Tears of the Kingdom gave Link some of the most unique abilities the Legend of Zelda series has seen, including Fuse – but it turns out that Nintendo had even more ambitious plans for it at first.
As Famitsu reports, during Japan’s Computer Entertainment Development Conference, Tears of the Kingdom director Hidemaro Fujibayashi and engineer Kenichi Hirose went behind the scenes with an in-depth look at the open-world Zelda sequel’s production. One of the more interesting revelations unearthed during the event has to do with Link’s Fuse ability – or, more so, what it looked like early on in development.
Initially, developers could use Fuse to combine multiple different objects. For instance, Link’s shield could be merged with two swords. With one sword on either side of the shield on his back, it would function as both a lawnmower, cutting the grass surrounding the protagonist as he traverses the world, and as a defensive weapon of sorts. Another mind-boggling example showcased by the devs features a Boss Bokoblin Horn attached to a weapon.
Fuse worked very differently early in development, even allowing for multiple objects to be fused.If you carried a shield with swords attached to both sides, you can cut the grass around your feet and the surrounding area just by walking. pic.twitter.com/4WL0qFgcZ5September 5, 2024
According to the leads, this product of the Fuse ability would’ve allowed players to use the sound of their weapon to control Bokoblins – a handy creation indeed, considering the sheer number of Bokoblins in-game. One of my personal favorite combinations highlighted by the devs, though, is a bit more simple – using a Zonai wing on Link’s back to fly. Nintendo also toyed with the idea of allowing players to choose the orientation of materials while fusing.
Ultimately, though, these choices and combinations were scrapped in favor of a more simple Fuse ability – one that’s easier for fans to figure out while still remaining useful. While I’m sad I can’t merge materials all willy-nilly, I’m happy with the way that Fuse is – and I’m not alone. “This would’ve extended development time significantly,” writes a player. “Glad they cut it.” Another explains that they “can very much understand why they cut this,” and I agree.
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