Epona Should Be A Standard Feature In The Next Legend Of Zelda Game

Many incredible mechanics were introduced to The Legend of Zelda in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, but one unfair feature from the same games should not be carried forward into future titles. Despite their ambitious designs and incredible reception, some aspects of both these games are undeniably frustrating for the average person. However, the franchise can still easily rectify this by changing its approach in the future.

It is undeniable that BOTW has had a monumental impact on the Zelda franchise, and is arguably one of its most influential titles ever. BOTW is a captivating game in many ways, and it established several new traditions and features that have since gone on to appear in TOTK and Echoes of Wisdom. Nevertheless, not every part of BOTW's impact has been entirely positive, and there are some clear changes that the next Legend of Zelda game should make to break away from its influence.

Epona Deserves To Be Part Of The Next Zelda Title's Base Content

The Iconic Steed Should Not Be A Permanent Amiibo Exclusive

Despite bringing countless references to the wider franchise together into one game, Breath of the Wild made Epona an Amiibo exclusive rather than a readily available mount. Of course, owning Link's famous horse is far from necessary to complete the game, but considering how iconic the brown mare is in her own right, this decision can be disappointing for people without the prerequisite Amiibo, and obtaining Epona in Tears of the Kingdom is almost as difficult. With this in mind, it is clear that Epona should return to being part of the base game in her next appearance.

As a familiar character for many players, Epona deserves to have a more reliable presence in the Zelda franchise than being what is effectively DLC. The franchise's current use of Epona is frustrating for those familiar with her, and also means that people newer to the Zelda games will have a much lower chance of becoming invested to begin with (meaning they would be less interested in obtaining her). As such, despite being Link's traditional mount, Epona could effectively vanish from the games if this trend continues.

Classic Zelda Elements Shouldn't Be Locked Behind Amiibo

It Damages The Appeal Of These Nostalgic Features

Considering that TOTK is a direct sequel to BOTW, making Epona available in its own base game would devalue the Amiibo usage in BOTW. However, it still means that many people will likely never own Epona in either of these games. Moreover, the feature seems to be setting a worrying trend. For example, although Echoes of Wisdom does not feature Epona at all, there are still several outfits for Zeda that are similarly exclusive to Amiibo. In a bigger game, it is easy to picture Epona or even other classic Zelda elements once again seeing the same treatment.

Another notable Amiibo effect in BOTW is the addition of Wolf Link as a temporary companion, which given the incongruity of his appearance seems more appropriate for an optional gameplay bonus.

Playing on nostalgia can easily heighten the experience of a new entry in a long-running franchise like The Legend of Zelda, but effectively paywalling this same content can be a major negative for those most invested in the franchise. Of course, it would be absurd for Amiibo to become necessary for core mechanics, but an increased emphasis on their usage could still have a devastating effect on basic gameplay. For example, a Zelda game that once again uses music could treat warping songs in a similar fashion to Skyward Sword HD's Zelda and Loftwing Amiibo's own fast-travel feature.

Amiibo are cool collectibles that offer a range of digital bonuses to related games. However, their implementation in The Legend of Zelda has also begun to lock away both useful features and fan-favourite elements of the franchise, with Epona being the prime example. It would be a massive disappointment if Epona was constantly relegated to being an Amiibo exclusive from now on. As such, while Amiibo can still offer plenty of useful items, it would arguably be for the best if the next title simply included Epona without the need for any additional purchases.