Nintendo
Nintendo almost broke the golden rule with Link in Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, but not for a good reason
The franchise’s producer admits that they almost voiced Link in the game, but ultimately ruled it out.
We were all surprised that we would see a new installment of The Legend of Zelda series in 2024, but we were even more surprised when we saw what kind of game it was. Now the Princess was taking up the baton to star in a video game that broke with the formula, but kept the fundamentals that make the saga recognizable. The break was almost more profound than the development team’s original plan. Nintendo almost gave Link a voice to express himself with words, but it was ultimately scrapped.
This is how Nintendo explains why they decided that Link would not speak in Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
“We made Link talk a bit at first (…) but it felt really wrong,” revealed Eiji Aonuma, the franchise’s producer, in an interview with Famitsu along with Satoshi Tarada, the game’s director. “I had Link talk a little bit,” Tarada added. “Whatever we tried to make him say, it just didn’t feel right.” Aonuma explained why he conveyed that feeling: No one knew the answer to the question – What would Link say? And of course we wouldn’t, he has never spoken before! (laughs) Because of that, we needed a setting where he couldn’t talk, and that led to a part of the game’s storyline being formed.”
38 years later, we’re still here, with a hero we still don’t know a single word about. The golden rule around the character remains unbroken, like the seal of a valuable video game on your shelf. There is a certain pride on the part of those responsible for having conveyed so much over the years with nothing more than gestures and his presence.
Their legend has never been more alive, especially after two major installments that revolutionized the open-world genre. And yet, the enormous impact of both games did not make him change his way of expressing himself one bit.
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