Summary
Now thatZelda: Breath of the Wild,Tears of the Kingdom, andEchoes of Wisdomhave all taken massive strides toward innovation, the future is wide open forThe Legend of Zelda. It’s unclear where theLegend of Zeldafranchise may go from here in terms of its story and gameplay, butZelda: Spirit Tracks, one of the series' most beloved entries, may hold the key to further innovation.
WhileZelda: Spirit Tracksarguably deserves a remake or a sequel, it’s not likely to ever receive one. However, a futureZeldaopen-world sandbox game could keep the spirit ofZelda: Spirit Tracksalive by implementing the one feature that set it apart from otherZeldatitles in the first place. This would be a great way of reigniting the flame ofSpirit Trackswhile simultaneously introducing fresh and innovative gameplay elements to the series' evolving formula.
A Future Zelda Game Should Implement Spirit Tracks' Train Mechanics
Spirit Tracks Gave Players a Usable and Customizable Train for Travel
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracksis by far one ofThe Legend of Zelda’s most distinctive titles, as it introduced a train called the “Spirit Train” that served as the primary mode of transportation across the game’s overworld. After previous entries in the series utilized boats and horses for travel (when players weren’t journeying on foot),Zelda: Spirit Tracks' Spirit Train was a breath of fresh air and an innovative approach to in-game traversal and exploration.
The Spirit Train was a magical locomotive integral toZelda: Spirit Tracks' story, which traveled on the titular Spirit Tracks. The Spirit Train was fully controllable, with a throttle to adjust speed, a brake for stopping, and a whistle to scare away obstacles like animals. While using the Spirit Train, players would navigate junctions on the Spirit Tracks by choosing their direction, which ultimately played out like aniconicZeldapuzzleas they planned routes to reach specific destinations. The Spirit Train also featured a cannon for combat, with which players could fend off enemies or engage in encounters with Dark Trains — hostile locomotives that patrolled certain tracks.
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracksis by far one ofThe Legend of Zelda’s most distinctive titles, as it introduced a train called the “Spirit Train” that served as the primary mode of transportation across the game’s overworld.
While the Spirit Train was useful as a transportation tool inZelda: Spirit Tracks, it was an essential part of the game’s mechanics and its narrative. Players could even upgrade and customize the durability and appearance of the Spirit Train using valuable collectibles they found throughout the game.Zelda: Spirit Tracks' questsoften involved transporting passengers or cargo on the Spirit Train, which, in turn, required players to take extra care when driving the train. Since the progression system tied to the Spirit Tracks was such a big part ofZelda: Spirit Tracks' gameplay, the Spirit Train played a significant role in exploration, since players would unlock new routes by solving puzzles and restoring tracks, thereby granting them access to new regions.
With how uniqueZelda: Spirit Tracks' Spirit Train mechanics were, it would be a shame to never feature them again, and anopen-worldZeldasandboxwould be the perfect opportunity to reintroduce them. This would allow a futureZeldagame to serve as a spiritual successor toZelda: Spirit Tracks, all while giving fans a form of progression and gameplay they aren’t familiar with. With aBreath of the WildorTears of the Kingdom-sized open world, a futureZeldagame could use its explorable space as a sandbox for players to build railways around that they could then use for transportation.
A sandbox approach would also allow the train to be more than just a transportation tool. Perhaps players could face environmental challenges, like building bridges over rivers or tunneling through mountains, adding the series' iconic puzzle-solving to railroad construction. Enemies might even target the tracks, requiring players to defend or repair them. The train could also act as a mobile base for players, with a crafting station or even a small customizable living area on board. With a healthy balance of resource management, combat, and customization, alongside thenostalgia ofZelda:Spirit Tracks, the train could become a core feature of gameplay, all while offering a fresh take on traversal in the world ofThe Legend of Zelda.
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
WHERE TO PLAY
For the first time in the history of The Legend of Zelda series, Princess Zelda is leaving the villainous clutches of the underworld behind and joining the adventure with Link. In The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, the spirit of Zelda accompanies Link on his quest to save Hyrule.Directly impacting game play like never before, Zelda’s spirit can take control of hulking suits of armor known as Phantoms, allowing the player to direct both Link and these new allies as they battle enemies, solve puzzles and uncover secrets. Zelda also rides alongside Link on his customizable train, offering wisdom that will help players find new areas, storylines and items.The team of Link and Zelda presents countless new storyline details for fans to enjoy, including a closer look at Princess Zelda herself, one of the most iconic video game characters of all-time.
