Nintendo doesn’t make a habit of developing direct sequels to some of its flagship franchises, normally opting for innovative new experiences instead of returning to the same world. We’ve had countless Zelda and Mario games, but the majority of them feature different settings, visual styles and gameplay mechanics that have surprised players again and again.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 will be a rare exception, acting as a direct sequel to the 2017 masterpiece that seemingly continues the narrative of Link and Zelda after they vanquish Calamity Canon from the Land of Hyrule. Beyond the debut trailer we sadly don’t know much about it, but it definitely features the same universe and gorgeous aesthetic as its predecessor.
Trusted Reviews has compiled everything you need to know about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 including all the latest news, gameplay, trailers and more.
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Breath of the Wild 2 release date – when is it coming out?
Having been unveiled over a year ago, Nintendo is yet to provide an update on Breath of the Wild 2. At the time of writing, there is no confirmed release window, and it remains unclear whether that will change before the end of 2020.
Breath of the Wild 2 was briefly mentioned during the most recent Nintendo Direct, with the company saying that we will hear more about the game later this year. While we wait, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD will be coming to the Switch in July.
Breath of the Wild 2 Trailer – How does it look?
While we didn’t receive an official title to the upcoming sequel, we saw a beautiful, gloomy trailer that saw Link and Zelda investigating a strange supernatural occurrence potentially below Hyrule Castle.
Sporting the same engine that powered the first game, it looks positively gorgeous. In the clip we see our two heroes come across a haunted tree of sorts housing a decayed corpse with an amulet around its neck looking ominously towards them.
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It’s evident something very, very bad is going down in Hyrule. The dessicrated body very much looks like Ganon – but this game takes place after Ganon has already been banished from the land by the Hero of Time. Perhaps some other dark force returning from an older title – like Twilight Princess’s Zant, or Skyward Sword’s Demise – or a new adversary is behind this threat. Who or whatever’s pulling the strings, Link and Zelda clearly can’t catch a break.
Both Link and Zelda play a prominent part in the trailer, enraptured by whatever spooky occurrence has befallen them. It seems that whatever they encounter has a major impact on the land of Hyrule, perhaps flooding it with monsters and demons we must content with.
Breath of the Wild 2 wishlist – What we want to see
New-look Hyrule
Judging from the trailer, Breath of the Wild 2 looks to be set in the same Hyrule not long after the events of the first game. As great as exploring this vast and ruined land was in Breath of the Wild, revisiting the same massive map in the sequel could well be very boring, unless the environment is substantially changed.
We’re betting we’ll see the same map, but altered, either by repair efforts or changed by the evil energy we saw in the trailer. Perhaps that could bring with it more enemies, new items and new-ish locations?
Darker story
The trailer for Breath of the Wild 2 hints at a darker shift than what we saw with the original. The sequel looks like its adopting a dramatic tone shift similarly to how the creepy Marora’s Mask succeeded Ocarina of Time.
While The Legend of Zelda games don’t usually have much of a focus on story beyond Link going on an adventure and defeating evil, it will still be interesting to see whether Nintendo will introduce more mature or darker themes than we’re used to with the franchise.
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Playable Zelda
Link wasn’t alone when he discovered the evil force lurking below Hyrule castle, as Zelda was right by his side. While we’re used to seeing Zelda as a damsel in distress, she could finally become a fully playable heroine this time round, or even as an optional playable character.
There may be more weight to this hope than pure speculation, as Zelda’s attire certainly suggests she’ll be going on an adventure instead of sitting safely on her throne in Hyrule castle. Some have speculated you won’t get the opportunity to play as Link at all, as you’ll instead play as Zelda to rescue the boy wonder. Oh how the tables would turn.
More and/or bigger dungeons
While the original Breath of the Wild had over a hundred of puzzle-filled Shrines scattered across Hyrule, there weren’t many large dungeon environments to explore. The four Divine Beasts at least offered a taste of what Zelda dungeons can offer, but they were rather short and focused more on one large puzzle and a boss battles than the labyrinthine temples and dungeons of previous titles.
With a familiar albeit potentially darker Hyrule appearing to be the setting for the sequel, dungeons would fit in very well indeed. Taking us to new subterranean locations would remove the potential boredom of literally going over old ground, as well as scratching an itch that was absent from the last title.
We’ve got every single one of our fingers crossed in hope that The Legend of Zelda series will return to its original template for the next instalment.