Aonuma on Zelda: BotW - dev team size, dev time, Shrine info, Skyrim inspirations, hidden elements and MUCH more

The following info comes from a Le Monde interview with Eiji Aonuma...

– Team consisted of about 300 staffers
– 4 years of development
– Listens to Japanese fans in particular for feedback due to it being his native language, but looks to consider feedback worldwide
– Aonuma points out that North American players aren’t big on upgrading abilities to progress similar to Monster Hunter
– Nintendo was criticized for the lack of freedom in the past, with different areas being connected by small paths
– The player now has freedom similar to the original Zelda
– Aonuma believes Breath of the Wild will be a key entry in the series
– Experience points and leveling up was never considered
– Rather, Nintendo decided to implement the weapon system
– To obtain high-level equipment, players need to be smart about how they approach the game
– Link’s speed is adapted to the pace of the game
– There are many things that are hidden in the world, and you can run at full speed, but you may miss a lot by doing so
– With Skyrim, he likes how when you enter a new town, it feels different from other ones you’ve visited
– He wanted to create something like this, but in a different way
– This is why you can climb anywhere
– On Shrines: having them all be long/complex means players wouldn’t complete the game
– Nintendo made Shrines to be rewards rather than actual trials
– Shrines are very different from those of previous Zelda, though some are much larger and have a boss at the end similar to traditional dungeons
– Nintendo has done away with dungeons that have a particular theme
– Even if you come across a shrine located in a forest, it won’t necessarily carry that theme
– Architecture not based on specific real life locations
– Inspired by different pieces of architecture from around the world
– For Zelda: Ocarina of Time, this was an exception in creating the Temple of Time
– Aonuma wanted to have more islands in Wind Waker, but hardware limitations prevented that
– Criticism from that game didn’t inspire Breath of the Wild, including the art style
– Art style was chosen so that objects could be more easily seen in the world
– Artists have also been brought up on Japanese animation
– Aonuma stopped leaving messages to his son in his games since his son told him that he had grown up, and didn’t need them anymore
– Aonuma wrote the lines for the old man you find at the start of the game