Modern AAA games are expected to deliver interconnected worlds, intricate stories, and highly realistic environments and characters. As video games have become more mainstream, anime and manga—once largely regional media—have also become global cultural forces, shaping audiences’ expectations. Those changing standards help explain why Link’s latest design has drawn such close attention.
Clayton Lundgren, a former quality-assurance tester at Naughty Dog, currently streams Ocarina of Time. Like other games streamed on Twitch, Link’s new appearance is not a coincidence, he says.
“For a decision as important as key art for the main character, this is like going through a lot of quality checks at a higher level than the person who drew it,” Lundgren says. “This is what you’ve been doing in merchandising for over 20 years.”
Link through the years
Since the Legend of Zelda franchise launched in 1986, Link has appeared in many forms. His long hat, pointed ears, blond hair, green tunic, and Master Sword are familiar parts of his design, but none of those traits has remained consistent throughout the series’ four decades. His hair has been pink, and his tunic has appeared in blue and red. He has even been a tree.
The remake goes even further. Lundgren has logged at least 1,000 hours with Ocarina of Time, taking part in speedruns, challenge runs, and community contests. When he saw the game’s new trailer, he quickly realized that this week’s release was a radical remake.
For many fans, the detailed undergrowth of Kokiri Forest and the sunlight filtering through its trees in the teaser were proof that this was not the same Ocarina. Lundgren noticed something else: the contours of the ground were different.
Source: www.wired.com
