The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild received generally praise for its open-world design. Players liked that the world felt really big, had lots of hidden secrets to discover, and forced players to think critically as they navigated the world using Link’s physics-based Sheikah Rune powers. While minimal information has been shared about the upcoming sequel, it appears that Breath of the Wild 2 will share the open world character of its predecessor. The sequel should not just reuse the existing open world of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the wilderness, but should strive to further improve the concept.
So far, trailers for Breath of the Wild 2 have revealed that the game will feature a series of floating islands above Hyrule, possibly inspired by the previous series title The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Link will also gain new powers, presumably with the help of his Sheikah Slate, as he emerged from the ground through a strange portal while exploring the floating islands. However, there are a number of other ways the game could expand on the open-world concept to further enhance the players’ experience.
Include even more travel options
In Breath of the wilderness, Link can use his paraglider to glide through Hyrule’s skies. While the paraglider was generally well received, some fans criticized the controls. In addition, Zelda fans can take advantage of horses, shield surfing, and sand seal rides in the Gerudo Desert. Some creative players have even found ways to use Link’s magnetism and cryokinesis powers to make a minecart “fly” or cross large bodies of water by stepping on ice blocks.
However, if Breath of the Wild 2 intends to offer an open world as big as its predecessor, it should add more travel methods so as not to feel repetitive. With the trailers showing a focus on the skies over Hyrule, a version of the series staple Hookshot could return as a way for Link to reach for distant points and swing through the air to reach them. While the paraglider will likely return, hopefully it should have finely tuned controls that make it easier to use — or perhaps an upgraded version that allows for real flight rather than just gliding. Nintendo might also consider adding a boot, like Link’s in The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker.
Add real dungeons to explore
One point of criticism that Breath of the Wild received was the lack of dungeons, an element seen in many earlier The Legend of Zelda spell. The game’s main dungeons were the four Divine Beasts, which were quite small and generally didn’t take long to complete. They can also be quite finicky, with players constantly having to reset the Beast’s positioning to access different parts of the interior. In addition to the Beasts, the game featured over a hundred Ancient Shrines, but these usually contained only a single puzzle Link had to solve or a single battle to fight.
Add dungeons in Breath of the Wild 2, whether or not they are needed for the progression of the story, would be a big improvement. Since the first game featured little underground exploration, a system of caves beneath Hyrule would make an ideal location for dungeons. Alternatively, the newly added floating islands may contain artificial dungeons similar to the elemental temples in previous titles such as Ocarina of Time. There is also potential for underwater dungeons as there are many large bodies of water Breath of the Wilderness’s Hyrule, like the huge lake where the Zora make their home.
Use the world to show off Hyrule’s progress
the hyrule of Breath of the Wild was a world just beginning to recover from Calamity Ganon’s destructive rule. Most of the world was wilderness, many buildings and cities had been destroyed and few inhabited settlements remained. Zora’s Domain, Gerudo Town, Lurelin Village, and the few other inhabited towns were far apart, requiring Link to travel considerable distances to find an item store or a bed to sleep in. Even Hyrule Castle was in ruins, overrun by monsters and serving as the site of the final showdown against Calamity Ganon.
It is currently unclear how much time has elapsed between Breath of the Wild and the sequel. However, many fans hope that the game will update the open world map to show the progress of civilization as the land begins to recover after Ganon’s defeat. Existing cities can grow in size and provide players with more facilities, while new cities can emerge or be previously destroyed areas in the process of rebuilding. In particular, some fans hope to see an even bigger Tarrey Town as physical evidence of Link’s positive impact on Hyrule.
Don’t just use the same card
Parts of Breath of the Wilds extremely large open world map will likely be reused for the sequel. Trailers have shown Hyrule Castle and the field surrounding it, as well as wide shots of Hyrule’s mountain ranges in the distance. While players may enjoy visiting some familiar locations, reusing the map as a whole is a pitfall that the game’s developers will hopefully not fall into. Simply refreshing the same locations, even if they’ve changed slightly after Ganon’s defeat, can easily be considered boring and take away much of the sense of mystery and wonder fans felt while exploring Breath of the Wild‘s Hyrule for the first time.
Fortunately, there are plenty of options to expand the map. As mentioned, the floating islands and a possible cave system beneath Hyrule could expand the existing world. Varied, Breath of the Wild 2 could refer to other games in the Zelda series more immediate by allowing Link to travel entirely to another realm, such as Termina, Lorule, or the Twilight Realm. Another option would be to introduce a miniature race like the Minish or minish cap, and shrink Link to explore their towns and homes. As Minish-like people were originally slated to appear in Breath of the wilderness, they can be reused in the sequel to make the already sprawling Hyrule look bigger than before.
The sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is scheduled for release in 2023.
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