A fan trailer in Unreal Engine 5 shows how wonderful The Legend of Zelda could look if the anime experts at Studio Ghibli were at work
Don’t worry, this isn’t a Oh my god, this UE5 demo looks fantastic!
News. This is a Oh my god, does this UE5 demo look fantastic!
column. Just kidding – but with the video coming up, I just had to leave you with a few personal lines!
I love The Legend of Zelda. I love movies from Studio Ghibli. How nice would it be to get a movie about the green-screened hero from the anime grandmasters? A dream that will probably not be fulfilled for the time being, even though two Zelda films are currently in the making. However, neither of them is supposed to be a classic anime
A fantastic fan trailer now lets me take a look at a fictional Ghibli film about Link, Zelda, Ganondorf and co. You guessed it: Unreal Engine 5 was used again here. In contrast to many other tech demos that simply look like thrown-together assets with a Link character, the result here is simply stunning! See for yourself:
The Ghibli look suits Zelda like a fairy on the eye
The Legend of Zelda and cartoon look, we’ve been over this before, haven’t we? Oh yes, that’s right: In 2002, The Wind Waker caused an indignant outcry in the fan community. The colorful comic style caused many pointy-eared sword-wielders to go on the barricades: That’s not my Link anymore!, they shouted into the vastness of the then still untamed internet.
As a full professional when it comes to new media, I have created a meme for you that aptly visualizes the mood in the fan community at the time:
I’ve always liked the comic book look in Zelda. Today I can say yes without running the risk of being quartered with a Master Sword. The Wind Waker still looks really good today, especially because of its graphic style. In my opinion, The Minish Cap is one of the prettiest games for the Game Boy Advance. And Skyward Sword looks like a watercolor brought to life, especially in the HD version for the Nintendo Switch
So now this Unreal Engine video by hobbyist RwanLink. In it you can see: Castle Town from Ocarina of Time. A young Link runs through the alleyways, is chased by dogs (Richard? Is that you?) and meets Malon, who brings fresh Lon-Lon milk to the town. How idyllic! How beautiful! But most of all: This is the style I’d love to see in a future Zelda game!
How does it look for you? After all, tastes are as varied as the mask retailer’s range. Which graphic style do you prefer for The Legend of Zelda? The colorful, comic-like appearance of The Wind Waker or rather dark and realistic like Twilight Princess? What do you think of the UE5 Ghibli demo? Let me know in the comments!
