Aonuma won't say if you can play as Zelda in Breath of the Wild 2

[Deleted member 4247]

Given the whole "but what would Link do?" mess from 2016, I highly doubt Zelda will be playable. Heck, she seems to fall when the bridge(?) they're on in the trailer breaks so I think she's just going to be a damsel in distress. Again.
Of course I'd be thrilled to be wrong as I'm one of the people who always wanted a playable Zelda and gender option for Link, but yeah - I don't see it happening.

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I'm not opposited to having a female "Link" (would be kinda weird if that was her name), but having the SAME Link from BotW suddenly be female would be pretty strange. He's not a "blank canvas" or a representation of you as the player here, he's very much a specific character. You can't even name him something else like you normally can. So if there's any playable female character, it's gonna be Zelda.

 

[Bhonar]

I'd rather they have a femlink.

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I sure as hell wouldn't

playable Zelda would be awesome though

 

[Cess007]

Zelda should be killed again so she can become playable

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Still the best Zelda.

100% means its confirmed. If you can't I'll eat a pixel Link amiibo live on a stream.

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So... how do I bookmark/save a post? :P

 

[Soundchaser]

The last time Aonuma was coy about it, Zelda turned out to be a non-playable character.

 

[julia crawford]

I sure as hell wouldn't

playable Zelda would be awesome though

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Hum ok...

 

[Dark Cloud]

I would be surprised if she's not playable.

 

[tenderbrew]

Still the best Zelda.



So... how do I bookmark/save a post? :P

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Do it, I'm ready to submit my body.

 

[Gold Arsene]

Ugh, please no. I don't have any desire to play as Zelda. None.

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And what exactly would be so terrible about that?

 

[Dark Cloud]

I sure as hell wouldn't

playable Zelda would be awesome though

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Yeah. Why would Link be female? He's already male in Botw. Aonuma heard the requests for Zelda to be playable. She's an established character. I can see him implementing it after people asked for it a couple years ago.

 

[Voyager]

And what exactly would be so terrible about that?

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It wouldn't, I'm just not interested from a story stand point. No desire to play as Zelda.

Edit: especially if they keep the same voice actor.

 

[Lotus]

But on the other hand if she wasn't I don't know why he wouldn't be able to tell us.

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We wondered the same thing back before BoTW came out...

 

[Deleted member 9317]

You'll play as every NPC and Link is the final boss of the game.

 

[Gold Arsene]

Oh you mean like when there was a lot of debate online over whether "Link" in the first BotW trailer was a boy or girl and instead of just saying "boy" and ending it, Nintendo strung everyone along for like a year so the people hoping for "girl" would be all the more disappointed for no reason?

Yeah, Nintendo wouldn't do that...

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I would hope they'd have learned there lesson from that fiasco.


They have to be well aware of the demand for playable Zelda at this point.

 

[Castlemadeofsand]

Then he should be well aware that if the answer is no then not just saying such now would be fucking stupid.

People will just be more mad if they wait to disappoint people latter. Rip the bandage off if it's needed.

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If people are that disappointed to find out you cant its their own fault. How many mainline games do you play as anyone other than link?

 

[Dark Cloud]

We wondered the same thing back before BoTW came out...

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You mean that was years ago and he's learned since then....

 

[Lotus]

I'd rather they have a femlink.

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I actually would too, if only because she'd obviously play exactly how Link normally does. But this is a direct sequel, so that ship has sailed.

You mean that was years ago and he's learned since then....

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If you say so.

 

[Gold Arsene]

If people are that disappointed to find out you cant its their own fault. How many mainline games do you play as anyone other than link?

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Plus things must obviously stay the same.

If there's one thing BotW is famous for it's adhering to the classic formula.

 

[StrangeRoboMemory]

At this rate it'll be you can play Zelda in a 15 minute flashback scene.

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I honestly think this is what it will wind up being - or if not a flashback, just in discrete little chunks that are self-contained in some way.

 

[Deleted member 6730]

It'd be stupid not to at this point.

Hell there was no reason not to choose your gender in the first game.

 

[Castlemadeofsand]

Plus things must obviously stay the same.

If there's one thing BotW is famous for it's adhering to the classic formula.

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What I'm saying is theres not much precedent for it, if people hype themselves up based off of almost nothing its their own fault.

True, it borrowed a lot from the classic, NES zelda.

 

[Wrighteous86]

You mean that was years ago and he's learned since then....

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...Are you a relatively new Nintendo fan? Nintendo learns way later and more slowly than people expect them to.

Hey remember in 2006 when people complained about the slow and deliberate drip-feed of games on the Virtual Console?

Thank god Nintendo has a robust online game service now with a massive catalog that is constantly releasing classic games and definitely didn't regress and start over from scratch with a new slow drip feed with a more limited selection now, 13 years later.

I would hope they'd have learned there lesson from that fiasco.


They have to be well aware of the demand for playable Zelda at this point.

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They did learn. They allowed a third-party to debut and use Linkle in a musou spinoff. I think they consider that job done.

As for playable Zelda, they usually point to Phantom Armor Zelda being a thing in Spirit Tracks. That is their "feminist" moment: an armor inhabited by a ghost afraid of rats and bossy/whiny. That's the BEST you can hope for in this game. Maybe she won't be a sexist stereotype, but she'll be a side character in a mini-game at most.

 

[OrdinaryPrime]

I'd rather they have a femlink.

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I'd rather it be Zelda but Linkle is a thing.

 

[Deleted member 197]

At best she will be the companion, can't see them doing nothing more than that.

 

[Gold Arsene]

What I'm saying is theres not much precedent for it, if people hype themselves up based off of almost nothing its their own fault.

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Fair enough but there's still no reason for them to be coy if the answer is no.

They are well aware of the demand by this point so they can't be surprised if people are upset they were lead on.

True, it borrowed a lot from the classic, NES zelda.

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Oh fucking spare me you know exactly what I mean don't try and be cute.

 

[Phendrift]

Zelda was easily the most nuanced and fleshed out character in BotW.

Game went out of its way to give her more internal conflicts and personality than they ever have, no matter what some say about BotW's story

It would not surprise me at all if they're using that to give her an even more important role in this game. Playable being a big part of that.

 

[Version 3.0]

I feel bad for the people who think it's happening. It isn't, and you're just setting yourself up for disappointment.

Should they do it? Yes. Are they? No.

It'll be years, if ever, before Nintendo gives in to fan feedback and does this. Like, give it as long as we've been complaining about hand-holding before BotW. So, Ocarina (1998) to BotW (2017). See you in 20 years for the "is Zelda playable this time?" thread.

 

[Dark Cloud]

Zelda was easily the most nuanced and fleshed out character in BotW.

Game went out of its way to give her more internal conflicts and personality than they ever have, no matter what some say about BotW's story

It would not surprise me at all if they're using that to give her an even more important role in this game. Playable being a big part of that.

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Yep. I wouldn't be surprised if she's playable.

 

[Wrighteous86]

I don't mean this in an insulting way, but are any of the people that believe this is him being coy because she's totally playable older than 21? Because Nintendo has pulled this bullshit for DECADES being coy for no reason, and I don't know if people understand that context or think they've really changed that much? Remember how Reggie would constantly tease or reference Mother 3 and Metroid when those weren't things?

How each new generation they're going to "get online right"? Virtual Console? Cross generation purchases?

Nintendo gonna Nintendo. Don't expect anything from them until they EXPLICITLY promise it. You're only setting yourself up for disappointment.

 

[ffdgh]

In that case I won't expect it.

 

[Serenitynow]

Wouldn't it be cool if they did a thing where Zelda gets sent to the Dark World and Link is in the light world, or vice versa, and both worlds have dungeons, and also what happens in one world affects the other so you need to swap back and forth between characters to progress at certain parts?

Yo I just thought of that shit just now.

 

[Lotus]

I'd rather it be Zelda but Linkle is a thing.

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I've always thought a full fledged Linkle game would be rather fascinating. Something along the lines of her not being the Chosen Hero that Link is, but she embarks on the adventure anyhow, a sort of "fake it until ya make it" kind of deal lol

 

[Kitsunelaine]

I'm not opposited to having a female "Link" (would be kinda weird if that was her name), but having the SAME Link from BotW suddenly be female would be pretty strange. He's not a "blank canvas" or a representation of you as the player here, he's very much a specific character. You can't even name him something else like you normally can. So if there's any playable female character, it's gonna be Zelda.

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as if screwing with the zelda timeline can't fix that

Zelda Timeline(tm). It Can Excuse Anything!

I've always thought a full fledged Linkle game would be rather fascinating. Something along the lines of her not being the Chosen Hero that Link is, but she embarks on the adventure anyhow, a sort of "fake it until ya make it" kind of deal lol

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I would hate this because it seems like that's the only narrative female protagonists are allowed to exist in scenarios like these and fuck that noise. We don't need the game to "other" the idea of a female protagonist; gamers do that already!

 

[TheSyldat]

Damnit make her playable! It's like the most requested thing! You have a significantly large female fanbase! Would it hurt to throw a bone?

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Hey don't discount also the male part of the fan base that also have been asking this for years too .

Nintendo if you pass by the shores of ERA , playable Zelda is something people have been begging you for since pretty much Link to the past ... How about you deliver on that at long last ?

 

[Wrighteous86]

Tingle got multiple games of his own before Zelda got one. Keep dreaming people.

 

[Wamb0wneD]

She should actually be the MC this time around. I don't want this boring silent Link for 100+ hours again.

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And boring silent Zelda is better?

 

[Kitsunelaine]

And boring silent Zelda is better?

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yes

 

[Trn25]

I hope so, im kinda over making up in my mind that Link is gender neutral, let me be Zelda!

 

[Khanimus]

Wouldn't it be cool if they did a thing where Zelda gets sent to the Dark World and Link is in the light world, or vice versa, and both worlds have dungeons, and also what happens in one world affects the other so you need to swap back and forth between characters to progress at certain parts?

Yo I just thought of that shit just now.

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Let me tell you about a game called Day of the Tentacle...

 

[Tom Nook Says...]

Wouldn't it be cool if they did a thing where Zelda gets sent to the Dark World and Link is in the light world, or vice versa, and both worlds have dungeons, and also what happens in one world affects the other so you need to swap back and forth between characters to progress at certain parts?

Yo I just thought of that shit just now.

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I like this idea.

 

[HardRojo]

And boring silent Zelda is better?

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Huh? Zelda talks (though I think her English VA needs to be recast) and her personality at least showed signs of confidence, so yeah I'd definitely take her over another long journey with Link. Hell, I'd take a Gerudo warrior as an MC before Link again.

 

[Milennia]

I would save that bomb for a major direct

 

[OnanieBomb]

This question must annoy the shit out of Aonuma

 

[Saori]

Aonuma, I climbed mountains, glided through the skies, swam across lakes, searched treasures, defeated the evil and maybe I actually wasted some time going off-track, but I did all that so Zelda could fulfill her dream of rebuilding Hyrule, so now let me play her to fulfill that dream. But for real, when I watched the "true" ending and hearing Zelda talk about rebuilding Hyrule I thought I was in for another 50 hours.

 

[CurseVox]

I place my money on YES!

 

[Crashman]

I think Zelda's playable just because of her new haircut. Short hair means easier to animate means playable. Dont question me.

 

[Wamb0wneD]

yes

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Why?`Don't get me wrong, the best case scenario for me would be a system like in the new Luigi's mansion where you have to swap between Link and Zelda freely to solve puzzles and such. And then have it be a two player co-op if you want to play with someone else.

But Zelda being inheritly less boring than Link is just...nah.

Huh? Zelda talks (though I think her English VA needs to be recast) and her personality at least showed signs of confidence, so yeah I'd definitely take her over another long journey with Link. Hell, I'd take a Gerudo warrior as an MC before Link again.

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You really think they would leave Link silent but do a complete voiceover just because it's Zelda you play as? That doesn't make any sense. Either the main character talks or they don't, no matter who we play as. Like, that's not how any of this works.

I can easily see them doing Zelda but she's silent again.

 

[Kitsunelaine]

Why?

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...Because I want to play as a girl?

Isn't that enough?

 

[Sieglinde]

I really feel like she won't be playable, she'll play a more active role in the story sure but at best she's just going to be a companion character.

 

[Wamb0wneD]

...Because I want to play as a girl?

Isn't that enough?

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Can you at least read the rest of my post? Damn...
I wouldn't mind playing as a girl either, I just don't get why it's inherently more interesting. Especially if it's a silent protagonist again.

 

[Kitsunelaine]

Can you at least read the rest of my post? Damn...
I wouldn't mind playing as a girl either, I just don't get why it's inherently more interesting. Especially if it's a silent protagonist again.

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I don't care about the rest of your post because it's irrelevant to the conversation we're having. I want to play as a girl. That's what makes it interesting to me. That's literally all that matters to me. It doesn't have to be a grand narrative statement. I. Want. To play. As a girl. That would be enough for me.