The sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has been delayed until spring 2023. Many fans are upset at this announcement, as Breath of the Wild is 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's sequel getting delayed may end up working in its favor.
The original Breath of the Wild is an incredibly tough act to follow. It not only reinvented the Legend of Zelda formula, but the open-world genre as a whole. Breath of the Wild's sequel looks 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, so Breath of the Wild's sequel would benefit from separating itself from these games and coming out during more of a drought.
Breath of the Wild's Major Impact
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is one of the most impactful games of 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's non-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 play Breath of the Wild over five years later. All of Breath of the Wild's praise results in one thing: an impossibly high bar for its sequel to clear.
Nintendo does want to achieve Breath of the Wild's level 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's sequel takes Link to the sky on 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's sequel's delay stings, but it's probably better that Nintendo fine-tunes it longer.
Open-World Games in 2022
There have been no shortage of massive open-world games in 2022. Horizon Forbidden West and Elden Ring released 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 new Saints Row reboot is coming this summer, and the first fully open-world Pokemon games, Scarlet and Violet, are releasing toward the end of the year. The sequel to Breath of the Wild should give itself some breathing room. Distance from 2022 games is smart, especially when some draw some heavy inspiration from the original Breath of the Wild.
The biggest open-world game of 2022 so far is Elden Ring. While its gameplay is much harder, and general themes are much darker than Breath of the Wild, their worlds clearly share some DNA. Elden Ring allows 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 to Breath of the Wild, to the point where many consider Elden Ring the most accessible Souls-like. Given Elden Ring takes dozens of hours to complete, and that many players will want to replay it, Breath of the Wild's sequel is smart to give it the spotlight.
The other main open-world title on the market now is Horizon Forbidden West, which is ironic considering the original Horizon Zero Dawn was overshadowed by Breath of the Wild in 2017. The two games are very different though, with Forbidden West containing a more generic open-world design complete 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, so Breath of the Wild's sequel can shine on its own in 2023.
Hopes for Breath of the Wild's Sequel
Breath of the Wild 2 is 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 a Cyberpunk 2077-type situation, in which a hyped game is released with many problems - especially when Breath of the Wild's sequel 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 title is 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 to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is set to release in spring 2023.