As the title implies there will be spoilers discussed but I wanted to begin a conversation about the story of TOTK.
Specifically, did it live up to expectations? What do the events mean for the overall lore of the series? Is there even a timeline at this point?
Discuss!
I kinda agree, because Zelda has always been gameplay-first, really, but I feel like (at least from LttP onward) most Zelda games had stories that were at least distinct from each other, if not exactly masterpieces. Like, Link’s Awakening has the island thing plus Wind Fish. Ocarina has Ganondorf 1.0. Majora’s Mask… is an experience. Wind Waker has its ocean aesthetic + sister, Tetra, and Cooler Ganondorf. TP has the Twili, Skyward is kind of its own thing entirely, and Link Between Worlds has Lorule. Pretty much all the Zelda games I can think of have an interesting twist on the basic plot structure… except TotK, which feels a bit like an amalgam of BotW and Ocarina on that front with some new items involved.
That’s not to say it’s bad - it works well for TotK, stylistically, and I think you’re right on the mark in saying it was “whelming” - but I don’t really think I want it to stay for future Zelda games, tbh. Though I don’t really know how they’ll merge a different plot style with open world, if they continue with the BotW style.