The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildgenerally received praise for its open-world design. Players liked that the world felt genuinely large, included plenty of hidden secrets to discover, and forced players to think critically while navigating the world using Link’s physics-based Sheikah Rune powers. Although minimal information has been shared regarding the upcoming sequel, it does seem thatBreath of the Wild 2will share its predecessor’s open world nature. The sequel should not simply reuse the existing open world fromThe Legend of Zelda:Breath of the Wild,but should strive to further improve on the concept.
So far, trailers forBreath of the Wild 2have revealed that the game will feature a series of floating islands above Hyrule, possibly inspired by previous series titleThe Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.Link will also gain new powers, presumably utilizing his Sheikah Slate, as he was shown emerging from the ground via a strange portal while exploring the floating islands. However, there are a number of other ways in which the game could expand on the open world concept to further improve players' experience.
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Include Even More Travel Options
InBreath of the Wild,Link can use his paraglider to glide through the skies of Hyrule. While the paraglider was generally well-liked, some fans criticized its controls. Aside from that,Zeldafans could take advantage of horses, shield surfing, and riding on sand seals in the Gerudo Desert. Some creative players even found ways to utilize Link’s magnetism and cryokinesis powers to make a mine cart “fly” or cross large bodies of water by stepping on blocks of ice.
However, ifBreath of the Wild 2plans to feature an open world as large as its predecessor, it should add more methods of travel so as not to feel repetitive. With the trailers showing a focus on the sky above Hyrule, a version of the series stapleHookshotcould return as a way for Link to grab onto far away points and swing through the air to reach them. While the paraglider will likely return, it should hopefully feature fine-tuned controls that make it easier to use - or perhaps an upgraded version that allows for true flight rather than simply gliding. Nintendo could also consider adding a boat, such as the one used by Link inThe Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker.
Add True Dungeons To Explore
One criticism thatBreath of the Wildreceived was its lack of dungeons, an element present in many previousThe Legend of Zeldagames. The game’s main dungeons were the four Divine Beasts, which were fairly small and generally did not take long to complete. They could also be quite finicky, with players having to constantly reset the positioning of the Beast to access different areas of the interior. Besides the Beasts, the game featuredover one hundred Ancient Shrines, but these mostly featured only a single puzzle for Link to solve or a single battle to fight.
Adding dungeons inBreath of the Wild 2, whether or not they are required for story progression, would be a major improvement. As the first game featured little in the way of underground exploration, a system of caves beneath Hyrule would be an ideal location for dungeons. Alternately, the newly added floating islands could include man-made dungeons similar to the elemental Temples in earlier titles likeOcarina of Time.There is also potential for underwater dungeons, as there are plenty of large bodies of water inBreath of the Wild’sHyrule, such as the enormous lake where the Zora make their home.
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Use the World to Show Off Hyrule’s Progress
The Hyrule ofBreath of the Wildwas a world still just beginning to recover from Calamity Ganon’s destructive reign. Most of the world was wilderness, many buildings and towns were ruined, and few inhabited settlements remained. Zora’s Domain, Gerudo Town,Lurelin Village, and the few other lived-in towns were far apart, requiring Link to travel significant distances to find an item shop or a bed to sleep in. Even Hyrule Castle was in ruins, overrun by monsters and serving as the site of the final confrontation against Calamity Ganon.
Currently, it is unclear how much time has passed betweenBreath of the Wildand its sequel. However, many fans hope that the game will update its open world map to show off the progress of civilization as the land begins to recover following Ganon’s defeat. Existing towns could become larger and offer more facilities to players, while new towns could spring up or previously ruined areas could be in the process of rebuilding. In particular, some fans hope to see an even largerTarrey Townas physical proof of Link’s positive impact on Hyrule.
Don’t Just Reuse The Same Map
Parts ofBreath of the Wild’sextremely large open world map will likely be reused for the sequel. Trailers have shownHyrule Castleand the field surrounding it, as well as wide shots of Hyrule’s mountain ranges in the distance. While players can enjoy visiting some familiar locations, reusing the map in its entirety is a trap that the game’s developers will hopefully not fall into. Simply retreading the same locations, even if they have changed somewhat after Ganon’s defeat, could easily be seen as boring and remove much of the sense of mystery and wonder fans felt when exploringBreath of the Wild’sHyrule for the first time.
Luckily, there are plenty of opportunities for expanding the map. As mentioned, the floating isles and a possible cavern system underneath Hyrule could expand the existing world. Alternately,Breath of the Wild 2could reference other games in theZeldaseries more directly by having Link travel to a different realm entirely, such as Termina, Lorule, or the Twilight Realm.Another option would be to introduce a miniature sized race, such asthe Minish ofMinish Cap,and have Link shrink down to explore their towns and residences. As Minish-like people were originally slated to appear inBreath of the Wild,they could be reused in the sequel to make the already expansive Hyrule seem bigger than before.
The sequel toThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildis scheduled to release in 2023.
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