First teased all the way back in 2013, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has finally emerged blinking into the sunlight, and Nintendo fans – us included! – are relishing the chance to enjoy Link’s upcoming adventure.
Indeed, Breath of the Wild proved to be the leading star of the Big N’s Treehouse presentation earlier today, bringing news of the official title and gameplay. From the sprawling open-world landscape to the striking art style, Nintendo’s new game is shaping up to be a looker, but there is one caveat that fans have taken issue with.
That is, the role of female heroes – or lack thereof – after Nintendo producer Eiji Aonuma revealed to GameSpot that the creative team had considered allowing players to choose the gender of Link, before ultimately deciding against it.
According to Aonuma, the dev team had weighed up the option of thrusting Zelda into the shoes of the game’s lead character: “we thought about it,” said Aonuma, “and decided that if we’re going to have a female protagonist it’s simpler to have Princess Zelda as the main character.”
Alas, the pitch was rejected before it could gain any significant traction. Aonuma’s reasoning for the move was that, “if [Nintendo] places princess Zelda as the main character who fights, then what is Link going to do? Taking into account that, and also the idea of the balance of the Triforce, we thought it best to come back to this [original] makeup.”
Elsewhere, Nintendo of America President and COO Reggie Fils-Aime championed The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild as a new chapter in the Zelda universe.
“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild breaks boundaries for the franchise and for games as a whole. Where you go, how you get there, the order in which you do it, and the items, weapons and approaches used to solve puzzles and defeat enemies are all up to you.”
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is real and it’s gorgeous. To go up close and personal with Nintendo’s new entry in the prestigious series, there’s a host of images included in the gallery above that are hot off the presses. But if you’re wanting to see the actioner in motion, check out the reveal trailer from earlier this morning.