5 Things That The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Must Get Right

Whilst this year’s E3 saw a range of titles showcased by Sony, Microsoft and other major publishers, Nintendo’s offering very much focused on a single upcoming game: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Unprecedented swathes of live gameplay were shown during Nintendo’s Treehouse presentations, and the show floor also had a playable demo, which many claim was the best of E3. As a long-time follower of The Legend of Zelda series, I've enjoyed experiencing and analyzing the franchise’s progression from top-down, 2D open world exploration game to 3D sandbox adventure games. I am, therefore, keen to see how Nintendo handles the shift back to open world gameplay, 30 years after the original Legend of Zelda released in Japan. Will it be an evolution, or a misstep? The Treehouse presentation treated us to glimpses of exploration, combat, challenge rooms, crafting and much more. From what we’ve seen thus far, there is a lot to be excited about with Breath of the Wild. This bold return to the open world approach does, however, herald some potential pitfalls. So, without further ado, here are five things that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild must get right to be a triumphant entry in this illustrious series. 1) Stuff The World Full Of Interesting Things To Do And Find The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s world of Hyrule will be very big indeed. This is hardly surprising given that Monolith Soft - developers of the vast world of Xenoblade Chronicles X - helped Nintendo with development of the game. The Big N have stated that the not insubstantial demo area shown off at E3– the Great Plateau – is a meagre 2% of the world map’s surface area. That’s suitably impressive measured against any open world video game, but by The Legend of Zelda standards it’s staggering. Granted, The Wind Waker had a large world map, but much of that was ocean, so I don’t think we can count it. This impressive size will be absolutely nothing, however, if the world is an uninspired, sparsely-populated affair. With their bold design decision, Nintendo have entered the lair of the open world curse. By giving us the freedom to choose their own direction and pace of exploration, the onus is on the game world to continually engage the player. If Hyrule becomes a chore to traverse and there's not enough to maintain player interest, then the game experience is jeopardized. It is imperative, therefore, that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s expansive depiction of Hyrule is stuffed full of mysterious treasures to discover, and landmarks to ogle. Of course, we can and should expect to see the usual fake walls to bomb, boulders to shift to reveal hidden areas, and so on. Beyond that, Breath of the Wild’s world would benefit greatly from better hidden secrets, such as a concealed cavern entrance leading to a serpentine tunnel, terminating in a populated subterranean lake, for example. Typically, The Legend of Zelda titles have featured only a handful of population centres per game, and this has worked perfectly due to the worlds’ relatively compact scales. Breath of the Wild cannot afford to mimic this approach, however. It was stated that towns were removed from the E3 demo version, for whatever reason, which was certainly a relief to me. Breath of the Wild needs to have its world brimming with everything from little campsites inhabited by intrepid explorers, through to quaint little villages and bustling towns. 2) Inhabit Hyrule With Charming, Whimsical NPCs If I had to put my finger on any one particular ingredient that makes The Legend of Zelda games unique, it would be charm. From the attention to detail, to the worlds themselves, through to the characters that dwell in them, the best games in the series are overflowing with whimsical charm. The NPCs are especially important in this regard. Just as I stated previously that a vast world would be nothing without lots of secrets to find and places to visit, so would be the case if Hyrule wasn’t populated by the colourful characters that we’ve come to expect from The Legend of Zelda series. From the mysterious Happy Mask Salesman in Majora’s Mask to Twilight Princess’s cheeky, enigmatic Midna, The Legend of Zelda series boasts some truly memorable characters, each with their own charming personality and a host of problems that need solving. Aside from the lack of direction, one of the gravest challenges facing open world games is that in trying to desperately to populate the world, the developer may fail to make the inhabitants interesting. Although I’m sure many would disagree with me here, Skyrim is a prime example in my opinion, with a host of dull NPCs delivering instantly forgettable lines. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild must not fall into this trap. Not only would it place further strain on the game world to maintain player interest, but it would dent the whole identity of what makes a Legend of Zelda title. Simply put, we need to see interesting, charmingly mad NPCs throughout this version of Hyrule, with problems that we can really become invested in. 3) Useful Items And Currency It was immediately apparent from the Nintendo Treehouse presentations that items for crafting and presumably selling will be prevalent in Breath of the Wild’s world. A new approach for the series was revealed, in that hearts will no longer be dropped by defeated enemies, or hidden in pots and grass. Instead, edible items such as apples and steaks will replenish life when consumed. It is a concern, however, that it looked all too easy to gather enough food to feed a legion, and then replenish life from the safety of the pause menu. To present the player with any sort of challenge, time should at least continue when healing. It is also important that rarer items are not only seldom available, but also of some practical use. Too many open world games consider scattering hundreds of useless collectibles as a reasonable way of extending longevity. Although rupees didn’t feature in the E3 demo, it was apparent from the inventory that the staple Legend of Zelda currency will be present. One issue with previous notable titles in the franchise, such as Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess, was that rupees quickly became very easy to accumulate, but with little desirable or useful items to spend them on. It is all the more crucial in Breath of the Wild’s vast open world that rupees are either sufficiently difficult to gather, or premium items suitably expensive, that there is actually some purpose to our obsessive gathering. A method of saving rupees, akin to the bank in Majora’s Mask, also wouldn’t go amiss. 4) Explore The Technology Vs. Nature Theme Through A Robust Central Narrative Aside from the transition back to a fully open world environment, one of the most exciting aspects of Breath of the Wild looks set to be its introduction of powered technology and machines. In a franchise dominated by swords and sorcery, this initially felt like a risky shakeup, but early signs are that the technological aspect can fit snuggly into The Legend of Zelda universe. It was clear from the gameplay presentations that many of the machines have broken down in a world being reclaimed by nature. Some still remain, however, such as the intimidating Guardians, which make the mechanical Beamos from previous series entries such as Ocarina of Time look like harmless fruit blenders. It's crucial that Breath of the Wild establishes the world’s relationship between nature and machine, and then explores it in greater depth. With the open world approach, it is more imperative than it has ever been in the series’ history that the central story be a compelling one. Otherwise, there is a strong possibility that the player will lose any sense of purpose and desire to progress, leading to disillusionment and boredom. It was stated in the Treehouse presentations that the balance between nature and machine was shifting in Hyrule, and long-term antagonist Ganon looks likely to be at the heart of this. Whoever the primary antagonist turns out to be, Breath of the Wild’s narrative would benefit hugely from a more fleshed out, relatable foe than what weve previously seen in The Legend of Zelda franchise. 5) Have A Stirring, Contextual Soundtrack Last, but by no means least, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild must have an excellent score. The music is a component often overlooked when discussing the key attributes of any Legend of Zelda game, but it really shouldn’t be. A memorable, contextual soundtrack can evoke strong emotions in the player, and elevate the gameplay experience above what the visual aspects alone can achieve. For prime examples, take Koji Kondo’s legendary Hyrule Field theme, for an iconic piece that masterfully evokes a sense of adventure, or the touching music that plays when Link’s Grandma is depressed in The Wind Waker. It was with significant concern, therefore, that I noticed the distinct lack of a memorable overworld theme in the Breath of the Wild demo. Worse still, this approach was inexplicably praised by the Nintendo rep during the Treehouse presentations. The final version of Breath of the Wild must, at the very least, feature stirring music for the dungeons, shrines and villages, as well as during narrative events. Personally, I would love for Breath of the Wild to feature a dynamic overworld theme, which shifts in tone and tempo as Link travels to different locations and engages with various enemies. Each major area, such as the Great Plateau, could also benefit from its own theme. So, there you have it, our picks for five things that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild must get right to be hailed as a triumph. Do you agree with us? Anything else you'd like to include? Let us know in the comments section below.