Zelda: Breath of the Wild "2": What are you hoping for?

[Specter Von Baren]

So now that we know Nintendo is working on a Majora's Mask like sequel to Breath of the Wild, what are you hoping for from it? What do you want out of a sequel that you didn't get in the original and what do you want them to bring back but make better?

For my part, I'm hoping that Link and Zelda being beneath Hyrule Castle in some underground area is a hint that we will get proper dungeons back. What I want is dungeons like Hyrule Castle in the original BotW, large sprawling indoor areas that you need to try navigating using the tools you have an climbing. Open World Dungeons.

I've also heard theorizing that Zelda might be playable in this game due to her short hair, which would make her easier to animated since they wouldn't have it flying all over the place in odd ways.

 

[Hades]

A playable Zelda is certainly what I'm hoping for. I'd say the BOTW version of her has earned that by now.

 

[Lufia Erim]

A playable Zelda is certainly what I'm hoping for. I'd say the BOTW version of her has earned that by now.

Is Zelda that interesting a character? Legitimately asking.

 

[WhiteFangofWhoa]

Like the OP I would hope to see a return to traditional dungeons in some form. An idea for Zelda I saw get thrown around sometimes is if all the dungeons were a massive, interconnected underground maze separated by themes, perhaps with citizens trapped inside, a forgotten kingdom which sunk into the depths of the earth due to a curse or something.

More enemy diversity would be appreciated- the only things I found dangerous after a while were Lynels or Guardians. Get some more old-school Zelda enemies back with new tricks and weaknesses, maybe Patras or Wizrobes.

If the main goal is making it akin to Majora's Mask we'll need some creepy, 'dark' stuff. Such as Dark Link returning and trying to persuade Link to give up on Zelda and look after number one because it's less effort.

 

[Drathnoxis]

Do you mean Majora's Mask as in time loops? Because that's what I want. It's been far too long since the last Groundhog's Day game.

 

[Specter Von Baren]

Like the OP I would hope to see a return to traditional dungeons in some form. An idea for Zelda I saw get thrown around sometimes is if all the dungeons were a massive, interconnected underground maze separated by themes, perhaps with citizens trapped inside, a forgotten kingdom which sunk into the depths of the earth due to a curse or something.

More enemy diversity would be appreciated- the only things I found dangerous after a while were Lynels or Guardians. Get some more old-school Zelda enemies back with new tricks and weaknesses, maybe Patras or Wizrobes.

If the main goal is making it akin to Majora's Mask we'll need some creepy, 'dark' stuff. Such as Dark Link returning and trying to persuade Link to give up on Zelda and look after number one because it's less effort.

Do you mean Majora's Mask as in time loops? Because that's what I want. It's been far too long since the last Groundhog's Day game.

I mean it's like Majora's Mask in terms of development. They're taking the same engine and assets from Breath of the Wild to make this sequel just like Majora's Mask used the engine and assets from Ocarina of Time. It allows them to get the game out sooner and with less costs and they can potentially try new things with it.

 

[Eacaraxe_v1legacy]

Looks on the surface like the game's conceptually more similar to Link's Adventure in its relation to its immediate predecessor, than Majora's Mask. Especially if my very strong suspicion BotW is actually the "endpoint" of the downfall timeline turns out to be correct. If that's the case, here's hoping RPG mechanics (maybe even reforging/tempering) make a comeback.

And indeed, it's well past time to have a playable Zelda in a Zelda game.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

Playable Zelda, more dungeons....and that's it, no more is needed

 

[Casual Shinji]

- Better characterization; Make Link more than a block of wood. I know Link isn't the most facinating character regardless, but in BotW there was just zero of anything that could be considered an emotional response.

- Have Zelda be part of the adventure, either as an A.I. companion or as a playable character.

- Fix the fucking weapons/inventory management; Don't make me feel like I need to crosscheck every weapon in my item bar whenever I find a new weapon. As a matter of fact, keep the item bar six spaces at most, increase the weapon durability by atleast 5 (maybe even allow for that to be upgraded), and give a proper indicator of the weapon degradation. Also, a quick select for food consumption.

- Fix the stamina while swimming so it doesn't feel like Link'll drown in 10 seconds. There's no reason for this capable hero to be a worse swimmer than me. I haven't swam in more than I decade and I could still outswim Link.

- A proper circumvention for climbing in the rain other than none at all. It's a neat mechanic that gives extra texture to the world, but when it occurs there's nothing to do but wait or give up, which is not something a game mechanic should have you do. Give Link climbing gear that's a lot slower but more sturdy for these moments.

- Please, no more anime archetypes. Zelda has overall been blissfully free from this, but in BotW we get the waifu, the determined competitor, and a fucking loli.

 

[Hades]

A playable Zelda is certainly what I'm hoping for. I'd say the BOTW version of her has earned that by now.

Is Zelda that interesting a character? Legitimately asking.

Generally speaking the archtype Zelda generally goes for opens more gameplay possibilities. She's the mage to Links knight after all.

And I'd say this Zelda is pretty interesting. She got her own design to set her apart from the other Zelda's, she's a big nerd with daddy issues, a tsundere and she and Link go through a bit of an arc together. Storywise she also offered an interesting reversal of her and Ganondorf's usual roles. Normally Ganondorf kidnaps her and locks her up in his castle but in BOTW it was largely Zelda keeping Calamity Ganon imprisoned in hers.

 

[Hades]

- Better characterization; Make Link more than a block of wood. I know Link isn't the most facinating character regardless, but in BotW there was just zero of anything that could be considered an emotional response.

Actually I would argue this Link is one of the better one. He's not quite as expressive as Toon Link but it does come close. This Link often shows very personable responses. Hugging himself when he's cold, cheering when his cooking works, happily jumping on a water bed. Little things like this.

But this Link also has a personality. He's not a mute because he doesn't have one but because the personality they went for is that his responsibilities landed him with a crippling shyness.

 

[Pseudonym]

More of the openworld freeroaming. If possible, shrines or something like it, that are better integrated with the overworld. Like Koroks but more complex. Some of them, like the three Hynoxes that you had to kill for their necklaces or the island at the edge of the map did this very well already, so more of that. The storytelling and characterization was rather absent in the last one so more and better of that. There needs to be more events, characters and the like and more interesting ones. I get that a lot of the game was focused on just walking around, finding Koroks and shrines and the like but still, a bit more story couldn't hurt. Though it looked like they were going in that direction already. Best would be if the story could be well integrated with some landmarks as well. That would really play to the strengths of the game we already had.

- Please, no more anime archetypes. Zelda has overall been blissfully free from this, but in BotW we get the waifu, the determined competitor, and a fucking loli.

Oh God, Mipha was the most grating, closely followed by that bird guy who was a total arrogant prick for no reason. I agree, no more of that.

 

[Casual Shinji]

But this Link also has a personality. He's not a mute because he doesn't have one but because the personality they went for is that his responsibilities landed him with a crippling shyness.

Really? At what point in the game is this disclosed? All we get from Link in story moments is him slightly widening his eyes when there's a Champion flashback. That's it. Nothing in his mannerism says 'crippling shyness', his mannerisms say absolutely nothing. He's like a Playmobil figure that occasionally pivots its head.

Actually I would argue this Link is one of the better one. He's not quite as expressive as Toon Link but it does come close. This Link often shows very personable responses. Hugging himself when he's cold, cheering when his cooking works, happily jumping on a water bed. Little things like this.

This is fine the first couple of times, but after the tenth or twentieth it stops being cute or characteristic. It's also not supported by anything Link does in the story where, as I mentioned, he's just a block of wood. Compare that to toon Link where in the very first area (of Wind Waker) we see him being drowsey, surprised, mopey, happy, scared, and sad. This makes his expressions and reactions during gameplay enforce the character we see during the story moments. Heck, Twilight Princess Link has more character in the opening section than BotW Link has in the entire game.

 

[Hades]

But this Link also has a personality. He's not a mute because he doesn't have one but because the personality they went for is that his responsibilities landed him with a crippling shyness.

Really? At what point in the game is this disclosed? All we get from Link in story moments is him slightly widening his eyes when there's a Champion flashback. That's it. Nothing in his mannerism says 'crippling shyness', his mannerisms say absolutely nothing. He's like a Playmobil figure that occasionally pivots its head.

Actually I would argue this Link is one of the better one. He's not quite as expressive as Toon Link but it does come close. This Link often shows very personable responses. Hugging himself when he's cold, cheering when his cooking works, happily jumping on a water bed. Little things like this.

This is fine the first couple of times, but after the tenth or twentieth it stops being cute or characteristic. It's also not supported by anything Link does in the story where, as I mentioned, he's just a block of wood. Compare that to toon Link where in the very first area (of Wind Waker) we see him being drowsey, surprised, mopey, happy, scared, and sad. This makes his expressions and reactions during gameplay enforce the character we see during the story moments. Heck, Twilight Princess Link has more character in the opening section than BotW Link has in the entire game.

You can find Zelda's diary in Hyrule castle which gives Zelda's take on most memory cutscenes she unlocks. At one page she expresses frustration that Link won't talk to her and later when she opens up to him she writes about asking Link why he's so silent and his response to that question.

 

[CriticalGaming]

I just want gameplay systems that dont get in the way of my fun. I dont want a clinb ruined because the rain suddenly started. I dont want my awesome weapons made meaningless because they are all made of tissue paper. Things like that.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

- Better characterization; Make Link more than a block of wood. I know Link isn't the most facinating character regardless, but in BotW there was just zero of anything that could be considered an emotional response.

Actually I would argue this Link is one of the better one. He's not quite as expressive as Toon Link but it does come close. This Link often shows very personable responses. Hugging himself when he's cold, cheering when his cooking works, happily jumping on a water bed. Little things like this.

But this Link also has a personality. He's not a mute because he doesn't have one but because the personality they went for is that his responsibilities landed him with a crippling shyness.

I'd argue being cold or hungry isn't having a personality, just being sentient.
The closest thing Link displays to a personality in BotW is when you pose him for a picture, like a mannequin.
As for Zelda's footnote about Link's "shyness", I'd chalk that to a running in-game gag about silent protagonists. But even if you want to count that as anything other than a nod, I think Link just doesn't have anything else going on for him. I think it's perfectly possible to have a mute's personality shaped by the characters around him or her (based on their reactions, etc) but BotW's Link doesn't even get much of that, especially compared to good examples like Gordon Freeman or Amaterasu.

 

[Drathnoxis]

Do you mean Majora's Mask as in time loops? Because that's what I want. It's been far too long since the last Groundhog's Day game.

I mean it's like Majora's Mask in terms of development. They're taking the same engine and assets from Breath of the Wild to make this sequel just like Majora's Mask used the engine and assets from Ocarina of Time. It allows them to get the game out sooner and with less costs and they can potentially try new things with it.

This is what I suspected you meant. But I can still dream.

 

[Eacaraxe_v1legacy]

The only thing that would get me to play botw2 would be no weapon degradation

I was really skeptical about it and put off at first, but I came to really like it. It makes you experiment with different weapons and figure out what works best for you and against different enemies, and it makes weapon selection a strategic choice based on cost-benefit analysis. Especially taking into consideration the number of ways to kill enemies without ever drawing a weapon rivals Just Cause in creativity and sadism.

That's not even going into how food buffs more than make up for inadequate weapons, and how last-hit throws are clutch AF and incredibly useful. Bare minimum it keeps every weapon viable and valuable through the entire game, since you'll want to carry weaker and more common weapons to deal with hall trash, to preserve durability on your best ones. Then you have the fact the Master Sword can be acquired before approaching even a single Divine Beast, it regenerates, and gets such a high durability bonus in Divine Beasts and Hyrule Castle it may as well be unbreakable.

Hell, the only thing stopping you from being able to kill Ganon with rampaging cuccos is that they despawn during the Ganon cutscene.