The Legend of Zelda: The Steel Viper

The Legend of Zelda: The Steel Viper is an action-adventure game.
Unlike a lot of other titles in the Legend of Zelda series, the game is released for the PlayStation 4 instead of a Nintendo system. It also does not star Link. Instead, it stars a renegade only known as the Steel Viper, coming to hunt down Link. Nintendo consoles instead have a version of this game known as The Legend of Zelda: Courage Against Steel which is instead narrated from Link's perspective. 
It takes place 50 years after Twilight Princess, and Hyrule is much more industrialized due to the Shadion Technology, which Hyrule started using after the Twili shared it with the Hylians.
== Gameplay ==
Like many Zelda games, this game is focused on exploring dungeons and solving puzzles. 
Despite using a Runegun, normal attacks aren't much different in terms of controls from what Link did using a sword (though they have longer reach). 
It eschews the open world of BOTW for a return to a linear plot.
Unlike many Zeldas, this one has an emphasis on controlling ancient technology to use as vehicles, and the Viper has its own vehicle, which can be shifted from motorcycle mode to complete mode (which is a giant mecha). The Viper can customize his vehicle through the upgrade system accessible through the Rune Slate. 
A magic meter returns, this time magic is dark powers used by Yuki. 
== Plot ==
"Yuki, you are my life. I have nothing but you. But in order to defend you, I have to shed holy blood. I have to fight against the Goddesses' order for you. The madman who had attacked you, he's Link of Hyrule, wielder of the Master Sword, while I am nothing but steel, and you're the closest thing to a soul I have. I don't care what he is. I'll stop him." -the Steel Viper, opening quote 
A man covered in a cloak and a turban, with a mechanical arm made of Sheikah tech, is escaping through an ice cavern. Alongside him is a young girl. 
There's a flashback, showing Link attacking a young girl who has been driven away from a village due to her being seen as "a demon". The Viper draws his Runegun and shoots Link, dueling him to a standstill. The two fight, one on his horse and the other on his Suzuki motorcycle. 
After leaving the ice cavern, they appear in a watery swamp jungle filled with mutant plants, it's Lake Hylia, which has been infested by mutated overgrown plants due to a Shadion fallout. They're soon attacked by a group of bandits led by Korvat. The Viper beats all of them, but, after shooting Korvat in the chest and eye, does not manage to kill him. Korvat leaves, bleeding but still alive. 
TBA
It's later revealed that Yuki is Ganondorf, reincarnated as a girl and now amnesiac. As she remembers being Ganondorf, she calls the Viper "Zant", and remembers about his grandfather having previously made a pact with him. The Viper wonders how can Yuki know about his true last name, since he never told her, and introduces himself as Ash van Zant. When the Hero of Twilight found out Zant the Usurper had a young son named Erik, he and Princess Zelda adopted Erik as their son (receiving the last name "van Zant" due to being unfit to rule but becoming a great fighter and later founder of the military force known as the Dark Legion). Zelda had a daughter, the next Zelda, but Erik was the one who really had power. Erik had brought an industrial revolution to Hyrule, giving the Hyrulians a new energy source called Shadion coming from the Twilight Realm. 
As they exit the dungeon, Ash tells Yuki about his past: he's Erik's son, who was kept in hiding by his father when a coup caused the dissolution of the Dark Legion and Erik suddenly lost all the power he had. 
TBA
Yuki uses her power to create a monstrous blob of flesh and blood which Ash names Heart of Yuki, which infests Hyrule Castle like a parasite. She and Ash use the chance to attack Hyrule Castle, killing Grand Bishop Will. Before shooting him, Ash threatens Will while screaming for him to say Erik's name. Will mentions Erik having caused a catastrophe and so Ash shoots him in cold blood, then licking the blood from his wounds and having fully accepted his destiny as Ganondorf. Ash and Yuki then defend the Heart of Yuki from Link, Zelda, and Midna's attacks: Yuki grows more powerful but also more cruel and violent until she becomes a monster and Ash can no longer do anything to save her. He rides off, crying. 
After the credits, Ash rides through the plains on his Suzuki, escaping from the corrupted Yuki's dark power. If Ash has gathered the Golden Wolf Armor, they're later challenged by Korvat's Vengeance, a cybernetic version of the brigand Korvat, otherwise, Korvat takes them by surprise and then beats Ash to a pulp, killing him. 
== Characters ==
* The Steel Viper: A renegade coming from the east, almost entirely cybernetic. He wields various types of Runegun and pilots the snake-themed vehicle Suzuki, which can shift from a motorcycle to a giant humanoid form. Unlike Link, he's a talking main character. His real name is later revealed to be a Twili named Ash van Zant (descendant of Zant the Usurper).
* Yuki: A young girl the Viper saved from Link. Despite her frail looks, she possesses mysterious dark magic powers. The name Yuki means "snow" in the Twili language, due to the Viper having found her bleeding on the snow. She's apparently immortal, though Link's Master Sword was able to shed her blood. She's in fact the next incarnation of Demise after Ganondorf.
* Link: A man who had attacked Yuki. He's never shown speaking, but rather Midna speaks for him. 
* Zelda: Queen of Hyrule. She ordered the death of Yuki, knowing she was the new bearer of Demise's curse after Ganondorf. 
* Midna: An imp-like creature who is the princess of the Twilight Realm. She helps Link in fighting and speaks for him. 
== Dungeons ==
* Ice Cavern: An ice-filled cave in Snowpeak. The Viper escapes through there after having saved Chiyuki from Link. The boss is Link.
* Collapsed Jungle Reactor: A collapsed Shadion reactor in Lake Hylia, which the Shadion fallout caused to turn into a jungle of mutant plants. You get the Rune "Kumo", which works like a double hook shot. 
* 
* Solar Plant: A solar power plant in the Faron Woods. 
* TBA
*Diamond Temple: remains of the Fire Temple of OOT, now covered in crystals and having lost its heat. The boss is Eldin.
* Ice Temple: remains of the Lakebed Temple of TP (which is the same as the OOT water temple), now covered in ice. The boss is Lanayru. 
* 
* Bushfire Temple: remains of the OOT Forest Temple, now filled with flames and lava. The boss is Faron.
* Fossil Tower: An abandoned former construction site in Ordon City, now occupied by the spirit of Ordona. Ordona is the boss.
* TBA
* Hyrule Castle Assault: Ash and Yuki assault the Hyrule Castle in order to avenge Erik, covering said castle with their structure known as Heart of Yuki. The boss is Grand Bishop Will's divine/magitek guardian Seravius 
* Heart of Yuki's Defense: The structure Yuki created, which parasites Hyrule Castle. Link, Midna, and Zelda have stormed it, and it's Ash and Yuki's job to defend it in a last stand. 
== Bosses ==
* Link, Courage Against Steel (Ice Cavern)
* Korvat, Brigand Chief
* Kuwagata, Jungle Insect Mutant
* 
* Volkazan, Great Dragon of Fire
* Link, Courage Against Steel
* TBA
* TBA
* Lanayru, Serpent Spirit of Light (Frozen Abyss)
* Eldin, Owl Spirit of Light (Crystal Castle)
* Faron, Monkey Spirit of Light (Blaze Forest)
* Ordona, Goat Spirit of Light (Fossil Tower)
* Seravius, Guardian of the Grand Bishop (Hyrule Castle Assault)
* Midna, Twilight Princess (Defense of the Tower of Yuki, final boss phase 1)
* Midna, Demon-Spider of Twilight (final boss phase 2) 
* Epona, Horse That Rivals Steel (final boss phase 3)
* Zelda and Midna, Two Princesses of Light and Shadow (final boss phase 4)
* Lux Spiritualis, Zelda Blessed by the Spirits (final boss phase 5) 
* Link, Hero Chosen by the Goddesses (final boss final phase) 
* Golden Wolf, Hero of Time (optional super boss, gives the special Golden Wolf Armor)
* Korvat's Vengeance (true, optional final boss, fought post-credits)
* 
== Trivia ==
* This game has blood.
* This is a PS4 Zelda game. The reason for this is due to the perspective switch: as long as Link is the hero, he stays on Nintendo, but since this game follows the Steel Viper hunting down Link, other consoles were chosen.
* Hunt Down the Freeman inspired this game's concept.
* Playing the Switch version "Courage Against Steel" (which stars Link) makes this game's reveals obvious from the beginning. 
* It's implied what is known as Calamity Ganon in BotW isn't Ganondorf, but rather Yuki.
* This game may have a sequel with an older Ash and the next Link joining forces with each other against Yuki.
* Dungeons of OOT (in ruins and powered up by the spirits) now appear again: the Ice Temple is the Water Temple from OOT (frozen over), the Diamond Temple is the Fire Temple (now crystallized) and the Bushfire Temple is the Forest Temple (now filled with lava and fire). 
Category:The Legend of Zelda (series)
Category:The Legend of Zelda Games
Category:PlayStation 4 Games