Why We're Worried About Breath Of The Wild 2
"The Legend of Zelda" has been an iconic part of the Nintendo platform ever since the first game came out on the NES back in 1986. The action RPG series isn't just one of the most beloved franchises on the console, it's one of the most popular gaming series of all time. There are numerous "Legend of Zelda" games with Metacritic scores in the high nineties. In fact, "Ocarina of Time" is the only game on Metacritic with a score of 99. Nintendo has accomplished this by continuing to innovate and adapt to the capabilities of each new console it releases, such as the inclusion of better graphics, touchpad and motion controls, and more expansive worlds. The series has grown and changed many times over the years, culminating in "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" which was released on the WiiU and Nintendo Switch back in 2017.
Now, "Breath of the Wild" is getting its own direct sequel. Players will be returning to the open-world Hyrule and continuing the epic story established in the first game. Fans have every reason to be excited about this new "Legend of Zelda" title, but that doesn't mean the game is a guaranteed success. Here are a few things fans are worried about regarding "Breath of the Wild 2."
Too much hype
Video game hype trains can get out of control. Sometimes it's the developers' own fault for building up unrealistic expectations, but other times the name of a franchise carries enough weight that fans build up their own expectations without needing any encouragement. There is always a ton of pressure for each new iteration of "Legend of Zelda" to live up to its namesake, but few games have had to contend with the kind of hype fans are building for "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2."
That isn't to say that their excitement isn't warranted. The first "Breath of the Wild" wasn't just a well-rated success, it was a major selling point for the Switch. Nintendo sold over 1.5 million Switch consoles in the first week that it was on the market and 89% of Switch buyers also bought a copy of "Breath of the Wild." The game then went on to earn a 97 on Metacritic and win several Game of the Year awards.
Those are some pretty big shoes to fill. While there isn't any reason to doubt that the game will be great, it's also going to be a lot harder for Nintendo to please fans when expectations are so monumentally high.
Needs more diverse enemies
For the hundreds of amazing things that there are to say about the first "Breath of the Wild," there's one area that could definitely use some improvement. It was Cian Maher of The Gamer who first pointed out that the game was really suffering for a lack of enemy variety. "there's a little red goblin," he says, "a lankier version of the same red goblin, some rocks that shoot lasers, and a clan of ninja warriors ... I know that there are technically a couple of other enemies in "Breath of the Wild" – balls of slime, and maybe one or two other forgettable ones I have little to no recollection of – but the four above are the ones that endure." He then pointed out that the Bokoblins are also visible in the "Breath of the Wild 2" trailer, so gamers will be likely to face more of them. Many fans seemed to agree with him. @Flat_Street on Twitter jokingly titled the new game, "Breath of the Wild: Still only 5 enemy types."
Now, there's nothing wrong with classic enemies making a recurring appearance in the series, but it would certainly be nice to see more from Nintendo than the same enemies players have been fighting since "Wind Waker."
Unclear release date and title
Nintendo announced that the "Breath of the Wild" sequel was officially in development with a first look trailer that was showcased at E3 2019. There was little to no news regarding when fans would still be able to play the game until another trailer was showcased at E3 2021. This trailer had a card at the end featuring the year 2022. Good news right?
Well, 2022 is here and it's still unclear when exactly the game is coming out. A specific release day has yet to be named. Not only that, the game still doesn't even have an official title, with Nintendo continuing to refer to it as the "Sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild."
This is worrisome since so many games have suffered from delays in recent years as the demands for developing AAA videogames have grown ever more strenuous. "Breath of the Wild 2" promises to be massive in scope, so it makes sense that Nintendo would need plenty of time to make sure it's released in the best shape it can be. It's possible that Nintendo is targeting the 2022 holiday season and that an actual date is still forthcoming, but it's also entirely possible that a delay announcement is imminent and the game won't see its way into the hands of players until 2023.
There maybe amiibo locked upgrades
Games aren't cheap, so it's no surprise if players are upset when they discover features are trapped behind paywalls in a game they already bought. Nintendo has been somewhat tricky about this. The amiibo accessories that the company sells often feature neat in-game extras that are usually minor or aesthetic in nature, but there have been a couple of major exceptions in the last year.
"Metroid Dread" caused an uproar among fans due to the features its amiibo offered. There was an amiibo 2-pack that granted players permanent capacity upgrades for both health and missiles and allowed users to replenish both categories once a day. The E.M.M.I. amiibo gave players 10 extra missiles and a daily refill, and the Samus one granted a 100 point health boost plus a daily free heal. These add-ons give players such an advantage that many feel like it undermines the game's challenging survival theme.
Amiibo have even been problematic within the "Legend of Zelda" series. A $25 Zelda & Loftwing amiibo for "The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD" made fans furious by offering fast travel features that many believed should have been a part of the game to begin with. The base game only allowed fans to return from the surface to the sky by using designated save points, while the amiibo allowed them to do this from anywhere, even dungeons. Hopefully "Breath of the Wild 2" won't follow this unfortunate trend.
Switch hardware limitations
The Nintendo Switch has had an incredibly successful run so far. Its ability to shift from docked to mobile, the touchscreen, and detachable JoyCons with motion sensors have all contributed to its popularity. The 2017 console was never a particularly powerful graphics generator, however, and its hardware limitations seem to be starting to catch up with it, especially when compared to the modern offerings from Sony and Microsoft. Many of the biggest complaints about the Switch are related to its relatively low image quality and frame rates compared to other modern devices. Part of the reason fans were so underwhelmed by the Switch OLED is because there were no notable performance upgrades. Of course, Nintendo has its reasons for not wanting to create the Switch Pro fans have been asking for, but the lack of performance does create a problem as the hardware continues to age.
For "Breath of the Wild 2," it means that, graphically, the game is unlikely to be able to advance very far beyond its predecessor. This is probably why the graphics in the trailers look virtually identical to those that were on offer when the first "Breath of the Wild" was released years ago.