9 Reasons Why We Are Excited For Breath of the Wild
Here we are, finally, one week away from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild! I can still remember that first reveal trailer where I found myself sitting on the fence about how good it could be. Now I sit here counting down the days until it can finally be in my hands. I have watched every gameplay footage video I could find, and I wonder at the amazing potential of what lies outside of the Great Plateau. I have Zelda on the brain, and my heart is already lost in Hyrule. If somehow you have not yet been sold on what is possibly the most monumental Zelda game to date – or worse still, have not yet seen what this game has to offer – here are the top nine features of Breath of the Wild we are ridiculously excited for.
9. Crafting and Health System
It feels like Zelda is the last great fantasy adventure to introduce a crafting system, yet its inclusion makes it feel all the more sweet. For the first time, Link has an inventory to collect a vast array of miscellaneous food, bugs, and monster bits and use them in a variety of ways: food can be eaten raw for health, meat can be thrown into a fire for more hearts, or up to five ingredients can be thrown into a cooking pot for even greater effects. Link no longer needs to quest for empty bottles to fill with milk and faeries but instead will scavenge and cook his dinner. It’s also worth noting the yellow heart system where Link can extend his life by several temporary hearts. Let’s also not forget the plethora of potions and elixirs Link can now craft himself to a huge variety of effects such as cold resistance, increased stamina, and increased sneaking to name a few. It may not be new to gaming, but the crafting system is an excellent accent to the survival theme.
8. Wardrobe
The most predominant comment I heard during the initial teaser video was “that is not Link, he’s not wearing a green tunic!” Link has always had tunics of varying colors for different effects, but the new wardrobe is a series first, allowing him to not only wear different garments but it illustrates a necessity to change them. We have seen special thicker clothing to increase Link’s cold resistance, his blue tunic from the trailer, and even a few moments of Link in what appears to be heavy steel armor. It won’t be a simple progression of upgrading to the next strongest clothing, but his attire will need to change based on the necessity of where he is. This freedom to change his appearance again reflects the survival aspect of the game and I am sure there will be a challenge out there to complete the game only in your underwear.
7. Braving the Wild – Survival
The hero of time is not seemingly invulnerable this time around. In past Zelda games Link had been a master combatant, able to run slay his opponents with impressive battle prowess and a host of items at his disposal. But what about an enemy you can’t spin attack or lob bombs at to win? Link’s own body can now make the difference in his survival. There is a temperature gauge to be mindful of, making sure Link doesn’t freeze or overheat, which can be managed with clothing or a variety of food for temporary resistance boosts. In the footage so far we have only seen how Link can combat the cold – either through special layered clothing or cold resistance food – but it will be interesting to see the other end of the spectrum and how Link will resist the inevitable desert and volcano bound to appear. Also introduced and vital to survival is stealth: Link now has a bar for the noise he makes. We saw it in practice in several videos as Link would attack sleeping Bokoblins or sneak up on horses to tame them, but what about once he leaves the Plateau? We also saw Link take on incredibly powerful enemies, so how effective will stealth be to Link’s survival?
Click on through to PAGE 2 for the next few reasons….