It has been four years since the release ofThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which had fans of the series head-over-heels thanks to how deep and innovative the game was.The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildwas also a source of inspiration for a plethora of open-world RPGs that were announced or launched over the years to follow.The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildis considered one of those titles that shaped the gaming industry forever, alongside Bethesda’sSkyrim, and players have been eagerly anticipating the sequel.
AtNintendo’s E3 2021 showcase, a new chapter inBreath of the Wild’s story received a ton of new information, with a touch of gameplay. The title for the game has yet to be disclosed, and is now simply called a sequel toBreath of the Wild. Despite the fact that the teaser trailer today is short, the big takeaway is how Hyrule’s map is being changed without being expanded.
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Breath of the Wild 2’s Flight and Exploration in No Man’s Sky
It seems the newBreath of the Wildgame is going to explore an uncharted frontier, and that is the skies of Hyrule.Breath of the Wild 2will have a bigger map than its predecessor, and this is only fair considering now players will be able to traverse the verticality of the skies and flying islands. Vertically wasn’t somethingBreath of the Wildfocused on, apart from a combination of the Magnesis ability, metal objects, and lots of trial and error.
The process is not an easy one, and it was also never intended to be in the game, thus some players managed to glitch travel to places they were never meant to see. The other method used to fly inBreath of the Wildis by employing the Paraglider to glide as long as Link can not have his stamina drained. Despite the fact that it can also be exploited in combat, it is not technically flying. This means that whenBreath of the Wild 2comes it will also prove that an open-world game shouldn’t be limited between the skies or the lands. A good example of this logic isNo Man’s Sky.
No Man’s Skyis not exactly similar toBreath of the Wildin terms of gameplay or setting, but the way exploration is handled in both games can be compared in terms of the former’s procedurally generated sandbox and the latter’s open-world. One of the major selling points ofNo Man’s Skyis that it packs a whole universe with 18 quintillion planets to explore, virtually always offering a new remote corner of the galaxy to delve into.Breath of the Wild’s mapis also incredibly detailed and huge, with its total of 23.7 square miles almost as big as Manhattan and larger than the open-world ofSkyrim.
The similarity here is thatBreath of the Wild 2will make players explore the world fully, just likeNo Man’s Skyplayers can explore the vastness of space and star systems within it. Flight is a big thing to come toBreath of the Wild 2, and it should also be something that is given the right weight for an impact on gameplay.
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Comparing Breath of the Wild 2 with The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Breath of the Wild 2has the onus of being even a better game thanBreath of the Wild, and the issue is that the original was great. It is a bold move to let players discover the mysteries of the skies of Hyrule, but it is also not entirely a new thing forZeldagames. One example of this isThe Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. InSkyward Sword,players could fly on their Loftwing companion or explore the Surface on foot, and while flight was a big part of the game it was not the focal point.
Skyward Swordis soon releasing on Switchwith improved graphics, and there’s a chance the game’s mechanics may have had an impact onBreath of theWild 2, possibly with the return of the Loftwing bird. The ability to use Joy-Cons in a similar way to the original’s Wii Remote and Nunchuk will return in the Switch version ofSkyward Sword, and could even appear inBreath of the Wild 2if it does retain some elements from its predecessor.
Overall, consideringThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s success, it’s not impossible that its sequel will become the newbenchmark title for open-world games. However, fans should not have their hopes too high until more is shown. To be the sequel ofBreath of the Wildis no easy feat, and little is currently known aboutBreath of the Wild 2in order to judge the title only based on previous installments. Still, how players will explore Hyrule’s skies is yet to be seen, it’s likely not going to take too long before another update drops for the title coming in 2022.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2will release in 2022 for Switch.
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