Nintendo surprised the gaming world today with the announcement that they are working on a Breath of the Wild sequel, presumably Breath of the Wild 2. While the teaser didn’t go in-depth, it did show that the sequel will be developed on the same engine as the original. That’s a definite good thing as it received praise from players and critics alike, but it also means that we shouldn’t expect a ton of huge changes between both games in terms of how they’ll look. However, that doesn’t mean we won’t see an evolution of the gameplay and a number of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 changes and features.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the Breath of the Wild 2 changes and features that we need in the upcoming Nintendo Switch exclusive.
Breath of the Wild 2 Changes and Features | Get rid of weapons breaking
While widely considered one of the best launch titles ever released, Breath of the Wild did prove to be rather divisive due to some of its mechanics. One that drew a lot of ire was how the game handled its weapons. Most of the objects broke in a few battles due to degradation, and the game constantly threw new weapons into the mix so players always had a chance in combat. It’s a cool system in theory, but it’s one that can be incredibly annoying.
Having your favorite weapon break during a tense battle only to realize that you don’t have anything other than branches left in your inventory is a terrible situation to get into. While it has its merit, not a ton of players would be upset if Zelda had more traditional weapons that last longer. After all, having already saved the world once, Link should have some useful gear in the sequel. Having everything break just wouldn’t make that much sense.
Breath of the Wild 2 changes and features | More traditional dungeons
Breath of the Wild proved to be a new start for The Legend of Zelda. One of the reasons why it felt so fresh is that it didn’t bother to have traditional dungeons. Instead, there were dozens of shrines scattered across Hyrule that provided puzzles for the player to solve. This was a good change that underlined the new direction of the series, but there’s no reason why the open-world nature of the Switch title can’t coexist with a few dungeons. It would be smart to have a few larger dungeons with items to earn, puzzles to solve, and bosses to defeat. It doesn’t have to be a shift to the old format entirely, but it definitely felt missed during the last game.
Breath of the Wild 2 changes and features | Additional types of enemies
While there were plenty of enemy variants inside of Breath of the Wild, you were ultimately facing the same dozen foes. There are plenty of iconic Zelda foes that could be reintroduced in the sequel. Where are Wolfos, Skulltulas, and Darknuts? These wouldn’t just be fun nods to the series’ past, but it would also make the world more exciting to traverse.
Breath of the Wild 2 changes and features | A more traditional narrative
The real star of Breath of the Wild wasn’t any of the characters, it was the world itself. Simply getting to explore Hyrule was a true joy. The sequel will feature plenty of similar fun, but it won’t quite be as refreshing. That’s why a more traditional story is needed in the sequel. The original left so many interesting stories left untold that there are plenty of ways to take the sequel. From a more cinematic core story to plenty of side quests that have Link helping villagers, there’s no shortage of options.
Breath of the Wild 2 changes and features | Meaningful collectibles to find
One of the challenges in the original was to find 900 Korok Seeds that were scattered about Hyryule. While these were useful from a gameplay perspective, as players could exchange them for more inventory space, but they didn’t add to the lore of the world. Plenty of open-world titles like Marvel’s Spider-Man have used collectibles to tell the player more about their characters and world. Nintendo should go in that direction instead as Hyrule hides plenty of interesting stories and creatures just waiting to be found rather than a bunch of seeds that ultimately net you a piece of golden poop for finding them all.
Breath of the Wild 2 changes and features | Stable technical performance
One of the most disappointing aspects of Breath of the Wild was that it didn’t always run that great on Nintendo Switch. Several patches have thankfully helped stabilize the title, but it still isn’t the most clean experience. Hopefully these issues stemmed from it also coming out for Nintendo Wii U. Now that it is only coming out on one system, Nintendo can design around its strengths and create an action RPG that doesn’t dip into low frame rates every time the action gets too intense.
Breath of the Wild 2 changes and features | Give Zelda a bigger role
As seen in the trailer, Zelda will once again return in Breath of the Wild. Considering she didn’t get a ton of screen time in the original, it’d be great to see her upfront more. Ideally, she would also get some sections as a playable character and be more than just a side character that impacts the story.
Breath of the Wild 2 changes and features | More world interaction and systems
Easily the best part about Breath of the Wild was how all of the gameplay systems interacted with one another. It wasn’t just that lightning struck Link if he was wearing metal, it’d also have the chance to destroy enemies as well. Every system intertwined in a way that was totally fair, both the player and the enemies were on an even playing field. While not really a change, it would be great to see the sequel double down in that direction by adding new world interactions and systems beyond the weather. This is a sequel for a reason and that’s exactly why it should lean into what made the original so special.
