Tears of the Kingdom can't come soon enough

One of the many things I love about the Zelda series is that each game has its own unique vibe �from the cartoony wholesomeness of Wind Waker to the downright spooky atmosphere of Majora’s Mask. Of course, I’m excited to see how the upcoming Breath of the Wild sequel, which we now know is called Tears of the Kingdom, will innovate on the gameplay mechanics from its predecessor, but even moreso, I’m pumped to see how the story of the world has changed since we last checked in with the Hylian hero.

When people ask me what my favorite video game stories are, they’re usually confused to hear that I add Breath of the Wild to that list. The game has minimal storytelling aside from the optional memories you can go around and find. What I think it does better than just about any other game, though, is creating a world that not only feels ??lived-in, but that has a rich history hiding just under the sur??face.

You’re constantly coming across these ruins and wondering exactly what happened, usually left without any definitive answers. Most importantly, though, you’re seeing the world aft??er all of the exciting stuff has already happened �Ganon has already won, and the inhabitants of Hyrule are surviving, not flourishing. It’s an idea that probably sounded risky during early development, but paired with some of the most pitch-perfect?? game design we’ve ever seen, it created one of the most hauntingly peaceful and yet endlessly fascinating game worlds in recent memory.

A shift in tone

Enter Tears of the Kingdom �from the get-go, it’s easy to see how the game will be using the same art style and building upon the same mechanics. However, the tone has shifted significantly, and rather than seeing the world through an innocent incarnation of Link, our hero looks like he’s been through a lot based on his left arm ??alone.

At this point, trying to deduce any significant story from the minimal details we’ve gotten from the trailers so far would be a waste of time, but I think it’s fair to say that Tears of the Kingdom will see the series return to a darker vibe �even just from the title alone. I’d wager to say that it’s the perfect time for some edgier Zelda content, considering we haven’t gotten a mainline entry that wasn’t a remaster with a gritter tone since maybe Twilight Princess back in 2006.

The world has changed a lot since 2017, which feels like the understatement of the centu?ry. Things are worse now on the whole, and by saying anything otherwise, we’d be outright lying to o?urselves.

Finding meaning in darkness

It’s always great to see Link and Zelda return, but this time seeing them face darkness in a visceral, immediate way feels pretty timely. Seeing the scattered remains of Hyrule floating in the air is a beautiful image, and maybe I took one too many college-level English courses, but it feels very symbolic of their world being altered beyond recognition,?? and having to do what they can to survive with the remaining pieces.

Regardless of my over-analyzation, we need stories of overcoming darkness against impossible odds now more than ever. Tears of the Kingdom’s release is anticipated for so many different reasons �gameplay innovations, beautiful worldbuilding, a return to classic characters we know and love �but one of the things I’m looking most forwa??rd to is its story reflecting the darkness that always seems to be looming over our heads.

Part of me wonders how much Tears of the Kingdom’s story and aesthetics were already planned out years in advance, or if they’re a more immediate reaction to what we’ve been facing. Either way, I have nothing but complete faith that Nintendo is going to knock this one out o?f the park, and the anticipation of its release on May 5, 2023 will be what keeps me going until then.

Story Beat is a weekly column discussing anything and everything to do with storytelling in video games.

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Breath of the Wild 2 on Switch Pro? I'll believe it when I see it

With as tight-lipped as Nintendo has been, we're desperate out here for some news, any news, on highly anticipated releases like Breath of the Wild 2 and the elusive, possibly fictional Switch Pro. The Legend of Zelda sequel is back in the news, not because any new information about it has been released, but instead because there has been some conversation about the game looking so?? good, it had to be running on a second-generation Switch console.

At least that's what some tech experts were saying on a recent episode of Digital Foundry Weekly. As originally reported by GamesRadar, the tech show's hosts Richard L??eadbetter, John Linneman, and Alex Battaglia analyzed the newest trailer for the game, and considered different graphical features like volumetric clouds and anti-aliasing, and how difficult they can be even on the current-gen consoles like the Xbox Series X.

Their conclusion is that it's possible Breath of the Wild 2 could indeed be running on the unreleased, and even unannounced Switch Pro, which is indeed?? a different thing entirely from the Switch OLED that came out in October of last year.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jWKSrgY8w0

Of course, they al??so pointed out that Nintendo might just be beefing up the footage to make it look better for the trailers, and that the actual gameplay will be a little more toned down so that it can run on the current Switch hardware. This practi??ce has been in place in the industry for years now, so it wouldn't entirely surprise me if that were the case.

We've also seen this exact conversation before �a few years ago, early trailers for Monster Hunter Rise got the same treatment, to the point that Capcom had to make a statement ?saying their game was indeed running on a normal Switch.

??Here's my take: these speculative conversations about games and console releases can be pretty hit or miss, but even if theories can get a little intense sometimes, I think it's a really fun part of the industry. Sometimes hype can be fun just for the fun of it.

I may be questioning whether there really is a Switch Pro in our immediate future, but it sure can be interesting to think about. And if the game really just does look that good, we'll be in?? for a treat ??when it finally comes out.

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Hopefully no news is good news when it comes to the Breath of the Wild sequel

It's been 8 months since we last got some news about the highly anticipated Breath of the Wild sequel. I would know, because I keep tabs on that game like a haw??k -- I haven't been this excited for a title in a good while. Hope?s were high for today's Nintendo Direct, but it appears that they're not yet ready to reveal any more news for the game, much to the disappointment of the fans who were convinced we were going to get a name or release date announcement this time around.

In light of the pandemic causing all kinds of production and manufacturing delays, it's not surprising that Nintendo is choosing to take their time with this one. After all, I usually prefer a studio to take longer on a game if it means a more polished product down the line. Still, the wait is agonizing, because it's already been teased a few times at this point. As amazing as the first Breath of the Wild game is, we can only replay it so many times. I trust Nintendo to do what's bes??t for the project, but I wish they could have at least mentioned the game in some capacity. Even something like the name would be enough to satiate the fans for a bit longer, but once the announcement is finally made, it will be all the better f??or having to wait. Or at least that's what I'm telling myself for now.

With all the news of acquisitions swirling around, Nintendo has still just been crushing it on their own, and show no signs of slowing down with this title on the horizon. The fact that Breath of the Wild is still full price five years after its release says a lot about its continued success. If the Breath of the Wild sequel lives up to even half of what its predecessor was, Ni??ntendo is going to continue to dominate ??the games industry for years to come.

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I have to wait how long?

Look, it's no secret that Breath of the Wild is up there as one of my favorite games of all time, so you could say I'm pretty pumped for the sequel. My prayers of some news about the next main entry in the Zelda series were finally answered during the E3 Nintendo Direct, and the new trailer got my? mind racing for what possibilities we might see whe??n the game is finally out next year.

So, just for fun, let's put on our speculation caps for a minute, and I'll take you through what I want to see from the Breath of the Wild sequel.

More focus on story

Alright listen, I know the hyper minimal storytelling in Breath of the Wild is something I really enjoyed about it, but I'd be lying if I didn't say I want a little bit more to work with the second time around. This is mo?stly because the trailers we've gotten so far have teased more Zelda content (as in we get to see more of the charact??er Zelda herself, not just the series as a whole �you get it).

I love her character so much, especially in BOTW because we got to see a really sorrowful, yet strong side of her. Spending more time with Zelda in the story is something I would be over the moon about, especially if she's interacting with Link in a substantial way. The Zelda series is so rich with great lore, I just can't get enough of the different angles and perspectives we get o??n the main mythology with each incarnation of the story.

The idea of seeing Link and? Zelda team up in a new way is ho??nestly what's keeping me going at this point. Just think like the memories from the first one, but all the time. Yup, I would very much like that.

The next evolution of combat and other mechanics

I feel like this is something players naturally want from a sequel, and the new trailer certainly hinted at some really awesome looking iterations of the mechanics we know and love from Breath of the Wild. It looks like the runes will have? new abilities, which is great because they're part of what made exploring the world so fun in the? first one.

I was also super intrigued to see some of the new enemy types that were teased, like a Bokoblin camp that was on top of a Stone Talus. Whoever came up with that, if you're reading this, you're a genius. If? that's what's being teased righ?t now, with so much time left until it ships, I seriously can't wait to see what other crazy enemy crossovers Nintendo has in store for us.

I have to mention the fact that Link could pass through stone too �what was that all about?! It's a really cool idea, especially considering the world looks way more vertical, a la Skyward Sword. Nintendo's game design is always on point?, so I know that new mechanic is going to fold into the already existing mechanics seamlessly.

A darker, more chaotic Hyrule

Breath of the Wild's Hyrule was still dangerous, sure, but it was also quiet and relaxing. Based on the new trailer, it looks like the sequel is going to be much more chaotic, with Ganon's threat more present than before. With BOTW, we also got to see what Hyrule looked like a?fter Ganon won, and how its people were still able to reb??uild regardless.

It looks like this time around, most of that will be thrown to the wind, with Hyrule scrambling for survival in a way that is more reminiscent of Majora's Mask, especially because this looks like it'll be on the darker side thematically. I think that'll make for a great mirror to the first game, a??nd give us some more variety in terms of what the series offers this console generation.

More Ganon!

Who doesn't love a good villain? Ganon is such an iconic part of the series, but how much we see o?f him has varied a lot from game to game. The blights made for some cool mini-bosses, and there was obviously the final fight with him, but other than that I pretty much forgot he was a thing for most of the game. The sequel's almost mummy-like Ganon (or some aspect of him) we've seen in the trailers looks really spooky and cool, so I hope he's a more present threat throughout this game.

On top of gameplay, I'd also love to see more story content with Ganon than we've ever seen before. Like I said, I adore the mythology of the Zelda g?ames, and I'd love to see Ganon interact with Link and Zelda in a way that gives us a bit more of his side of the story. Antiheroes are really i?n right now, so who knows? It would definitely switch things up.

A return to more classic dungeons

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the shrines and divine beasts in BOTW. They were a fun divergence from the traditional formula, but at the same time, dungeons are such an iconic part of the series that their?? absence is felt when they're missing from a title. I would really love to see what more traditional dungeons?? would look like in this iteration of Hyrule, especially because of how tumultuous the sequel's world looks.

One Redditor posted a theory that an original dungeon might be coming back, too �they noticed that Death Mountain didn't have lava actively flowing out of it anymore, which means it might be accessible. The volcano was home to one of the dungeons in the very first game in the series, so I could totally see this coming to fruition. That's just the tip of the iceberg with fan theories, though.

Well, that's my wish list. At this point it's all conjecture, sure, but half the fun is the anticipation, and we'll have plenty of time to do that before the game drops. There's a ton I didn't even touch on, so let's speculate together �let me know what your ideal BOTW2 would look like in the comments!

The post Five things I want to?? see from the Breath of the Wild sequel appeared first on Destructoid.

Long-hair Link is causing some speculation

We are now several hours removed from the E3 2021 Nintendo Direct, where we got some new gameplay and a new release window for the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Suffice it to say, the fan theories are alr?eady crackling away.

The cryptic nature of Breath of the Wild 2's reveals thus far, combined with the massive thirst for anything related to this new game, are coalescing in a lot of ??watching, analyzing, and theorizing over the new trailer. By the Nintendo YouTube's own count, it sits at 1 mi??nute, 38 seconds long, and yet it has a lot of fodder for speculation over what Link and Zelda's new journey in a post-post-Calamity Hyrule might entail.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pi-MRZBP91I

Of particular note is the appearance of Link, as he plummets down through the clouds a la Skyward Sword. He's got a new look: a new tunic, long and luscious locks, and a seemingly cursed arm that gives me serious Prince Ashitaka from Princess Mononoke vibes. As pointed out on Twitter too, it's also reminiscent of some concept art for the first Breath of the Wild.

It's a really good look! The long hair makes a lot of sense for a more airborne Link, as it's really fun to see it flutter in the wind as he plummets towards the ground, or the little hair flip he does when doing that weird portal-through-the-rock thing. And—hey wait, is that different hair in another scene?

That looks much more like Breath of the Wild's Link. And what's odd too is, I can't see any floating?? islands or anything. And Link's garb is the old look too, not the off-the-shoulder look we see in the skies.

This is the crux of why some are theorizing that there may be some timeline or player-character shenanigans afoot. One suggestion is the use of a time portal, perhaps bringing the pair back to the time when people lived in the sky, the setting of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

A favorite of mine is that the flash at the beginning might be Link, or an ancestor somehow. It could reinforce the two-timeline theory. Keep in mind, Eiji Aonuma and Nintendo?? have been c?agey in the past about where Breath of the Wild takes place in the Zelda timeline.

But nothing beats the return of playable Zelda speculation. Between the flowing hair and Link appearing fine in other shots, it's reignited hopes that despite Zelda plunging into an abyss at the start of the trailer, she might still be playable after all. Games like Metal Gear Solid 2 and The Last of Us Part II have managed to pull this kind of switch off in the past. This is some wild speculat?ion though, because it would involve a pretty cohesive effort to conceal the face of the character—though we don't really seem to get a good look at long-hair Link's face, do we?

Most importantly, keep in mind this is all some idle fun. 2022 is a ways off still, and fans are predictably hungry for whatever might be in store as a follow-up to such an impactful and memorable Zelda experience. Honestly, I just hope Link and Zelda can get some rest and relaxation after this one.? Rebu?ilding Hyrule doesn't seem like it would be easy!

Catch up on all the reveals from today's Nintendo Direct in our official recap here.

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