Chapter 418: Textbook Level Design (Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Passes)

What would an open world on the Switch be like?

Designers, both domestic and international, were paying close attention.

Ordinary players, when playing games, naturally only focus on the game's content. But for game designers, they are more concerned with the game's design. For example, a level in the game and why the terrain was designed that way.

The new player tutorial in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild could be said to have opened a new world for all game designers.

In terms of game content, the entire system of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild could be said to be incredibly complex. For example, using ingredients and using fire; torches could be used to drive away bees, and the updraft from burning flames allowed players to use the paraglider. Four different special abilities could interact and influence the environment.

Yet, such a complex system, with all sorts of complex elements, did not give players a headache. Because these things were not shoved onto players all at once, but rather broken down and gradually introduced into the game. The game's progression was very natural, and players seemed to learn without even realizing it.

If such a complex system used traditional tutorial levels, it would undoubtedly be tedious and drawn-out. However, in Breath of the Wild, a Great Plateau was specifically created, using a step-by-step guided approach, dividing the entire game system into several stages, broken down for players to explore and understand on their own. This was the design philosophy for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's levels.

Instead of teaching players how to play the game, it encouraged players to actively play and discover. For instance, the game wouldn't directly tell you about environmental kills, but would use subtle hints to make players figure them out themselves. Dynamite barrels in camps and nearby rocks, or even lanterns hanging directly above dynamite barrels, almost constantly hinted to players that there wasn't just one brute-force way to solve problems, but that they could completely change their approach to find a solution.

And when players discovered this, they would naturally feel a sense of 'I'm so damn awesome!' Of course, it didn't matter if they didn't discover it, because it was still early, such map mechanisms were present throughout various scenes in the game, and players would experience them sooner or later. However, the various designs of this Great Plateau alone had already made many game designers feel utterly amazed.

“I'm convinced! Just the design of this Great Plateau alone is like a textbook new player tutorial!”

“+1, just this tutorial level in Breath of the Wild feels like enough to study for a long time!”

“Collecting elements, various system settings, and interactive influences – there isn't a single abrupt element, and even the core elements are presented to players through gameplay itself. I can only say it's perfect.”

“Actually, this isn't even the most crucial part. Haven't you noticed? Breath of the Wild's design philosophy seems completely different from Nebula Games' open-world design philosophy for Red Dead Redemption!”

“Indeed, in terms of gameplay, it seems more free than Red Dead Redemption. This has changed it from its very core!”

With the launch of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, designers in the gaming industry were all amazed. Before this, everyone was skeptical about how Nebula Games would present an open world on the Switch, but once The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild launched and they experienced its content, there was only a sense of shock.

As for the related player communities online, they completely erupted.

Players who experienced the game immediately were all uncontrollably sharing their gaming experiences online, wanting to convey this excitement and thrill to other players, or find like-minded individuals.

‘Holy cow! I'm impressed! It's so damn awesome! Before, I thought the Switch might not be able to pull off any open-world games, but now I have to say I was ridiculously wrong!’

‘Same here! I don't even know how to describe this game anymore, I can only describe it as truly freaking fun!’

‘That's right, I unconsciously forgot about time. I was playing in a coffee shop during my lunch break and ended up forgetting about my meeting!’

‘I really didn't expect this game to be on the Switch!’

‘Before, I felt Red Dead Redemption was the pinnacle of open-world games, but now I have to say The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild can absolutely stand shoulder to shoulder with it!’

‘Is it really as exaggerated as you say? Can it really be compared to Red Dead Redemption?’

‘Yeah, is it really as fun as you all say?’

‘With the Switch's hardware capabilities, it should be difficult to present a world as vibrant and full of life as Red Dead Redemption, right?’

Of course, many players also expressed disbelief. For players who owned a Switch and bought The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, even though they had just started playing, the rich interactions and extremely high degree of freedom in the game instantly won them over, allowing them to vent their excitement on various social media platforms.

But there were also many players who hadn't bought a Switch, and naturally didn't know much about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Looking at these player posts online, these players who hadn't yet explored the game felt a little bewildered.

Is it really that big of a deal?

Although they were both Chen Xu's games, was it a bit too exaggerated to compare The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild with Red Dead Redemption? One must know that Red Dead Redemption was truly awesome, and throughout the entire year, major game developers had all followed its open-world design philosophy. Moreover, Red Dead Redemption was a game on the VR platform, while the Switch, the platform The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild landed on, had hardware capabilities that were directly outclassed!

If it were the work of a general game developer and designer, they would most likely scoff at it. But this was, after all, a game produced by Nebula Games and Chen Xu. So, seeing the many excited players online, players who previously hadn't shown much interest in the Switch or this game, also sought to learn about this game through channels like videos and live streams.

However, when they, driven by curiosity, clicked on these videos about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and entered the live stream rooms, casual players who originally had no interest in this game also expressed shock one after another. “Is this really a game that can be made on the Switch!?” “Games can actually be played like this?” Watching the videos and live streams, these players were all filled with surprise. (End of Chapter) <>