Now, we shouldn’t cry doom for no reason. After all, Breath of the Wild does look superb from what we’ve seen so far, and it’s clearly had an overwhelmingly positive reaction from critics and audiences watching the livestream events. Yet, it’s certainly valid to consider the challenge that the game faces in trying to stand apart from other massively popular titles among the open world genre. Sure, there is a definitive point of difference in its art style and characters, and we all know that Nintendo games generally play superbly, but is Breath of the Wild appealing enough to attract a new generation of gamers?
We have to continually remind ourselves that Zelda really isn’t as commercially impressive as its legendary critical reception. Indeed, Zelda really has never been the system selling franchise that many people believe it to be, and one has to wonder how many of the giddy reactions to Breath of the Wild are comprised of the same few million people that were always likely to purchase it. That isn’t to say that other hardcore gamers, or even some children that are perhaps new to Zelda aren’t going to find what they have so far seen appealing, but how much is nostalgia fuelling the response to the game so far?
Again, it’s worth re-iterating that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild does look very good, and if you’ve played any Zelda title then you’ll be acutely aware that, quite apart from an engaging story and solid gameplay, each has a certain magic about it that is just so captivating. Yet, when you compare Breath of the Wild to PlayStation gameplay demonstrations of God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Days Gone, is Zelda’s charm enough to convince a new audience that it’s relevant among such accomplished competition? Moreover, given the dominance of PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, is it a game worth spending hundreds of dollars on a new Nintendo console for?
Based on Zelda’s reputation as a seminal video game series and how adored it is, particularly by older players, it’s unsurprising how much of a stir Breath of the Wild has caused. This is open world “next generation” Zelda; the game fans have always wanted, and it’s already being billed as the game of the show by journalists on E3’s floor. We just hope that among Hyrule’s vast open expanses and mysterious dungeons there is enough life, interactivity and depth. Zelda is entering new territory by declaring itself an open world RPG, and the series’ reputation and undeniable charm is only going to take it so far with respect to renewing interest in the franchise among a younger audience.
