All We Know About The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild 2
After revealing it two years ago, Nintendo released the latest trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 last month. The exciting new trailer confirmed the release window of 2022. And while it is only a minute and a half in length, the trailer for the BOTW sequel teases corrupted arms, enemies teaming up, new worlds to conquer, and remixed abilities.
Fan theorists are already into overdrive, with most of them suggesting an inevitable encounter with resurrected Calamity Ganon and a possibility of multiple time periods. But in this article, we will be focusing on scenes explicitly showing off the details in which the sequel sets itself apart from 2017’s Breath of The Wild rather than the fan theories.
So read on and enjoy all that we know about Breath of The Wild 2, and don’t forget to get your Nintendo eShop Cards in time for the game’s release!
Returning Director
Hidemaro Fujibayashi, director of the first Breath of The Wild, will be returning for its sequel, Nintendo’s Eiji Aonuma confirmed to Game Informer. Fujibayashi has previously worked on Skyward Sword and The Minish Cap games in the series. His return is also significant since it was the reimagining of his hometown Kyoto that provided Breath of The Wild with its fascinating world.
“I took a map of Kyoto and overlaid it on the game world and I tried to imagine going to places that I know in Kyoto,” Fujibayashi told The Verge. “I’d think it takes this much time to get from point A to point B, so how does that translate to the game? And that’s how we started mapping out the world in Breath of The Wild.”
Why “The Sequel”? No Official Title?
Historically, Nintendo isn’t really known for doing direct sequels. The idea was to continue Link’s adventure with downloadable content (DLC) but there were simply too many ideas.
“When we released the DLC for Breath of The Wild, we realized that this is a great way to add more elements to the same world,” Aonuma told Kotaku at E3 2019. “But when it comes down to technical things, DLC is pretty much data — you’re adding data to a preexisting title. And so when we wanted to add bigger changes, DLC is not enough, and that’s why we thought maybe a sequel would be a good fit. Initially, we were thinking of just DLC ideas, but then we had a lot of ideas and we said, ‘this is too many ideas, let’s just make one new game and start from scratch.'”
As for the official subtitle for the game, Nintendo has decided to hold it off so as to not give away anything.
A Familiar but Revamped Setting
As it is a continuation, players will be revisiting the vibrant world of Hyrule. But while it will be the backdrop for the new adventure and narratives, the trailers have revealed that it’s not just the familiar Hyrule.
While new structures on the land are a possibility, Link will also be travelling to the floating islands in the skies above Hyrule. Above the clouds lies a whole new world of these hovering isles, which should remind fans of the setting in Skyward Sword.
Perhaps, with Skyward Sword also getting a remastered release this year, BOTW2 could also incorporate a means of transportation from the 2011 game — Loftwings. The large birds could take Link flying around the various regions. And coupled with BOTW’s taming mechanics, getting atop a Loftwing would be wildly fun.
Free-Falling into Adventures
While he is sure to travel through these islands scattered in the sky, there’s also a possibility that Link could free-fall as a new way to navigate the open world. The famous glider, too, makes its return but it seems to have been upgraded. There are claw-like structures attached to the glider, which could be attachments to increase travel distance and/or speed. The trailer already features Link using the glider at great heights.
Clever Enemies
After Link ran roughshod through them in the first game, it seems that his enemies have decided to partner up. In the trailers, Nintendo has shown the creative enemy and encounter design with a Bokoblin camp on top of Stone Talus giants.
Stone Talus were essentially mini-bosses, but that intimidation soon wore off as players realized they could stand on their back and spin attack the crystal. With pesky Bokoblins — who now have full-grown horns — on top of the Talus (and possibly shooting at Link), that strategy goes out the window.
But figuring out new ways to thwart foes was one of the most enjoyable aspects of BOTW. Trust players to find solutions and utilize the emergent physics system in no time.
New Arm, New Powers
Link’s arm has been the focus of both trailers and most of the speculations. The trailer shows his right arm seemingly corrupted by the Sheikah technology. The previous trailer also showed the arm being consumed by some power. Link is then shown to be able to summon powers just by pushing his palm out. One of the theories suggests that the new arm (or gauntlet?) could in fact be the source of Link’s abilities instead of the Sheikah Slate.
What follows is a glimpse of his improved skillset. First one is Stasis. As enemies hurl a spiky ball down the hill towards Link, he freezes it in place with his right hand and rewinds it back up to eliminate foes. In another scene, he sends a puddle of water flying into the sky by reversing it into a raindrop. Jaw-droppingly, he phases through the rock as his arm propels him upwards.
There’s also a shot of Link shooting fire at an enemy underground. Not only does it tease a return of classic dungeons, but it also possibly introduces a new flamethrower-like weapon. And mind you, the dragon-head shield is in his left arm, not the corrupted right one.
Conclusion
The saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Breath of The Wild was a critical and commercial hit with groundbreaking aspects of gameplay. Its sequel not only promises the same, but is poised to deliver a lot more on top of it. The settings and the powers are familiar, but with twists and improvements. Nintendo may very well have another blockbuster on their hands!
