However, I think the first game was a stark indicator that this isn’t a company playing by the rules anymore. Knowing this, I’m hopeful Breath of the Wild 2 will be the most narrative-heavy Zelda game we’ve ever seen, perhaps even superseding Skyward Sword and Twilight Princess with the amount of dialogue it’s willing to subject us to. As long as it’s in service of a wonderful story, I’m more than happy to sit back and sink in.
Despite Breath of the Wild being recognised as a masterpiece, its storytelling aspects are one of its most criticised elements. Given the nature of its narrative, and how Link finds himself awakening a century after the world began to fall apart, it’s natural that a number of critical characters have either perished, moved on, or just aren’t part of the picture anymore. It’s a lonely game, but deliberately so.
Princess Zelda is busy holding back Calamity Ganon in Hyrule Castle, locked in a state of immortality as she tries her best to save the land from ruin. You can either embark on a journey to recruit allies and reclaim the Divine Beasts or simply dick around for hundreds of hours. Ultimately, it’s up to you, and thus any sense of urgency tied to the plot is lost. Player agency is the most important thing here, so for better or worse, the story takes a backseat until you’re ready to tackle it. A number of main characters like Sidon, Riju, and Purah can be found across the game’s major cities, but they’re mostly passive. They’ll initiate cutscenes and dialogue to push the plot forward once you engage with them, but up to that point, they just sort of exist, rarely influencing the world until you decide to acknowledge they even exist.
The majority of the enemies in Resident Evil 5 are infected with Las Plagas parasites, which came from Spain. Essentially, in Resident Evil 5 , the player is fighting against Las Plagas-infected monsters that happen to have spread on the territorial grounds where the T-Virus was discovered decades earlier, but without any inclusion of T-Virus zombies during the actual events of Resident Evil 5 . And yet, previously, fans were simply supposed to believe the T-Virus and Las Plagas parasites have little or no historical connection in usage and resea
Her presence in Breath of the Wild 2 doesn’t inspire confidence. In past trailers she explores the underground caverns of Hyrule Castle with Link before coming across the corpse of Ganondorf. It’s cursed or something, so our hero is quickly infected with an ancient curse as Zelda is yeeted into a dark hole of oblivion. I desperately hope she isn’t stuck there for the entire story as a generic damsel in distress, because the first game helped prove that her character is far more than the archetypal mould from which she was born. Nintendo needs to subvert expectations, whether it be through additional playable characters or a narrative that is far from traditional. Pull a Majora’s Mask – we rarely see numbered sequels in the canonical timeline, so it’s time to try something that isn’t afraid to alter the landscape.
The removal of design decisions previously viewed as irksome would undermine so much of what Breath of the Wild managed to achieve, and the last thing I want to see is Nintendo steering its formula in a direction that abides by more traditional genre conventions. Assassin’s Creed and similar games of this ilk are arguably more akin to content mill, built to draw you in for hundreds of hours even if much of that time is filled with uninspired busywork. The time you spend with the game is what matters, and Breath of the Wild managed to challenge a system that has become increasingly tired in the eyes of players. Its sequel needs to continue chasing that ambition, and not compromise on its own design ethos.
No matter what happens, it remains important to consider the symbolism behind Zelda’s appearance, and how her luscious new hairstyle could be a sign of change for her character that allows her to abandon the shackles of royalty and strive for independence beyond grief and trauma. It’s a powerful message of perseverance for a woman who deserves agency, even more so when you consider the classics that inspired her and how female characters in the world of gaming are finally earning a similar level of respect to their male counterparts.
Hyrule is safe once more, but so much was lost to acquire even a semblance of peace. Now, Zelda must emerge from the ruins of destruction and build something from the wreckage. It’s a heartbreaking conclusion to her destiny, and Zelda is left with so much emotional and physical baggage that it’s easier just to cut it all away – visit this backlink detachment has been presented in a rather literal sense with her new hairstyle.
Though Resident Evil 4 has yet to be officially confirmed, these revelations linking the Nemesis to Resident Evil 4 come at an interesting time given the rumors abound. It could appear out of place to suddenly make a significant link between the Nemesis and Resident Evil 4, unless perhaps Capcom has something relevant stirring in the
