The sequel toThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildhas been delayed until spring 2023. Many fans are upset at this announcement, asBreath of the Wildis considered one of the best games released in the last few years, if not ever. Despite any negative feelings at the moment,Breath of the Wild’ssequel getting delayed may end up working in its favor.
The originalBreath of the Wildis an incredibly tough act to follow. It not only reinvented theLegend of Zeldaformula, but the open-world genre as a whole.Breath of the Wild’ssequellooks to innovate even further by taking Link into the sky, so more time in development is good to ensure the highest quality possible. On top of this, plenty of stellar open-world games have already released this year, soBreath of the Wild’ssequel would benefit from separating itself from these games and coming out during more of a drought.
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Breath of the Wild’s Major Impact
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildis one of the most impactful gamesof the modern era. The game first released in 2017 for Wii U and as a Switch launch title, and was met with critical acclaim across the board.Breath of the Wild’snon-linear open-world structure changed the genre, as the ability to tackle Hyrule in any order, complete puzzles with a number of creative strategies, and the surprisingly deep combat system gives players an unprecedented amount of freedom; it’s the reason countless players still playBreath of the Wildover five years later. All ofBreath of the Wild’spraise results in one thing: an impossibly high bar for its sequel to clear.
Nintendo does want to achieveBreath of the Wild’slevel of success again if the sequel’s few trailers are any indication. While the original took place across a massive grounded world,Breath of the Wild’ssequel takes Link to the skyon top of existing areas. One trailer even shows Link using a new power to travel through a solid object; the sheer amount of hidden abilities and gameplay mechanics gives fans plenty to look forward to.Breath of the Wild’ssequel’s delay stings, but it’s probably better that Nintendo fine-tunes it longer.
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Open-World Games in 2022
There have been no shortage of massive open-world games in 2022.Horizon Forbidden WestandElden Ringreleased a week apart just last month, and while these games are more than enough to fill anyone’s open-world quota, there are still more set to release in 2022.The newSaints Rowrebootis coming this summer, and the first fully open-worldPokemongames,ScarletandViolet, are releasing toward the end of the year. The sequel toBreath of the Wildshould give itself some breathing room. Distance from 2022 games is smart, especially when some draw some heavy inspiration from the originalBreath of the Wild.
The biggest open-world game of 2022 so far isElden Ring. While its gameplay is much harder, and general themes are much darker thanBreath of the Wild, their worlds clearly share some DNA.Elden Ringallows players to roam free, tackling the game’s main encounters and many side dungeons in any order. The amount of freedom given is very similar toBreath of the Wild,to the point where many considerElden Ringthe most accessibleSouls-like. GivenElden Ringtakes dozens of hours to complete, and that many players will want to replay it,Breath of the Wild’ssequel is smart to give it the spotlight.
The other main open-world title on the market now isHorizon Forbidden West, which is ironic considering the originalHorizon Zero Dawnwas overshadowed byBreath of the Wildin 2017. The two games are very different though, withForbidden Westcontaining a more generic open-world designcomplete with a more linear story, quest markers, and repeated objectives. That being said, open-world games are massive undertakings no matter what style they take, soBreath of the Wild’ssequel can shine on its own in 2023.
Hopes for Breath of the Wild’s Sequel
Breath of the Wild 2is shrouded in so much mystery that of course it is disappointing players will have to wait even longer to get their hands on it. That being said, it would be a shame if the game were released too early. Nintendo would never hear the end of aCyberpunk 2077-type situation, in which a hyped game is released with many problems - especially whenBreath of the Wild’ssequel is arguably more hyped up. These delays will hopefully mitigate that problem altogether.
In any case, Nintendo seems to intentionally be keeping the game mysterious.Breath of the Wild 2’s titleis still unknown nearly three years after the game’s announcement. The trailers do show bits of gameplay, but raise more questions in the process. The most recent footage specifically confuses viewers with Link’s new tattoos and broken Master Sword. All the unknowns are surely set for a big reveal around the game’s release to truly bring excitement.
The sequel toThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildis set to release in spring 2023.
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