The Legend of Zeldais one of the most expansive and convoluted franchises to come out of the gaming industry. Following the hero Link who’s often on a quest to save Princess Zelda, the games sometimes only have vague ties to one another, and its timeline is still being debated today,35 years following the release of the very firstLegend of Zeldatitle. Though the franchise has evolved to keep up with modern standards and entice fans, it’s kept true to its roots through its gameplay style, save forBreath of the Wild, which took a bold leap by changing the formula.
The gameplay loop of both traditionalLegend of Zeldagames andBreath of the Wildhas become a source of inspiration, combining dungeon crawling with platforming and puzzles. This style is now especially used in the indie realm, and the upcoming titleTunicis just one example of how, like theMetroidseries and theMetroidvania genre,The Legend of Zeldahas almost created a new subgenre of titles inspired by the hero brandishing a sword and wearing a green tunic.
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Tunic and Other Legend of Zelda-Inspired Titles
Tunicis just one upcoming example of many games that have been inspired byThe Legend of Zeldaover the years because it served as an iconic part of so many gamers' childhoods. Unexpectedly,Grand Theft Auto’s director Dan Houser has noted that theZeldagames on the Nintendo 64 served as an important influence in the development of the series. TheLegend of Zeldagames have also influenced triple-A games likeCD Projekt Red’sWitchergames,The Wind WakeronAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, andDark Souls. Hidetaka Miyazaki, who has gone on to say thatA Link To The Pastis one of his favorite RPGs, rightfully claimed thatLegend of Zeldabecame a “textbook” for many 3D action games. Ironically, Soulslike games are now becoming their own genre.
And now, any time a game trailer releases showcasing scenery even remotelysimilar toBreath of the Wild’s, it incurs comparisons between the two. WhenGenshin Impactwas first announced, players were so upset some of them even broke their PS4s, but it’s now proved to be its own title completely with many different mechanics involved. The same can be said about Metroidvania games; though they stem from theMetroidformat, they’ve long departed from relation to or direct inspiration fromMetroidorCastlevaniaand instead displaying the same integration between expertly design levels and deep narratives. This is in spite of the fact thatMetroidwasn’t even the first game of its kindbut rather the game to influence many others following it.
Tunic Proves Itself To Be Its Own Game
Like the previously mentionedGenshin Impactand the many others,Tunichas proved that it’s more than just a game inspired byThe Legend of Zelda,even if the protagonist does dress in a green tunic and pick up a sword and shield to start his adventures. The combat is quite different, partially because of its difficulty, but also because the fox has magical abilities, such as using powerful ice blasts. There’s also the presence of advanced technology of guns, showing howTunic’s world is a bit more timeless and has its own lore unique fromThe Legend of Zelda. This is what makes games likeTunicmore than just a copycat or an inspiration: they take the original idea and something different with it that can’t be found anywhere else.
Tunicis releasing on June 10, 2025 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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