The Legend of Zelda is a series that is constantly reinventing itself. The likes of Breath of the Wild see it quickly become one of the best open-world games, while Echoes of Wisdom offers a modernized wave of nostalgia that has feet planted in both the past and present. This has largely been its secret to success, the foundational tenet from which it has spawned so many amazing games and cultivated such an impressive and adoring fan base that will purchase each new entry on day one.

Of course, in order for this to work, The Legend of Zelda needs to take inspiration from the creative masterpieces surrounding it. For example, the likes of Skyrim pushed Breath of the Wild to be as immersive and engaging as it is. So, when it comes to the next Zelda game, fans are already looking to the kinds of AAA titles that could inspire it to become something transcendent. However, while there are surely plenty of great AAA games that the next Zelda game will be inspired by, there is one indie game that it absolutely needs to borrow from.

Eternal Strands Is A Very Creative Indie Game

It's Like Nintendo Made Monster Hunter

Eternal Strands is the debut title from Yellow Brick Games - made up of veteran developers including Mike Laidlaw, a writer on Mass Effect and lead designer on Dragon Age: Origins - and launched to critical acclaim. It is a unique narrative-driven take on the Monster Hunter formula in which players explore open areas in search of resources to craft better gear and monolithic bosses which need to be climbed upon to exploit weaknesses. Its creative game design has easily earned it the title of one of the best indie RPGs in 2025, cementing the developer as a future household name.

What makes Eternal Strands truly stand out is its approach to combat, namely its use of elemental magic. Players can combine fire, ice, and telekinesis to take down their foes, such as ripping pieces of armor from a giant boss, freezing a dragon's wings to make it fall down, or building an ice wall and then taking chunks of it off and flinging it at enemies. There are lots of different ways players can utilize Eternal Stands' unique approach to magical combat to their advantage, which makes it feel like they're breaking the game in the best possible way.

While a lot of Eternal Strands plays it a little too safe - specifically its story and mission design - the ambitious and creative gameplay, coupled with a handful of innovations in crafting that help streamline the process in a -friendly way, make it feel like a game that could very easily have come from Nintendo. It wouldn't be surprising to see Eternal Strands appear as a third-party Switch 2 launch title, as it absolutely belongs on Nintendo's hardware. However, more importantly, Nintendo should look to the creativity driving Eternal Strands' most enjoyable gameplay moments as inspiration for the next Zelda game.

The Next Zelda Game Should Learn From Eternal Strands

It Needs To Borrow Its Best Ideas

Eternal Strands' core gameplay tenets are its towering boss fights, detailed open zone worlds, and, most importantly, its elemental-focused combat. While both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom feature massive boss fights, their combat isn't a focus. TOTK improved on BOTW in many ways, one of which was combat, thanks to the ability to add any resources to arrows or fuse weapons with surrounding objects. However, while very creative, it requires a level of creative thinking from the player, something that should be encouraged, but can, at times, feel alienating.

On the other hand, Eternal Strands makes its creative combat its primary focus. As a result, a lot more attention has been put into making it as accessible as possible by ensuring it is easy to learn but hard to master. It is also more interactive, with magical abilities directly affecting enemies' maneuverability or their body parts. TOTK features some level of interactability in its combat, which is one of many reasons why it's one of the best Zelda games of all time, but more between the player and their weapon rather than the weapon and its target.

Additionally, the open zone structure allows for more detailed environments and makes the towering bosses all the more imposing. Naturally, that wouldn't have worked in Tears of the Kingdom or Breath of the Wild, as the open-world format elevates the emphasis on discovery. However, for future Zelda games, especially now that it's practically impossible to release yet another open-world game in Hyrule unless it drastically changes its style and setting, Eternal Strands' world design could be a better fit.

The Next Zelda Game Should Be Smaller In Scale

It Must Avoid Trying To Be As Big As BotW

The phenomenally reviewed Echoes of Wisdom is absolutely an indication that the Zelda series needs to be smaller going forward, at least for a short while, rather than attempting to replicate the enormous open-world success of BOTW. Echoes of Wisdom isn't small by any means, and its ambitious new mechanics make it feel like a more substantial experience than even earlier Zelda games, but it doesn't feel as gargantuan as the modern Zelda titles, something that is evidenced by its shorter runtime.

However, by adopting Eternal Strands' open area structure, the next Zelda game could have the best of both worlds. Eternal Strands' areas are fairly huge, and while they're not stuffed with activities, they're stunningly detailed. A Zelda game with diverse open areas, potentially connected by a hub area - such as Hyrule castle - each based on a different region, would allow for a more detailed exploration of Hyrule and its varied landscapes. The extra power of the Switch 2 would also allow for a much better-looking version of Hyrule, unlike anything players have seen before.

A smaller yet more detailed, combat-focused Zelda game feels like the perfect next entry and the ideal follow-up to Tears of the Kingdom. It doesn't risk simply copying the last open-world game, much like how TOTK borrowed a few too many elements from BOTW, nor does it offer yet another dungeon-based puzzle adventure, as good as they can be. An Eternal Strands-esque Zelda game would be something different for the franchise and would allow Nintendo to flex its creative muscles and offer its own unique combat style that would surely inspire the next generation of developers.

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