that he is
now equipped with the Master Sword and the Hylian Shield. He uses these to unleash a
special attack that marks the surrounding enemies before performing a massive spin attack.
Obviously, using this move depletes a section of his special meter. But we think that this
is just the special for the Master Sword since it would seem odd for the Fire Rod to use
the same kind of attack. Each weapon likely has its own special attack.
The biggest mystery of the game is whether Nintendo will consider it canon or non-canon
to the Zelda Timeline. We can see it working either way, but maybe, just maybe this game
actually takes place in the time before A Link to the Past in the Fallen Hero timeline.
According to that timeline, Link failed in Ocarina of Time and Ganondorf took control.
That is until the Knights of Hyrule and the seven sages banded together to seal him away
in the Sacred Realm. With the sheer scale of forces and the fact
that Hylian soldiers can be seen fighting alongside Link, it's possible that this is
that war. It's a stretch to be sure, but even if this is canon that doesn't mean that it
can't do different things in different modes. Dynasty Warriors is known to have a huge cast
of characters available to use, each with their own styles. Maybe Hyrule Warriors will
allow the same thing with characters taking control of Zelda, Sheik, Impa, Midna, the
Sages, or even Fierce Deity Link. There could even be a mode where players take
control of villains and fight through hordes of Hylian soldiers. The models are already
there after all. Ganondorf, Demise, Vaati, Yuga, Ghirahim, and more could potentially
make an appearance. It's crazy to be sure, but that's what Dynasty Warriors specializes
in. And that blue scarf on Link could potentially
hint at a multiplayer mode. Another player could control another Link except this one
has a red scarf. It's a simple way to differentiate the two. There are even hints at allies or
even other playable characters in the trailer itself. In this scene, we can see a soldier
with a much more ornate design and a different kind of sword. And in this one, we can clearly
see a young blue-haired girl. It looks like even Zelda could be an ally on the battlefield.
This screen is incredibly blurry, but the purple would undoubtedly belong to Zelda.
But who are the other two? Are they sages, fellow soldiers, or something completely different?
While fighting in missions in Dynasty Warriors, your characters as well as your allies are
always chipping in with updates on the battle and what you need to do next. Will the same
thing happen here? Will characters be given a voice? It's pretty safe to say that Link
himself won't be talking though he may have another trope of Dynasty Warriors. Many of
the characters can ride horses for mounted combat. It's possible that Epona could make
an appearance for Link to quickly cross the battlefield.
Hyrule Warriors may also add something different to the Dynasty Warriors series. Throughout
the trailer we can see red crystals glowing in the background. We think they may be some
kind of barrier or control point since we clearly see a blue crystal later on. Perhaps
one of the missions is taking control of all of the crystals?
The Dynasty Warriors influence continues with the various level layouts seen in the trailer.
While they're undoubtedly based on Zelda, they've been changed to fit Dynasty Warriors
dynamics. Gates seem to be scattered throughout which likely means you'll have to defeat enemy
captains in order to continue on. Items also appear in the battlefield; in this case, hearts
that will refill Link's health. Hyrule itself doesn't seem to be based on
any one version though it seems closest to either Ocarina of Time or Twilight Princess.
Hyrule Castle matches those designs but there are other buildings nearby. It doesn't look
the same at all but could the one on the right be the Temple of Time? There are even scenes
that are seldom seen in Zelda games like the barracks. It also appears that you'll be visiting
temples or dungeons in Hyrule Warriors. And that's pretty much all we could find in
the debut trailer of Hyrule Warriors. Whatever it ends up like in the end, it's sure to be
something completely different from the rest of the Zelda franchise. If you liked this
video, please be sure to like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at GameXplain. Thanks
for watching and be sure to stay tuned for more on Zelda and other things gaming too.