Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Calamity is becoming more popular with every wave of DLC it adds to its expansion pass — most recently, the Guardian Of Remembrance wave of content. With its continuously strong player base, fans are wondering what this could mean for future titles.
Nintendo has confirmed that Breath Of The Wild 2 is coming to the Switch in 2022, but there has been scarce information about it. The new and inventive additions to Age Of Calamity, however, do promise interesting things. Here are the most important features from the game that we hope to see added in the sequel to 2017's smashing success, Breath Of The Wild.
10 The True Scale Of The War
The map in Breath Of The Wild (and Hyrule Warriors) is huge. Really huge. However, it is a little empty — this was one of the biggest complaints about the game when it was first released.
Hyrule Warriors does a very good job of fleshing out some of this empty space, but the best thing is that it truly shows off the real scale of the Calamity war. The swathes of Bokoblins and Moblins may seem overwhelming, but realistically this is how terrifying the opposition must have been to overwhelm the Champions and Hyrulians. Players really want this to be translated into the sequel, instead of just seeing one angry monster in their path.
9 Combat Combinations
There are a few combinations that players can pull off during a fight in Breath Of The Wild, but for a game that involves a lot of bashing at enemies, there isn't much variety. At present, Link can perform a charged attack with a weapon or can parry and dodge a foe's swings.
The anticipated sequel could easily bring some of the moves from Age Of Calamity into it. An extra-strong sword bash or shield surfing attack that has Link flying across the battlefield instead of a measly charged spin attack would be massively appreciated.
8 Flail Weapons
Already there is an entire armory at players' disposal in Breath Of The Wild: swords, spears, claymores, you name it. But Age Of Calamity has brought something new into the mix: a set of flail weapons.
Made of ancient parts, there are three flails available. Each is defined by their specific shape and has a different action attached to them for Link. The weapon type has already been adapted from Cadence Of Hyrule, so there is no reason that it should not be brought to the main series.
7 More Shop Opportunities
The retail therapy aspect in Breath Of The Wild is scarce. There is a small store or merchant available at every main town location, and given the sparsity of settlements, this makes sense. But it would be nice to have some more options instead of having to warp across the map to grab a carrot.
A handful of new shop locations were added to Hyrule Warriors, run by both Hylians and their various neighbors. They allow players to stock up on ingredients and sell extra inventory clutter. The sequel could really benefit from a little more liveliness, and stores could assist with this.
6 Terakko The Guardian
Did players know they needed an egg-shaped Guardian that follows them around? No. Are they glad to have it? Very much so. Terakko was a surprise addition to Age Of Calamity that no one really saw coming, but everyine adored.
The little beeping buddy truly holds its own in the game too, even having some missions where the player must control it and no one else. Its story arc ends in a sad way, but given the split timeline throughout Hyrule Warriors, there is every possibility that Nintendo could bring it back for 2022's anticipated arrival.
5 Weapon Fusion
Ah, the weapons. A touchy subject for any avid Breath Of The Wild player. The weapon degradation and breakage system was a dividing mechanic that had some players tearing out their hair — after all, who didn't let out a sigh when their Great Flameblade broke mid-battle?
Age Of Calamity introduced weapon forging at a quaint blacksmith's shop. This doesn't need to be completely brought into the sequel, but it sure would be a bonus. Given the only way to "repair" a weapon is to have an Octorok suck the rust off it, some form of blacksmith or forge option to prevent weapons from breaking would increase positive opinions across the board.
4 New Enemy Types
Age of Calamity doesn't specifically include new breeds of monsters, but rather new varieties and newer ways that they can attack players. As if Link didn't have enough on his plate already, they make his journey all the more challenging.
In Hyrule Warriors, players are faced with all enemy types from Breath Of The Wild, but with a twist: there are elemental varieties and Malice-tainted foes. These add a new challenge and a new level of strategic combat to the game. What's the best way to defeat an Electric Guardian? Or a flying Moblin? Or one that has a giant bomb barrel stuck to its back? Players need this extra challenge in Breath Of The Wild 2.
3 More Buffs From Food
The food menu in Breath Of The Wild is quite extensive, and most meals offer some sort of bonus: speed, stealth, health, and more. Hyrule Warriors builds on this and adds new ways that foodstuff can assist in battle, which should be included in the sequel.
Certain dishes can assist in earning more Rupees — which are hard enough to come by — and can have their percentages stacked. There are also meals that offer elemental resistance, as well as damage resistance overall. Given how many pesky enemies there are with elemental rods or electric horns, this would have been handy in the first game, too.
2 Party System In Battle
This may be a point of contention, but it is nevertheless worth a mention. Hyrule Warrior's party system follows Koei Tecmo's long-running theme of having multiple controllable characters, adding a whole new side to the Legend Of Zelda game.
Even one extra pair of hands takes a lot of the pressure off during a battle, but that's not all. Being able to freely switch between party members, and direct them to move autonomously, was a great addition. Even if the CPU-controlled fighters' don't accomplish too much, they are still welcomed to the party.
1 Bring Back Impa
Fans know Impa now as the withered old lady in Kakariko Village, handing out reprimands and wisdom to Link on a regular basis. But in Age Of Calamity, she has really come into her own. 100 years before Breath Of The Wild, Impa is a fearsome Shiekah warrior, using runes and giant frogs to punish foes.
The split timeline could come into play here again, or she could have trained up the fan-favorite Paya to take on her skills, allowing the latter to take up a role similar to Impa's in Age of Calamity. Link can use the Shiekah slate, but it doesn't come close to Impa's majestic magic. Players would love to see Impa or Paya back for the sequel.