The sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is one of the most highly anticipated games in recent memory. This is especially true considering the 2017 launch Switch title instantly broke records as one of the highest-rated Metacritic games of all time. Since Nintendo announced Breath of the Wild 2, fans have been waiting for any piece of new information, and there are many hopes and dreams as to what the game could be.
It seems as if Nintendo cannot make it through E3 2021 without a Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 reveal. Along with the excitement, there are plenty of features that fans are clamoring for in the follow-up. Some fans are hoping that Breath of the Wild 2 will see a return to some of the classic Zelda tropes. Meanwhile, there are other requestees that are looking for more innovation and advancement.
The Return of Classic Zelda Dungeons
Although 2017's Breath of the Wild is beloved, one of the things that many fans missed was the traditional classic dungeons. The Divine Beasts and their unique puzzles were new and special, but Breath of the Wild 2 could use classic dungeons again.
The conventional 3D Zelda structure was forgone in Breath of The Wild and replaced with a free-roaming and truly open-world game. Players were able to tackle challenges, regions, and Divine Beasts in any order they pleased, and this came with Nintendo ditching "old-fashion" dungeons altogether. This new Zelda style is something that the majority of the fanbase loves, as the idea of going anywhere, exploring up and over any mountaintop, and tackling any challenge is truly liberating. With Breath of the Wild 2, Nintendo will likely bring back that same free-roaming formula, but even if it does, it is possible to reintroduce dungeons with Breath of the Wild 2.
Part of the reason that a game like The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess would be great on the Switch is because Breath of the Wild is such a non-traditional 3D Zelda game. But bringing dungeons back wouldn't break that new Breath of the Wild feel. Nintendo's first foray into The Legend of Zelda on the NES is the closest game to Breath of the Wild in many ways. Players were able to go anywhere and tackle any dungeon in any order. The freedom was not as vast as Breath of the Wild, but some of the principles were the same. Nintendo could design Breath of the Wild 2 to have a set number of dungeons that could be taken on from the onset of the game and be completed in any order, much like the Divine Beasts or the dungeons in the original The Legend of Zelda on the NES.
Old-School Epic Zelda Bosses Should Come Back
When bringing up a list of the best bosses in Zelda's history, most would not mention Breath of the Wild. The roaming enemies that played like mini-bosses such as the Lynel, Hinox, and Molduga were a blast to battle—and Breath of the Wild 2 would be better to bring them back and add more of them--but the game also should include traditional bosses at the end of those classic dungeons that would also see a return.
At the end of each Divine Beast in Breath of the Wild, players must take on one of the four Blight Ganon bosses. There were three major issues with this setup in Breath of the Wild. One, not including the final battle against Calamity Ganon, there were only four major boss battles because there were only four Divine Beasts/Dungeons (significantly less than most 3D Zelda games). Two, the "Blight" bosses felt very similar to one another in their lack of distinct design and overall gameplay. And three, the boss battles were not quite as memorable in comparison to games like Wind Waker, Ocarina of Time, or Twilight Princess.
Because the Blight Ganon bosses were similar and all inside of mechanical Divine Beasts, they did not stand out. Meanwhile, Twilight Princess saw Link battling the flying Argorok boss during a lightning storm in the clouds in the City in the Sky; and in a collapsing ancient ruin in Arbiter's Grounds, Link dashed around using the Spinner item to take down the massive Stallord boss. In Ocarina of Time, Link uses the Megaton Hammer to bash the skull of the levitating fire dragon Volvagia. In Wind Waker, Link must take down Gohma in multiple steps inside of the mouth of a volcano, including swinging over its head with the trusty Grappling Hook. These epic boss battles were very much a core part of Zelda's DNA, and the old-school bosses should return in Breath of the Wild 2.
Playable Zelda in Breath of the Wild 2
Another intriguing thing that has been experimented with in previous Zelda games is the idea of playing as a character other than Link. Obviously, this is not referring to spin-off games like the well-received Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. Specific moments in Wind Waker allowed players to control Medli and Makar to complete dungeon challenges. In Twilight Princess, players take control of Wolf Link, and by extension Midna. In Spirit Tracks, players finally were able to control Zelda herself as long as she possesses a Phantom. Breath of the Wild 2 could be a perfect opportunity to bring back those ideas and allow Zelda to join in on the fun.
If Breath of the Wild 2 were to allow Zelda to be playable, there would be two main lines of thinking. One would be to give players full control and let her be a playable character from the jump, just like Link himself. And the other would be a strategic addition to puzzle-based gameplay moments within dungeons or specific moments of gameplay.
It seems feasible for Zelda to be a swappable character from Link. Theoretically, she could take on all of the challenges of Hyrule instead. Link could still show up in story moments, and players could take on the dungeons, bosses, sidequests, and monsters of Hyrule as the Princess with the Triforce of Wisdom instead of Link this go around. But Nintendo could also design the game so that there are specific moments in which Link "steps aside" and Zelda comes in to take care of business. Puzzle gameplay within dungeons comes to mind, as well as specific story-based moments. There are plenty of ideas, but Breath of the Wild 2 would be the perfect opportunity to implement more Zelda into the gameplay.
More Unlockable Unbreakable Weapons
One of the big complaints for some with the original Breath of the Wild was the weapon durability. Whether it be a bow and arrow, shield, or spear, weapons break down and completely fall apart in time after usage. There are debates on whether or not weapon durability should stick around for Breath of the Wild 2, but one very smart decision could take care of the problem altogether--that idea would be implementing multiple unlockable, unbreakable weapons.
In the original Breath of the Wild, there is one single unbreakable weapon, and a few additional weapons that are very special that would fall under a similar category. The Master Sword can be unlocked in Breath of the Wild and does not break, making it truly unique. Additionally, The Hylian Shield can be found or purchased and takes a massive beating before breaking. Meanwhile, the Ceremonial Trident and the Lightscale Trident can break but be reforged with special items after unlocking them.
In Breath of the Wild 2, players should be able to unlock many unbreakable weapons. These items would not be available from the start of the game, so weapon inventory management would still be something that needs to be done correctly, but in time players could collect powerful and unbreakable gear. Just like the Master Sword cannot be unlocked until players have collected a certain amount of hearts, there could be multiple unbreakable weapons that can be scattered throughout Hyrule stuck behind side quests and difficult challenges that take time and effort--but the reward would be worth it.
Nintendo could add, perhaps, one unbreakable item for each weapon type. This way players would have a new challenge to pursue in time. The idea that the weapons would be spread throughout the whole map would mean that it would take physical time to collect them, and the fact that some of them would even be locked behind a difficulty or progression level would mean that they can not be unlocked from the beginning of the game. So "cheesing" the experience would not be possible (just like is the case with not being able to get the Master Sword right away). A change needs to be made to weapon durability with Breath of the Wild 2, and this system would work well it seems.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 is in development for Nintendo Switch.